Come To The Sunshine/Happy Talk/Come Love/Raspberry Rug/The59th Bridge Street Song (Feelin’ Groovy)/ The Debutante’s Ball/Happyland/Peter & The Wolf/I Can Hear The Darkness/Simon Smith & The Amazing Dancing Bear
Feelin’ Groovy was the debut album from the Californian sunshine pop group Harpers Bizarre. The Paul Simon title track single reached No. 13 in the US and featured arrangements by Leon Russell. (US:108)
“For an album that is completely lacking energy in every way, it's actually mostly tolerable. The choir vocal style is a bit much to chew and it's so stunningly corporate and unoriginal. Despite these monstrosities, it's fairly good.”
“The songs are airy, typically sixties in their sunny mood, vocal harmonies and subtle, elegantly unpredictable melodies. The arrangements are sober and imaginative: wind and brass instruments play an important role, and I suppose this is the element which makes me appreciate the album so much.”
“Welcome to Harpers Bizarre wonderland where it is never ending summer and sunshine, flowers talk, houses are made of cookies, candies are hanging down from the trees and everything is in pastels.”
“Yes, this is sunshine pop, purest of the pure and has one of the finest productions in those days. There is not really any rubbish material included and only a couple of songs fail to make any impression on me.”
“If any group and song was the prototype for sunshine pop, it would be Harpers Bizarre and their hit version of Feelin' Groovy. Their high range choir boy harmonies, positive themed material, and sophisticated arrangements were all part of the genre's model.”
“Regardless of style, each song is structured around the Harpers Bizarre voices singing soft and high; lush background harmonies weaving in and out of orchestration with strings, flutes, oboes, horns; and drumming with brushes to tie it all together. If you like happy, feel-good music then you will enjoy this LP. Happy, tunes from a simpler, more carefree time. Take some time with these tunes and dream a little.”
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