The Foote Files: Harpers Bizarre

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since our last blog but we are back with a cool song from the 60's.

Harpers Bizarre was a vocal quintet from Santa Cruz, California. The members included Ted Templeman, Eddie James, Dick Yount, John Petersen, and Dick Scoppettone. When I first heard them as a teenager in 1967, I thought they were from England and part of the British Invasion of pop music. Petersen was also a member of The Beau Brummels. Templeman later went on the producing side, with producer credits for The Doobie Brothers and Van Halen. They charted twice on Billboard but their first song was their most successful.

"The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" was released in the spring of 1967. It went all the way to #13 on Billboard and stayed on the charts for seven weeks. Written by Paul Simon (who, along with partner Art Garfunkel, also recorded and released this song), produced by Lenny Waronker, released on the Warner Brothers record label, and running 2:36, the lyrics go like this:

Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobble stones
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy
Hello lamppost, what cha knowing?
I've come to watch your flowers growing
Ain't cha got no rhymes for me?
Doot-in' doo-doo, feelin' groovy
Got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy

This is just a fun song! You can hear it today on SIRIUS XM 60s On 6 with Plash Phelps, Dave Hoeffel, Pat St. John, Shotgun Tom Kelly, and weekends with Mike Kelly.