Tag Archives: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear

Harper Bizarre: Feelin’ Groovy

In April 1967, “Warner Bros” label released “Feelin’ Groovy”, the debut Harpers Bizarre album. It was recorded in 1967, and was produced by Lenny Waronker.

Personnel:

  • Dickie Scoppettone – vocals, guitar
  • Ted Templeman – vocals, guitar
  • Eddie James – guitar
  • Dick Yount – vocals, bass
  • John Petersen – drums 
  • Randy Newman – piano
  • Van Dyke Parks – piano
  • Leon Russell – arrangements
  • Randy Newman – arrangements
  • Perry Botkin Jr. – arrangements
  • Ron Elliott – arrangements
  • Lee Herschberg – engineer
  • Ed Thrasher – art direction
  • Jim Marshall – photography
  • Stan Cornyn – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Come to the Sunshine – Van Dyke Parks
  2. Happy Talk – Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II
  3. Come Love – Alan Bergman, Larry Marks, Marilyn Keith
  4. Raspberry Rug – Leon Russell
  5. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) – Paul Simon
  6. The Debutante’s Ball – Randy Newman
  7. Happy Land – Randy Newman
  8. Peter and the Wolf – Sergei Prokofieff, Robert Durand
  9. I Can Hear the Darkness – Donna Washburn, Leon Russell
  10. Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear – Randy Newman

Randy Newman: Sail Away

In May 1972, “Reprise” label released “Sail Away”, the third Randy Newman studio album. It was recorded in 1972, at “Amigo Studios”, “Western Studios”, “Poppi Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Sail Away” at number 321 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Randy Newman- vocals, piano, arranger
  • Ry Cooder- slide guitar
  • Russ Titelman- guitars
  • Chris Ethridge- bass
  • Wilton Felder- bass
  • Jimmy Bond- bass
  • Jim Keltner- drums
  • Gene Parsons- drums
  • Earl Palmer- drums
  • Milt Holland- percussion
  • Abe Most- alto saxophone

Track listing:

All tracks by Randy Newman.

  1. Sail Away
  2. Lonely at the Top
  3. He Gives Us All His Love
  4. Last Night I Had a Dream
  5. Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear
  6. Old man
  7. Political Science
  8. Burn On
  9. Memo to My Son
  10. Dayton Ohio-1903
  11. You Can Leave Your Hat On
  12. God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)