Yesterdays
Harpo In Hi-Fi
Mercury MG 20232
1957
From the back cover:
The intriguing background for Harpo In Hi-Fi is provided by the Freddy Katz Orchestra. Katz, while musical director for the Seventh Army Headquarters in Europe, backed touring artists such as Lena Horne, Vic Damone, Mindy Carson and other luminaries. As a cellist, he worked with the National Symphony, the Acolian String Quartet, and even the Chico Hamilton Progressive Jazz group.
Co-featured is Bill Marx, 20 year old son of Harpo, and currently a student at Juilliard. Young Marx arranged and conducted That's All and scored Lullaby Doll and They Say It's Wonderful. His work here predicts a brilliant future. The remainder of the arrangements were artfully written by Katz.
The eight piece orchestra includes drums, one reed man doubling flute, clarinet and piccolo; bass;' guitar; cello; vibraharp and two pianos doubling celeste.
Also from the back cover: Despite the ever increasing competition in the ranks of show business, Harpo Marx has made his mark year after year by being unorthodox. No other comedian would ever have thought to make a success of a deaf mute performance, garbed in a mop-like wig, a ragged gabardine coat, a battered silk hat and a honk-honk cane. Harpo's harpists are just as original because he never had a music lesson. Harpo even tunes his harp differently than the standard harp. Today he was having a teacher-pianist play them on the piano while he transposes on the harp. In the grooves of Harpo In Hi-Fi, you will find again a very distinctive and individual treatment of the harp and background orchestra. Few realize that Harpo's pantomime presentation also is a complete reversal of form in that he worked until World War I with his brothers, singing bass in a quartet and doing verbal banter with them. Harpo is currently under contract to the National Broadcasting Company, doing six shows a year of the Spectacular type with major stars. Outside of his commitment to NBC, Harpo works only a few weeks a year, primarily in nearby Los Vegas. The remainder of his time is spent in social and charity work which he started heavily during World War II, touring camps and hospitals throughout the United States. He still manages to average about four hours a day of practice on the harp.
From Billboard - May 13, 1957: This brace of standards has a refreshingly new sound because we don't often hear the harp – "Harpo In Hi-Fi" – is no gag. Cello and string bass really woof while the harp hits the higher frequencies. Sample, for example, "My Funny Valentine" in which harp and solo cello are spotlighted. Disk departs from the usual Mercury one-mike technique, according to the liner notes. No less than four mikes were used in a tiny studio. It makes for pleasant background music. Spoof cover is an eye-catcher.
Also from the back cover: Hi-Fi Information
This recording was made in a Los Angeles recording studio. The studio itself was approximately 14' x 24' with a '15 ceiling. Because of the intricacies of the arrangements and the necessity for individual highlighting of each instrument, a number of microphones were utilized. They included: harp (telefunken U47); cello and stringed bass (Altec 639); piano and drums (Telefunken 201); reeds (RCA 770X)
The tape was run on an Amex tape recorder No. 350 at 15 ips (inches per second). The tape was mastered at Mercury Records Sound Engineering Studios, New York, by Douglas Hawkins, on a Scully variable lathe.
Thinking Of You
Guardian Angel
Yesterdays
My Funny Valentine
The Ash Grove
Tenderly
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
Lullaby Doll
They Say That Falling In Love Is Wonderful
Autumn Leaves
Honeysuckle Rose
That's All
