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Not only is this a testament to this groups un-surpassed mastery of 4-part harmony singing but I was surprised to spot this Super-400C with a CC pickup, in the hands of a not-so-tall gentleman who seems to have no difficulty at all in handling that large guitar...
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07-20-2023 04:53 AM
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that's the late Bill Comstock, that Super 400 came up for sale some years ago, I think it's a late 60s model.
For those that don't know the Freshmen were a huge influence on the Beach Boys and it sure shows....
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The Four Freshman were great, in that they could perform live and play their instruments, but the Hi-Lo's were on another level entirely.
The FF were so threatened by them, that they used to give them one-nighter sub gigs all over the place so they could play the more prestigious ones.
Brian Wilson is so flaky, that he'll say one minute the FF were his greatest influence, and the next that the Hi-Lo's were.
When The Association did their greatest hits (Cherish, etc..) their record company called in a member of the Hi-Lo's to do all the vocal arrangements.
Let's put it this way, there wouldn't be any Manhattan Transfer or Take 6 without the Hi-Lo's.
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my dad loved the Four Freshmen
so talented to play and sing so tight
superb recording on one mic !
self balancing and what a balance
and overall sound
those WERE the days my friend
thanks
I’ll have to check out the Hi Lo’s
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Those were the days all right ... not only were they at the top of their singing-game but they also SWUNG LIKE HELL doing it ... amazing.
I worked my way backward because I first discovered "The Singers Unlimited" and stayed there for many years before one older player once mentioned the FF and the Hi-Lo's - that was before the internet and records of these groups just were not available anymore, at least not in Europe. I know of "The King's Singers" in GB from some TV shows and that was it. The Singers Unlimited recorded many of their albums in Germany (MPS Records, Villingen-Schwenningen, Black Forest) , as did Oscar Peterson. That MPS Studio produced a very recognizable sound ...
In the US that kind of "jazzy" 4-part harmony singing has a long tradition and IMHO is part of the cultural identity of this nation so for me it does not come as a surprise that groups like The Mills Brothers, The Golden Gate Quartet, Hi-Lo's, FF, Singers Unlimited and later The Manhattan Transfer, NY Voices, Take 6 etc. took this to such heights. I love it and that music will continue to inspire me and make me feel good !
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I love Singers Unlimited but be aware that a lot of their signature sound came at least in parts from the use of the (then leading edge technology) multi track recording doing overdubs. One reason they recorded in Germany at MPS.
Originally Posted by gitman
Seeing and hearing the Freshmen doing that live on TV just blew me away... - they didn't do miming then?
EDIT: Just read that the mastermind and arranger behind Singers Unlimited - Gene Puerling also was founder of the Hi-Los...
Gene Puerling - Wikipedia
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Yes, the SU represents the ultimate in the self-taught genius GP's masterful work. Originally Posted by gitman
I also started with the SU and then discovered the Hi-Lo's.
That's why I admired that FF video so much, because none of those videos of the Hi-Lo's are live. GP was such a perfectionist, that he spent hours in the studio until the music was perfect, so they mimed all of the stuff you find on You Tube. They also didn't have to play instruments like the FF, so that makes the FF even more admirable for both singing and playing live.They lacked the harmonic complexity of a GP, but some of their later stuff shows that they eventually learned GP's techniques, and are definitely worth seeking out.
By the time he started the SU, any type of live performance was impossible. He found Bonnie Herman, Len Dresslar, and Don Shelton on their gigs singing jingles in the studios, and they got together at that MPS studio, and a whole new thing was started using the multi-track recording expertise of Brunner-Schwer. When I'm in a used record store and i see an SU album there, I buy it, because I know there's something to learn from GP there. And Bonnie Herman...
Even though GP didn't do any of the instrumental writing on their albums, I've spent hours transcribing the vocal harmonies, and while it's impossible to write out sixteen or more parts, I can get the basic idea of what he's doing, and apply it to both the guitar and my big band writing.
GP would collaborate with people like Claire Fischer, Pat Williams, Rob McConnell, and even Robert Farnon for the albums he made with bands, but the unaccompanied ones were something else altogether...
They have an interview with GP right before he died in 2008, and he was very disillusioned with the music scene in general.
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SGCIM,
a BIG Thank You for this extra info, really appreciated ! I have the SU Album with the Pat Williams arrangements and the Rob McConnel LP also.
The arranging and the musicianship on these tracks is extraordinary and will def. stand the test of time - I regularly re-visit these albums time and again, in all the 30 or 40 years I've known and owned them.
They also made one with Art Van Damme, a VERY unusual combination but never-the-less of the highest caliber...
The recordings + the sound of the SU and Puerling's perfectionism can't be separated and since improvisation in the JAZZ sense was never a part of the concept it is not surprising that they spent much more time building and perfecting their many tracks. The vocals on these Big Band collaborations were also recorded in Germany, after the basic band-tracks were done. And all that was done in 1975 ....
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The one with Rob McConnell was largely worked out between the two over the phone. It's unbelievable! MPS was the only record company to appreciate GP's genius, and without them the SU might never have taken place. Originally Posted by gitman
Germany certainly seems to appreciate good music more than the US or the rest of Europe. We had Paul Shigihara, the guitarist for 20 years with the WDR Jazz Orchestra, and no one here even knew who he or the WDR Band was, and he left after a short time.
He encouraged me to submit some of my charts to WDR, but I don't think I can compete with the guys they have writing for them.
I'm not sure I have the Van Damme album; I have so much of their stuff it's hard to remember, but the one with Robert Farnon is so beautiful, it's scary. I've been listening to them for over 40 years, and still find nuances that I never picked up before.
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