The Serendipity Singers: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Infobox musical artist

| name = The Serendipity Singers

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==History==

===Newport Singers===

This nine-member folk-oriented group started at the [[University of Colorado]] with seven original members of a group called the Newport Singers. The members - Bryan Sennett (1940-2011), Brooks Hatch, Mike Brovsky, John Madden, Jon Arbenz (1940-2012), Bob Young (deceased) and Lynne Weintraub - had, with the exception of Weintraub, all previously worked together in various trios before coming together to form the Newport Singers.

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===As the Serendipity Singers===

Fred Weintraub proposed the name change from the Newport Singers to Serendipity. After some considerable discussion the compromise became the Serendipity Singers. After several months of rehearsal and work with Bob Bowers who became the group’s musical director, the Serendipity Singers opened at Weintraub's Bitter End café. They played in [[Greenwich Village]] with 90% original songs and were signed to six appearances on the weekly ''[[Hootenanny (US TV series)|Hootenanny]]'' show during the Fall of 1963.<ref>Maher, Jack. "Bitter End (Talent): Here's Lucky Find for Anybody." Billboard, 23 November 1963, p. 16</ref>

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They released six albums on the Philips label before the end of 1965 and promoted their music on televisions shows including [[Hollywood A Go-Go]], [[Shindig!]], [[The Dean Martin Show]], and [[The Tonight Show]]. Their initial success, however, was dampened by the continuing impact of the [[British Invasion]], and within just two years the group's sound seemed dated to younger audiences and sales of successive albums decreased. The group featured line-up changes as original members departed.In 1965/6, John Madden went to law school while Patti Davis and Lana Shaw became the new female members of the group. The group's final three singles for the Philips label each released in 1966 failed to chart and the group and Philips parted ways. Despite having no new albums in 1966 and 1967, the group extensively played the college circuit and did appear on television including WABC's syndicated series "An Evening With" on May 21, 1966 and a return to The Ed Sullivan Show on January 8, 1967 where they sang, "If I Were a Carpenter" and a medley of folk tunes. They also performed the soundtrack recording for a film spotlighting [[Lady Bird Johnson]]'s beautification program singing, "We're On Our Way" which was played in movie theaters and television in 1967. The band's connection with the Johnsons had included a White House appearance performing with President [[Lyndon B. Johnson ]] in attendance and performing at the [[1964 Democratic National Convention]].

Moving to the [[United Artists Records]] label in 1967, the group minus a number of its original members recorded two vocal tracks associated with the [[United Artists]] film [[~~Hawaii_~~Hawaii (film)|Hawaii]] and released as a single which failed to chart. They also appeared on the soundtrack for the U.A. film [[~~The_Way_West_~~The Way West (film)|The Way West]] including the title track released as a single which didn't chart and one LP in 1968, which was the group's final album together. That album, "Love is a State of Mind" was a departure from the traditional folk sound. "Pure folk music is dying," said album producer and group leader Mike Brovsky. "We tried a few songs with an electric guitar and they went over so well that we naturally began to do more and more."<ref>Ochs, Ed. "Serendipitys Now Rockendipitys." Billboard, 13 April 1968, p. 16.</ref> It spawned two singles, "Rain Doll" and "The Boat I Row" which - along with the LP -- did not chart. In 1968, United Artists released the single, "What Will We Do With the Child" with Nick Holmes which did not chart though Holmes would go on to record a solo album with U.A. The band appeared in four holiday syndicated television specials by [[Trans-Lux]] presented for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Halloween, and Christmas of 1968.<ref>"Serendipitys in 4 TV Shows." Billboard, 4 May 1968, p. 16.</ref>

In 1969, the band without chart success continued touring and making television appearances including their final Ed Sullivan guest spot on June 8, 1969. The group's final single for U.A. "[[Come Softly to Me]]" was released in 1969. The single didn't chart and the group failed to get its second full-length album released by U.A. effectively ending the commercial recording career of the original band. After touring 49 of the 50 United States and 15 foreign countries, selling over five million records,<ref>Weir, Stan. "Serendipity Singers in Concert at Dodge." Hutchinson News, 18 April 1969.</ref> the founding members had left the group by 1970. The group's year ended with a one-hour syndicated television show produced by Weintraub, "Christmas at F.A.O. Schwarz" featuring the Serendipity Singers singing Christmas tunes and also starring [[Chuck McCann]] and the Paul Ashley puppets.

===1970 - 2003===

Though the original members had departed, modified line-ups of singers performing as the Serendipity Singers continued touring continuously from the 1970s and into the 2000s. The 1970 lineup featured Bernadette Carroll formerly of [[The_Angels_(American_group)|The Angels]]; Rennie Temple, Tony Perry, John Perry, Matthew Perry, Peggy Santiglia and Brovsky handling management of the group. The group name was purchased by David Stanton of Theatrical Corporation of America, a company that primarily booked talent on the college circuit. Stanton, who as manager of the band, placed the new line-up in five syndicated television specials in 1974 and had two original albums on his label Empire Records.<ref>McDonough, Jack. "Serendipity Singers Booked for 5 Television Specials." Billboard, 3 August 1974, p. 51.</ref> The first album, "The Serendipity Singers Play the Palace" featured highlights from one of the television specials recorded live in San Francisco. The second album was also from a TV special, "Musical Postcard From Vail." Both albums were primarily sold at the group's live appearances. The group also was featured in a 1979 [[White_Castle_(restaurant)|White Castle]] television commercial. A tour called "Vaudeville '80" packaged by [[Roy Radin]] featured the group with six other acts including [[The Ink Spots]], [[The Drifters]], and [[The Marvelettes]] and drew small crowds.<ref> Kornheiser, Tony. "On the Road Again -- and Again With the Once and Future Stars." Washington Post, 17 December 1980, p. E1.</ref> In 1986, Stanton directed and produced one season of the syndicated, ''The Serendipity Singers Show'' starring Laura McKenzie.~~<ref>''The Serendipity Singers Show.'' IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0315062/combined</ref>~~ Stanton also directed a film in 1987 starring the singers entitled, ''America: The Great Mississippi'' written and starring McKenzie along with group members Andy Hooper, John Ross, Jodie Scott, and Holly Setlock.~~<ref>''America: The Great Mississippi.'' IMDB, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1196745/combined</ref>~~ Also featured in the film were [[Charley Pride]] and [[B.J. Thomas]].{{cn|▼

▲Though the original members had departed, modified line-ups of singers performing as the Serendipity Singers continued touring continuously from the 1970s and into the 2000s. The 1970 lineup featured Bernadette Carroll formerly of [[The_Angels_(American_group)|The Angels]]; Rennie Temple, Tony Perry, John Perry, Matthew Perry, Peggy Santiglia and Brovsky handling management of the group. The group name was purchased by David Stanton of Theatrical Corporation of America, a company that primarily booked talent on the college circuit. Stanton, who as manager of the band, placed the new line-up in five syndicated television specials in 1974 and had two original albums on his label Empire Records.<ref>McDonough, Jack. "Serendipity Singers Booked for 5 Television Specials." Billboard, 3 August 1974, p. 51.</ref> The first album, "The Serendipity Singers Play the Palace" featured highlights from one of the television specials recorded live in San Francisco. The second album was also from a TV special, "Musical Postcard From Vail." Both albums were primarily sold at the group's live appearances. The group also was featured in a 1979 [[White_Castle_(restaurant)|White Castle]] television commercial. A tour called "Vaudeville '80" packaged by [[Roy Radin]] featured the group with six other acts including [[The Ink Spots]], [[The Drifters]], and [[The Marvelettes]] and drew small crowds.<ref> Kornheiser, Tony. "On the Road Again -- and Again With the Once and Future Stars." Washington Post, 17 December 1980, p. E1.</ref> In 1986, Stanton directed and produced one season of the syndicated, ''The Serendipity Singers Show'' starring Laura McKenzie.<ref>''The Serendipity Singers Show.'' IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0315062/combined</ref> Stanton also directed a film in 1987 starring the singers entitled, ''America: The Great Mississippi'' written and starring McKenzie along with group members Andy Hooper, John Ross, Jodie Scott, and Holly Setlock.<ref>''America: The Great Mississippi.'' IMDB, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1196745/combined</ref> Also featured in the film were [[Charley Pride]] and [[B.J. Thomas]].

In 1999, eight of the original nine members reunited for a concert at Branson, Missouri's Celebrity Theater as part of the Fifth Annual Cruisin' Branson Lights Festival.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Serendipitous Reunion|url=http://www.broadwaytovegas.com/July25,1999.html|work=broadwaytovegas.com |date=July 25, 1999 |accessdate=2011-04-09}}</ref> The group's style, if not also its reunion, was thought to be an influence in the folk music parody film, [[A Mighty Wind]] with one author suggesting that a song in the film by the New Main Street Singers, "Far Away" may be an homage to the Serendipity Singers' "Sailin' Away."<ref>Muir, John. K. ''Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company.'' NY: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2004: p. 181.</ref> A number of the band members reunited again for the 2003 PBS special and DVD release of "This Land is Our Land: The Pop-Folk Years." Billed as ''A Serendipitous Reunion'', the group sang, "Don't Let the Rain Come Down," "Down Where the Winds Blow," and "Waggoner Lad."

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==References==

~~==External links==~~

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdpPdlX9ZgM&feature=related Serendipity Singers video on youtube]

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTb-SmujOis&feature=g-upl=related Serendipity Singers White Castle commercial from 1979]

[[Category:American folk musical groups]]