Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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COMEDIAN HARMONISTS

German close harmony vocal group. Appeared in Georg Kaiser's 'revue play' Zwei Krawatten ('Two Ties') with Marlene Dietrich, the music of which was by the light composer Mischa Spoliansky, whose best-known music was for the '28 revue Es Liegt In Der Luft ('There's Something In The Air'). Plugged as listening matter in the early '80s by guitarist Richard Thompson, who had been introduced to them by the American producer Joe Boyd. The Comedian Harmonists went through several incarnations. The undated German mid-price compilation Die Grossen Erfolge ('The Big Successes') on EMI Electrola captures their vocal gymnastics admirably, the repertoire a mixture of German translations of popular English-language songs such as 'Wochenend' und Sonnenschein' ('Happy Days Are Here Again') and 'Wir Sind Von Kopf Bis Fuss Auf Liebe Eingestellt' ('Falling In Love Again', here with German title expanded for the group), the dialect song 'Muss I Denn Zum Städtele Hinaus' and German melodies like 'Mein Kleiner Grüner Kaktus' and 'Es Führt Kein Anderer Weg Zur Seligkeit'. Two-CD set Berlin Cabaret Songs on Berlin has cabaret songs by them, Dietrich, Lotte Lenya etc.