COMEDY HARMONISTS NIGHT AND DAY/ CREOLE LOVE SONG 78RPM HMV B. 8023

	£		30
	$		40

​Recording Date: August 24, 1933
​Location: Berlin, Germany (Electrola Studio)
​The Group: The Comedy Harmonists were a premier vocal sextet. By 1933, the group was facing immense political pressure in Germany due to three members being Jewish; this HMV release was part of their international push as they spent more time touring abroad.
​Personnel:
​Ari Leschnikoff (First Tenor)
​Erich Collin (Second Tenor)
​Harry Frommermann (Buffo Tenor)
​Roman Cycowski (Baritone)
​Robert Biberti (Bass)
​Erwin Bootz (Piano)
​Musical Description
​Side A: Night and Day (Cole Porter)
​Style: Vocal Harmony / Show Tune.
​Description: A masterclass in close-harmony singing. The group treats Cole Porter’s standard from Gay Divorce with a sophisticated, slightly European jazz inflection. It highlights their ability to transition seamlessly from romantic crooning to rhythmic, upbeat syncopation.
​Side B: Creole Love Call (Duke Ellington)
​Style: Instrumental Vocal Mimicry.
​Description: This is one of the group's most famous arrangements. They famously "instrumentalize" their voices to mimic Duke Ellington’s brass and woodwind sections. The "growl" trumpet and clarinet effects, all produced vocally, are remarkably accurate and served as a major inspiration for later groups like the King's Singers.
The story of the Comedy Harmonists (originally the Comedian Harmonists) is one of the most poignant and dramatic in music history. While this 1933 record captures them at their professional peak, it was recorded at the very moment their world began to fracture.
​Because three of the members were Jewish (or of Jewish descent), the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany made it impossible for the original group to continue. In 1934/1935, they were forced to split into two separate groups, and their paths diverged sharply:
​The Exiled Members (The "Jewish" half)
​Harry Frommermann (Tenor Buffo/Founder): The mastermind behind their arrangements. He emigrated to the USA, served in the US Army during WWII, and later worked for the US military government. He struggled to recreate the group's success and eventually died in Bremen in 1975.
​Roman Cycowski (Baritone): His life took perhaps the most profound turn. After moving to the US, he rededicated himself to his faith and became a respected Cantor at a synagogue in Palm Springs, California. He was the last surviving member, passing away in 1998 at the age of 97.
​**Erich Collin (Second Tenor): He also moved to the US and tried to form a new vocal group with Frommermann, but they couldn't capture the old magic. He died in Los Angeles in 1961.
​The Members who stayed in Europe
​Robert Biberti (Bass): He remained in Berlin and formed the "Meistersextett" (the Aryan successor to the Harmonists), but the group was eventually banned for being "too frivolous" for the war effort. He later became an antique dealer and died in Berlin in 1985.
​Ari Leschnikoff (First Tenor): The Bulgarian "high" tenor returned to Bulgaria. Despite his incredible voice, he fell into poverty later in life and worked as a gardener and night watchman before his death in 1978.
​Erwin Bootz (Piano): He stayed in Germany for a time but later moved to Canada before returning to Berlin to work as a composer and cabaret director. He died in 1982
​There is a tragic irony in this record: "Night and Day" and "Creole Love Call" were exactly the kind of "internationalist" and jazz-influenced music that the Nazis labeled Entartete Musik (Degenerate Music).
​The group was eventually completely forgotten until a 1975 documentary and a 1997 film (The Harmonists) brought their incredible story—and their tragic separation—back to the public eye. This record is a tangible piece of that lost harmony.
​Physical Condition
​Labels: Classic HMV Magenta and Gold.
​Side A: Features a "Chappell & Co Ltd." copyright stamp.
​Side B: Features a "Francis Day & Hunter" copyright stamp.
​Both labels are extremely clean with sharp gold lettering and minimal spindle wear.
​Disc Surface: The shellac is exceptionally glossy with very light surface marks consistent with the VG+/E-. grade. It has been played but handled with extreme care. No visible chips, cracks, or needle digs.
Carefully packed and promptly despatched.