Harpers Bizarre was formed out of the Tikis, a band from Santa Cruz, California, which had some local successes with Beatlesque songs in the mid 1960s.

The Tikis recorded it using an arrangement created by Leon Russell, featuring extended harmonies reminiscent of the work of Brian Wilson or even the Swingle Singers.

Petersen had previously already enjoyed a brief spell of success as a member of the Beau Brummels;[1] James left after the release of the group's second album and was replaced by Tom Sowell.

Under the guidance of producer Lenny Waronker (and Templeman, who emerged as the leader of the group), Harpers Bizarre developed a unique sound which experimented with heavy vocal layering.

Most of Harpers Bizarre's recordings are cheerful and airy, both in subject matter and musical accompaniment, often with string and woodwind arrangements.

[7] One of their recordings was the mildly controversial Randy Newman number "The Biggest Night of Her Life", about a schoolgirl who is "too excited to sleep" because she has promised to lose her virginity on her sixteenth birthday to a boy, whom her parents like "because his hair is always neat".

[citation needed] After the band's initial chart ascendancy with "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", none of Harpers Bizarre's subsequent singles achieved the same level of success.

In 1976, a partial reunion of the group occurred (without Templeman) to record an album, As Time Goes By, which is often overlooked in Harpers Bizarre discographies.

[citation needed] Drummer John Petersen, husband of Templeman's sister Roberta, died suddenly on November 11, 2007 of a heart attack.