The Hi-Los
| The Hi-Lo's | |
|---|---|
The group in 1957
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| Background information | |
| Years active | 1953–present |
| Website | http://www.thehi-los.com |
| Past members |
Gene Puerling Bob Strasen Bob Morse Clark Burroughs Don Shelton |
The Hi-Lo's were a vocal quartet formed in 1953, who achieved their greatest fame in the late 1950s and 1960s. The group's name is reportedly a reference to their extreme vocal and physical ranges (Bob Strasen and Bob Morse were tall, Gene Puerling and Clark Burroughs were short).
The group consisted of Gene Puerling (bass-baritone or 4th voice, arranger and leader), Bob Strasen (baritone or 3rd voice), Bob Morse (baritone or 2nd voice and occasional soloist) and Clark Burroughs (tenor or 1st voice/lead). In 1959, Don Shelton replaced Strasen.
They were occasionally supported by Frank Sinatra. Clare Fischer was their pianist for years and wrote some of their arrangements.
The Hi-Lo's recorded the theme song to the 1956 television series Noah's Ark. They were also featured on the soundtrack of the motion picture Everything's Ducky (1961), contributing three songs: "Everything's Ducky," "Moonlight Music" and "The Scuttlebutt Walk." They also made numerous appearances on television and had many live performances. Early on they even entered the contests of the newly formed Barbershop Harmony Society, finishing in the top ten in 1949, but soon decided their style was more the close harmony of many 1940s jazz vocal groups.
Puerling and Shelton, together with Bonnie Herman and Len Dressler, later formed another vocal group, The Singers Unlimited. This group gave a wide range for Puerling's arrangements,for the four singers multi-tracked as many as 16 voices. For that reason The Singers Unlimited were exclusively a recording group.
Bob Strasen died February 28, 1994, and Bob Morse on April 27, 2001. Afterward, Puerling, Shelton and Burroughs still appeared very occasionally as the Hi-Lo's in and around Southern California. Shelton is an accomplished reed player and has played in Clare Fischer's bands. Clark Burroughs is semi-retired and can sometimes be heard on film soundtracks.
On March 25, 2008, Gene Puerling died just shy of his 79th birthday.
The Hi-Lo's, and especially their innovative use of vocal harmony, were an influence on the groups and musicians Take 6,The King's Singers, The Manhattan Transfer, Chanticleer, The Free Design, Herbie Hancock, and Brian Wilson.
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