Biography
Observers once regarded Randy Sparks’ New Christy Minstrels as the most polished act within the folk revival, yet they had not yet encountered the Serendipity Singers. Founded at the University of Colorado by Mike Brovsky, H. Brooks Hatch, and Bryan Sennett, this mixed-voice nonet made even the Christys appear comparatively rugged. Their vocal precision helped them move records, and, like their counterparts, an ensemble bearing the Serendipity Singers name has remained active into the twenty-first century.
Sennett launched the ensemble as a trio alongside Brovsky and Hatch; the unit quickly found favor on the Boulder campus. In 1963, partly spurred by the New Christy Minstrels’ summer and autumn success with the hit “Green, Green,” Sennett enlarged the lineup. John Madden, a multi-instrument virtuoso, guitarist Jon Arbenz, bassist Bob Young, and female vocalist Lynne Weintraub joined, bringing the total to seven.
That spring the musicians relocated to New York in pursuit of a recording deal and added two more members: Texas-born duo Diane Decker and Tommy Tiemann, already seasoned from appearances on The Arthur Godfrey Show. Now a nonet, they performed at Greenwich Village’s Bitter End and secured management from club owners Fred Weintraub and Bob Bowers. Although a contract did not materialize at once, the group passed an audition for ABC-TV’s weekly folk showcase Hootenanny, appearing repeatedly during the season under the name Serendipity Singers to acknowledge their good fortune. Philips Records soon signed them, having previously enjoyed success with the Springfields before Dusty Springfield’s departure.
The debut album, The Serendipity Singers, offered a carefully assembled survey of traditional folk pieces alongside original material rooted in folk idioms. Principal songwriting contributions came from Sennett and Madden, with additional input from Hatch, Tiemann, and co-producer Bob Bowers. Smoother and more varied than concurrent New Christy Minstrels releases, the record produced the Billboard number-six single “Don’t Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)” and remained on the album chart for twenty-nine weeks in 1964.
Vocally stronger and less reliant on solo spots than the Christys, the Serendipity Singers aligned more closely with the Seekers. Their repertoire already ventured beyond folk into rearranged pop standards and selections from Broadway and off-Broadway productions. The timing proved fortunate: the folk surge was cresting just as the British Invasion reshaped the marketplace.
A second single, Len Chandler’s novelty “Beans in My Ears,” reached the Top Thirty, while the follow-up LP, The Many Sides of the Serendipity Singers, reflected diminishing commercial appetite for folk. Bob Dylan’s electrification had drawn younger listeners away, leaving only Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and Peter, Paul & Mary with continued hits, each having adjusted their approach. Groups such as the Christys and the Serendipity Singers found no further major chart traction, their buoyant ensemble sound increasingly perceived as artificial amid an audience seeking rawer expression.
The second album mixed gospel numbers, pop tunes, off-Broadway fare such as “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, and Hollywood material. Their third release, Take Your Shoes Off With the Serendipity Singers, entered the charts in early 1965; campus and club bookings remained robust even as single success ended. Philips issued a fourth album, We Belong Together, featuring a more pronounced pop orientation and introducing Patty Davis in place of Lynne Weintraub. A fifth LP, The Serendipity Singers Sing of Love, Lies and Flying Festoons, concluded the Philips contract late in 1965. Two years later the group recorded once more for United Artists with Love Is a State of Mind.
By the close of the 1960s the founding members had departed. The Serendipity Singers persisted as a commercial enterprise through the 1990s and afterward under new ownership, appearing on cruise ships, at trade shows, in infomercials, and occasionally alongside religious organizations. In August 1999 eight of the original nine members reunited for a concert in Branson, Missouri—their first joint performance since 1966. The following spring, Collectables Records issued a two-on-one CD pairing the group’s first two Philips albums from 1964.
Sennett launched the ensemble as a trio alongside Brovsky and Hatch; the unit quickly found favor on the Boulder campus. In 1963, partly spurred by the New Christy Minstrels’ summer and autumn success with the hit “Green, Green,” Sennett enlarged the lineup. John Madden, a multi-instrument virtuoso, guitarist Jon Arbenz, bassist Bob Young, and female vocalist Lynne Weintraub joined, bringing the total to seven.
That spring the musicians relocated to New York in pursuit of a recording deal and added two more members: Texas-born duo Diane Decker and Tommy Tiemann, already seasoned from appearances on The Arthur Godfrey Show. Now a nonet, they performed at Greenwich Village’s Bitter End and secured management from club owners Fred Weintraub and Bob Bowers. Although a contract did not materialize at once, the group passed an audition for ABC-TV’s weekly folk showcase Hootenanny, appearing repeatedly during the season under the name Serendipity Singers to acknowledge their good fortune. Philips Records soon signed them, having previously enjoyed success with the Springfields before Dusty Springfield’s departure.
The debut album, The Serendipity Singers, offered a carefully assembled survey of traditional folk pieces alongside original material rooted in folk idioms. Principal songwriting contributions came from Sennett and Madden, with additional input from Hatch, Tiemann, and co-producer Bob Bowers. Smoother and more varied than concurrent New Christy Minstrels releases, the record produced the Billboard number-six single “Don’t Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)” and remained on the album chart for twenty-nine weeks in 1964.
Vocally stronger and less reliant on solo spots than the Christys, the Serendipity Singers aligned more closely with the Seekers. Their repertoire already ventured beyond folk into rearranged pop standards and selections from Broadway and off-Broadway productions. The timing proved fortunate: the folk surge was cresting just as the British Invasion reshaped the marketplace.
A second single, Len Chandler’s novelty “Beans in My Ears,” reached the Top Thirty, while the follow-up LP, The Many Sides of the Serendipity Singers, reflected diminishing commercial appetite for folk. Bob Dylan’s electrification had drawn younger listeners away, leaving only Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and Peter, Paul & Mary with continued hits, each having adjusted their approach. Groups such as the Christys and the Serendipity Singers found no further major chart traction, their buoyant ensemble sound increasingly perceived as artificial amid an audience seeking rawer expression.
The second album mixed gospel numbers, pop tunes, off-Broadway fare such as “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, and Hollywood material. Their third release, Take Your Shoes Off With the Serendipity Singers, entered the charts in early 1965; campus and club bookings remained robust even as single success ended. Philips issued a fourth album, We Belong Together, featuring a more pronounced pop orientation and introducing Patty Davis in place of Lynne Weintraub. A fifth LP, The Serendipity Singers Sing of Love, Lies and Flying Festoons, concluded the Philips contract late in 1965. Two years later the group recorded once more for United Artists with Love Is a State of Mind.
By the close of the 1960s the founding members had departed. The Serendipity Singers persisted as a commercial enterprise through the 1990s and afterward under new ownership, appearing on cruise ships, at trade shows, in infomercials, and occasionally alongside religious organizations. In August 1999 eight of the original nine members reunited for a concert in Branson, Missouri—their first joint performance since 1966. The following spring, Collectables Records issued a two-on-one CD pairing the group’s first two Philips albums from 1964.
Albums
Singles