Harpo Marx - Guardian Angels (1945)

[tillyjackson]

Harpo marx always seemed to really be a messenger to all of mankind. When you don't use words from one specific language but rather sounds and body language anyone on earth can understand. He was ahead of his time, and I truly believe he was an angel

[Klaaaan1]

Many year's ago when I was a kid, Groucho, Chico and Harpo Marx were on the radio on one show or another. I was nearly ten year's old the first time I saw a TV set. They sure looked different on TV from what I imagined them to look like from hearing them on the radio.

[BalletBabyBoy]

wonderful!

[gillwilkinsongw]

The man was a genius. My mother, bless her, was a piano teacher and concert pianist and said that the harp was the most difficult instrument in the world to play. This wonderful lovely man made it look effortless. I never fail to wonder at his playing.

[mravantgarde123]

the epic harpist of the 21st century!

[cynicalwordsmith]

he wrote this song.

and was self taught.



[blizzardballz]

@cynicalwordsmith and his harp was often detuned

[MrDarwinsDog]

"If it sounds good, it is good." Plus, it's Harpo who so often made us smile... and still does. But now, sentimental me, I cry a bit.

[debheal1]

This is my favorite harp rendition that Harpo plays.......just angelic....His talent is no where to be found today......

[888Postman]

Harpo was a comic and musical genious.........he deserves respect !!!

[McElvis1948]

Thank you for the great reply, I have enjoyed Mario's singing since 1963 and he is still number one to me. His son the late Damon Lanza told me his dad used to sing it to him, yes as you said, ya gotta love Mario.

[McElvis1948]

This song was sung beautifully by the late Mario Lanza, has anyone else heard him sing it ?

[tenoregermania]

@McElvis1948 Yes, gotta love Mario.

[meoddball]

God gives everyone talents, it's up to us to discover them. Harpo sure did!! Simply beautiful!

[mariojac]

Brilliant...Brilliant and once more...Brilliant! Spawned on the Lower East Side.

[thumbfacenot]

he should have done a record of all his harp songs, i would buy it today. amazing.

[Dougitoons]

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! The Mario Lanza version of this song has been my favoutite for the past forty years. This is the first time I've heard the original by the composer himself. This too will enter my Favourites file. God Bless you Mixx for posting this.

[Maryloohoo2]

I think God created this angel, sent him down to earth for awhile then called him back to play harp for him because he missed him so much. What a talent, and by all accounts a man people liked to know, a great comedian and musician. The best Marx brother.

[MsAppassionata]

I don't give a damn about his technique. He sounds great to me. And, btw, using one's own tuning shows imagination. Ask any guitarist, for example. P'S.- Are there any broadcasts of him speaking? I don't even know what his voice sounded like.

[Michaelbos]

A true fun fact. On Tenor Mario Lanza's Chrsitmas album, he sings Guardian angels. On the listing, It list Harpo Marx playing the harp.

[missingmoonlight]

what a beautiful song. I could not imagine having that much natural talent at so many things in life.... Harpo was an amazing man.

[FluteTramp]

a432

[WimGrundy]

I would get all kind of tears in my eyes as a kid seeing the old Marx movies on TV - and now still can!

[tracyfamily]

Amazing!! I want to try the harp - can I get one at wal-mart? - lol!

[rodrigoraulsuarez]

I loved the Marx Bros. from the first second I saw them in a movie. Harpo with his harp is really something... emotive. Beautiful vid.

[Babyluvstheblues]

harp god!

[tilintela]

Grande Harpo Marx!!!

[TomBarristerX]

If I remember correctly, the title of the movie is "The All-Star Bond Rally". It ran a bit less than 20 minutes.

[MACbaby1492]

Holy.... wow. Harpo, you are my favorite comedic mime harpist ^_^

[awesomewelles90]

he wasn't just a mime harpist

[4freespeech]

You know back in the 50s they produced

a set of 45 rpm records of Harpo playing

the harp with orchestra accompaniment.

Quite rare now, I'll have to ask my 86-

year old Ma if she still has her set.

[muncleike]

i wonder if they could be put on cd. there can't be many around anymore it would be a great loss

[Tropicaliak]

Happy Birthday Harpo!!!

[Northside777]

In order to brush up on his notation and write his ideas down, Harpo took some composition lessons from Oscar Levant. In his book "A Smattering of Ignorance" Levant wrote humorously about these lessons and included some of the titles of Harpo's other delightful pieces.

[fzouk]

@Northside777 I have GOT to get that book now- thanks for mentioning "A Smattering of Ignorance"!

[ColonelFain]

Guardian angels around my bed

Joining me in my prayers

They hush the shadows when they dance about

They shoo away the bears

[ColonelFain]

Guardian angels to comfort me If i wake in the night They gather all my dreams Their halos are my light They dry my tears If I should weep They tuck me in They rouse me from my sleep Guardian angels around my bed Standing by till I rise There's one with shining wings that holds my hand And shows me paradise

[ColonelFain]

My mother used to sing this to me when I was little. Harpo wrote the words too.

[elicollignon]

awesome

[MelonHeadFilmz]

beautiful. If he composed any more material himself, you should upload them

[TheMikester307]

Didn't know he composed! Thanks!

[daughterMYslaughter]

Harpo Marx is the Chuck Schindler of Harps.

[Viznel137]

Just like a spanish guitar at times!BEAUTIFUL!

[Ewesgirl]

Harpo was a precious, sweet soul by all ccounts. This was beautiful too, just like he was.

[PatientlySheWaits]

Harpo Marx is a complete joy to watch. Technique-Schmeknique..I don't give a Tinker's Damn about that - Harpo's self taught talent made the harp sing!

[diaynoche2008]

impresionante!

[OlfenBedwere]

That's the problem with the world today, people can't appreciate things for what they are. They're too wrapped up in the technique of it all.

[PatientlySheWaits]

Who cares about Harpo's technique. You have to remember the times in which he lived when he was a child. I love to watch him play. He was an amazing talent.

[MyPetDemon]

11,31, and counting.... beautiful work here. nobody nowadays could come close to his skill!

[MyPetDemon]

11,391 and counting.... oops

[frederickforlife]

:} wonderful and he shared so much laughter in our hearts.

[houli12]

his technique and tuning is, traditionally speaking, completely incorrect. he taught himself based on his own tuning. ironically, he is the only harpist whose music i enjoy listening to

[PerniciousKane]

I love the sound, but I HATE watching him play. It's ENTIRELY wrong! I think my teacher would throttle me if she caught me playing like this

[bradybraidz]

can you play this PerniciousKane?

[PerniciousKane]

oh heck no! I'm far from it. I'm working on getting there, though =)

[marcparella]

No It's entirely right! The world still loves Harpo and while he wasn't a formally trained musician, he left the world a treasure of wonderful harp solos. Like his brother Chico, he was a showman, and his playing demonstrated that. But you should know that Harpo attracted enormous crowds when he played in public and therefore did a lot to popularize the instrument. Most people probably don't know who Grandjany was, so don't discount Harpo and what he accomplished.

[PerniciousKane]

Oh, Harpo did amazing performances and people definitely loved him. It can't be argued that he has very poor technique, though! He's the equivalent of eating Chinese food with a fork. It works and maybe it's even better sometimes; but the chefs will look at you a little funny for it!

[UneducatedGenius]

it dosent matter if hes playing it with is feet it sounds beautiful

[jbrown1169]

Eating Chinese food with a fork. That's funny. I like to play a game called spot the douchebag. And that's anytime you're in a Chinese or Asian restaurant, and you see somebody using chopsticks when there is silverware on the table. Unless they are Asian and hanging onto their culture that is. But any suburban white guy using shopsticks down at the old Chinese buffet is a douchebag, it's been proven you know.

[rodeothug]

Brownie... It's folks like you that me proud to be an American. Keep up the good work. :o(

[mariojac]

@PerniciousKane ...But madmoiselle...you must be wrong and no doubt mistaken... and naive as well.

Harpo is Harpo!

[PerniciousKane]

@mariojac Wrong and naive?

Harpo so you call him

And Harpo he may play,

But scholars find his form is flawed;

The harp's not played that way!

I do confess I am impressed

With what I'm hearing here:

But facts are facts, this joke's his act!

(Now who's naive, my dear?)

[1mickeymoo]

@PerniciousKane go f k yourself art is art

[PerniciousKane]

@1mickeymoo No one said he's not an artist. He makes wonderful music. The virtue of it sounding good and being entertaining to watch does not exclude him from the comment that his technique is formally incorrect. Any real harpist will be able to share a laugh at the fact he's making great music while disregarding the rules of harp. It doesn't degrade his art; if anything it accents it.

You can't pick up the ball in soccer and say "sport is sport". It's the same thing here. Watch your language.

[skyemcleod1]

LOVE it! I knew Harpo wasa comedy genius & a great artist, but I didn't know he was also a great composer:)

What a sweet angel. And he didn't have a huge ego like so many today: he called the last strumming florishes he always did "the bullsh*t."!/Thank you, I'm adding it to my favs.

[techdefined]

He was a Genius and a real star not like people today which often are called fast a star without have done nothing special.

He and the Marx brothers belong to the same ligue as Chaplin. You will hardly find any recent so-called actor which could belong to this ligue.

[jenglandfish]

league

[techdefined]

Who cares?

[andypius2]

The Samaritans

[robotabob]

wow. touched by an angel he was.

[TigerRocket]

Magnificent!

Bravo Harpo.

[XRayCam]

At 1:55 he started 5 notes (same) I couldn't see him hit them....very smooth :)

[UneducatedGenius]

Th God there was a camera there to capture this magic!!!

[aarossell]

@UneducatedGenius thank? what happened to the ank?

[brusboy]

If you want to hear this song with the words, get Mario Lanza's Christmas album.

[bobbyboblaw]

I had chills when I watched this.

[Iaxobus]

He was brilliant.

[maxinDetroit]

what a beautiful performance..

[KyotoMelody]

:D I love his performance, Mix. Wonder if u see the video in which he played O sole mio LOL... In that video, "his sole" seems too hot! LOL