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Kritzerland is proud to present a release 25 years in the making:
THE SHERMAN BROTHERS ALBUM
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman
and Robert B. Sherman
Back in 2001, Grammy-nominated producer Bruce Kimmel put together an album devoted to two of his favorite songwriters, the Sherman Brothers. At the time, he’d become very close friends with Richard Sherman. Songs were chosen, singers were chosen, the orchestra was recorded in L.A. (with Richard in attendance), and the majority of the vocals were recorded in New York with great Broadway performers. And then, stuff happened with the label Kimmel had created and without going into that story, he was not only out of the company he created, he was not allowed to finish The Sherman Brothers Album. The person who replaced him ended up finishing it in very haphazard fashion. That person could not find the hard drive with the orchestra tracks. All he had were the multiple vocal takes for the singers and the very, very, very rough mixes that the performers were sent to sing to but which were never intended to be used because they didn’t sound good and weren’t real mixes. The title of the album was changed, the person took the producer credit, the song order was as haphazard as everything else he did, and it was released that way and sold very poorly.
Over the years, as their friendship deepened, Richard Sherman often bemoaned about the disappointment he felt about the album and asked if there was any way Kimmel could go back and make a proper mix that would make them both proud. That was not possible, unfortunately. Not until Kimmel’s catalog of masters that he’d produced was bought by Concord Theatricals did the impossible become possible. Kimmel told the story to Sean Patrick Flahavin, and Concord agreed to let him go back and remix and finish the album as he would have back in the day. Sadly, Richard Sherman had passed away just shy of his 95th birthday. The hard drive with the orchestra tracks that the “producer” back in 2001 could not find was found without too much trouble. What wasn’t found was the hard drive with the vocal takes and rough mixes. That was lost. So, with today’s technology, Kimmel’s engineer separated the vocals from the rough band mixes. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work so only ten of the original vocals could be saved and used. Those were mixed with the beautiful original orchestra tracks, still in pristine condition a quarter of a century later, and finally everything sounded like it always should have. Kimmel brought in several of his regular L.A. performers to replace the vocals that couldn’t be saved. A new album order was created, the original title of the album was restored, new notes were written, all new packaging was created, and it was finally the album it was meant to be.
We are immensely proud to get this wonderful compilation of Sherman Brothers songs out into the world as it was originally intended, and we know Richard Sherman would be smiling up in heaven to finally have it all made right. You’ll hear classics from Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang, The Parent Trap, That Darn Cat, Charlotte’s Web, Tom Sawyer, and lesser known songs from Busker Alley (at the time of recording, nothing from that show had been recorded), all featuring the wonderful vocal talents of Brent Barrett, Gary Beach, Liz Callaway, Lawrence Clayton, Christine Ebersole, Susan Egan, Jason Graae, Kerry O’Malley, Michele Pawk, Adrienne Stiefel, Natalie Toro, Robert Yacko, talented young folks Elena Bertacchi, Benji Fox, and Ava Madison Gray, and finally recording the song he never got to do back in 2001, the elusive butterfly of recording, Mr. Guy Haines.
In this crazy world in which we’re living, hearing the songs of the Sherman Brothers is life affirming, positive, happy, and just what the doctor ordered.
The Sherman Brothers Album is limited to 500 copies only and priced at $21.98, plus shipping. This is a PRE-ORDER – CDs will ship by the last week of May at the latest, but will probably ship well before then.
Also note that your PayPal receipt is the only receipt you get – we don’t send out confirmations beyond that.
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