Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel]
Fritz Schulz-Reichel (July 4, 1912 – February 14, 1990) was a German jazz and pop pianist. Schulz-Reichel was born in Meiningen. His father was a classical musician, and he began playing piano at the age of six. He developed an unusual technique where he played the melody of a tune with the left hand and the rhythm with the right hand. While he trained to be a concert pianist, he chose a career in pop music, playing light jazz and pop tunes. He invented a device called the Tipsy Wire Box, which could be attached to a piano to make it sound like an out-of-tune barrelhouse upright. (Another interpretation is that "Tipsy Wire Box" was a slang expression for the piano itself, which was merely "detuned"; that is, one of the three strings that make up each note of the main section of the piano is slightly flatted, giving the piano the characteristic sound.) In 1953 he adopted the moniker Schräger Otto (Crazy Otto), and recorded for Deutsche Grammophon. His tunes became hits in Germany, France, England, and America; his albums were released on Decca and MGM in the U.S. and Polydor which were distributed by Philips Electrical Industries Pty. Limited in Australia. In 1955, American musician Johnny Maddox played a medley of his songs, entitled "The Crazy Otto Medley"; this went to #2 on the U.S. charts, and in the U.S. both Reichel and Maddox were subsequently known as "Crazy Otto", to some confusion. Schulz-Reichel continued to perform live and on film, and remained a popular jazz favorite in Germany for many years. "Crazy Otto" is referenced in the song "Ramble on Rose" written by Robert Hunter and performed by the Grateful Dead. |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 76-86 of 86 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | DGG 2033098 | 1958 | How deep is the ocean | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 2033099 | 12/30/1958 | Because of you | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 2033734 | 12/30/1958 | For sentimental | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 2033735 | 12/30/1958 | Deep purple | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 3033099 | 12/30/1958 | I can't give you anything but love | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 3033734 | 12/30/1958 | Sur le pont d'Avignon | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 3033735 | 12/30/1958 | Cheek to cheek | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 4033098 | 12/30/1958 | Arrivederci Roma | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 4033099 | 12/30/1958 | Always | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 5033099 | 12/30/1958 | Perfidia | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGG 6033098 | 12/30/1958 | Kiss of fire | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel]," accessed November 8, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/310135.
Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel]. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/310135.
"Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel]." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 8 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Crazy Otto
Discogs: Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel]
Allmusic: Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel]
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Crazy Otto - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no98025175
Wikidata: Crazy Otto - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1468321
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/63620985
MusicBrainz: Crazy Otto - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/64882ce0-05f8-4224-bdc5-4fde467fbeca
ISNI: 0000 0000 5932 2507 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000059322507
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