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 1-25 of 86 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 87222 | 12/30/1954 | Glad rag doll | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87223 | 12/30/1954 | Smiles | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87224 | 12/30/1954 | In the mood | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87225 | 12/30/1954 | S-H-I-N-E | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87226 | 12/30/1954 | Beautiful Ohio | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87227 | 12/30/1954 | Lights out | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87228 | 12/30/1954 | My melancholy baby | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87229 | 12/30/1954 | Paddlin' madelin' home | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87230 | 12/30/1954 | Red sails in the sunset | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87231 | 12/30/1954 | Rose of Washington Square | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 87237 | 12/11/1954 | Everready polka | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 88471 | 8/8/1955 | Marching Otto medleys: No.1: Somebody stole my gal ; You were meant for me ; Should I | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 88472 | 8/8/1955 | Marching Otto medleys: No.2: I'll never smile again ; Undecided ; Heartaches ; Military band | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 73 | 3/28/1955* | Twefth Street rag | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 74 | 3/28/1955* | [Unknown title(s)] | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 75 | 3/28/1955* | The Crazy Otto rag | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 86 | 6/22/1955* | The Darktown Strutters' Ball | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 87 | 6/22/1955* | Mammy o' mine | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 88 | 6/22/1955* | I'll always be in love with you | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 89 | 6/22/1955* | Palesteena | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 90 | 6/22/1955* | Indiana | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 91 | 6/22/1955* | If you knew Susie | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 92 | 6/22/1955* | Rag mop | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 93 | 6/22/1955* | Oh Johnny, oh Johnny, oh! | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | DGN 94 | 6/22/1955* | Alabama bound | Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel] | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel]," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/310135.
Crazy Otto [Fritz Schulz Reichel]. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 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. 22 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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