50th Anniversary - 1st TJB TV Special

[Steve Sidoruk]

50 years ago today, the very first Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass TV Special aired on CBS TV. For a Herb fan and a kid of 14, it was pretty exciting! Back then, the best that we could do was record the audio track, which I did of course. For those who weren't yet born or who weren't Herb Alpert fans yet, you can perhaps find the video on You Tube or other service.

 

[Harry]

It was pretty exciting for a 16-year-old too! I love that SINGER ad that Steve posted above. Here it is a bit straighter:



I plan to rewatch the special sometime today. Perhaps I'll "blog" along as I do.

 

[martin]

It was not shown on Norwegian TV NRK until May 1st 1969. I was ten at the time and it got me hooked on to Herb and the TJB.

- greetings from the cold north -
Martin

 

[Harry]

Long helicopter flyin to bullring where the TJB is playing along to the Lonely Bull record.

Bull-cam as bulls enter ring.

Full stadium now. Herb introduces himself and the Brass. Each comment gets an OLE from the crowd. Says The Tijuana Bull Ring could now be called the Brass Ring. No reaction from crowd as designed to comically put down soundalikes I suppose.

Brass in center of ring on a stage playing Spanish Flea. Cuts to bullfighters and crowd.

Mexican Shuffle. Still playing to records. Edmondson and Pisano having a good time.

Captain Bacardi's got good product placement!

Singer commercial.

Young man practicing bullfighting. Trumpet playing. Herb looking for the source. Kid is playing toy horn. Herb can't play it.

Magic Trumpet plays with a higher octave horn added as Herb rounds up kids. All march in time. This alternate mix never appeared anywhere else as far as I know.

Brass marches into Disneyland while Whistle While You Work plays. Brass turns into Dwarfs. Song morphs into Heigh Ho. Back to Whistle as Dwarfs march off.

Gang enters Tijuana Taxi as carousel horses turn to racetrack horses. Taxi is on track racing with horses!

Singer commercial

Gang on soundstage listening to Lollipops and Roses. Cigarettes abound! Everyone loves playback.

Herb introduces each member with a comical vignette on how they were discovered.

"Ed" Sullivan introduces the Iguana Brass and then runs out of time.

Group mimes to Wade In The Water on soundstage.

Herb talks about Chaplin and the Lot. Whipped Cream as Herb goofs around with dancers dresses as Chaplin.

Singer commercial.

Empty soundstage. Herb enters. Accustomed To Her Face plays. Female in yellow gown moves gracefully through wooded area.

She turns around as A Taste Of Honey starts. Herb runs on beach as band plays on beachside rocks. Huge string and percussion section plays along with second half of record. Another alternate mix never released on record.

Gang in dune buggy playing Mame. Dancers arrive around group.

Gang plays A-me-ri-ca as dancers dance on beach and rocks. Cut to film segment for the middle. Now back to videotape.

Singer commercial.

Aragon Ballroom. Herb enters as slow Getting Sentimental plays. Then the TJB version starts on the stage as young dancers in period outfits burn up the dance-floor.

Tangerine follows. Dancers slow-dance. Edmonson mimes on bongos. Song finishes as Herb walks out to the slow Getting Sentimental.

Singer commercial.

Herb says goodnight as various settings from show return while playing to What Now My Love.

El Presidente plays as helicopter pulls back from bullring. Singer billboard and end credits.

Harry
...off to Singer to buy a copy of the A&M MILLION DOLLAR SOUND SAMPLER...

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I had forgotten how many TJB albums are covered in this special.

Also considering how far Herb's sound had progressed from the "bullring" era, I'm a little surprised that this show opened up with the bullring. I have often wondered if Herb would have preferred to do something a little "cooler" for the opener, considering the direction his music had taken by that time.

 

[DeeInKY]

I was 11. Mom and I actually made a lot of our clothes then, so we had a Singer sewing machine.
Herb and the guys were kind of everywhere at the time, which was a good thing! I love that Chaplin bit. Nice look at the A&M lot.

 

[Bobberman]

I love Every bit of this show I especially like the aragon ballroom scene reminds me of the school Dances we had in junior high which were very memorable the slow dance scene with tangerine now that forever keeps my memories fresh and alive.

 

[TallPaulInKy]

There was a 1991 compilation video produced by Lani and Herb Alpert (that's how it reads) titled Very Best of Herb Alpert which took video footage from two TJB specials ( the first Singer show, The Brass Are Comin', Herb Alpert My Abstract Heart (VH-1?) and some A&M videos. Never seen it on sale but I assume it was issued on a Japanese Laser Disk because of the subtitles sometimes present. Wish PBS would do something on Herb Alpert & TJB like they did on The Carpenters.

 

[Harry]

It was issued on LaserDisc. I have one, and yes there occasional subtitles whenever there is speaking.

It made a decent transfer to DVD.

 

[TallPaulInKy]

Mine looks like its a VHS dub of a dub of a dub...

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

The project originally was for the U.K. It was released as a VHS (PAL) video tape, accompanied by the music on LP, CD and cassette. It was later released out of Japan as a Laser Disc and VHS (NTSC) video tape. I had both the LD & PAL Tape, but sold them on eBay after making a digital transfer to DVD. There was speculation that it could have been pledge material on PBS, similar to the "My Music" specials (by Lubinsky & my friend, Jim Pierson). PBS also has the advantage because of the rights issue.

 

[Harry]

I used that LaserDisc to make this recent video for another thread: