martin
Well-Known Member
A biography on the famous German bandleader and composer Bert Kaempfert:"Stranger in the night Die Bert Kaempfert Story" has just been released. Kaepmfert was one of the few European bandleaders that made the charts in the US. In 1961 he hit the no.1 spot with the trumpet led instrumental "Wonderland by night" and he would go on to compose major hits like "Spanish Eyes" and "Strangers in the night" that Frank Sinatra would take to no.1 in 1966. Kaempfert's own recordings in a relaxed big band style, where trumpet solos were impotant ingredients, was supposedly an inspiration for Herb Alpert's early records with the TJB. Kaempfert is quoted in the biography,which unfortunately exists only in German: (my translation
"When I met Herb Alpert with his group the Tijuana Brass in Hollywood, he told me: "Bert, if it had not been for you and that you made the trumpet popular again, where would we have been today?" We have become very good friends and he recorded my song "Magic Trumpet" on his album "What Now My Love". I believe the album sold 1,7 million copies in just a few weeks and became an instant no.1. It is unbelieavable how succesful this group is."
The TJB would later record the Kaempfert composition "The Maltese Melody" for TBAC in 1969 and other A & M artists, most notably BMB would also play Keampfert songs. Bert Keampfert himself covered both Mexican Shuffle and Tijuana Taxi on his own album "Strangers in the night" from 1966. Kaempfert passed away in 1980 at the age of 56.
- greetings from the cold north -
Martin
"When I met Herb Alpert with his group the Tijuana Brass in Hollywood, he told me: "Bert, if it had not been for you and that you made the trumpet popular again, where would we have been today?" We have become very good friends and he recorded my song "Magic Trumpet" on his album "What Now My Love". I believe the album sold 1,7 million copies in just a few weeks and became an instant no.1. It is unbelieavable how succesful this group is."
The TJB would later record the Kaempfert composition "The Maltese Melody" for TBAC in 1969 and other A & M artists, most notably BMB would also play Keampfert songs. Bert Keampfert himself covered both Mexican Shuffle and Tijuana Taxi on his own album "Strangers in the night" from 1966. Kaempfert passed away in 1980 at the age of 56.
- greetings from the cold north -
Martin