Favorite Alpert/Masekela Song

[Captain Bacardi]

I've been listening to both of the Herb Alpert & Hugh Masekela albums tonight, and thought I'd post this obvious question: Which of their songs is your favorite?



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mike Blakesley]

This is pretty easy for me. I like "Foreign Natives" enough that I opened my best-of-Herb-solo compilation with it (although I did edit off the long ending). "Skokiaan" was my favorite when it first came out, and it's still right up there, but "Foreign Natives" just cooks.

 

[Mr Bill]

I honestly think you should remove "African Summer" from the list -- it technically is not a HA/HM tune but a HA solo tune. It was included since it was Herb's first venture into African music before co-producer Stewart Levine and Caiphus Semenya introduced HA and HM to each other. I doubt they even performed it during their concert tour. "African Summer" no doubt would've been a track on Herb's next solo LP (undoubtedly with more African themed music) with or without Hugh...

That said, "African Summer" is my favorite, but as a solo Herb tune I can't honestly vote for it in the "HA/HM" category. I'm inclined to like the obvious choice "Skokiaan." But I voted for "Moonza" It was tough as I like The entire first LP. The three cuts after "Skokiaan" are all great and most have that "TJB feel" despite the "africanization." I suppose that speaks volumes to the notion that the TJB evolved away from "mexicanization" and was more or less a dixieland combo more than anything else once the "real" TJB was formed. "Lobo" is one I jam with on marimba quite often. And really cooks for me. The only clunker for me is "I'll Be There For You" which is a dull closer to an excellent LP.

ME-L! is alittle rougher, but since I was there at the Roxy and it was my first concert ever (at age 17), I'm partial to "Foreign Natives" and "Kalahari Nights."

--Mr Bill

 

[Harry]

I gotta go with "Lobo". I remember that track blowing me away when I first heard it. It was the album version that grabbed me, and being new to the radio business, I figured it would be a great radio single - if only it were shorter. So, using my newly learned editing techniques I set about creating a "single" version of "Lobo".

Later I found the "Specially edited version" 12" disc, and I have to say I preferred my own edit. The professional edit left a lot of the "jazzy" elements in the song where mine went for the straight pop hooks.

Still, it's a helluva track that just soars, and it still grabs me every time.

Harry

 

[Dave]

1. Skokiaan
2. Moonza
3. Ring Bell
4. Happy Hanna
5. Lobo
6. African Summer
7. I'll Be There For You

1. Foreign Natives
2. People Make The World Go 'Round
3. Besame Mucho
4. I'm Comin' Home
5. She-Been
6. Kalahari Nights
7. Shame The Devil
8. Mama Way


inkshield:​

I somehow had to go with "Ring Bell"; it seems as close to African Authenticity (even though "Skokiaan" comes as a good "second"...) as this Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela collaboration gets...! --Despite the fact that it was written by two American Songwriters, Jerry Ragavoy and George Weiss; almost as though they were resurrecting Hugh Masekela's "Grazing In The Grass", in the spirit of a typical Herb Alpert cross-cultural approach... And they both seem to give each other "appropriate time/space" in this duet as a duo...



Dave

 

[Hurrikane]

I'll have to agree with Harry on this one!! Lobo has always been my favorite for many reasons. One, I am a drummer, so the flowing rhythms grabbed me right a away. Also the main melody and hooks connecting them. The fact that it ran over seven minutes didn't bother me in the least. Skokiaan runs second. As for the live album, I'm coming home is my favorite, although I feel the whole album is a masterpiece I remember when I first saw the liner notes on this album, I was suprised to see longest running Blood Sweat and Tears keyboardist Larry Willis in the band. Larry plays a lot of strong licks here, as does the rest of this great band!!

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I chose "Foreign Natives", mainly because of the horn solos as well as the incredible rhythm section. Lots of good tunes to choose from. "Lobo" was a close second, with "Skokiaan", "Mama Way" and "Happy Hanna" right behind.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[David S]

Well, as I just saw Hugh Masekela this past Friday in New York City (his new live cd comes out tomorrow), I found this an interesting thread. I've long followed Masekela since discovering him, not with "Grazing in the Grass" but with the two HA/HM albums. A word of note: much of what they recorded are either Herb-penned tunes (i.e., Besame Mucho, which, of course, he recorded several times -- perhaps most notably on Magic Man, although I think also on a TJB recording too), or tunes penned by either Hugh Masekela or some of his So African colleagues, the great Jonas Gwangwa (who plays trombone on The Main Event) or the great Caiphus Semenya. Therefore, "She-Been", like much of what they recorded, is not technically a HA/HM tune because actually Masekela had recorded it before (although I like the nature of the recordings of both of the Alpert/Masekela albums and hope that Main Event, in particular, gets re-released as part of the general plan to release Mr. Alpert's solo stuff). I actually found myself secretly hoping Skokiaan would wind up on the play list last Friday. Come to think of it, I don't think any of the tunes they recorded were penned by both of them. In his autobiography, Masekela expresses regret for his time recording with Mr. Alpert, indicating that he was drug-induced/alchohol-induced, at the time, and gives Mr. Alpert credit for putting up with him in that vein.

Must admit it would be quite cool to hear of him showing up at the Vibrato sometime, or Mr. Alpert showing up somewhere he is playing (as he is touring across the USA and Canada right now). Although, true to his politics, Masekela tends to stick to small venues that conform to such. Regards, david smedley

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Besame Mucho, which, of course, he recorded several times -- perhaps most notably on Magic Man, although I think also on a TJB recording too

No, just on the ME:L album and on MAGIC MAN. That song was never recorded by the TJB.

 

[Rudy]

I chose "Foreign Natives", mainly because of the horn solos as well as the incredible rhythm section. Lots of good tunes to choose from. "Lobo" was a close second, with "Skokiaan", "Mama Way" and "Happy Hanna" right behind.



Capt. Bacardi

I went with "Lobo". But, a lot of the others are close seconds for me as well: "Skokiaan", "Foreign Natives", "Kalahari Nights", "African Summer" and "She-Been".

I wish they could reissue "Main Event" as a 2-CD set with the complete concert. Who knows if the master tapes even exist anymore though...

 

[Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar]

I know I had a couple of favorites because I still hear them in my head. The only problem is that I don't know the names any more because I had only listened to them on the original records 30 years ago.

 

[Rudy]

I do the same thing: I remember a song that was "third track, side one", but often don't know the name. It's that way with many instrumental songs. Even on CD, I know the track number on the album, but often can't remember the song titles.

 

[Rudy]

OK, I just had to regurgitate this thread from the past. After I don't know how many years, I finally identified the original recording of "Lobo" from an Edu Lobo album while going through some of his albums today on the music player. It is the title track from Limite Das Aguas from 1976. It is not as polished or jazzy but it does "take flight" on the chorus in its own way. If you put aside the vocal parts and the key changes, the Herb/Hugh version is rather close to the original in terms of structure. Here 'tis:

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Awesome find man! I didn't know about this album.

 

[Harry]

It's a free-play song on Amazon Prime, too.

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I never did pick a favorite song - I would have to go with either "Foreign Natives" or "Skokiaan." But there are a lot of winners on both albums. I wonder if an "expanded" edition of Main Event might possibly be in the cards?

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I downloaded the Limite das Aguas album from iTunes a little while ago. What a neat little album! I'm surprised it didn't get more attention back in the day. Probably that damned disco crap is to blame!

 

[Rudy]

Don't feel too bad--I've probably had that in my collection for a few years but never really gave it a good listen. It took me this long to notice it!

 

[Bobberman]

I Love them all But the main standouts for me are Ring Bell. And Lobo and moonza from the studio album. And I'm coming Home.She Been. Kalahari Nights. And Shame the Devil.from Main event Live. To my ears when i first heard Herb and Hugh play i couldn't tell them apart because they sounded exactly alike to me.which is Great. Because they both sound Awesome.