Possible New Poll: What Were They Thinking?

[Captaindave]

I think radio really started shying away from the Brass after they were serviced "Carmen" and vocal ballad after vocal ballad ("To Wait For Love", "Without Her", "You Are My Life", "The Christmas Song") didn't help reopen that closing door.

It was the same kind of shift that happens to every artist. At the end of the 60s, tastes were shifting away from instrumental pop and orchestrated vocals, whereas in the early 60s, there were lots of instrumental hits and lots of records were performed by Artist Name and His Orchestra.

I think Herb's misstep in the vocal department was going for the big orchestral approach -- maybe he should have gone with the simpler, singer-songwriter style which soon gave huge hits to people like James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, etc. You still had orchestration, but it was a much lighter touch.

And, Sinatra on certain songs. Yes, he had big band punch often, but it was most useful on knock "em down songs, like New York, New York or Come Fly With Me.

My idea for Without Her would be like like Sinatra's "One More for my Baby, and One more for the Road." Torch/lament singing at its finest. If my memory is correct, it's only Frank and a piano.

 

[Numero Cinco]

My idea for Without Her would be like like Sinatra's "One More for my Baby, and One more for the Road." Torch/lament singing at its finest. If my memory is correct, it's only Frank and a piano.

Your memory is correct (from the miraculous album Only the Lonely). The arrangement and its delivery are just devastating—arguably the best interpretation that song will ever receive.

The problem, however, is that such an approach leaves the singer's voice naked, without any distraction or disguise. And Herb was no Sinatra. (For one thing, Mr. Alpert is a classier gentleman.)

 

[Numero Cinco]

Okay, friends: It's been about two weeks since I opened this thread—from which, by the way, I've learned fascinating things from almost everyone. And it's been over a week since anyone has posted herein; the last was my own.

I've now reviewed all posts made here and have compiled my best effort at a comprehensive, no-holds-barred listing of Los Stinkeros. Here they all are, in alphabetical order (no need to identify albums; this gang knows them all):

“A Banda”
“A Quiet Tear”
“And I Love Her”
“Close to You”
“El Lobo”
“El Présidente”
“Fire and Rain”
“The Great Manolete”
“The Happening”
“Hello, Dolly!”
“Hurts So Bad”
“Killing Me Softly”
“Las Mañanitas”
“Mexico”
“Peanuts” (unless Harry really did mean “Butterball”)
“Summertime”
“Talk to the Animals”
“Thanks for the Memory”
“Tijuana Sauerkraut”
“To Wait for Love”
“The Trolley Song”
“You Are My Life”
“With a Little Help from My Friends”
“Without Her”
“Zorba the Greek”

That's 25—count 'em—25 Greatest Duds, at least in somebody's book.

Unless I've missed a nomination, or unless anyone has another dog to throw into the kennel, are we ready to vote?

And when we're ready to vote: May I ask our Esteemed Moderators if they might work their wizardry and set up for us a proper ballot for polling?

Many thanks to you all. This has been quite a ride.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I think I'll make a CD from that list...those "duds" are still the envy of a lot of other artists...


Dan

 

[thetijuanataxi]

Who in the heck listed ZORBA THE GREEK as a "dud"? Now I've heard everything.

David,
appreciating the 17 hours of hard work that Herb put into perfecting ZORBA..........................

 

[Numero Cinco]

How 'bout "Zorba The Greek"? That one kind'a makes my skin crawl... The Bouzouki strummed away during the fast-paced start of the song, descending Herb's trumpet playing during the slow-paced, almost- Waltz-Like climax... Kind of wished that it hadn't made it to Definitive Hits, which I guess you couldn't imagine it without... (Usually the "jarring effects" make me wake up when it starts playing, after falling asleep to the CD) Really not exactly something that makes me shout "Oompa!"

Everyone has a right to his opinion. If Dave says the song makes his skin crawl, I believe him.

 

[stosh]

“Thanks for the Memory”

Bob Hope must be spinning over in his grave. That's my favorite song off of THE BEAT OF THE BRASS.

 

[Harry]

Do you want a poll of the worst of the worst? The best of the worst?

Harry

PS: ...and YES, I meant "Peanuts"

 

[Captaindave]

Yep...there's some tunes on that list of 25 that I like very much - such as A Quiet Tear, Abanda, El Presidente, Zorba the Greek, and The Happening; and then there's some others on that list that I skip over every time...

 

[Numero Cinco]

Do you want a poll of the worst of the worst? The best of the worst?

Please. For the nightmare album Rot Wurst and Other Unedibles.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I came up with some titles for our latest playlist:

VOLUME PHEW
THE BLEAT OF THE BRASS
THE CRASS ARE COMIN'
BUMMERTIME
TARNISHED BRASS
YOU WINCE, THE SONG BEGINS
BURIED TREASURES

Those were the only ones that I felt I could post in public...anyone have anything to add to the list?


Dan

 

[Mr Bill]

Cute...

Here's some more...
Lonely Bullsh!t: the tunes TJB fans skip the most
Sounds Unlike...
Herb Alpert's Neinth (a great package for those German sounding tunes like "Tijuana Sauerkraut" and "Peanuts" (both of which I like))...
Cold (for those tunes that don't seem to do anything for you while listen -- like most stuff from Wild Romance on).
Brass Are Goin'
Baloney Island
Just You and Only You
BumDangle
Blow This
Second Gasp
Bash'n'Prance
Greys
Onesider

--Mr Bill

 

[Dave]

... ...I prefer Doc Sevinsen's version of "Last Tango In Paris" which I have on a '45', B/W "Alone Again, Naturally", which I prefer over Herb's, not suprisingly getting the "left-in-the-vault-status", after suppossedly being recorded around that time...

Dave

...And what exactly is the difference from the Lost Treasures version of"Alone Again (Naturally)" and the version on You Smile, The Song Begins, anyway?

Did kind'a forget it was originally there...

Dave