Casino Royale- the last Note....

K M Frye

New Member
Hello all, I am new to this forum, but have been a Herb Alpert afficionado since the days of the early 60`s. My late father was a trumpeter and collected all the LP`s, many of which I "played to death" thanks to the catchy beats and arrangements (I was all of 6 in 62).

One thing that has bothered me on and off since 1967- the last note (Low D) in "Casino Royale".

I am currently putting together an arrangement of the song for an amateur orchestra and if I can get the right instrument, the final result would be more impressive. At present, the Grand piano is my only real choice, but I'd rather have a ....... (?)

Has anyone heard definitively what it was played on? I can list at some length what it isn't: guitar -distorted or otherwise, piano, bass (e-bass), Vibra-slap, kazoo, bassoon, or bass harmonica are among those I've tried (and failed) to use over the years.

Before Christmas, I even sent Herb himself a Tweet to ask, but so far, he hasn't seen it.

So I am turning to the experts here for assistance.

Thanks in advance, and I hope I am not out of line with this question.

Kevin
 
Actually Burt Bacharach would be the one to know... all of the instrumentation on that song (except trumpets and some percussion) is by Burt's orchestra and he arranged the song.

The tune was originally set up for Johnny Rivers to record, but he didn't like the song, so Bacharach sent the tracks to Herb and he put the TJB trumpet and marimba on it.

I've always wondered what that is too, always thought it was some kind of keyboard run through some sort of processor, or something. Bacharach made alot of inventive keyboard sounds over the years...check his use of the organ in his version of "Are You There (With Another Girl)."
 
Nathan--I believe you've correctly identified the instrument. I like that sound--as the song ends with a Baroque feeling. Very imaginative on Bacharach's part--a truly masterful orchestrator/arranger.
 
Nathan--I believe you've correctly identified the instrument. I like that sound--as the song ends with a Baroque feeling. Very imaginative on Bacharach's part--a truly masterful orchestrator/arranger.

An instrument very similar-sounding is featured on Flamingo, too...



Dan
 
Herb also used a clavinet in the 80's. It's listed in the liner notes on Rise, Beyond, Magic Man, Blow Your Own Horn, and possibly others (some only list "keyboards").
 
Huh. I always thought it was a bass guitar put through a "fuzztone" type pedal. I'm pretty sure its the same thing on Flamingo too. This was a very popular type of sound circa 1966-67. Lots of garage bands were using them. Here's a youtube video with some riffs of the era played with one. Obviously you'd have to mess with the knobs to get the sound right.

 
Here is another example of that clavinet sound from 1968 with "Laia Ladaia" by Pat Williams. You will hear the keyboard at the beginning. It is from an album called "Shades of Today" by Pat Williams. I have it on vinyl. What an incredible album with incredible variety. In addition there is another fantastic arrangement of Edu Lobo's "For Me" as well as Neil Hefti's "Darlin", Johnny Mandel's "Cinnamon and Clove" etc. Also included is a William's composition "Bubble's was a Cheerleader." When NBC TV carried the Oakland Raiders games in Oakland, the tune was always played at kickoffs circa 1970.

 
Hello all, I am new to this forum, but have been a Herb Alpert afficionado since the days of the early 60`s. My late father was a trumpeter and collected all the LP`s, many of which I "played to death" thanks to the catchy beats and arrangements (I was all of 6 in 62).

One thing that has bothered me on and off since 1967- the last note (Low D) in "Casino Royale".

I am currently putting together an arrangement of the song for an amateur orchestra and if I can get the right instrument, the final result would be more impressive. At present, the Grand piano is my only real choice, but I'd rather have a ....... (?)

Has anyone heard definitively what it was played on? I can list at some length what it isn't: guitar -distorted or otherwise, piano, bass (e-bass), Vibra-slap, kazoo, bassoon, or bass harmonica are among those I've tried (and failed) to use over the years.

Before Christmas, I even sent Herb himself a Tweet to ask, but so far, he hasn't seen it.

So I am turning to the experts here for assistance.

Thanks in advance, and I hope I am not out of line with this question.

Kevin
Hi Kevin, I was wondering how your arrangement and performance turned out? Which sound did you end up using?
 
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