Aranjuez thoughts

DavidRSmedley

Well-Known Member
I’ve always loved Aranjuez on the Rise album, maybe more than Rise itself. Just a fun take on the Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez. (excellent new version by Thibaut Garcia, btw).

The clapping - used on this track notably but also on the album title track - is just a cool feature.

Now here’s a suggestion to Mr Alpert’s folks: get fans to film themselves clapping to the tune and edit it into a video. There have been a lot of great diaspora videos in music in the past year - my favorite is Mary Chapin Carpenter from the Edmonton Folk Festival leading Ian and Sylvia’s Four Strong Winds. But a clapping vid to Mr Alpert’s tune would be be really cool.
 
Count me in as a Fan of Herb's Version of Aranjuez I thought it was a Great Fun Version too Handclaps and all I was only 12 at the time of its release I thought it was a Great B Side to The Rise single and even better The Album's Closer. To me it was just slightly somber in places but yet reassuring and just less than a year Later Came "Beyond"
 
I was ridiculously late in discovering the wonders of the RISE album. I'd sort-of given up on Herb in that lull through the 70s, but then dutifully played catch-up by buying a bunch of his albums from RISE onward in the early-mid 80s. As that was a lot to listen to, I just didn't allocate the time to spend with each of the "new " albums, as I looked for recognizable or intriguing titles to sample.

With the RISE album, I got through the brilliant "1980" and the title track, "Rise" and then I went onto other things like "Fandango" and "Route 101."

Years later, while listening to the newfangled CD versions of these albums, that's when the wonders of "Aranjuez" and "Behind The Rain" made themselves known to me.

Silly me...
 
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In my opinion, "Aranjuez" is one of the best songs from Rise. When I first heard it, I found myself mostly paying attention to the heavy bass lines, almost to the point where everything else faded into the background for me. Over the years I've come to appreciate the other nuances, such as, as mentioned, the trumpet soloing as the song fades out, and the orchestral string arrangement.
 
Don't see Herb dialing back 40+ years, especially when he has new material to release upcoming!
 
"Aranjuez" was the B-side of the "Rise" 12" single, so naturally I had that before the album, and played both sides equally. Pretty sure it's a different mix on the 12"--I haven't played it in years. (The album version overdubbed some vocal parts during the break--I prefer it without.)
 
I count four different versions of "Aranjuez" in my collection.

First, as Rudy mentions is the single 45 version (at a timing of 3:37 listed on the record), the flip-side to "Rise". I have it here, but don't believe I've ever heard that version. Something to do this evening if I get a chance.

Next up is the album version that lasts 6:42 or so. That's found on all of the RISE album versions - 3 different CD issues and the LP, or course.

The 12" single is a little shorter and clocks in at 6:04, and can be found on the b-side of the "Rise" 12" single.

Then there was the "2007 Dance Mix" which was issued on the Shout Factory RISE CD. It's length is around 5:10. There was also a special CD single issued called REMIXES FROM RISE that has that same mix on it.

1611095607273.png
 
I count four different versions of "Aranjuez" in my collection.

First, as Rudy mentions is the single 45 version (at a timing of 3:37 listed on the record), the flip-side to "Rise". I have it here, but don't believe I've ever heard that version. Something to do this evening if I get a chance.

Next up is the album version that lasts 6:42 or so. That's found on all of the RISE album versions - 3 different CD issues and the LP, or course.

The 12" single is a little shorter and clocks in at 6:04, and can be found on the b-side of the "Rise" 12" single.

Then there was the "2007 Dance Mix" which was issued on the Shout Factory RISE CD. It's length is around 5:10. There was also a special CD single issued called REMIXES FROM RISE that has that same mix on it.

1611095607273.png
I wasnt aware of the existence of these other versions!
 
Don't see Herb dialing back 40+ years, especially when he has new material to release upcoming!
It’s certainly good that the man keeps moving forward (though I seem to recall him recently revisiting TJB tunes in an album, in addition to a more recent release of a compilation box set and a video tie in). Quite admirable that he moves forward (though he has frequently revisited tunes - Besame Mucho comes to mind). I havent been much for his recent releases of late, and I’m a fan and like his horn sound. Too much artificial, programmed sound for my taste. A completely “live” studio album? Ok, there’s a concept. Just the same, whatever he puts out, whenever that is, I hope he does well with it.

I was just commenting on a tune I happen to like - and liked when the album that it was on was originally released - in light of current trends.
 
First, as Rudy mentions is the single 45 version (at a timing of 3:37 listed on the record), the flip-side to "Rise". I have it here, but don't believe I've ever heard that version. Something to do this evening if I get a chance.
I have the 12" single. I can't remember if I ever got it on a 45 RPM single, as I rarely ever bought them. I'm not sure what they could edit out to shorten the track. The 12" single probably fades early, compared to the album version. I think I listened to the Shout Factory version maybe once in my lifetime and that was enough. 😁
 
OK, I've listened to and digitized the 7" single version of "Aranjuez".

Comparing the waveforms, it appears that the 7" single is exactly the same mix as the 12" single, but it's faded early at 3:37 instead of going on to 6:00.

7" single on top
12" single on bottom

Aranjuez 7 vs 12.jpg
 
As I listened to the dub I made of "Aranjuez" from the "Rise" 45, I detected some nasty right-channel dropouts. I thought maybe I had a loose connection from the turntable through the amp, so this morning I checked it all again, and I conclude that those dropouts are indeed there.

This 45 is a Columbia/Pitman pressing on ruby-red styrene. It probably came to me in some bulk purchase of 45s. The only other 45 of "Rise" I have is a promo with the mono mix on the b-side.
 
Interesting--I didn't know A&M was doing colored vinyl 45s back in those days. Although I rarely bought them, so there could have been a few that flew under my radar.

Curiously, I don't ever remember seeing the clear vinyl "Rise" 12" at our local store, and I was going through the 12" single bins at least once a week, if not twice, for several years. They did have the Brothers Johnson "Strawberry Letter 23" 12" on red vinyl, and a couple others from various labels. And the stores here never had the "Rotation" 12"--I would have bought it on the spot, had I seen it. It makes me wonder if it was an issue with the buyers at our record stores in the area (Harmony House and Peaches were my two haunts), or if it was a regional thing. I didn't even hear about the "Rotation" 12" until at least the late 90s.
 
Interesting--I didn't know A&M was doing colored vinyl 45s back in those days. Although I rarely bought them, so there could have been a few that flew under my radar.
Perhaps I used confusing language. It appears that many styrene singles, when held up to STRONG light, will reveal a slight translucency in a red coloring. Here's that "Rise" single with a very bright white LED flashlight shining behind it.

RubyRedRise.jpg
 
Interesting! I didn't realized Styrene could do that. 😁
 
The magic of styrene!

I just learned that within the past year or so.
 
I was ridiculously late in discovering the wonders of the RISE album. I'd sort-of given up on Herb in that lull through the 70s, but then dutifully played catch-up by buying a bunch of his albums from RISE onward in the early-mid 80s. As that was a lot to listen to, I just didn't allocate the time to spend with each of the "new " albums, as I looked for recognizable or intriguing titles to sample.

With the RISE album, I got through the brilliant "1980" and the title track, "Rise" and then I went onto other things like "Fandango" and "Route 101."

Years later, while listening to the newfangled CD versions of these albums, that's when the wonders of "Aranjuez" and "Behind The Rain" made themselves known to me.

Silly me...
Hey, better late than never. Right?
 
The clapping - used on this track notably but also on the album title track - is just a cool feature.

Now here’s a suggestion to Mr Alpert’s folks: get fans to film themselves clapping to the tune and edit it into a video.
David, do you realise just how intricate the clapping on that track really is? The multiple clapping parts that are actually incorporated? I am not sure that many of us have any hope of replicating some of that clapping beat, whatever we might think of our personal rhythm-keeping capabilities! :righton:

As to the sentiment expressed in your opening post, I agree, a great track on a great album - my first ever Herb Alpert album - though I was already familiar with some of his TJB material, through my parents record collection.
 
David, do you realise just how intricate the clapping on that track really is? The multiple clapping parts that are actually incorporated? I am not sure that many of us have any hope of replicating some of that clapping beat, whatever we might think of our personal rhythm-keeping capabilities! :righton:

As to the sentiment expressed in your opening post, I agree, a great track on a great album - my first ever Herb Alpert album - though I was already familiar with some of his TJB material, through my parents record collection.
I did not. I’m not a musician, after all. But I think it’s really, really cool and always have. For that matter, a feature of the album Rise. But I’d be willing to give it a go with appropriate instruction! :)
 
Rudy's right, the single version on either the 12" or 7" has no hoots and hollers, just the clapping.
 
Here's a video of the 12" playing:



Listening in headphones, on occasion you can hear different clapping happening on the left from what's on the right.
 
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