🎵 AotW AOTW: Herb Alpert - JUST YOU AND ME (SP-4591)
- Thread starter LPJim
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I'm thinking that pressing the record is one thing, but cutting the record is another. Could be that once the record was in production, a problem was found with a stamper, and another metal part or lacquer was sent over for the presses. Originally these probably all started out with lacquers specific to the plant but, in cost cutting mode, they're not about to spend the money if they can simply have another lacquer or metal part shipped to them that already exists, for an album that wasn't exactly flying off the shelves.
That was one disadvantage to smaller independent labels like A&M, Warner (in their early days), etc.--they contracted out pressing plants to make their records, and sound quality (and pressing quality, for that matter) was all over the map.
I can see a digital release (download/streaming) happening, which I would buy if it were available, but the ship has sailed for CDs that might only sell a few hundred copies at the most. It's an interesting album for sure, and important in the overall timeline of Herb's music, but it is also no lost masterpiece that will have anyone clamoring to it in a wave of nostalgia or music historians will trip over each other to get a copy of. All the mass market buyers really know are the popular TJB albums, "Rise," and "Diamonds." For collectors and listeners like us, it's a missing hole in the digital collection that for now won't get filled.
BTW, I did try getting a macro photo of the runout but didn't have time to get a good photo of it. I also didn't check both sides right off the bat. Now I'm curious to see what I have. If I get a few minutes this evening I'll take another look and see what I have.
My two copies both appear to be Monarchs... I bought my first copy in Seattle while on a family road-trip from L.A. to Seattle (bought it in Seattle) upon release in 1976 and back to L.A. via Boise, Reno and other western desert stops...My second was acquired in the 90s at a used record shop still sealed. (god bless those ever-decreasing locales)...
The etching on the run off space is different between the two:
Side One:
A&M SP4917-MR-REPL (MR) /\ 20793(1)
T2 A+MSP4917 T1 /\5
Side two:
A&M SP 4918-M3-EX. (MR) /\ 20793-X(2)
A&M SP4918-M3-EX. (MR) /\20793-X
The etching on the run off space is different between the two:
Side One:
A&M SP4917-MR-REPL (MR) /\ 20793(1)
T2 A+MSP4917 T1 /\5
Side two:
A&M SP 4918-M3-EX. (MR) /\ 20793-X(2)
A&M SP4918-M3-EX. (MR) /\20793-X
Steven J. Gross
Well-Known Member
Bobberman
Well-Known Member
My feelings Exactly it really isn't your usual Herb Alpert album it's unique in many ways as we have all discussed previously And for us it's Special
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure he disowns it...I think he realizes that there isn't enough demand for it to remaster it and re-release it.
Yeah, but couldn't you say the same for WARM and THE BRASS ARE COMIN'....or for that matter, SUMMERTIME? Only the hardcore fans were clamoring for those (and I'm glad we got 'em).
It didn't, but SUMMERTIME peaked at #111, so we're not talking that big a difference in real terms.
Also non-charters for Herb:
UNDER A SPANISH MOON
MY ABSTRACT HEART
NORTH ON SOUTH ST.
MIDNIGHT SUN
Albums after those at least made the Jazz charts, but those four didn't.
True, however didn't the song "Jerusalem" manage a #74 on the singles chart? There was no singles action at all from JUST YOU AND ME, though I do have this:
At least at our station it landed squarely on the throwaway pile - along with the album!
I can tell you that the runout matrices say:
A&M 12097(STEREO) - S1
A&M 12098(STEREO) - S3
...which sort of tells me that there may have been a mono version made for AM. (?)
I can tell you that the 45 is cut a little hotter than the album version, mostly in the form of slightly brighter highs.
I can tell you that the runout matrices say:
A&M 12097(STEREO) - S1
A&M 12098(STEREO) - S3
...which sort of tells me that there may have been a mono version made for AM. (?)
I can tell you that the 45 is cut a little hotter than the album version, mostly in the form of slightly brighter highs.
Ahhh. The Bryan Adams 12" disco single. When I play it at people very few Adams fans guess it's him... And to think it was (IIRC) his debut recording for A&M... Personally, I like it just fine.
--Mr Bill
So many people like that song...even DJs liked it. But I guess it wasn't meant to be.
I found a sealed 12" a couple of years ago so I'm set. I wouldn't mind getting the 45 RPM single before the song was sped up, though.
Bobberman
Well-Known Member
i noticed that too on mine I had the same single except mine was used but extremely playable and it was my only proof of the albums existed until I finally got a near pristine stock album in 1994 for $20 pricey at the time but very well worth the investment
A record that, on its best week, sells worse than 73 other records, may as well not have charted at all.
It also got airplay. Nothing from JUST YOU AND ME ever did - at least not significantly.
Like Harry's station, it ultimately went to what we at KUKI called the "stiffo stack". Not because it was bad (it wasn't), but because I was competing with KFRC in San Francisco and wasn't playing anything I didn't think could go top 15 or at worst 20. And I just didn't think there was a case for Herb doing that at that point in his career (I did a wait-and-see on "Rise" three years later for the same reason---but that ended up being a smash).
I do remember KSFO and KNBR in San Franciso giving "Promenade" some play. So I probably kept it at my desk in case it grew legs until A&M moved on from its promotion efforts.
ASTRAL WEEKS has always been available and is widely regarded as Van's masterpiece (along with MOONDANCE). The inexplicable missing album for Van is TUPELO HONEY, which was his second best-selling album in the U.S., went Gold (MOONDANCE was triple platinum) and has the third highest-charting single of his Warners' career, "Wild Night".
You wanna call the airplay "Jerusalem" got "significant"?
Harry, at any point along the way of the Herb Alpert Presents series, enough time had passed that no one would remember whether they heard "Jerusalem" or "Promenade" on the radio, other than radio guys like you and me. It's not a factor. Herb has control of his catalog and obviously is making a personal decision about this album.
Whoops...Tupelo was the one.
Not what I said, certainly not what I intended. I only meant to say that if "Promenade" got any airplay at all, it wasn't significant. You alluded to that with your KSFO and KNBR comment. Here on the east coast, I was totally unaware of any airplay at all from JUST YOU AND ME, and since my evidence is anecdotal, I qualified my comment with "significant".
All agreed. I think we're arguing the same side of whatever point we're making. Bottom line is JUST YOU AND ME - as much as many of us love and respect it - is still a bottom-of-the-barrel album in the Alpert canon. The fact that it's never been seen since its origin days is reflective of that. Other low-ranking albums at least had some high points to elevate them to re-issue status. I was actually surprised that CONEY ISLAND, YOU SMILE - THE SONG BEGINS, and SUMMERTIME made the cut, but am thankful that they did.
You won't catch me beating the drum for a digital release of JUST YOU AND ME. I'm perfectly happy with my two clean LPs and personal digital transfers.
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