A question for Randy

[MJM 64]

I'd like to know if Randy has ever come across quality live recordings of Herb with the Tijuana Brass from the 1960's. Again, the pieces featured on youtube leave me wanting more. I have to think that a good live tape exists somewhere. Didn't Herb feature a ground breaking sound system during the 1960's gigs? I seem to recall reading about that.

One great clip is the group on the Dean Martin show. They do a rocking version of "Winds Of Barcelona (El Presidente)" that is fantastic. John playing an acoustic 12-string with a pick up (must have been before he discovered the Fender 12) and somebody that's not Tonni Kalish on 2nd trumpet (as far as I can tell). I don't know if they're playing "live" but it's definitely a fresh track recorded for the show...and the energy is just off the map on this.

Hopefully, somebody got a good live capture of this band somewhere hidden away.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Somebody (I forget who) asked that question to Herb during one of Herb & Lani's performances this past year, and Herb replied that he didn't care for the sound that was on the tapes so he discarded those tapes. We were all aghast at hearing that. But you never know if there's something stashed in a closet somewhere.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Harry]

That's something we've kind of come to understand over the years in our discussions here, that Herb was someone who created lightning in a bottle, so to speak. When the mood struck him, when the "groove" felt right, he'd capture it on tape in the studio, and those are the magic moments we got to know from the albums. With that in mind, very few live performances could ever stand up to that kind of scrutiny, so it would be totally understandable if the tapes of live performances WERE discarded.

That particular attitude is not that uncommon, as we know that Richard Carpenter is not too fond of the sound of the live performances he's been sitting on all these years. Even The Beatles have been reluctant to officially re-release the old Hollywood Bowl performances from years ago, as they truly sound awful in comparison to the studio-recorded output.

Still, as the Captain says, it would be nice if it were copies that were tossed, and some original gems still exist.

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

The Beatles have been reluctant to officially re-release the old Hollywood Bowl performances from years ago

As well they should. Those recordings came out years and years ago, on an album called "The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl," and the sound on it was truly awful. You could barely hear the band above all the screaming. Those tapes deserve to stay in the can, or at least be made available as a very cheap download. I can see why Herb wouldn't want similar recordings of his to be out...even with his high standards for sound, you just couldn't get the same results live as you could in the studio back then.

 

[MJM 64]

Well, maybe somebody (I mean, besides us) could do an archive release of Herb and The Brass live in a "controlled" enviroment like a television studio. There's great clips all over youtube like I said, but it would be nice if someone researched those recordings to find the freshest quality dubs to release. I know there's a great one of Herb with the Tijuana Brass doing "A Taste Of Honey" on TV. Mind you, the Brass, and not the session musicians on the record.

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

What you want is nothing new. We have been discussing this many times over the years and we are all wishing & hoping that we get to see more TJB video and films. For now, the best chance that we have, is to wait for Herb's site to be unveiled. The downside is that rights for the various TV shows are all over the map. For example, when BBC4 did the recent Herb special, SOUL TRAIN's request for a 30 second clip was so pricey that the BBC declined. And, as we are going back some 40-50 years, my first question would be - do the tapes/films still exist and what is their condition.

 

[MJM 64]

Somebody is sitting on something somewhere. It's just a matter of when the time and the money is right. If the recording's aren't out yet, it's probably because Herb doesn't like them, the recording quality is bad OR he doesn't own the rights to them. I'd allow less than state-of-the-art sound quality because, it's the Tijuana Brass after all. Especially if it's the 1965-1969 TJB, I would allow a lot.
If Herb doesn't own good tapes, somebody else does, and might be kind of holding them hostage because they know that the longer the wait, the higher the price.

 

[Ann Kopfer]

I love live taping & music. My husband and I have been doing it for years with many artists. We do not sell these for a profit, it's just for the love of music. We pass them around to some friends, but that's about the exent of it. How do you think groups like the Grateful Dead were so popular in concert.....the live taping of their shows created their fanbase. If some of the old TJB concerts were available, especially with the original guys, I would listen, drop-outs and all. Hope someone can release them someday.....I would be a buyer!

 

[A&M Retro]

I saw Herb and Lani 'live' in Chicago last year, and asked him myself about releasing the old CBS and NBC specials. He said he would be making them available on his website. Still nothing, but at least there's a game plan.