🎵 AotW Classics Baja Marimba Band RIDES AGAIN SP 4109

What is your favorite song?

  • Brasilia

    Votes: 3 12.0%
  • Walk On By

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • Guacamole

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • More

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dear Heart

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • Majorca

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • Red Roses For A Blue Lady

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • Hecho En Mexico

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • Woody Woodpecker Song

    Votes: 3 12.0%
  • A Spanish Rose

    Votes: 2 8.0%
  • Juarez

    Votes: 7 28.0%
  • Goin' Out The Side Door

    Votes: 2 8.0%

  • Total voters
    25

Steve Sidoruk

Founder, A&M Fan Net
Staff member
Moderator
Baja Marimba Band
RIDES AGAIN

A&M SP 4109

BMBagainCover.jpg

Released in 1965 as SP 4109 (stereo) and LP 109 (mono).

Tracks:

Side one:
1. Brasilia (Wechter) 2:36
2. Walk On By (Bacharach-David) 2:58
3. Guacamole (Wechter) 2:33
4. More (Oliviero-Ortolani) 2:23
5. Dear Heart (Mancini-Mercer) 2:58
6. Majorca (Wechter) 2:31

Side two:
7. Red Roses For A Blue Lady (Tepper-Bennett) 2:04
8. Hecho En Mexico (Brinton-Turner) 2:53
9. Woody Woodpecker Song (Tibbles-Idriss) 1:58
10. A Spanish Rose (Wechter) 3:26
11. Juarez (Garson-Hampton) 2:38
12. Goin' Out The Side Door (Wechter) 2:33

CREDITS:
PRODUCED BY HERB ALPERT & JERRY MOSS
ARRANGED BY JULIUS WECHTER & HERB ALPERT
ENGINEERED BY LARRY LEVINE / GOLD STAR
FEATURING JULIUS WECHTER ON THE MARIMBAS
LINER NOTES BY BILL DANA
ALBUM DESIGNED BY PETER WHORF GRAPHICS

LINER NOTES:
When Leonard Feather was asked about his reactions to the
now famed Baja Marimba Band he said, "Who?" Well, not wanting
to rest on these laurels alone, the Baja group has again
produced an album of major proportions. (Approx. 12 x 12). And
we feel that once again they have come up to the expectations
of their families and loved ones. Take the reaction of Luisa
Fernandez, mother of Seymour Fernandez who plays first baja,
"Since he's in show business, not a letter!"
Add this to the already mounting apathy of musicologists
everywhere, and there you have it ... the Baja Marimba Band:
another milestone around the neck of A and M Records.
So listen, dear music lover, and learn why people all over Latin
America are saying, "Ellos no son Los Insectors" or "The Beatles,
they ain't."
But we love them anyway, and so will you ... unless you want
to see a grown group cry.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sp4109lableTOP.jpg

A&M SP 4109 original pressing with logo at the top.

SP4109rear_alt.jpg

Alternate back cover for re-pressing, obviously after the Heads Up
album.

Session info:

11/17/64 - Gold Star Recording Studios - Juarez, Guacamole, Las Mañanitas - Herb Alpert - trumpet, Julius Wechter - marimba, Bud Coleman - guitar & mandolin, Hal Blaine - drums, Dennis Budimir - guitar, Frank Guerrero - drums, Milt Holland - percussion, John Lowe - woodwinds, Ray Pohlman - bass, Lyle Ritz - ukelele, bass, tuba, violin, Leon Russell - piano, Anthony Terran - trumpet.

1/18/65 - Gold Star Recording Studios - Gringo, Dear Heart, Follow In His Footsteps, More, Comin' In The Front Door - Julius Wechter - marimba, Bud Coleman - guitar & mandolin, Hal Blaine - drums, Dennis Budimir - guitar, Frank Guerrero - drums & percussion, John Lowe - woodwinds, Lyle Ritz - ukelele, bass, tuba, violin, Bill Pitman - guitar.

1/26/65 - Gold Star Recording Studio - Mexican Hayride, Walk On By, Hecho In Mexico - Julius Wechter - marimba, Bud Coleman - guitar & mandolin, Hal Blaine - drums, Dennis Budimir - guitar, Frank Guerrero - drums & percussion, Milt Holland - percussion, Lyle Ritz - ukelele, bass, tuba, violin, Palmer Evans - trumpet, Neil Levang - guitar & banjo, Tom Scott - flute.

1/27/65 - Gold Star Recording Studio - Dear Heart, La Bamba, Red Roses For A Blue Lady - Julius Wechter - marimba, Dennis Budimir - guitar, John Lowe - woodwinds, Lyle Ritz - ukelele, bass, tuba, violin, Frank DeVito - drums & vocals, Sam Goldstein - drums, Pete Jolly - piano, Earl Palmer - drums, Bill Pitman - guitar.

SP+409_whizzer.jpg

This marks the first appearance of the unkown Baja
whizzer. A running gag, reportedly Herb Alpert's idea,
that had an unknown band member answering a
nature call while the rest of the band posed for
their album cover photo.

Notes: The first appearance of Frank DeVito on a Baja session - although he did play on Julius' LINEAR SKETCHES album from the 50's. Also it appears that we had a couple more song title changes from these sessions. La Bamba was apparently never released and Las Mañanitas was used and billed as TJB for the b-side of the Whipped Cream single - and wasn't used as a Baja track until the next Baja album, FOR ANIMALS ONLY. The first A&M album to have SP 4### as the original stereo album number prefix, as SOUTH OF THE BORDER was originally issued as SP 108. Later pressings of the earlier numbered albums were changed to match.
 
This was the first BMB I ever heard (a bit late in the game in 1967 or so) so it's always held a special place in my heart. There's not a single cut on this album I don't like, and it was tough to pick a favorite, but I really like "Majorca," and having been a resident of El Paso for a few years in the past, I can say that "Juarez" is certainly aptly titled and is one of the quintessential BMB tunes you'll hear. It's a border town traffic jam, for sure!

Fascinating session info, Steve, and thanks for providing it. We knew that Herb played on Las Mañanitas because he said so and included it on his Christmas Album, but this is the first I've seen him credited on any other Baja sessions. Es verdad???

Mike A.
:bandit:
 
So which one was the original title of "Brasilia"??? I'm going to guess "Mexican Hayride"...

--Mr Bill
 
Well, I voted for Brasilia as the favorite tune on this album, however, I like the later, uptempo, single version even better. This was a tough decision, because (on this album) I also really like Juarez - played LOUD - it really rocks! In fact, Juarez is one of four tunes that I got Collectors Choice to substitute on their CD release that was different from their original plan to just take all the same tracks from the Japanese Digitally Remastered Best.
 
Typical of all the BMB albums there is not a bad song in the bunch. So, I went with the "Woody Woodpecker Song". Every time I hear it I can't help but smile. Who else but these guys would even think to put a song like that on an album.

"Walk on by" is a close second to Woodpecker.

Regards,
Mike
 
My favorite is Majorca written By Julius Wechter. Honorable mention goes to Juarez and Henco En Mexico.
 
I love "Brasilia" but like Steve I prefer the later hyper-intense single version that graced the B-side of "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby."

So given my tendency to vote for "the underdog cut" I was torn between my other faves: "Guacamole," "Juarez" and "Hecho En Mexico." I ended up voting for "Guacamolle."

Like Yokosuka Mike says -- there's not a bad song in the bunch! But don't you think "The Woody Woodpecker Song" would've been better suited to the next album, For Animals Only??? Perhaps that's where they got the idea since Herb was about to have a sensation with an album of "food-based" tunes. One could easily imagine the following conversation...

Fade In
Julius:
Wow, Herb! Your new Whipped Cream album is selling like Hot Tamales! It'd be great if the Bajas could have that sort of hit.
Herb: You, know, that Woodpecker song on your last album got me and Jerry thinking... You should do an album of "animal-based" tunes
Jerry: And we'll call it For Animals Only.
Julius: For Animals Only? What a great title for the tune I'm composing right now!
Herb: (laughs) Jerry always comes up with the good names -- I was going to suggest Animals and Other Delights...
Jerry:...but Dolores is allergic to animals and Peter Whorf says getting all those animals to sit still on her lap would make for an impossible photo shoot.
Herb:And she's a lot more obviously pregnant now.
Jerry: So we'll probably go for some sort of cartoon art cover incorporating the animals form the songs you choose or compose along with our likenesses from the first two albums --
Julius: -- and the guy taking a bathroom break. We should make that a running gag on all the BMB covers from now on! (Laughs)
Herb & Jerry: (join in the laughter)



--Mr Bill
 
Julius: Hey, we could record a Baja version of The Lonely Bull!
Herb: Great idea - maybe it'll bring you luck like it did for me.
Jerry: Good, let's do it!
Fade out.

I don't know if that's exactly how the conversation went, but when the Classic Album Of The Week is For Animals Only (SP 4113), you'll find out...
 
"Brasilia" also got my vote for favorite, with "Juarez" being a close second. I also loved "Goin' Out The Side Door", which I used for the final track for my homemade BMB compilation ("Comin' In The Back Door" was my obvious opener). Loved the vocals on this song.



Capt. Bacardi
 
I also loved "Goin' Out The Side Door", which I used for the final track for my homemade BMB compilation ("Comin' In The Back Door" was my obvious opener).
That's the way it should be on ALL Baja compilations! :cool:

I still haven't picked a favorite here. This is one of the most "even" BMB albums - every song is decent. I tend to like the uptempo BMB tunes the best on these earlier albums, so I'm leaning toward "Juarez" 'cause it rocks. But "Side Door" is a killer tune, it's one that I find myself humming quite often for no particular reason.
 
This album is an extension of the first BMB record. Rides Again is far superior.

I picked Spanish Rose, because it is just stunning, although Swan Waltz from For Animals Only is even more beautiful.
 
I'll go with Juarez, an arrangement with lots of excitement that held up over the years. "Roses" and "Dear Heart" after that because of their jazzy arrangements.
 
It's nice to see Juarez getting some votes! Early on about 4 or 5 people (including myself) mentioned it as a runner up, but voted for another tune. I guess its the most popular song so far as almost everyone has mentioned it.
 
I must have forgotten to comment on this one! I remember voting, but must not have had time to post thoughts.

My vote went to "Juarez" on this album, though I have a soft spot for "Brasilia" too. Still, I'm pretty sure I like Herb's "Brasilia" better than Julius' take on his own song thus taking the song down a notch in this presentation.

I was happy to see "Juarez" get its boost to CD status with influence from Steve on the Collectors Choice comp.

Harry
 
I went with JUAREZ, too...it's the first song that to my ears the group really began to "jell" on.


Dan
 
Interesting to see that Neil Levang played on the album. I guess there is life beyond Lawrence Welk...


Dan
 
One question on juarez i have both stereo and mono versions of the lp i noticed a difference the mono version has shouts and hollars while the stereo version does not has anyone noticed these differences??
 
First thing’s first. Let’s try to figure out this cover photo — and to do that invites seemingly never-ending comparisons against the debute LP cover. One things’s certain: as there was no established band the cover shoots and the recording sessions were almost certainly "mutually exclusive" events as it were. The cover here is more interesting than the first LP given the candid appearance...what with a circa early 1920s bus along some out-of-the-way back road and such. Seven men are again present — though one is away from the action answering nature’s call; additionally, the presence of one obvious woman brings the female tally to three. With the exception of the third gentleman from the left (whom I’m certain is Scott Turner) and the fellow holding the flugelhorn sitting in the doorway, it’s difficult to determine if any remaining participants are carryovers from the first LP. For the LP at hand, I’m confident there would’ve been at least a good 40 sheets of Kodachrome spent on the shoot: one doesn’t go to all that trouble to stage such a shot only to snap a half-dozen 35mm photos in two minutes and split. As for the identities, perhaps someone out there in A&M Cornerland has some ideas (once again to me, Julius’ presence is all the more difficult to assign). The Espana EP photo does retrieve the fella delivering the #1 on the LP version so we now get a rough idea who that fella was.

BAJA-IIa.png


Group shots like these invite repeat viewings and it goes without saying that these singular BMB album photos must have supplied visual fodder resulting in a few impulse sales. (The Mexican garb gimmick was a great visual hook that would instantly garner the trite and routine "racist" branding by PC-obsessed chowderheads in today’s mainstream media.) My A&M fantasy request (after having all the post-Look Around Grusinified B66 tracks stripped of his asphyxiating no-one-gets-outta-here-alive orchestral onslaughts) would be to view all the outtakes from the various BMB photo shoots…I have a feeling all hands had a good time.

As for the songs and performances…

The LP starts off with a throwaway, Brasilia — the A-section of which, given Julius’ talent, must’ve been written in about 47 seconds. I keep waiting for something to happen with the arrangement…but that something never does. Walk On By is more like it with a far more interesting arrangement (get a load of those melodramatic, over-the-top voices — quite the ’65 musical artifact). Guacamole has that now familiar "Julius" fade-ending with the full-step down-and-back modulations. Speed up Majorca and you have a nifty potential future TJB number with a couple of the unique musical attributes that would soon help to define their originals (e.g., the call-and-response key changes in the B-section — something Bud Colman would also use in short order). Although essentially a 32-bar AABA form, Julius throws a few twists into the structure, which I diagrammed as: INTRO | AABA | A’ABA’’+OUT [which I think equates to the following measure count, 6 | 8 1+8 8 8 | 1+8 8 8 8+OUT, if you’re keeping score].

Red Roses
has One Note Samba fragments integrated into the intro and turnarounds — the entire song is actually propelled by a bossa-influenced rhythm guitar. Woody Woodpecker has that huge bass marimba back in action (the piece sounds like a TV theme). A Spanish Rose, which is a stunningly gorgeous performance, is defined by the gentle sway of the alternating marimba strokes fused with flute and rhythm guitar. The memorable Juarez makes me think of Creed Taylor’s commercialization of Cal Tjader while Goin’ Out the Side Door is a fun trad-like number quoting 26 Miles for a good laugh.

For this follow-up LP, there’s more trumpet relative to the first LP, yet again notably as support. Like the first LP, the credits state Julius is "on the marimbas" — suggesting that he overdubbed additional marimba parts as needed. Overall, the LP doesn’t have as many of those odd twists and turns like the debute so it feels more tame; and for this reason alone I prefer the debute. Nevertheless, the two do fit together as a nice 1—2 punch (or smack up-side the head). Hope the session cats made some good bread off these things. Julius had more songwriting credits this time out to help him pay off that nice 3-bedroom pad on Hesby Street. Good job to all involved

Ultimately, the point of it all, of course, was to see if it would sell…and apparently the first LP did sell well enough to support a follow-up (i.e., Julius didn’t get the axe like Lewis, McCurn and the Canadian Sweethearts did—as all of those LPs were apparently discontinued fairly early on).

During 1965, the label began its transition into its "pre-rock" golden age and after nine LP releases, A&M could now boast three top-notch LPs (which includes Herb’s South of the Border) that are surely above much of what middleweights Liberty and Dot were issuing at the time and unarguably on par with anything Capitol or Columbia had to offer. More importantly, the BMB (and TJB and soon B66) sound was unlike anything issued by other commercial labels at the time.
 
I forgot to mention which song I voted for way back when but Majorca was the one that stood out and I can play it on the trumpet the lead marimba parts trumpet and flugelhorn parts it took me a long time to figure it out but I learned but this whole album like the Debut are very special to me and today they are among the most extremely Rare in the BMB Canon
 
Wrapping up the original A&M album videos, here is the complete Rides Again album. As always, kick the resolution up to 720p for (hopefully) the best audio. Which isn't saying much, of course. 😉

 
Went with Juarez: just a bursting, thumping fiesta of energy and joy. This album has grown on me more. It is really the birth of the Baja "sound" and image. Thanks for the session information. I always find it fascinating how a finished album rarely has all it's tracks done in a tight package. There are always ones that are held back, renamed or rejected.
 
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