Finest Herb Alpert Albums: Technically & Style

[Mr Bill]

With that, I took up Guitar, Piano, Percussion and Vocals...
By the way...Vocals & Percussion won out!

This reminds me of a notion I approached Neil, Capt B and a few other regulars about a little over a year ago... Since so many of us Regular and not so Regular members of this forum have musical talent ranging from tinkerer and novice to proficient and profesional, I thinknit's time we create our own CD of versions of our favorite A&M tunes (and originals) under the name "The A&M Corner Irregulars"... Some of us can do our own thing while others can collaborate (the Michigan gang could easily get togther, or S Gross, Brasil Nut and I could wing something out on one of Jon's layovers)....

Just a thought. Anyone else have any thoughts on this "idea"? Sold exclusively at A&M Corner.com, of course!

--Mr Bill
who's already got "Jingle Bells" and "TGILWY" commited to tape...

 

[Rudy]

who's already got "Jingle Bells" and "TGILWY" commited to tape...

Did you ever do a different version of "TGILWY" or was it the same one you sent me?

If everyone here had Sonic Foundry's Vegas program it would be easy to send around a couple of tunes on CD-R. Vegas is capable of recording multi-track audio, which would make it a natural to send a tune and have someone in another town add a track or two to it. But Vegas ain't cheap!

Reminds me...I think I had a MIDI of "Lonely Bull". Think I'll edit it and upload it to my phone today...

 

[Brasil_Nut]

An "A&M Corner" CD would be a great deal of fun!

I remember singing with a small poolside band at the Hyatt in Maui many years ago. I was about 18 at the time. The vocalist, a Mendes wanna-be, was singing "Magic Lady" and "One Note Samba" to the wrong words. Don't get me wrong...this girl was extremely talented. She just didn't know the words to these tunes. I started chatting with the sound man between sets, mentioned that I was a fan of Mendes and made a few polite "corrections" to the lyrics. "Do you sing?" he asked. "Not really," I said. "I worked at Disneyland doing parades and such, but I don't sing professionally..." "Could you do 'Girl From Ipanema?'" he asked. "In English or Portuguese?" I laughed. "Portuguese?!" he exclaimed, "that would be wild!" Though sung phonetically, I sang it in Portuguese (very tongue in cheek) and had a blast doing it. Afterward, I downed several "smoothies" (Hey! I was a kid...it was my first "legal" alcohol...I didn't know any better...felt like s*it the next morning!!!) and watched the rest of their show. That was a lot of fun.

Jon

...still feeling the pain of this damn root canal, online and off...

 

[Rudy]

Think nothing of it...I tried many wind instruments while growing up: Clarinet, Saxophone and Trumpet. All I accomplished was to bite the damn reed and make some rather obscene sounds...

With that, I took up Guitar, Piano, Percussion and Vocals...

I'm willing to try anything right about now. On my short list of instruments to try and/or learn: flute, bass (upright acoustic *and* bass guitar), guitar, drums, vibes, congas, and trumpet. OF course I'd need to relearn sax and piano too. Rudy doesn't do vocals!

 

[Mr Bill]

Did you ever do a different version of "TGILWY" or was it the same one you sent me?

That's the one. I think in a state of inebriation I sent it to you and the Cap'n. Your "Rudy Don't Sing" statement should be applied to me as well!

--Mr BIll

 

[Brasil_Nut]

Your "Rudy Don't Sing" statement should be applied to me as well!

OK... several of you play instruments, I can hold a tune...can Paula sing? How about Shirley? We could get our own "Bossa Rio" going! Woo-Hoo!!!Watch out Manfredo and Gracinha...here come the A&M Corner crowd!

Jon

 

[martin]

Sometimes it is hard to define what's "best". To the artist himself, it will probably be his most recent work. The reason Herb Alpert is reluctant to revisit his TJB past is obviously because he has moved on as an artist.
However, to me it is the spark of inspiration and creativity that is behind the 1965 and 66 releases with the TJB that make them stand out as highlights in his career. This is where he is defined as an artist, creating a unique and successful sound that will echo though popular music for decades to come. Personally, if I have to pick one album, it has to be Going Places. Here is the confidence, the fun and the great playing all in place, and the style is fully defined. As an undernote, I was recently told that Jerry Moss is the pilot on the cover picture, though looking at it for more than thirty years, I had no idea..

- greetings from the north -

 

[Captaindave]

Yes, I agree...

To me, the signature sound and style that is the "definitive" Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass is found on these albums:
SOUTH OF THE BORDER
GOING PLACES
WHAT NOW MY LOVE
SRO
Certain selections from WHIPPED CREAM
The song "The Lonely Bull"

The other recordings are certainly to be credited as filling out the picture so to speak, and I am not minimizing their value or importance, but the above list is what I think of as the TJB at its most historic and defining moments.

I do believe, however, that Herb Alpert realizes that it was the TJB that made him a celebrity and was the foundation for his phenominal career, both musically and businesswise. While he may have had a desire to explore new "territory" and expand his frontiers over the years, the TJB sound and style and songs are what made him what he is/was. I have no doubt that he recognizes this.