🎡 AotW Herb Alpert: MIDNIGHT SUN (A&M CD 5391)

LPJim

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1Midnight Sun
Written-By – Johnny Mercer, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke
Written-By – Johnny Mercer, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke
6:05
2All The Things You Are
Written-By – Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern*
Written-By – Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern*
3:53
3Someone To Watch Over Me
Written-By – George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin*
Written-By – George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin*
5:16
4In The Wee Small Hours
Written-By – Bob Hilliard, David Mann (3)
Written-By – Bob Hilliard, David Mann (3)
5:53
5Friends
Bass – Monty Budwig
Drums – Jeff Hamilton
Guitar – John Pisano
Piano – Eddie Del Barrio*
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
Trumpet – Herb Alpert
Written-By – Eddie Del Barrio*, Herb Alpert
Bass – Monty Budwig
Drums – Jeff Hamilton
Guitar – John Pisano
Piano – Eddie Del Barrio*
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
Trumpet – Herb Alpert
Written-By – Eddie Del Barrio*, Herb Alpert
4:21
6A Taste Of Honey
Written-By – Bobby Scott, Rick Marlow*
Written-By – Bobby Scott, Rick Marlow*
6:52
7Mona Lisa
Written-By – Jay Livingston / Ray Evans*
Written-By – Jay Livingston / Ray Evans*
5:46
8I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
Written-By – Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe*
Written-By – Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe*
5:07
9Silent Tears And Roses
Written-By – Eddie Del Barrio*
Written-By – Eddie Del Barrio*
3:50
10Smile
Written-By – Charles Chaplin*, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner (2)
Written-By – Charles Chaplin*, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner (2)
4:13


Issued in standard jewel case with black tray. Includes a 6-panel foldout booklet.

Recorded at A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA ("Friends" recorded in 1990).
Remixed at Ocean Way Studios, Hollywood, CA.

[Publishers]
Track 1: Crystal Music Publishers Inc. (ASCAP) / Regent Music Corp. (BMI)
Track 2: Polygram International Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP)
Track 3: WB Music / New World Music Corp. (ASCAP)
Track 4: Rytvoc / Betterhalf Music (ASCAP)
Track 5: Wu-Li Dance / Almo Music Corp. (ASCAP)
Track 6: Songfest Music Corp. (ASCAP)
Track 7: Famous Music Corporation (ASCAP)
Track 8: Chappell & Co. (ASCAP)
Track 9: Wu-Li Dance (ASCAP)
Track 10: Bourne Co. (ASCAP)

β„— & Β© 1992 A&M Records, Inc. [...] Printed in the U.S.A.

Herb's last album for A&M and the first not to be issued on vinyl


JB

Made in the U.S.A.
 
And as fate would have it, I was just about to scan in the longboxes for Herb's solo albums that I have, including this one, MIDNIGHT SUN.

1624052939778.png 1624052967518.png

I remember spotting this one in the racks at the record store and jumped at the chance to buy it. I really enjoyed the late-night flavor of the album, something a bit different after some of the more forceful entries that had come before. At the time our AM radio station was playing a "Great Stars, Great Songs" MOR format and I asked if the new MIDNIGHT SUN fit in, but got a negative answer. I still don't get that. But then again, that radio station is long gone, and Herb Alpert is still out there!

Oh, and in addition to the standard jewel case that came inside this longbox, there was a promotional issue of the album that came in a blue embossed book/digipack style case with the liner notes as a booklet inside.

MidnightSunPromoCover.jpgMidnightSunPromoDisc.jpg
 
I Still Have my A&M CD of this and It was a Mellow but Sad Conclusion to His A&M Era but in just a few years He would return with his "Second Wind" However I remember. Playing this only in the Evenings because of the Overall mood and tone but it is still a Wonderful Album
 
I don't think a physical single was ever released for "Someone to Watch Over Me", at least I don't see any on Discogs, but that odd A&M "THEN" & "NOW" compilation has a single edit of the tune, bringing it down from 5:18 to 3:44. It eliminates much of the opening trumpet playing of the first verse.

1624284165822.png
 
I don't think a physical single was ever released for "Someone to Watch Over Me", at least I don't see any on Discogs, but that odd A&M "THEN" & "NOW" compilation has a single edit of the tune, bringing it down from 5:18 to 3:44. It eliminates much of the opening trumpet playing of the first verse.

1624284165822.png
It got a lot of airplay on MOR TV...
 
This is one of those albums that I've tried to like, with repeated listens, but I guess I just don't hear what others hear.πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ
Never warmed to it myself. Nothing against it musically--it was never my cup of tea, to be honest.
 
I just noticed that Qobuz has a hi res of this record. Is this worth an investment beyond the aad original cd I own?
 
For whatever reason, the hi-res versions are now 24-bit, 44.1kHz vs. 88.2khz, which they had upon initial release. This is true at Qobuz and HDTracks. No idea why they'd go and downgrade these--the 24-bit is a definite improvement, but still, what's the point? Most new releases I see today are 24-bit/96kHz or 88.2kHz, with a small number at 44.1kHz. In this era of cheap storage and plenty of available bandwidth (even for streaming at up to 24-bit/192kHz), there's no reason for reverting back to a lower resolution.

If the mastering is any better, it would pay to get the newer version. The same if you can really hear the difference in resolution. But the original CD was also nicely mastered, so I don't think it's really worth upgrading. It doesn't really cost that much, though--HDTracks shows $11.99 and I imagine Qobuz is the same (I don't have their site open at the moment).
 
For whatever reason, the hi-res versions are now 24-bit, 44.1kHz vs. 88.2khz, which they had upon initial release. This is true at Qobuz and HDTracks. No idea why they'd go and downgrade these--the 24-bit is a definite improvement, but still, what's the point? Most new releases I see today are 24-bit/96kHz or 88.2kHz, with a small number at 44.1kHz. In this era of cheap storage and plenty of available bandwidth (even for streaming at up to 24-bit/192kHz), there's no reason for reverting back to a lower resolution.

If the mastering is any better, it would pay to get the newer version. The same if you can really hear the difference in resolution. But the original CD was also nicely mastered, so I don't think it's really worth upgrading. It doesn't really cost that much, though--HDTracks shows $11.99 and I imagine Qobuz is the same (I don't have their site open at the moment).
$14.99 on Qobuz for hi res 44.1 kHz
 
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