HERB ALPERT PRESS REVIEWS

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HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS -- "THE LONELY BULL/SOUTH OF THE BORDER/LOST TREASURES" -- (SHOUT!FACTORY)

Back in the '60s, there were three truly cool musical acts. I'm guessing that you can name the first two, The Beatles and Bob Dylan, fairly easily. But when it comes to the third defining music superpower of that decade, there are all kinds of contenders for the post: Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The WHO, The Grateful Dead. All of these are good choices, but allow me to throw one more act into the mix — Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.

All right, you can stop laughing. Lumping Alpert with the likes of Mick Jagger and Pete Townshend might be exaggerating things a bit, but before you start to denounce the work of Alpert as pop-jazz-fluff, allow me to throw out a few facts.

Alpert, who began his music career by co-writing "Wonderful World" with Lou Adler and Sam Cooke, has won seven Grammy Awards and watched with pride while one of his albums with The Tijuana Brass, "The Lonely Bull," sat on the charts for more than three years. As one of the founders of A&M Records, Alpert was instrumental (pardon the pun) in signing acts such as The Police, Joe Jackson, The Carpenters, Barry White, Bryan Adams, Soundgarden and Sheryl Crow.

Now Shout!Factory has seen fit to team up with Alpert to re-release his music library, beginning with two classic TJB albums, as well as another CD of songs, many previously unreleased. Both "South of the Border" and "The Lonely Bull" sound just like fans remember, with Alpert's signature trumpet sound punctuated by bursts of marimba.

The sound is best described as Dixieland jazz on a tequila bender, and many of the tracks on those two classic albums, including "Mexican Shuffle," "El Presidente" and "Struttin' with Maria," follow that formula. The third CD in the series, "Lost Treasures," features a number of tracks that Alpert himself admits he forgot he recorded during the TJB's heyday. Classics such as "Tennessee Waltz," "Flowers on the Wall," "Killing Me Softly" and "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" are well represented here. There are even covers of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" and The Beatles' "And I Love Her."

All of the CDs feature extensive liner notes, including a brief message in each from Alpert himself. It's an overdue recognition to one of the biggest musical acts of the '60s (75 million albums sold), even if Alpert's act's music elicits snickers these days.

Sure, keep laughing at me, but when Quentin Tarantino slaps a TJB track on the soundtrack to his next hipster film, I'm going to look like a genius. All three albums: (B+)
 
From JazzReview.com:

Featured Artist: Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
CD Title: The Lonely Bull

Year: Reissued in 2005 - Originally Released in 1962
Record Label: Shout
Style: Smooth Jazz

Review: When trumpeter Herb Alpert made a splash in the mid-1960s with his Tijuana Brass, there was a sense among some so-called hip jazz listeners that this was music for squares, kind of like Burt Kaempfert playing mariachi. Given that 1962 was the year that Miles cut Quiet Nights and Sun Ra and Albert Ayler were stretching ears and expanding minds, The Lonely Bull wasn’t exactly turning heads. Likewise, when Whipped Cream and Other Delights hit in 1965, the buzz in the jazz world was that Trane released three major recordings in Ascension, Om and Kulu Se Mama, and that Herbie Hancock’s landmark Maiden Voyage had finally been released to overwhelming popular and critical acclaim. In 1964, the year that Alpert’s South of the Border LP hit the stores, John Coltrane’s classic My Favorite Things was hands down the most popular album on the streets of jazzland. Still, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass were the buzz above ground, past that rarified subterranean jazz world of the 1960s. Listening to these albums now I’m struck with the musicality of the discs. It isn’t earth shattering and it wasn’t mind stretching. It is just what it was always meant to be. Exciting, fun music. It must have struck a chord with the pop music public. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass were the fourth best selling artists of the 1960s, after Elvis, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra. As a teenager in the mid 1960s, I was swept up in the excitement and these re-issues are a reminder of how much fun the music was. The title cut is one of the most recognizable instrumental numbers of all time with its audience roar and majestic trumpet regalia.

When The Lonely Bull, the debut disc from Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass and the first album released on the fledgling A&M Records (Alpert and Jerry Moss’s new company) was released, it was an immediate smash, largely based on the title tune. Jazz fans will note that the version of “Desifinado” included here is first rate, though there is much more to appeal to fans of well executed music: The gorgeous voicings on “El Lobo (The Wolf)” and the waltz version of “Never On A Sunday” in particular. There are many novelty tunes, such as the heavy German polka of “Tijuana Sauerkraut,” the time freeze “Acapulco 1922,” and the radio hit “Mexico,” again with that heavy, heavy downbeat. The version of “Let It Be Me” is superbly rendered, with strings, voices, and mandolin in the mix. Alpert’s solo is first rate on this, as his playing is throughout.

The Tijuana Brass was a mystery aggregation on this debut disc. They were studio players who included the Ventures drummer Mel Taylor and Sun studios guitarist Bill Riley among their number. It’s unfortunate that, even now, those players are not identified. In Josh Kun’s extensive liners Alpert admits that he never listened to Mexican music and it is revealed that he’s not Mexican, as many assumed. Myths fall by the wayside.

Record Label Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com
Reviewed by: Mark E. Gallo
http://www.jazzreview.com/cdreviewprint.cfm?ID=8691
 
From Jazzreview.com:

Featured Artist: Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass
CD Title: South of the Border

Year: Reissued in 2005 - Originally Released in 1964
Record Label: Shout
Style: Smooth Jazz

Review: The Tijuana Brass was a band that found a formula and a niche and played it to the hilt. Schmaltz (a horrible version of “Hello Dolly,” a song that was horrible from the get) and beautiful work, such as that on “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” share space. In between are bouncy, jaunty tunes that were structured in such a way as to get grandma’s toe tapping as quickly as junior’s. “Up Cherry Street,” for instance, has the same intro as Herman’s Hermit’s “I’m Into Something Good,” and a mix of horns and whistling, all the rage in instrumental music of the time. “The Mexican Shuffle” was a radio hit that reminds a bit of “Tequila,” and “El Presidente” mirrors the bombastic excitement of “The Lonely Bull.”

Though I don’t recall this being much of a radio staple at the time, it has ‘hit’ written all over it. The version of the Beatle’s “All My Loving” was years ahead of Musak, and it has the same appeal as the Longines Symphony Plays the Beatles. “Angelito” is one of the standout numbers, for its trumpet work and the languid quality. The xylophone solo was a very nice touch. “Salud, Amor y Dinero” is nicely done and features nice guitar work. “Numero Cinco,” a folky piece, has a fine interplay between the horns and percussion, and the closer, “Adios, Mr. Corazon,” another quiet piece, is well performed.

Fans of instrumental pop music, and obviously those of the Tijuana Brass, will find much to enjoy here.

Record Label Website: http://shoutfactory.com
Reviewed by: Mark E. Gallo
http://www.jazzreview.com/cdreviewprint.cfm?ID=8693
 
ENTERTAINING
Sweet Licks
Grammy nominee/restaurateur Herb Alpert hits another high note--with whipped cream, of course


By Adam Robert

Herb Alpert, the Latin-influenced jazz-pop trumpeter and bandleader who topped the charts in the '60s and '70s with the Tijuana Brass, has taken home seven Grammy Awards during his four-decade career. And if all goes well tonight at Staples Center, he will need to make room on the mantel for No. 8—he's nominated for a tune called "Chasing Shadows."

Although Alpert is best known for his music, the Los Angeles native has piled a lot on his plate during the last 40 years as a record company mogul (A&M Records), Broadway producer ("Angels in America"), Abstract Expressionist painter and philanthropist. Just last year, he added restaurateur to his credits when he opened Vibrato, a grill and jazz club at the top of Beverly Glen, with the Pasadena-based Smith Brothers Restaurant Corp.

That may not come as much of a surprise to anyone who remembers Alpert's 1965 breakthrough album "Whipped Cream & Other Delights," a food-themed album with a track listing that reads like a shopping list ("Whipped Cream," "Ladyfingers" and "Peanuts," to name a few). One song, "A Taste of Honey," won him his first three Grammys. But what made it memorable to legions of American males was an album cover that pictured a young woman wearing nothing more than whipped cream.

"At the time my partner and I both thought it was pushing the envelope," Alpert says of the dairy-clad dame. "A lot of people did come up to me, and they were particularly crazy about it—not necessarily the record but the album cover."

As for the countless meals he's consumed on the road, he says "the food [at a jazz club] has always been a kind of second-class citizen. It's the music first, and then let's throw a pizza on or something."

Now Alpert, who once hoped to open a place with his buddy Stan Getz, the late jazz saxophonist, has an upscale jazz club with food to match. "I was involved in everything," he says. "The look, the feeling of the place, the music, the food. I was very concerned that the acoustics be beautiful." For the right sound, he hired the acoustical engineer who worked on his A&M studios. For the right menu, he tapped Sharon Funt, formerly of Nick & Stef's, as executive chef.

And what does the man who topped the charts with a dessert-topping title have for dessert at his restaurant? "We keep changing the menu," he says. "But at the moment there's Upside-Down Banana Cake, which is quite good." It's served with whipped cream.



Upside-Down Banana Cake

From Vibrato executive chef Sharon Funt

Makes 1 (10-inch) cake or 7 (3 1/2-inch) cakes

CARAMEL SAUCE
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Place the sugar and water in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Over medium heat and without stirring, melt the sugar and cook until it reaches a dark golden caramel color, about 15 minutes. Brush down the sides of the pan with water to remove any sugar granules. Remove from heat and whisk in heavy cream carefully, as mixture will bubble up. Whisk in butter until melted and smooth. Set aside. Makes 1 cup.



CAKE
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup clarified butter, chilled
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
Butter, to grease the pans
Caramel sauce
2 to 3 ripe bananas
Whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs and buttermilk. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gently fold in the dry ingredients until smooth.

For a 10-inch cake, heavily butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cake pan or use a nonstick cake pan. Spoon the caramel sauce into the pan and spread to fill the bottom. Cut the bananas into 1/2-inch slices and lay in a circular pattern in the bottom of the pan. Without disturbing the banana slices, carefully pour the batter into the pan and spread to the edges. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake sit for 5 minutes, then loosen the sides and invert onto a cake plate. Serve with whipped cream.

For 3 1/2-inch cakes, heavily butter the bottom and sides of 7 extra-large muffin tins. Spoon 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce into each tin. Reserve remaining caramel to serve on the side. Cut 2 bananas into 1/2-inch slices and fit 4 to 6 slices on top of the caramel. Pour 1/3 cup batter into each tin. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes sit for 5 minutes, then loosen sides and invert onto a large serving plate. Serve with whipped cream.

http://www.latimes.com/features/pri...ing07feb13,1,4406154.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
 
From the Wisconsin State Journal:

• Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, "Lost Treasures," Shout Factory.

When my buddies and I used to play poker in college, we'd either be listening to a Herb Alpert album or the soundtrack to "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." So listening to Shout Factory's new series of Alpert re-issues really brings back the smell of cheap cigars, the faint snap of cards hitting the table, and that sinking realization that maybe I shouldn't have bet my entire stack of quarters on a pair of threes.

That said, Alpert's music remains the hippest easy listening sound around, and the CD reissues of "The Lonely Bull" and "South of the Border" sound great. But if your original vinyl versions will suffice, Alpert fans should still pick up "Lost Treasures," which features 22 B-sides and other rarities.

A few of the tracks are covers of such '60s chestnuts as "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," and a surprisingly swinging "(They Long To Be) Close To You" that features a rare vocal track by Alpert. Elsewhere is a spry Dixieland version of "Up Cherry Street," and a cover of that weird '70s novelty hit "Popcorn" that might have best been left in the vaults. Otherwise, crank up the hi-fi and enjoy.
 
From THE PLAIN DEALER: (Link not available)

Leave it to trumpeter Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass band to turn James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" - a ballad borne out of mental illness and the death of a friend - into an upbeat stroll through the park. Then again, Alpert (the "A" in A&M Records) always had a gift for making almost any tune come off like the breezy theme song to a Wink Martindale-hosted TV game show. Check out the shagadelic renditions of "(They Long to Be) Close to You," "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and "Popcorn" on "Lost Treasures," a fun collection of Alpert outtakes from the '60s and '70s. If you like what you hear, Shout! Factory also is reissuing the vintage Alpert albums "The Lonely Bull" and "South of the Border," with more titles to follow. Easy listening doesn't get any easier. In stores Tuesday. A-
 
OBSESSIONS
By Christopher Muther, Globe Staff | February 17, 2005


... (non-TJB content deleted)

3 HERB ALPERT AND THE TIJUANA BRASS At long last, the trumpeter’s back catalog is being released on CD. Essential listening is a recently released disc of rarities called ‘‘Lost Treasures.’’ On it, you’ll hear Alpert reinvent Spanky and Our Gang’s ‘‘Lazy Day,’’ the Carpenters’ ‘‘(They Long to Be) Close to You,’’ and Gilbert O’Sullivan’s ‘‘Alone Again, Naturally.’’ The biggest demonstration of Alpert’s skill, however, is his ability to take James Taylor’s whiny ‘‘Fire and Rain’’ and turn it into a pert Mexican party tune. Now, bring on ‘‘Whipped Cream and Other Delights.’’
 
ORLANDO SENTINEL RECORD REVIEWS: * * * * (4 out of 5)
These horns harken back to a cheesier time
And that's a good thing, when it comes to Herb Alpert and his band


By Jim Abbott | Sentinel Pop Music Critic
Posted February 11, 2005

Classify the above ratings in the "so bad, it's good" category.

These three albums, two reissues of 1960s suburban cocktail-hour staples and a new collection of rarities and unreleased tracks, unlock the secret to the Beatles successful invasion. With mom and dad listening to South of the Border in 1964, "She Loves You" must have been irresistible.

A lot of stuff changes in 40 years. Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney has gone from bane of the establishment to the family-friendly alternative at this year's Super Bowl. Likewise, the vintage cheese of the Tijuana Brass has aged to perfection.

There's a new market for the kitsch that oozes so effortlessly from Herb Alpert's trumpet. And the site of a sombrero-clad trombone player in a frilly shirt and vest fits in a culture where retro influences inspire devotion rather than derision.

The music?

It's better than Leonard Nimoy or William Shatner -- the latter, incidentally also is on the Shout roster -- but not without outright laughable moments. Besides, everyone knows that Whipped Cream & Other Delights is the band's best album, for the cover alone.

The Spanish-accented chorus of "Holly Dolly!" on South of the Border is only a nudge away from a Golden Throats parody. An instrumental of the Fab Four's "All My Loving" is akin to Pat Boone's "Tutti Frutti." On The Lonely Bull, the TJB's first A&M album in 1962, "Tijuana Sauerkraut" is a clunky tuba-driven waltz that doesn't quite reach Lawrence Welk sophistication.

Yet there are moments of sheer inspiration: "The Lonely Bull," the chewing gum TV jingle "Mexican Shuffle" and the lovely mariachi treatment of "Let It Be Me."

As for the Lost Treasures, these takes on Burt Bacharach, James Taylor and Cat Stevens ("Whistlestar") are tasty too -- like finely aged cheddar. Small servings are recommended.
 
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=16788

Herb Alpert Triple Play from Shout! Factory
Posted: 2005-03-07

By Charlie B. Dahan

Shout! Factory has just released three excellent reissues of Herb Alpert and His Tijuana Brass Band. This record company truly understands what it takes to successfully re-release an album: remaster the sound without removing the original charm, add new insight (essays and in this case recollections from Alpert) and stay true to the original artwork. Instead of adding extra recordings to each of the Alpert reissues, Shout Factory compiled them on one master entitled Lost Treasures. The first two albums by the Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass in this series will be The Lonely Bull and South of the Border.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
The Lonely Bull
Shout! Factory
1962-2005

The Lonely Bull made music history when it was originally released in 1962. It marked the beginning of the very successful A&M Records (Alpert & Moss) and both the title track and the album hit the top ten Billboard charts. Inspired by a trip to Mexico prior to this recording, Alpert successfully marries the rhythmic and fanfare like qualities of Mexico with the improve and groove of American jazz much like Dizzy Gillespie’s marriage of jazz and the music of Cube and the Caribbean. This recording is bound to put a smile on your face and as with the rest of the releases, the liners will inform and enlighten.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
South of the Border
Shout! Factory
1964-2005

South of the Border enjoyed similar chart success as it’s predecessor The Lonely Bull and explored mainstream repertoire such as “The Girl from Ipanema” and “All My Loving” along the same lines as many of the aptly named “Lounge” or “Bachelor Pad” style bands of the day. The only reach for the next button moment occurs with the awkwardly sung “Hello Dolly”, which features a fake Spanish accent. Otherwise, this is just as fun and musical as Lonely Bull.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
Lost Treasures
Shout! Factory
2005

Finally, Shout Factory compiles twenty-two previously unreleased and rare recordings from Alpert from this era. Some may feel betrayed by the fact that these recordings weren’t added onto the several reissued recordings of this series, but in this case, perfection is to leave the album in it’s original form and to treat the unreleased recordings as a separate piece. What makes this collection special are the interpretations of pop repertoire. You almost wonder why the Tijuana Brass’ versions of James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” Cat Steven’s “Whistlestar” or Carpenters' “(They Long to Be) Close to You” never saw the light of day. This album possesses both aural pleasure and pure entertainment.

In addition to these three excellent salvos, Shout! Factory has eight more Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass reissues on the docket with a “remix” album coming out this summer — that should be interesting! Great job Shout Factory, keep it up!
 
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - "Lost Treasures''

From San Jose Mercury News
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/11185240.htm

After the Beatles' ``Hey Jude'' and Otis Redding's ``(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay,'' the best ballad of 1968 was ``This Guy's In Love With You,'' a Burt Bacharach-Hal David composition that benefited from a beautiful melody, simple and heartfelt lyrics, and a perfectly understated and sweetly confessional vocal from Herb Alpert. To that point, Alpert had led the seven-piece Tijuana Brass, a middle-of-the road pop-meets-mariachi show band. The song's success -- it ambled its way to No. 1 on the pop charts -- inspired the Bacharach-David team to give Alpert its next potential chart-topper to sing, a ditty called ``Close to You,'' but he decided it would be better suited to the Carpenters, a brother-and-sister duo he had recently signed to A&M.

This addictively listenable collection of unreleased and little-heard Alpert & Brass recordings doesn't include ``This Guy's'' but does feature his respectable ``Close to You'' and slick but hip covers of ``Killing Me Softly,'' the undervalued ``Alone Again (Naturally)'' and best of all, a rendition of James Taylor's chestnut ``Fire and Rain.'' Also worth revisiting are remasters of Brass albums ``The Lonely Bull,'' ``South of the Border'' and the record whose jacket caused teenage boys everywhere to linger leeringly at the record racks, ``Whipped Cream (and Other Delights).''

-- Terry Lawson
 
From www.jazztimes.com:

It seems redundant to rerelease Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass' whole catalog since it's readily available at used record stores and thrift shops across the country. But the lure of CDs' deluxe packaging, including extensive liner notes, supersedes the vinyl editions. And speaking as someone who took to Alpert's music the way other '60s babies took to security blankets and stuffed animals, there is something addictive about this music that should be heard again every so often.

Alpert-the A of A&M records-always played with a bright, strong tone, which is the most noticeable aspect of his debut, The Lonely Bull (1962). Despite the catchy mariachi lilt of the title track and pleasant versions of "Desafinado" and "Let It Be Me" most of the album feels like filler. South of the Border (1964) introduces Alpert's skill as an arranger: the title track gets a rock backbeat, "The Girl From Ipanema" does a tango and the Beatles' "All My Loving" paraphrases "I Get a Kick Out of You" in the opening bars.

It's hard to fully appreciate Whipped Cream (1965) in all its splendor when its infamous cream-covered model has been reduced to a five-inch photo. But musically, the 12 food-themed songs-plus two bonus tracks-are often as addictive as the titular foodstuff itself. "A Taste of Honey"'s stop-start arrangement holds up four decades later, as does "Whipped Cream," later known as the theme for The Dating Game. This smash LP's follow-up, Going Places (1965, and scheduled for reissue in June), has a more consistent set of tracks, but this one is no slacker either.

Lost Treasures compiles 22 unreleased tracks from 1963 to 1974, and most of them are worthy contenders. Four of the five Burt Bacharach tunes, including an astounding rip through "Promises Promises," are almost worth the purchase alone. The faux funk of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" might evoke scary images of 1970s key parties, but it's countered by versions of "Lazy Day" and "Alone Again (Naturally)."

-Mike Shanley
 
from CNN.com:

A TASTE OF THE SWINGIN' '60S
Herb Alpert and his 'Whipped Cream' get special edition
The album that made Herb Alpert a superstar gets a rerelease Tuesday.


By Todd Leopold, CNN
Thursday, April 14, 2005 Posted: 8:10 AM EDT (1210 GMT)

In 1966, perhaps the greatest year rock 'n' roll has ever known, the biggest-selling album artist of the year wasn't the Beatles or Beach Boys or the Rolling Stones.

Indeed, it wasn't a rock 'n' roll artist at all, but a 31-year-old trumpeter and label co-owner whose records were full of finger-snapping instrumentals with a vaguely Latin sound called "Ameriachi."

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were on top of the world. Three of the group's albums made Billboard's year-end Top Five; several singles hit the Top 40. At one point during the year, the group had five albums in the Top 20 at the same time, still a record.

Alpert's hot streak began with "Whipped Cream & Other Delights." The album, with its legendarily naughty cover (later parodied to terrific effect by Soul Asylum) and hits "A Taste of Honey" and "Whipped Cream," came out in 1965 and stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks. It was on the charts for almost three years.

Alpert and the TJB followed with "Going Places," which topped the chart for six weeks at the end of '65, and continued their success with 1966's "What Now My Love" (nine weeks at No. 1) and, at the end of '66, "S.R.O." (which peaked at No. 2).

Alpert and the TJB continued their hit making well into the psychedelic era, with the band leader even topping the charts on his own with the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "This Guy's in Love With You" in 1968.

Who was buying these records? Adults, mainly. Even today, something about Alpert and the TJB says "bachelor pad" or "nightcap in the suburbs," and in an era when the teens bought the Top 40 material and the hipsters were into Miles Davis or Ornette Coleman, Alpert's tuneful trumpeting and sharp arrangements filled a gap in the market.

"Whipped Cream & Other Delights" is getting a 40th-anniversary release, courtesy of Shout! Factory Records.

Eye on Entertainment blows a kiss.

Eye-opener

As the indispensable Web site Allmusic.com notes, Alpert got his start as a songwriter. He and Lou Adler -- later the producer of the Mamas and the Papas and Carole King -- wrote Sam Cooke's "What a Wonderful World" and "Only Sixteen," and Alpert also dabbled in production.

He founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss in 1962 and immediately had a hit of his own, "The Lonely Bull," a song that later inspired Jack Nitzsche's "The Lonely Surfer." A&M became the biggest independent label in the industry; its artists eventually included Phil Ochs, Joe Cocker, the Carpenters and TJB colleagues Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66.

Despite the success of "The Lonely Bull," Alpert and the Tijuana Brass -- originally a collection of Los Angeles session musicians -- didn't have much chart success until "Whipped Cream," which was released in April 1965. The album -- or album cover, featuring a nude Dolores Erickson covered in ersatz whipped cream -- caught the public's fancy, and the rest is history.

"We'll never know exactly what made this album Herb Alpert's big commercial breakthrough -- the music or the LP jacket," writes Richard S. Ginell on Allmusic.com, praising the album for its "eclectic" selections (all of which involved food) and "unique sense of timing."

"[But] no wonder Alpert drew such a large, diverse audience at his peak; his choices of tunes spanned eras and generations, his arrangements were energetic enough for the young and melodic enough for older listeners."

When his albums started to fade from the charts in the early '70s, Alpert retreated to the business side, later re-emerging with the No. 1 song "Rise." He remains one of the most honored -- and most successful -- people in the music industry.

And what of Erickson? Three months pregnant (!) at the time of the "Whipped Cream" shoot, according to the Web site www.swinginchicks.com, she appeared on other covers (the Sandpipers' "Guantanamera" and a Rodgers and Hart compilation) and later divorced and remarried. She's now a painter and has her own Web site, http://www.whippedcreamlady.com.

The 40th-anniversary edition of "Whipped Cream" comes out Tuesday, (April 19, 2005).
 
From the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28538-2005Apr5.html

A TOUCH OF BRASS
Herb Alpert Hopes to Get A Second Wind From His Feel-Good 'Tijuana' Sound


By Paul Farhi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 6, 2005; Page C01

SANTA MONICA, Calif.

Just a few notes from that peppy horn are enough to book you on a first-class nostalgia trip. They take you back to turntable parties in the paneled rec room, tiki torches on the patio, and Dad sporting his groovy new sideburns. They evoke enormous plastic daisy decorations, wide whitewall tires and yellow shag carpet.

Odd as it seems now, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass had as much claim on the soundtrack of the 1960s as the Beatles. The group's instrumental pop albums, slickly produced by Alpert himself, made him king of easy listening, god of the gentle and long-gone Middle of the Road genre.

You heard those horns everywhere -- on "Ed Sullivan," on Top-40 radio, on chewing-gum commercials, on "The Dating Game." Your parents loved him, but so (often in secret) did the kids. At its peak in 1966, the TJB -- essentially Alpert and an evolving cast of L.A. studio musicians -- had four albums in the Top 10. By the end of the decade, the group had sold more records than anyone except the Beatles, Elvis and Sinatra.

And then? And then the Tijuana Brass began a slow shuffle toward used-record store bins and Muzak-al obscurity. There were a couple of brief Alpert spikes during the 1970s (notably, the disco-ish "Rise" in 1979), but the air went out of the golden trumpet soon enough. Alpert devoted more of his time to building the record empire he had co-founded (he was the "A" in mighty A&M Records) and to other pursuits. As ubiquitous as such perky Tijuana Brass hits as "Spanish Flea," "Mexican Shuffle," "Tijuana Taxi" and "A Taste of Honey" were four decades ago, they are dusty artifacts today, the musical equivalent of double-knit polyester slacks.

So maybe it's as good a time as any for a Herb Alpert revival, or at least a retrospective. After more than a decade out of print, Alpert's best-selling TJB works from the 1960s are being reissued by Shout! Factory, a small Los Angeles-based label. A complicated publishing deal tied up the rerelease until last month, when the Alpert-approved series began with "The Lonely Bull," the TJB's 1962 debut, as well as "South of the Border" (1964) and a collection of unreleased and obscure recordings (some with new Alpert trumpet parts) from 1963-74 called "Lost Treasures." Eight more remastered originals will follow throughout the year.

"My kids say a new generation will discover this, but I don't know," says Alpert. "I couldn't predict that I was going to make a hit record [40 years ago], so I can't say if they will or they won't. I will say it's upbeat and positive music. There's so much dark music out there now."

Alpert, now 70, who is as low-key and relaxed as a bass solo, talks in the offices of his self-named philanthropic organization here, which is decorated with imposing sculptures and paintings by the man himself. The jet-black hair and angular features that made him salable to middle America a few decades ago haven't quite been erased by time.

Despite one health issue last year (atrial fibrillation, a heart ailment), Alpert remains active and creative. He practices every day on the same trumpet he has played since 1953, works on his art and oversees the considerable fortune he has amassed, especially since selling A&M to Polygram in 1990 for a reported $500 million. Sometime soon, he says, he plans to produce an album by his wife, singer Lani Hall Alpert, who once recorded with another A&M group, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66.

The legend of Alpert's big recording breakthrough, "The Lonely Bull," really is true, he says. When Alpert and his business partner, Jerry Moss (the "M" in A&M), attended their first bullfight in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1962, Alpert became intrigued by the brass fanfare that introduced each fight, and crowd's excited reactions. He set out to capture it in a recording. Alpert reworked the melody of a song called "Twinkle Star," written by collaborator Sol Lake, and mixed it with a recording of the "oles!" from an actual bullfight.

The single was the first hit for Alpert, then 27, and for his fledgling record label. The album that followed, also a popular success, established the Tijuana Brass formula: a few highly polished original compositions (by Alpert, Lake and other writers), coupled with bright cover versions of popular songs of the day and a few golden oldies. The whole package -- music, promotion and, of course, the Tijuana Brass name, which was dreamed up by Moss -- was designed to conjure up a south-of-the-border tourist fantasy. Alpert played up the old Mexico feel by using marimbas, breezy guitars and brass elements that vaguely suggested a mariachi horn section (actually, Alpert overdubbing himself). The original songs also had titles that stayed with the theme: "Acapulco 1922," "Adios, Mi Corazon," "Salud, Amor y Dinero," etc. "When you're making an instrumental record," he says, "there has to be a visual attached to it. You close your eyes and you get a mental picture. I got letters from all over the world from people saying, 'Thank you for taking me on a trip to Tijuana.' "

The Latin flavor extended to A&M's early artist lineup, which included the Sandpipers ("Guantanamera"), Mendes, and the Baja Marimba Band, which featured another Alpert collaborator, Julius Wechter.

Of course, Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were about as authentically Mexican as a Chili's restaurant. Alpert never paid much attention to mariachi music (he leaned more toward Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis). He and Moss, a veteran record promoter, were primarily interested in creating a bright, radio-friendly pop sound. Although one of the early session musicians was Hispanic (Mexican jazz bassist Abraham Laboriel), most of the group that became the Brass in its touring heyday were Italian Americans: Pat Senatore (bass), John Pisano (electric guitar), Lou Pagani (piano) and Nick Ceroli (drums).

The concept -- gringos dressed in sombreros and matador outfits, playing Americanized Mexi-pop -- probably wouldn't stand the authenticity test today, let alone a cultural sensitivity or kitsch test. To a few critics, it didn't hold up then, either. The San Francisco Chronicle dismissed the Tijuana Brass as a Mexican minstrel show.

Alpert was aware of it then, as he is now: "In the real early days, I didn't want to feel like we were stepping on anyone's toes. Some of the PR at the time suggested I was a direct offshoot of mariachi music. I didn't want to be perceived as a phony." But he is untroubled by it. "When you come right down to it, it's all in the music," he says. "I think people just liked the music. It was upbeat for the most part. I never thought it was frivolous or corny. I put as much of my heart into it as I could."

He pauses a beat and reflects, "Art is timing. You're in the right place at the right time and the door creaks open for you. We came at the right moment."

In fact, Alpert eventually got some validation even in Mexico. When the Brass went on tour in the mid-1960s, they played several dates there, and the audiences were as large and appreciative as any north of the border.

Although his dark good looks enabled him to pass for Latino, Alpert is actually the son of a Jewish tailor from Kiev and a Hungarian immigrant mother; he grew up in Los Angeles' heavily Jewish Fairfax district. Alpert began playing at the age of 8 after he picked out a trumpet from among the instruments on a table at his elementary school's music-appreciation day. By 16, he was playing in a local party band and thinking of becoming a professional musician. He eventually played so many gigs, he says, that at one time he knew some 2,000 songs from memory.

He also had a brief stint as a movie actor; in his one uncredited role, he played the drums as Charlton Heston descended from Mount Sinai in "The Ten Commandments."

Alpert's early musical career was a hodgepodge of performing, producing and songwriting. He played trumpet during a two-year stint with the 6th Army Band in the 1950s, and later with the University of Southern California marching band while a student. With partner Lou Adler, later a famed record producer in his own right, Alpert wrote songs for Sam Cooke, including "Only Sixteen" and "Wonderful World" ("Don't know much about history . . . "). Alpert and Adler also produced a hit for Jan & Dean ("Baby Talk").

These experiences provided Alpert with a street-level PhD in almost every major aspect of the music business and gave him the confidence to handle most creative aspects on his own albums. He was producer, songwriter, arranger and lead musician.

To be sure, some of the commercial polish on the TJB sound also came from Moss, who was a co-producer on the classic Brass records. As Moss recalls, "Herbie did all the playing and arranging, of course, but some of the ideas in the studio came from me. I was a promo man. I knew what would get played on the radio."

The success of the records, says Moss, was a reflection of the "warmth" of Alpert's sound. "It was the kind of thing you hear and feel good about," he says. "That part is as fresh to me now as it ever was."

It's debatable, however, whether one of Alpert's most commercially successful albums owed more to its cover art than to its music. "Whipped Cream & Other Delights," released in 1965, was certainly high concept -- all of its songs were named after foods -- but its most memorable feature may have been the cover photo of a beautiful, dark-eyed and apparently naked model covered in white cream.

The picture occupied a not insignificant piece of real estate in the psyches of adolescent boys of that era, who are men of this one. As Esquire put it in 1989, "We bought this album for the album cover. For here is what lust looked like in 1966."

When art director Peter Whorf presented his cover idea to Alpert and Moss, Alpert says, "We thought it was pushing the envelope too much. You've got to remember this is 1965. Now it's nothing."

They went ahead anyway, hiring a friend of the A&M founders, a Ford Agency model named Dolores Erickson, then 25. Whorf spent most of the daylong photo session slathering Erickson with shaving cream, which held up better under the hot studio lights than whipped cream (although whipped cream was used on Erickson's head and hand). All that shaving cream covered up the fact that she was three months pregnant at the time.

The resulting image reveals far less of Erickson than the average low-cut dress, but the overall effect was electrifying. "People have told me that it's the innocence of the look," says Erickson, now 65, retired and living in Washington state. "It's what you can't see" that adds to its allure. "I understand it was very suggestive to men, but I never thought of it like that."

She refers to it as "the world's most famous album cover."

"Whipped Cream" stayed at No. 1 on the album charts for eight weeks. Alpert's biggest-selling single of the era came three years later, in 1968, when Alpert asked the celebrated composer (and A&M artist) Burt Bacharach if he would contribute a song for an upcoming TV special featuring the group. Bacharach offered an old composition he'd written with Hal David. It was a song that Dionne Warwick had made a demo tape of, called "This Girl's in Love With You." With a few quick lyrical alterations, Alpert sang the song "This Guy's in Love With You" on TV and later recorded it.

"You didn't ask me this," Alpert says, somewhat amused by his own braggadocio, "but I'm the only guy who had a No. 1 instrumental record and a No. 1 vocal record."

Not long after, Alpert went through the same drill. Hal David handed him "(They Long to Be) Close to You." But after recording it, Alpert felt the song wasn't right for his understated tenor. He passed it off to Karen and Richard Carpenter, who put it on their second A&M album. It was the Carpenters' breakthrough song.

As it happened, the Carpenters ushered in Alpert's later career as a record-industry mogul. By 1969, he felt burned out from the Brass's worldwide touring and constant recording. His first marriage was crumbling. For the first time in many years, he briefly stopped playing the trumpet. Alpert disbanded the group (though it would have periodic revivals) and began investing more of his energy in A&M's artists.

After several years in which Alpert's Tijuana Brass records carried A&M (its logo featured Alpert's horn, after all), the label began signing more rock and folk-rock acts. It added Cat Stevens, Joan Baez, Joe Cocker, Peter Frampton and the Police to its roster. It also released the work of Quincy Jones, Hugh Masekela, Antonio Carlos Jobim and, later, Janet Jackson.

"When we started," says Moss, "small labels lived and died on a hit single. Herbie and I wanted to develop artists who could make albums that would sell for years and years to come. We were trying to build something real."

Real indeed: By the time Moss and Alpert cashed out in 1990, A&M was the largest independent record label in the world.

Alpert would release 14 more original albums of his own, but with inconsistent commercial reaction ("Rise" in 1979 and "Keep Your Eye on Me" in 1987 were comeback records). In the meantime, he branched out to Broadway and philanthropy. He was one of the producers of "Angels in America," Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and the musical "Jelly's Last Jam." After selling A&M in 1990, he and Moss joined forces again and in 1994 started Almo Sounds, which signed the rock group Garbage.

These days, Alpert's name usually rises in connection with his foundation. It gives money to environmental and arts-education causes benefiting children; Alpert's name is affixed to a private school campus in Santa Monica, Calif., an annual state arts award, and a visiting professor's chair at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

If anything, Alpert's career as a recording artist says much about the value of simple, nonthreatening, happy music. It may be just a coincidence that his greatest musical success coincided with a period of turbulence and upheaval, socially and musically. "Lonely Bull" became a smash in the months preceding Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and John F. Kennedy's assassination. It postdated Elvis and predated the Beatles. As rock grew increasingly rebellious, as the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War flared, the Tijuana Brass offered something dreamy and transporting and distinctly non-edgy.

Listening to it now, you can almost feel the shag carpet beneath your feet.
 
This is from the new issue of Billboard:

HERB ALPERT'S TIJUANA BRASS
Album Title: Whipped Cream & Other Delights
Producer(s): Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss
Genre: VITAL REISSUES
Label/Catalog Number: Shout Factory DK 32868
Release Date: April 19
Source: Billboard Magazine
Originally Reviewed: April 23, 2005

Originally released in 1965, "Whipped Cream & Other Delights," Herb Alpert's faux Tijuana jazz-pop fare, proved to be the right music for the time, strangely rubbing shoulders on the charts with the Beatles, Frank Sinatra and the Supremes. Alpert's lyrical trumpet lines and full-brass bob quickly became camp, but 40 years later they sound both retro-schmaltz and mindlessly fun, like a party soundtrack at a wedding reception or high school reunion. The band's mammoth hit, "A Taste of Honey," still savors sweet, though viewers of '60s and '70s TV may want to skip the title track that became the saccharin theme for "The Dating Game." The treats include a striptease take on Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller's "Love Potion #9," a lovely drift through Toots Thieleman's "Ladyfingers," a Dixieland-like swing through "Butterball" and an oompah polka step to "Peanuts." Plus, two previously unissued melodic Alpert compositions from the original sessions should have, in retrospect, been keepers.—DO

The link is at: http://www.billboard.com/bb/reviews/album_article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000883903


Capt. Bacardi
 
Herb Alpert unearths previously unheard '60s delights
"Lost Treasures" from the Tijuana Brass transports listeners to a bouncier, more optimistic era

By Bret Saunders
Special to The Denver Post

“Every now and then people come up to me and ask when the Tijuana Brass are going to record again,” says Herb Alpert. “So here it is.”

Consider the three top-selling-album artists of the 1960s: The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.

Each act has been subjected to endless examination and lionization. They're part of our collective consciousness.

But the fourth-largest-selling act from that turbulent decade more often than not seems consigned to America's flea markets, though the music created by this unit is not only unforgettable - in its time it was inescapable.

The outfit's unceasingly happy hit records served as a welcome backdrop for a vivid, sun-drenched imaginary paradise populated by alluring young women dressed in little more than gobs of whipped cream. The impresario behind this fantasy turned a literal "garage" band project into one of the more prosperous careers in show business.

It's time Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass receive their historical due.

"There was a period where people were chasing us," a relaxed Alpert responded when asked about mid-'60s TJB-mania. "At one concert, somebody gave me two ears and a tail (taken from a bull). "After the joke wore off, I realized it was kind of a macabre thing to do."

But the Tijuana Brass, headed up by exuberant horn man Alpert, was focused on anything but gruesome imagery. Three remastered '60s titles, including the 1965 "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" with the then-provocative cover, are again available in all their deliriously cheerful glory from Shout! Factory; the label plans to rerelease other TJB titles this year.

"Obviously the 'Whipped Cream' cover was very successful, but I don't think people would buy an album at that time just based on the cover," said Alpert. (Trivia note: Dolores Erickson, the fetching cover model, was three months pregnant at the time of the shoot; except for the dollop on her head, she was slathered in shaving cream.)

Whether it was the packaging or the goods inside, "Whipped Cream" spent 141 weeks on the top-40 album charts in the U.S. The title track eventually became the theme to the equally perky "Dating Game" television show. If you're of a certain age, there was also a very good chance that your dad had a copy close to his hi-fi system.

And long after the group's end, the

music still holds a sense of undiluted optimism that hasn't been successfully re-created since. A new CD, "Lost Treasures," adds to that legacy.

The commercial triumph of the TJB, and the record label (that had its beginnings in his garage) formed as Alpert's success as a recording artist grew, A&M (formed with his business partner Jerry Moss), paved the way for other multi-platinum sellers, from The Carpenters to Sting.

The hits began with the kitschy yet evocative "Lonely Bull" single, recorded by Alpert in 1962 after experiencing a bullfight in Mexico.

As for the TJB itself, "it was studio musicians of my choice," said Alpert. There was no touring unit to speak of until 1965.

"I didn't form the group, actually, until after the 'Whipped Cream' album," Alpert said. And even though he toured with another trumpeter to achieve that signature unison horn sound live, it's unlikely that the record-buying public knew it was Alpert overdubbing himself on the trumpet several times on all of the TJB albums.

It didn't matter. Alpert was selling the Tijuana Brass fantasy to millions of Americans taken with bouncy, safe entertainment. He sold millions of albums throughout the rest of the decade.

Always the savvy businessman, Alpert knew when it was time to put that phase of his career to rest. In 1969, the TJB closed shop.

"I stopped having fun, and when I started losing interest, I knew it was time to get out of the ring," he said. He'd periodically release solo albums, like "Rise" from 1979, featuring the cushy, discofied title hit. What he didn't know at the time was that he would assemble a "new" album under the TJB banner in the 21st century.

"I was going back to preserve the tapes," he said. "They (the original album masters) were on magnetic tape, and I wanted to transfer them to the digital domain. In the process I found a bunch of unreleased masters that I quite frankly forgot I recorded."

The result is "Lost Treasures," which captures much of the lighthearted spirit of the original albums. It's hard to imagine anyone making music like this now, and it's that feeling of being happily marooned in its own era that makes the disc so charming.

"Every now and then people come up to me and ask when the Tijuana Brass are going to record again," Alpert said. "So here it is."

At the age of 70, Alpert says his musical interests range from classical to jazz. He owns an L.A. jazz club, and creates abstract sculptures and paintings. He occasionally surfaces with some new music. But the music business could likely use a maverick like him again.

"A lot of the time it seems like people are listening with their eyes," Alpert said about current record industry types. "If you can put together a good video, you can dance in a slick way and it's merchandised properly, you have a good chance of being an artist now. Back then, it was based on songs and the record itself."

It's true: In the glory days of the Tijuana Brass, you created the fantasy/video in your own head instead of letting the industry do the thinking.

Bret Saunders writes about jazz for The Denver Post. Saunders is host of the "KBCO Morning Show," 5:30-10 a.m. weekdays at 97.3-FM. His e-mail address is [email protected].

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%7E28704%7E2832458,00.html
 
Here's a new review of the Whipped Cream album from the Seatttle-Post Intelligencer:

HERB ALPERT AND THE TIJUANA BRASS

Whipped Cream & Other Delights
(Shout! Factory Records)


Originally released in 1965, Herb Alpert's "Whipped Cream & Other Delights" was a sexy, adult album that even kids with their first stereos thought was cool -- up to a point. The daringly sensual album cover -- featuring an attractive woman wearing dollops of strategically placed whipped cream -- didn't hurt. But what drove the album's success was its breezy, often intoxicating blend of Brazilian, jazz, mariachi, tempered with Dixieland and old-school pop. "A Taste of Honey" went to the top of the charts and picked up four Grammys, among them record of the year. Another, less sophisticated track, the playful "Whipped Cream," was featured on TV's "The Dating Game." And there were plenty of cover songs with cross-generational appeal -- "Love Potion #9," "Ladyfingers," "Lemon Tree" and the Johnny Mercer classic, "Tangerine." The remastered edition includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks, "Rosemary" and "Blueberry Park." (Gene Stout)

GRADE: B+

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/221533_newcds26.html?source=rss


Capt. Bacardi
 
‘Cream’ of Herb Alpert’s crop finally on CD
Review by Gary C.W. Chun
[email protected]

Even though the Herb Alpert Signature Series started coming out in February, I've waited until now to publicize these wonderfully evocative reissues. That's because THE one album found in most American households circa 1965 -- displayed prominently next to the phonograph furniture piece -- finally came out in CD form, and that's "Whipped Cream & Other Delights."

It was the complete, delectable package of sound and -- yum! -- sight. It was truly an icon of its time. The effervescent, easy-listening sounds of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were the hottest around in the early '60s, with sales second only to the Beatles.

And coming on the heels of earlier successes "The Lonely Bull" and "South of the Border" (also reissued) came this record, which took Alpert to the height of popularity, thanks to its provocative cover shot of model Dolores Erickson wearing a gown of shaving -- not whipped -- cream.

Two of the album's tracks are signature '60s pop songs: the spry title song, a classic bit of New Orleans sass written by Allen Toussaint (under the feminine nom de plume Naomi Neville), and my particular fave, "A Taste of Honey," with a boffo arrangement by Alpert.

"The upbeat quality of the music resonated with people," the 70-year-old trumpeter said in an interview with the Plain Dealer of Cleveland last month. "I came up with my own style. I had these genres in my head, from classical to jazz to pop, even a little rock 'n' roll. I just put 'em all together."

"A Taste of Honey," to these ears, represents the pinnacle of his mix-and-match style.

Other highlights of the album include "Bittersweet Samba" and Alpert's brash, bump 'n' grind take of the Leiber and Stoller classic "Love Potion #9."

Two bonus tracks previously unreleased from the "Whipped Cream" recording sessions, "Rosemary" and "Blueberry Park," are nice and quiet tone poems, utilizing the trumpet and marimba combo that gave Alpert's music that exotic Mexican flavor he originally based his popularity on.

You'd also do well to pick up his aforementioned previous albums. With titles like "The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro)," the gusto of a beefed-up "South of the Border," the saucy "Struttin' with Maria" and the spry "Mexican Shuffle," you'll be transported to a happier time, when Americans had a sunnier, more optimistic disposition.

The Herb Alpert Signature Series also includes "Lost Treasures," featuring previously unreleased and rare recordings dating up to 1970. All albums have solid historical liner notes by Josh Kun.

And with younger generations attracted to the lounge, exotica and easy-listening music of this period, it's no surprise that a deejay remix album of "Whipped Cream & Other Delights" is in the works.

In the meantime, take a taste of some vintage cream.

http://starbulletin.com/2005/05/02/features/story5.html
 
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
“Lost Treasures” (Shout Factory)

by Lloyd Carroll, Chronicle Corespondent

Herb Alpert is ample proof that you don’t have to be born in South America to be strongly influenced by samba. In their 1960s heyday, Alpert and his band mixed touches of dixieland, mariachi and bossa nova in their sound. Just about the only key difference between Herb Alpert and Antonio Carlos Jobim was that Alpert used his trumpet as the lead instrument instead of woodwinds. Otherwise, both Jobim and Alpert relied on acoustic guitars and gentle percussion in their sounds.

“Lost Treasures” is a 22-song collection of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass tracks that never found their way to albums. Among the better-known song titles here are James Taylor’s “Fire And Rain,” the Statler Brothers’ “Flowers On The Wall,” the Beatles’ “And I Love Her” and a terrific cover of Spanky & Our Gang’s “Lazy Day.” The album’s title lives up to its name. It’s a shame that this material was hidden away from music fans for so long.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1861&dept_id=534978&newsid=14475314&PAG=461&rfi=9


Capt. Bacardi
 
Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass

WHIPPED CREAM & OTHER DELIGHTS


SHOUT | SONY BMG

YEAR: 1965.

LOWDOWN: The picture of the model covered in the titular topping is one of the most famous album covers in history (and even inspired a hilarious homage by Soul Asylum). But the dozen cuts on this lighthearted concept disc of food-themed tunes are almost as memorable. And on this remastered version -- part of Alpert's Signature Series of reissues -- they're every bit as tasty, incorporating everything from punchy '60s pop and torchy jazz to mariachi and smooth Latin grooves, all topped with Alpert's chirpy trumpet licks.

HIGHLIGHTS: The thumpy punch of A Taste of Honey is a classic, But then, so is the snappy Dixieland bounce of the title cut.

EXTRAS! EXTRAS: Two leftovers that push the 28-minute album over the half-hour mark; a 20-page booklet of liner notes; a mini-poster of that infamous cover.

Sun Rating: 4 out of 5

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/Spotlight/2005/05/06/1028241-sun.html


Capt. Bacardi
 
Herb Alpert Whipped Cream & Other Delights

- The instrumental diamond “Whipped Cream” will live on forever as the theme song for the popular 60s show The Dating Game. This remastered version of Whipped Cream & Other Delights will most certainly delight Alpert fans everywhere and gain a new audience as well.

This is album number four in the Herb Alpert signature series and more than likely the most popular and not just because of the cover. Well, it helped then and it does now. I have to appreciate the visuals that are necessary because its instrumental music but I must give full credit to the trumpet player for making all the thoughts and feelings dancing in my head as real as possible. That was the intention originally and it still works. This music remains etched in your mind long after the CD stops spinning.

Just as the previous releases, the packaging and liner notes are excellent, complete with archive photos and get this-a fold out poster of the cover. The little boy that was all eyes affixed on the cover with his mouth wide open is now middle aged. I still love the cover but the music just takes me away. Alpert was a phenomenon that deserves to have all of his music repackaged and remastered.

There is not a bad track on this album, all 14 tracks are sounding fresh and crisp, ripe and ready for new ears to discover. As for the older ears like mine, this unquestionably is a serving of delights.

Reviewer: Keith 'MuzikMan' Hannaleck new pop


Reviewer's Rating: 9

http://thecelebritycafe.com/cd/full_review/11041.html
 
This is from the Austin Chronicle paper, which likes to think it's a legitimate newspaper. :D The link to this review is at http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2005-05-27/music_phases7.html

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
The Lonely Bull (Shout! Factory)

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
South of the Border (Shout! Factory)

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
Whipped Cream & Other Delights (Shout! Factory)

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
!!Going Places!! (Shout! Factory)

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
What Now My Love (Shout! Factory)

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
S.R.O. (Shout! Factory)

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
Lost Treasures (Shout! Factory)


Years of secondhand ubiquity make it odd to hear Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in a format other than used vinyl and on a label other than A&M. It seems every middle-class household in Sixties America bought an Alpert album only to jettison it years later like embarrassing wallpaper. Alpert's sprightly, trumpet-led instrumentals purported to capture the romance of Tijuana. In fact, he was the son of a Ukrainian-born Jewish tailor and not particularly fond of Mexican music. Yet despite its inauthentic origin, the netherworld evoked by Alpert's trademark tone and irresistible melodies remains one of the most potent aural fantasies of its era. 1962's "The Lonely Bull" was the single that started it all, but its namesake LP is slapdash by comparison. Alpert's 1963 follow-up, Volume 2, was a bona fide sophomore slump that isn't included in this reissue series. 1965's South of the Border is where Alpert solidifies his borderland sound with tunes like "Mexican Shuffle" and "El Presidente." The culinary-themed (and titillatingly covered) Whipped Cream & Other Delights was Alpert's first chart-topper. "A Taste of Honey" went Top 10, the title track appropriated for The Dating Game, and "Bittersweet Samba" eventually got mashed up with Public Enemy's "Rebel Without a Pause" to grand effect. The carnival-flavored !!Going Places!! features rollicking rides like "Tijuana Taxi" and "Spanish Flea," while What Now My Love and S.R.O. tone down the pep to emphasize easy listening. Sadly, aside from two bonus tracks on Whipped Cream, there are no extras and no reason why these short albums shouldn't have been packaged as twofers. At least the 22-track Lost Treasures offers value in its grab bag of rarities, including a pre-Carpenters version of "Close to You" sung by Alpert, as well as his deliciously inappropriate samba take on James Taylor's "Fire and Rain."

The Lonely Bull **

South of the Border; What Now My Love; S.R.O.; Lost Treasures ***

Whipped Cream & Other Delights; !!Going Places!! ****



Capt. Bacardi
 
From the Voice of America website (http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-06-02-voa20.cfm)

Herb Alpert Surprises Fans with Lost Treasures
By Doug Levine
Washington
02 June 2005


Fans of Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass are celebrating a new album of rare and unreleased recordings titled Lost Treasures. Its release marks the first album by the original Tijuana Brass in more than 30 years. VOA's Doug Levine takes us back to the heyday of one of pop music's greatest instrumental groups and the songs we don't remember.

When sifting through countless tapes for his decision on the final tracks for Lost Treasures, trumpeter Herb Alpert discovered that what's old is new again. Some of the songs he found in his vault were first released on obscure albums or on collections that fared poorly in the aftermath of such Tijuana Brass hits as "The Lonely Bull" and "A Taste Of Honey." Others like "Whistlestar" were never released and now have a second life thanks to the group's unlikely founder and leader.

Before the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert made his mark as a songwriter in Los Angeles, composing the song "Wonderful World" for R&B great Sam Cooke. Taking the festive music of the Mexican mariachi bands that blared across the border in Tijuana and blending his own pop-jazz style, Herb Alpert quickly became a household name. The group is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having five albums in the Top 20 at the same time. One of their early hit albums was South Of The Border, which featured the cut "Up Cherry Street."

An alternate version of "Up Cherry Street" is one of several lost treasures Herb Alpert reworked for the new album. He admits that after hearing the original masters he felt he needed to re-record or complete the trumpet parts on a few unfinished tracks.

All technical troubleshooting aside, fans now have a chance to relive the Tijuana Brass sound that dominated the charts in the 1960s. Among the cover songs on "Lost Treasures" is "(They Long To Be) Close To You," which Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass recorded but shelved when Alpert decided it was better suited to a new act called The Carpenters.

RADIO REVIEW:
http://www.voanews.com/mediaassets/english/2005_06/Audio/rm/levine_herb_alpert_20may05.rm



Capt. Bacardi
 
From the All About Jazz website (http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=17779)

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass:
Whipped Cream and Other Delights


One time in high school I flipped through my parents’ records hoping that they might have purchased some Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd albums without my knowledge. No such luck, but tucked in between Barbara Streisand and John Denver was a copy of Whipped Cream and Other Delights. “This must be great. Look at the cover!” I thought to myself. Then I put it on the turntable. Nope. Foiled again. My parents were just as uncool as ever.

But there’s no denying that millions of Americans were hooked by this album in 1966, or at least by the cover featuring an alluring model covered in whipped cream (shaving cream, as it turns out). Whipped Cream gave Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass an overnight success that made them popular with just about everybody. It was an appropriate title for an album that many people consumed en masse but critics claimed was light, fluffy, and had little substance or content. Even though there are probably millions of copies of Whipped Cream available for a dime in flea markets and garage sales, Shout! Factory has reissued a remastered version, along with several other Alpert titles, as part of its Herb Alpert catalog.

You know at least two songs on here already: the title track, which was used for the bachelors’ theme on The Dating Game, and “A Taste Of Honey,” which was Alpert’s first big hit (even today Alpert’s music is inescapable). The concept of Whipped Cream is a collection of songs with titles all having to do with food, although this makes little difference once the songs get filtered through Alpert’s idiosyncrasies. Almost forty years later it’s a bit surprising that his blend of Dixieland, pop, mariachi, and just about everything else caught on like it did. Perhaps it was just that there was a little something there for everyone.

But beyond the two hits are plenty of catchy instrumentals that are superbly arranged. The Tijuana Brass was a tight outfit filled with impeccable musicians (at least one, guitarist John Pisano, going on to earn serious jazz credentials). At the very least, Alpert was a gifted arranger who understood the architecture of successful pop music and managed to create an unexpected hit record.

Today, once you can get past the initial recoil of listening to music this obviously dated, it’s apparent that Alpert was on to something. Much of this material is very catchy and appealing, and there’s enough variety in the basic concept to ensure that it doesn’t get run into the ground. A lot of fashionable music from the past sounds dated today, as Alpert’s does, but that doesn’t detract from its charm. Fifteen years after I scoured my parents’ records, I’m forced to conclude that Whipped Cream and Other Delights isn’t a bad record after all.

However, it’s probably all the Alpert one needs in their collection. Which bring up an interesting question: who is the target audience for this release? It’s hard to believe that there are people out there who are salivating for it. Perhaps the serious retro enthusiasts will pick it up, or maybe the cover will lure others in just like the initial release. (A side note: Shout! Factory has included a full-size reproduction of the original cover in the packaging.)

Regardless, since you’ve heard the Tijuana Brass before, your mind may be already be made up. But as a piece of pop culture, Whipped Cream and Other Delights is a great example of slick sixties instrumental pop, and not nearly as bad as you think. Check it out.


Capt. Bacardi
 
A review from the Port Folio Weekly, a self-claimed "alternative" voice (whatever that means): http://www.jimnewsom.com/PFW05-HerbAlpert.html

Tijuana Treasures and Guilty Pleasures

by Jim Newsom

I have a confession to make: Among the guilty pleasures that I generally don’t admit to publicly is an infatuation with the music of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. This is not a crush that developed while Herb and the TJB were big stars in the ‘60s. Actually, I used to think they were pretty corny, with that faux-mariachi sound and the gringofied Mexican outfits and musical motifs.

But now, forty years later, hearing this music takes me back to a different time, one that, at least in my memory, seems like a happier, more innocent period. When you hear the TJB, you’re automatically transported back to The Dating Game, The Ed Sullivan Show and AM Top-40 radio. If you are a certain age, you know what I mean.

Herb Alpert burst onto the national pop charts in 1962 with a little instrumental ditty called “The Lonely Bull.” The song originally had the working title “Twinkle Star” when composer Sol Lake gave it to his trumpet playing friend. Alpert, who had achieved some music industry success as co-writer (with future record producer/exec Lou Adler) of Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World,” had recently witnessed a bullfight down in Tijuana’s Plaza de Toros, and was looking for a way to capture the excitement musically.

With $500.00 they’d made from leasing an Alpert vocal to another record company, he and his business partner Jerry Moss recorded the renamed “The Lonely Bull” with studio musicians and the actual sounds of on “Ole!” shouting crowd, putting it out as a 45-rpm single on their own label, A&M. The response was immediate and incredible. Within two months, the record was in the national Top Ten.

Shortly thereafter, The Lonely Bull album appeared and was quickly on the turntables of everyone’s parents. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass went on to release nine albums and provide an important element in the soundtrack of the ‘60s. A&M records became a major player in the music industry and Herb Alpert himself became a superstar and record industry tycoon.

Alpert and Moss sold A&M to Polygram in 1990 for more than half a billion dollars, and Alpert’s recording career continued long after he stopped using the TJB moniker. But he has now licensed all those old records to Shout! Factory, a record label and multimedia company that claims to be “dedicated to what you grew up on but never outgrew.” During the course of the coming year, the entire TJB catalog will appear in stunning new digipaks complete with new fact and photo filled booklets as the Herb Alpert Signature Series.

The first three releases came out in February, including The Lonely Bull, the album that started the whole phenomenon, and South of the Border, the group’s third LP that was released as The Beatles arrived in 1964. All of the familiar elements are in place, the brassy two trumpet/one trombone front line, the Spanish-flavored guitar strumming, touches of marimba and the tambourine-propelled rhythm section. There’s plenty of corn too, both in some of the choices of material and in occasional arrangement missteps, like the silly stereotypical Mexican-inflected vocals on South of the Border’s “Hello Dolly.”

But there are lots of cool nostalgia-inducing moments, like when you hear “Mexican Shuffle” and know you know it, but you can’t quite put your finger on why. Here’s a clue---it was used as the music bed for Teaberry gum commercials.

The third CD in this first batch of releases is called Lost Treasures, and it’s just that, a collection of 22 previously unissued tracks that is surprisingly good, especially considering they originally wound up on the cutting room floor. The opening “Up Cherry Street” is a N’Orleans version of a song that appeared on South of the Border. The group’s take on “Lazy Day” puts a casually laidback sheen on Spanky and Our Gang’s 1967 hit.

Lost Treasures mixes TJB instrumental takes on the hit songs of the day with original material and a few post-Tijuana cuts from the early ‘70s, like the funky marimba-backed ride through James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain.” It’s fascinating to hear rarities like Alpert’s vocal on a samba-ized adaptation of “(They Long to be) Close to You,” a version that was wisely canned in favor of the ballad arrangement that took The Carpenters to number one in 1970.

This is all a great deal of fun, very much out of synch with the cynicism and sarcasm of our current age. But if you can suspend your hard-boiled skepticism for a moment and allow yourself to drift back to your youth when anything was possible and dreams often came true, you may just find yourself bouncing around with a big smile on your face listening to the rediscovered music of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.



Capt. Bacardi
 
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