🎵 AotW Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass: Foursider (A&M Records SP-3521)

Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass: Foursider

A&M Records SP-3521
Released 1973

A1: The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro) • 2:28​

A2: More • 2:28​

A3: The Girl From Ipanema • 2:35​

A4: Hello Dolly • 1:55​

A5: Taste Of Honey • 2:43​

A6: Whipped Cream • 2:33​

B1: Tijuana Taxi • 2:05​

B2: Zorba The Greek • 4:25​

B3: If I Were A Rich Man • 2:33​

B4: What Now My Love • 2:18​

B5: The Shadow Of Your Smile • 3:28​

C1: Mame • 2:05​

C2: With A Little Help From My Friends • 2:38​

C3: Casino Royale • 2:35​

C4: Cabaret • 2:38​

C5: This Guy's In Love With You • 3:55​

D1: Moon River • 2:55​

D2: Sunny • 3:11​

D3: Warm • 2:11​

D4: Without Her • 3:22​

D5: Last Tango In Paris • 2:50​

https://www.discogs.com/master/192651-Herb-Alpert-And-The-Tijuana-Brass-Foursider

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Considering there were no real hits on Brass Are Comin', I think there are several other tracks that would be a better choice than "You Are My Life." My picks would be:

Robbers and Cops (I think it's a Julius Wechter tune, so you can't go wrong there)
I'm an Old Cowhand (This song has its haters but it's one of the few tunes on that album that hints at the old TJB humor...thanks to the trombone parts)
Anna (an under-appreciated gem in my book)
I'll Be Back (would be a good album-concluder, although it's a little sad)

 

[Rudy]

Anna (an under-appreciated gem in my book)

Same with "La Bikina" (aka "Good Morning Mr. Sunshine"), which has genuine Latino cred. Probably the most "mariachi" thing the TJB ever recorded.

 

[Harry]

According to Discogs, I have an original SP 3521 around here somewhere. Probably mis-filed, but I also have an SP-6011 copy and a CD-6011 copy. As I recall, the SP 3521 version had plain brown glossy innersleeves, and I see that SP-6011 has white paper innersleeves. There's also the difference in the labels with the original having ochre labels and the reissue having the silver and tan.

 

[Rudy]

Mine would have been an early pressing, so it had the colored inners and original tan labels.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Say what you will but The foursider series did serve many purposes well especially covering Herb's entire discography up to 1969. With many of the albums disappearing by the time of this release it became essential for a time.

For collectors. If it had been essential for any other group, it would have sold better. It never did.

 

[rockdoctor]

All of the Foursider series came out at the same time---released in November of 1973. I remember getting the promo copies all in the same box.

Here's Billboard's piece on them in the November 10, 1973 issue:

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1973/1973-11-10-Billboard-Page-0004.pdf#search=%22foursider%22

Since the TJB had officially broken up, none of the acts (apart from Herb and Lani as solo artists) were still with A&M at the time of the Foursider releases. Liza was at Columbia, Sergio and Julius had gone to Bell, and the Sandpipers didn't have a record deal.

I remember seeing this Billboard article back in the day when these were released. I also seem to remember seeing the album covers in an article somewhere in a Billboard ad but it may have been something else or just wishful thinking on my part.
Vanguard started its Two-fers in 1970 and some did well and others tanked so if A&M started in 1970 they might have stood a better chance. For Sergio Mendes, the Pais Tropical and Primal Roots selections would be missing but there would have been some great deep cuts from the earlier albums to fill the void.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I remember seeing this Billboard article back in the day when these were released. I also seem to remember seeing the album covers in an article somewhere in a Billboard ad but it may have been something else or just wishful thinking on my part.

No, it was real:

 

[Harry]

No, it was real:

Any bigger version?

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Any bigger version?

All I could find.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

The Foursider artwork probably didn't do much to help sales. I remember hoping there would be more pictures or text on the inside sleeves, but they were just plain colored sleeves matching the outer artwork's color. (You'd think with going to the trouble of the colored sleeves, they'd have put a bio or a picture in there somewhere, but no... the whole thing just sort of felt cheap.)

 

[Rudy]

(You'd think with going to the trouble of the colored sleeves, they'd have put a bio or a picture in there somewhere, but no... the whole thing just sort of felt cheap.)

I think their original list price was cheap for a double album. $5.98, I believe? (I got mine as a gift, so I have no clue as to what it cost.)

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I think their original list price was cheap for a double album. $5.98, I believe? (I got mine as a gift, so I have no clue as to what it cost.)

$5.98 is correct. A&M’s thinking is outlined in the Billboard article I linked to above.

 

[rockdoctor]

$5.98 is correct. A&M’s thinking is outlined in the Billboard article I linked to above.

I remember that as the list price as well. That was also the cost for the Vanguard Two-fer series as well. I think when I finally bought my copy of the Sergio Mendes Foursider, the list price was at $6.98. I had bought one as a gift for someone so the $6.98 copy might have been for her.
As for the artwork, It was a bit boring, considering the artists that were released as Foursiders.

 

[Rudy]

As for the artwork, It was a bit boring, considering the artists that were released as Foursiders.

It was unique, and tied the series together....but if the series only has five releases, I don't think it works so well.

The art also could have been "cleaner" if that makes sense, like I did on these faux covers:

Had A&M Continued its Foursider Series until the 80s ( A Fantasy for All to Partake just for fun)

Here is an idea I've been pondering over the years A&M's various compilation series weren't always extensive the Foursider 2 Lp sets were a pretty short group compared to the 1986 to 88 The 25th anniversary Classics CDs which was the Biggest Compilation series up to that point ( the length of...

forum.amcorner.com

Although that stylized look of the Foursider artist images was in vogue back in the early 70s, kind of an offshoot of the psychedelic art stylings of the late 60.

 

[Harry]

For all of you who are deeply concerned, I found my other Alpert FOURSIDER misfiled farther into his solo albums. It does indeed have the brown innersleeves and ochre labels. (It also has a chewed up top edge. ?)


Breathe a sigh of relief.