🎵 AotW Classics Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - NINTH

[Harry]

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
HERB ALPERT'S NINTH
A&M SP-4134

Also released as mono LP-134, and on CD as Shout Factory DK 33466

Tracks:

Side One
1. A Banda (Chico Baurque de Hollanda) 2:16
2. My Heart Belongs to Daddy (Cole Porter) 2:01
3. The Trolley Song (Hugh Marlow-Ralph Blaine) 2:43
4. The Happening (Holland-Dozier-Holland-De Vol) 2:30
5. *Bud (Bud Coleman-Eleanor Coleman) 3:42
6. Love So Fine (Asher-Nichols) 2:33

Side Two
1. The Love Nest (Harbach-Hirsch) 1:58
2. With a Little Help From My Friends (Lennon-McCartney) 2:47
3. Flea Bag (Julius Wechter) 2:08
4. Cowboys & Indians (Sol Lake) 2:56
5. **Carmen (Arr. by Herb Alpert-Peter Matz) 3:40

* In memory of our dear friend Ervan (Bud) Coleman
** Arranged and adapted by Herb Alpert and Peter Matz.

Album Credits:
Produced by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss
Arranged by Herb Alpert
Performers: Herb Alpert, Nick Ceroli,
Bob Edmondson, Tonni Kalash, Lou Pagani,
John Pisano and Pat Senatore
Engineered: Larry Levine, Gold Star
Album Design: Corporate Head
Art Director: Tom Wilkes
Photography: Guy Webster, Jim McCrary and John Urie

 

[Mike Blakesley]

This was one of the last (if not THE last) of the "classic" Herb Alpert albums for me to hear. I always liked it, but have gained a new appreciation for it since the reissue. Before, I'd tended not to play it too often since all I had was a static-y needle-drop; now it's one of my favored albums.

My favorite songs on it have shifted over the years. The first time I heard "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" was on the MUSIC BOX album, where it was the leadoff track; since then I've always thought that song should have led this album off too.

I've always liked "A Banda." It's really the only song on the album that moves at the full-tilt TJB boogie from the last few albums. The rest is much more mellow for the most part. To me it seems like kind of a reflective album.

Another favorite of mine is "Bud." When I first became a TJB fan, any "slow" song was an instant skipover, but this one was always a favorite. Can't even say why, I just like it.

The one song I don't really care for these days is "Carmen." It just doesn't fit with the rest of the album. I think it would have been better as a single and included on a hits collection.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This is one of those "dark" albums that I have to be in the mood to listen to. Herb's tone really started to deteriorate at this point to me. But some of the songs are still solid, thanks to the great rhythm section. My favorite song is the grooving "Love Nest", followed by "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" and "A Banda". I absolutely HATED "With A Little Help..." - it just doesn't go anywhere. And I'm probably one of the very few who doesn't care much for "Love So Fine". It's not a bad song, but it just doesn't do anything for me at all. "Bud" always had this eerie quality to it that I liked, even though it's a very simple tune, which may be why it has some charm to it. It's an okay album, but hardly ranks among the TJB's best.



Capt. Bacardi
...ready to do some ducking online...

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

A&M 860 The Happening b/w Town Without Pity - 45 picture sleeve.

A&M 860 The Happening b/w Town Without Pity - single.

A&M 870 A Banda b/w Miss Frenchy Brown - 45 picture sleeve.

A&M 870 A Banda b/w Miss Frenchy Brown - promo single.

A&M 890 Carmen b/w Love So Fine - 45 picture sleve.

A&M 890 Carmen b/w Love So Fine - single.

A&M SP 434 HERB ALPERT'S NINTH - Little LP Stereo Jukebox.

Recording Sessions Info:

3/17/67 - Gold Star Recording Studios - Bud's Tune, Julius' Tune, John's Tune - Herb Alpert - trumpet, Julius Wechter - marimba, Nick Ceroli - drums, Bud Coleman - guitar & mandolin, Bob Edmondson - trombone, Tonni Kalash - trumpet, Lou Pagani - piano, John Pisano - guitar, Pat Senatore - bass, Jerry Williams - drums & percussion, Bill Earl - ?, Sal Monte - ?.

3/21/67 - Gold Star Recording Studios - Sol's Tune - Joes Soares - percussion.

5/15/67 - Sunset Sound - The Happening - Herb Alpert - trumpet, Julius Wechter - Marimba, Nick Ceroli - drums, Bud Coleman - guitar & mandolin, Bob Edmondson - trombone, Tonni Kalash - trumpet, Lou Pagani - piano, John Pisano - guitar, Pat Senatore - bass, Bill Earl - ?, Sal Monte - ?.

5/23/67 - Sunset Sound - The Happening - Herb Alpert - trumpet, Nick Ceroli - drums, Bob Edmondson - trombone, Tonni Kalash - trumpet, Lou Pagani - piano, John Pisano - guitar, Pat Senatore - bass, Gabe Baltazar - sax, William Green - sax-flutes-reeds, Jack Nimitz - sax, Ernest Watts - sax & flute, Bill Earl - ?, Sal Monte - ?.

7/12/67 - Gold Star Recording Studios - My Heart Belongs To Daddy, The Trolley Song - Herb Alpert - trumpet, Nick Ceroli - drums, Bob Edmondson - trombone, Tonni Kalash - trumpet, Lou Pagani - piano, John Pisano - guitar, Pat Senatore - bass, Lew McCreary - trombone, Lou Morrell - bass & guitar, Bill Earl - ?, Sal Monte - ?. (Note: this session also recorded Belz Mein Shtetele Belz, Cabaret, Monday, Monday, Thanks For The Memory, from THE BEAT OF THE BRASS, The Continental from WARM and I Didn't Know What Time It Was from FOOLIN' AROUND.)

7/20/67 - Gold Star Recording Studios - Sol #3, The Trolley Song, The Love Nest - Herb Alpert - trumpet, Nick Ceroli - drums, Bob Edmondson - trombone, Tonni Kalash - trumpet, Lou Pagani - piano, John Pisano - guitar, Pat Senatore - bass.

8/2/67 - Columbia Records - With A Little Help From My Friends - Herb Alpert - trumpet, Nick Ceroli - drums, Bob Edmondson - trombone, Tonni Kalash - trumpet, Lou Pagani - piano, John Pisano - guitar, Pat Senatore - bass, Lew McCreary - trombone.

8/8/67 - Columbia Records - A Banda - Herb Alpert, John deVoogdt, Carl LaMagna - violin, Betty Marks - violin, Wilbert Nuttycombe - violin, Jerome Riesler - violin, Ambrose Russo - violin, Darrel Terwilliger - violin & viola, John Vidusich - violin, Tibor Zelig - violin.

10/18/67 - Gold Star Recording Studios - My Heart Belongs To Daddy, The Trolley Song, Love So Fine, Cowboys And Indians, The Love Nest - Emil Briano - violin, Bobby Bruce - violin, Nick DeCaro - piano, Samuel Boghassian - ?, Betty Marks - violin, Gareth Nuttycombe - viola, Wilbert Nuttycombe - violin, George Poole - flute & violin, Jerome Riesler - violin, Jay Rosen - violin, Ambrose Russo - violin, Jose Soares - percussion, Walter Wiemeyer - violin, Tibor Zelig - violin.

10/19/67 - Gold Star Recording Studios - California Poppy, With A Little Help From My Friends - Justin DiTullo - cello, Nathan Gershman - cello, Lester Harris - ?, Joseph Saxon - cello.

More notes: Obviously Julius Wechter played on more tracks than what is shown in the session info. During the approximate span of these sessions, Julius was also recording his own FOWL PLAY album and Ervan "Bud" Coleman met an untimely death due to a medical mishap.

 

[Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar]

Musicians and bands used to do something in those days called, "Show Stoppers". That's what Carmen is. Pop bands don't do it much any more because they usually play all originals and don't have the technical chops to explore it. My son first heard Carmen when the CDz came out a couple of years ago and loved it.

Looking at those vintage photos, Mr. A looked like a Latino James Bond.

It would be interesting to know what those other studio guys played.

Quick question: How many recording tracks were being used in 1967? Were they up to eight track machines yet?

later...........JO

 

[audiofile]

I wonder what John's tune was since this was one of the few albums that didn't have a Pisano composition. Also, I don't understand how Herb used two drummers....

Back to the album, does anyone else notice a splice at the end of the B sections to Love So Fine?

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

Musicians and bands used to do something in those days called, "Show Stoppers". That's what Carmen is. Pop bands don't do it much any more because they usually play all originals and don't have the technical chops to explore it. My son first heard Carmen when the CDz came out a couple of years ago and loved it.

Carmen was the big number on the Kraft Music Hall, "And All That Brass," which aired on NBC TV on September 12, 1967. It was hosted by Herb and had guests Louie Armstrong, Jackie Vernon and Robin Wilson. Makes one wonder if the tune was done for the TV appearance and then used for the single and the album? Or, was it the other way around? I tend to think the former, rather than the latter, especially since there wasn't session info found for it and Peter Matz did the music for the Kraft Music Hall (among many others and film scores as well).

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I wonder what John's tune was since this was one of the few albums that didn't have a Pisano composition. Also, I don't understand how Herb used two drummers....

Back to the album, does anyone else notice a splice at the end of the B sections to Love So Fine?

JOHN'S TUNE could have been one of three; either THE ROBIN, SANDBOX or MOMENTS, since these were the only songs written by Pisano that hadn't been on an album yet. A strong case could be made for each one. MOMENTS is a tune I always thought had to have been recorded earlier than the album release date because it sounds like Bud Coleman is playing on it; THE ROBIN could have been recorded at about this time, because a lot of other tracks from BOTB were laid down soon after this mystery track was done; and SANDBOX has those exquisite strings that were recorded not long after the session in question. If I HAD to make a choice, I'd probably go with MOMENTS, because it sounds like Bud on the mandolin.

It's also good to know that BUD was evidently recorded before Ervan Coleman's death...I always wondered of it might be Tommy Tedesco playing the acoustic guitar on that track. I also wondered if the tune was originally intended to have a guitar lead, since the trumpets are not prominent in the final mix. Maybe it was all along...however it may have been intended to sound originally, it's probably the most haunting song the TJB ever did. I voted for WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS as my fave, simply because it's my favorite version of the song( I still see the Disney elves marching off to the mine when I hear it...), but BUD is close behind .


Dan

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I wonder what John's tune was since this was one of the few albums that didn't have a Pisano composition.

When I talked to Pisano a few years ago he said that there were several tunes of his that were recorded but never released. So it's possible that this particular tune is still in the vault, so to speak. Maybe it might find its way onto another Lost Treasures type of release in the future.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

A&M 860 The Happening b/w Town Without Pity - 45 picture sleeve.

I always thought this pic sleeve was very cool. It's one of my favorites.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

Yes, a little trick with a zoom lens.

 

[Moritat]

This is one of Herb's better lps. There are three great songs in my opinion. The best is A Banda. Interesting that they play the bridge twice in a row. But it does work. (I also have the original vocal by Chico Buarque). The Happening is a teriffic song in its own right. The sleeper here is My Heart Belongs To Daddy. This is one of their underrated gems. I love in the middle of the song where they change key. Very clever arrangement!

 

[Dave]

The once fun-loving, party environ of a TjB album is gone... All that uproarious atmosphere has been replaced by a more subtle, MOR type of sound...

A more softer feel, which as a whole, took over the pop music industry altogether, as perhaps Easy Listening was steadily gaining attention and an audience as more harder Rock stuff was also doing... Yet this album is still not without its finer points...

"My Heart Belongs To Daddy" is the best treatment a Cole Porter tune has ever gotten and to this day I wish it had been released as a single... Although "A Banda" is also good and so is the tuneful retooling of "The Happening"; unusual place for a Motown cover, for both the artist and A&M Records, alike...

"Flea Bag" is also inspiring and putting it almost near the album is a rather unusual place for it, particularly compared to how it opened Family Portrait... "The Trolley Song" is also uniquely done and seems to capture every essence of a "trolley" as Judy Garland singing it could do...

The "With A Little Help From My Friends" is a bit gruesome, with the oh-ee-oh, "elf imagery", but shows off a good beat and Herb's knack for a trademark innovation in the spirit of Whipped Cream... and ...Lonely Bull...

"Love So Fine" then demonstrates how the attempt in Pop Instrumental music showed a new definition of going contemporary (and at the same time prompted a future effort by its writer, Roger Nichols giving it lyirics and a vocal on his forth-coming album, A Small Circle Of Friends, while predating,yet another instrumental version by arranger, Don Costa, which would be followed up by a vocal version done by the Brasilian Sergio Mendes knock-off group, The Carnival... Though with all these versions of this song, none of them ever really took off in any kind of popularity or created any following that was more wide-spread; only regulated to such an obscure capacity...) but where in Alpert's case, time had really taken its toll... And, too, although complete with chops and skillfulness sadly shows a condensation in the TjB sound... But in all its introspective and sombre mood, it at the same time, sets the pace for future efforts like Warm and Summertime, retaining a still uplifting and positively insightful expression, albeit in making this what I call: "Herb's Blues Album"...



Dave

 

[Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar]

Two quick points...

1. I don't remember where I heard it, but Carmen was recorded in New York.

2. The two drummer thing is easy. The second drummer was hired to play maracas etc. It was a union issue.

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

1. I don't remember where I heard it, but Carmen was recorded in New York.

The pieces seem to fit, as I believe that the Kraft Music Hall was taped at a NBC facility in New York. So, it looks like Carmen from the TV show begat the record version.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

1. I don't remember where I heard it, but Carmen was recorded in New York.

It was in the liner notes for Ninth on the SF reissue.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[audiofile]

Any ideas about the splice in Love So Fine?

 

[Harry]

"Carmen" was always a favorite from the time I first heard it. I loved the variations of the song done in different TJB styles.

Other standouts are "A Banda", "Flea Bag", and "The Happening".

I was always a bit disappointed in Herb's take on "The Trolley Song". Being fond of both trolleys and Herb, I somehow expected more - and I'm happy he's revisiting the song on the tour and on new album.

Harry

 

[mexicat]

This was the first Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass LP I ever owned and it inspired me to pick up the others pretty quickly afterwards. I absolutely love it from start to finish, but am I alone in preferring the later 60's TJB LPs over the earlier ones..?

Oh, and "The Happening" is a truly great 45. I just wish Herb had also covered "Reflections" too, maybe in a shuffle style.....

 

[Michael Hagerty]

This was the first TJB LP I wanted. I was 11 going on 12.

Living in Bishop, California, where the only record store charged full list, I always bought my records on trips to Los Angeles. Well, right after the release of NINTH, my Mom had to take a business trip to L.A., so I asked her to pick one up for me.

It's got a green cover, I told her.

Mom goofed...brought back WHIPPED CREAM instead.

Green cover.

It was months before I even thought of complaining (ah, Dolores)....and it was years before I ever owned a copy of NINTH because THE BEAT OF THE BRASS was in stores the next time I went to L.A.

My fave? Love So Fine, hands down. And Carmen's a lot of fun.

---Michael Hagerty

 

[Captaindave]

Abanda, The Happening, The Love Nest, Love So Fine, and Flea Bag are the tracks that interest me most, and would receive the most play in my player.

Carmen is unique and interesting, but not a track that I spend much time with. When I listen to this album, I may very well skip that one.

Bud is a cool sounding, nice piece overall. I like the way the trumpets have a kind of distant, far away sound.

The rest of it doesn't appeal to me much. I'm not very much into those songs anyway, regardless of who does them.

Never much liked the Trolley Song. Don't much care for covers of Beatles tunes, regardless of who is doing them. (I do, however, like All My Loving from SOTB, but that's probably an exception).

This is a nice album overall, but lacks the punch and strength of earlier efforts, IMHO. I like BOTB - the next album - better.

 

[rickster]

Wow, I am really surprised at the responses for this album -- I think it is a really strong , late period TJB release, Herb's trumpet playing notwithstanding. Abanda is terriffic, as is My Heart belongs to Daddy,The Happening, Love So Fine, and Bud. Carmen is a KILLER album closer, and has been incredibly remastered on the recent Shout Factory issue. Am I the only person in the universe that likes Herb's treatment of the Beatles' "With a Little Help" ?? Possibly. But it is a spare, thoughtful rendition which, I remember distinctly, Herb used as an opener to one of his Hollywood Palace appearances. All in all, I am impressed with the album now much as I was when it first came out. For me it was the last really strong Brass record.

 

[RichardWarner]

I remember seeing this album the first time right after Christmas of 1967, and spending the $2.99 (my Christmas gift dollars) at a record store at the mall.

On "A Little Help...", I think he was trying to create his own version of the Beatles' energy. The country and A&M were both tilting left toward rock and roll, and except for "Christmas Album," there were only a few months of popularity left for the Brass' music.

The recording track information listed above is fascinating. I always knew "Third Man Theme" was released before the Whipped Cream album, so there's a history of banking tunes for future TJB albums, further proven here.

But I question whether "The Continental" is the version that actually made it onto Warm. The cuts on that album seem to have a different feeling than the "Ninth"/"Beat of the Brass" stuff.

 

[stosh]

I'm probably the only one here, but I think "Cowboys and Indians" is the best track on "Ninth". The bending strings sound is just fantastic.

 

[AM Matt]

The song "Cowboys & Indians" reminds me of the song "Mexican Road Race" (from "S.R.O."). That was my # 1 choice. The song "Love So Fine" is # 2. Matt Clark Sanford, MI