🎵 AotW Herb Alpert - WILD ROMANCE (SP-5082)

What Is Your Favorite Song On This Album?

  • "8" Ball

    Votes: 7 33.3%
  • Wild Romance

    Votes: 2 9.5%
  • You Are The One

    Votes: 1 4.8%
  • Lady Love

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It's All For You

    Votes: 3 14.3%
  • Catch Me

    Votes: 1 4.8%
  • African Flame

    Votes: 3 14.3%
  • Dancing In The Light

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No Time For Time

    Votes: 4 19.0%

  • Total voters
    21

Captain Bacardi

Well-Known Member
Herb Alpert
WILD ROMANCE

A&M SP-5082

sp5082.jpg

Released 1985

Format: Vinyl/Cassette/CD

Produced by Herb Alpert and Romeo J. Williams
"African Flame" Produced by Herb Alpert

Albums Chart: #151 The Billboard 200
Singles Chart: "8" Ball - #73 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks


Songs & Musicians:
  • 1. "8" Ball (Herb Alpert/Romeo Williams/John Barnes) - 4:48[list:bf4c4384a6]Herb Alpert - Trumpet
    Romeo Williams - Bass
    John Barnes - Keyboards
    Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion

2. Wild Romance (Herb Alpert/Romeo Williams/John Barnes) - 4:10
  • Herb Alpert - Trumpet
    Romeo Williams - Bass
    John Barnes - Keyboards
    Quentin Dennard - Fat Snare
    Brenda Russell - Lead Vocal
    David Lasley - Background Vocals

3. You Are The One (Herb Alpert/Romeo Williams/John Barnes/Brenda Russell) - 4:03
  • Herb Alpert - Trumpet
    Romeo Williams - Bass, Background Vocals
    John Barnes - Keyboards
    Charles Fearing - Guitar
    Brenda Russell - Lead and Background Vocals

4. Lady Love (Herb Alpert/Romeo Williams/Jon Hendricks) - 3:37
  • Herb Alpert - Trumpet, Lead Vocal
    Romeo Williams - Bass
    John Barnes - Keyboards
    Carlos Rios - Guitar
    Frank Hamilton - Keyboards
    DMX Programming by Herb, John and Romeo

5. It's All For You (Herb Alpert/Romeo Williams/John Barnes) - 4:39
  • Herb Alpert - Trumpet
    Romeo Williams - Bass, Background Vocals
    John Barnes - Keyboards
    Charles Fearing - Guitar
    Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion
    Fred Johnson - Snare
    Background Vocals: David Lasley, Brenda Russell

6. Catch Me (Herb Alpert/Romeo Williams/John Barnes/Jon Hendricks) - 4:21
  • Herb Alpert - Trumpet
    Romeo Williams - Bass, Background Vocals
    John Barnes - Keyboards
    Charles Fearing - Guitar
    Brenda Russell - Background Vocals

7. African Flame (Herb Alpert/John Barnes) - 6:23
  • Herb Alpert - Trumpet
    John Barnes - Keyboards
    Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion

8. Dancing In The Light (Herb Alpert/Romeo Williams/John Barnes/Jon Hendricks) - 4:20
  • Herb Alpert - Trumpet, Emulator
    Romeo Williams - Bass, DMX Programming
    John Barnes - Keyboards
    Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion
    Background Vocals: Lani Hall, Brenda Russell, Marva King and Petsye Powell

9. No Time For Time (Brenda Russell) - 4:42
  • Herb Alpert - Trumpet, Lead Vocal
    Romeo Williams - Bass
    John Barnes - Acoustic Piano, Synthesizers
    Michel Colombier - Forte Midi Piano with DX7
    Steve Forman - Percussion
    Lani Hall - Background Vocals
[/list:u:bf4c4384a6]

Recorded at A&M Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA
Engineered and Mixed by Paul McKenna, Robert De La Garza and Bill Bottrell
Mastered by Arnie Acosta at A&M Mastering Studios

Art Direction: Norman Moore/Richard Frankel
Design: Norman Moore
Photography: Raul Vega

We appreciate, admire and thank you - John Barnes, Herb Alpert and Romeo J. Williams



Capt. Bacardi
 
Not one of my favorite solo efforts - way too many vocals throughout. I went with "8 Ball" on this one, although I probably would've picked "Wild Romance" if they'd left out the singers. "No Time for Time" may be one of my all-time least favorite Herb Alpert tracks. This was one of those albums that when it came out, I listened to it a few times, then shelved it, and hoped the next one would be better.

If only I'd known...
 
I think it was around this album that I came to the realization that I was NOT going to like everything Herb ever recorded. None of these tracks make my "faves" list, although I kind of like "No Time For Time" for some unexplainable reason.
 
Nathan Strum said:
Not one of my favorite solo efforts - way too many vocals throughout.
"No Time for Time" may be one of my all-time least favorite Herb Alpert tracks.

This was the album, unfortunately, where a vast number of Herb Alpert fans decided to finally jump ship. Understandably so for die-hard TJB fans who reluctantly went along with the RISE era into the early '80s. WILD ROMANCE is an album of trumpet with R&B vocals. At first, even I said, "Too many vocals! If I wanted to hear Brenda Russell sing, I'd buy her album!" And this was three years before her hit "Piano In The Dark" came out.

However, it has grown on me over the years. And while it's far from being a favorite, it does have some decent songs - that is, if you like the R&B sound. I especially liked "8 Ball" when it first came out, as well as "African Flame". Both tracks were singles, and no vocals. Shame they didn't do any better on the charts. Of the vocal tracks, I agree with Nathan that "Wild Romance" was good, as well as "It's All For You". And the dubbed opening vocal on "Catch Me" was just downright hilarious!

I completely disagree with Nathan, however, on "No Time For Time". I know I'm probably going to get some argument on this, but... (oh, boy) here goes: If there were ever a Herb Alpert vocal that was well performed, this would be the one.

To better explain my statement, let's examine Herb's vocal history:
"This Guy's In Love With You", "To Wait For Love", "You Are My Life" and "I Belong" were way too sappy. "Without Her" was sonically irritating unless you sat by the volume control. Things got better in the vocal dept. with Lani helping on "Save The Sunlight". "Love Is" was catchy, but basically just a chorus with trumpet solos overlapping. Then Herb started shining with "I Get It From You", "Quiereme Tal Como Soy" and "Noche De Amor." "Lady Love" was goofy... Then he did his best vocal yet, "No Time For Time"... IMHO.

So even if I'm not in the mood for this album, the final track makes up for it. WILD ROMANCE wasn't the best album Herb ever recorded, but it had it's moments.

Tony
 
Mike Blakesley said:
I think it was around this album that I came to the realization that I was NOT going to like everything Herb ever recorded. None of these tracks make my "faves" list, although I kind of like "No Time For Time" for some unexplainable reason.

Same here -- on all the above. The first in a string of disappointing albums from my favorite artist :sad:

--Mr. Bill
 
toeknee4bz said:
Nathan Strum said:
Not one of my favorite solo efforts - way too many vocals throughout.
"No Time for Time" may be one of my all-time least favorite Herb Alpert tracks.

This was the album, unfortunately, where a vast number of Herb Alpert fans decided to finally jump ship.

Mike Blakesley said:
I think it was around this album that I came to the realization that I was NOT going to like everything Herb ever recorded. None of these tracks make my "faves" list, although I kind of like "No Time For Time" for some unexplainable reason.

A review in Stereo Review also knocked this album...a first, as this same reviewer admitted that this was the first album that really didn't work, noting that all of Herb's prior albums were always in good taste. It's one of Herb's "producer" albums. The track "8 Ball" is kind of neat once it gets rolling, and "Lady Love" (not the Lou Rawls song BTW) is good, but it never fired on all cylinders for me either.
 
Mike Blakesley said:
I think it was around this album that I came to the realization that I was NOT going to like everything Herb ever recorded. None of these tracks make my "faves" list, although I kind of like "No Time For Time" for some unexplainable reason.

My same conclusion came a little earlier back in the 1970s. I think this album was the one that Herb had recorded about the time of his Windplayer magazine interview, and was the subject of a brief comment or two in that interview.
 
I also found this album to be a bit underwhelming for the most part. What bothered me most was the drum machines used. The beats were just too precise for me. It has a very sterile sound to it. For an album that was clearly reaching for the R&B crowd there seemed to be very little soul. Still, I found some moments that I enjoyed. My favorite song is "It's All For You" - I really loved Herb's soloing on this piece, and I think it was with this song that he became a master ballad player on subsequent albums. I also liked the reflective quality of "African Flame", which seemed to be the 'B' side to a half-dozen singles. I thought "Dancing In The Light" came the closest to the old TJB boisterous sound. (Maybe Herb's answer to Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark"? Maybe not.)

On the down side, songs such as "Catch Me" kind of bothered me because I thought Herb could've done a lot more with the song trumpet-wise. His solo on the title tune seemed a bit too frenzied, although I did like Brenda Russell's vocals. And then there's "8 Ball", which I remembered one reviewer describing as the South Bronx meets Tijuana. I didn't care much for this version of the song. I prefer the 12" mix that has a slightly different solo to it. The video for this song was also a bit odd, where Herb is in bed with a woman playing his horn. Sometimes you just have to know when to put the horn down.... :D



Capt. Bacardi
 
BTW, I noticed that no one has mentioned the contributions of lyrics by Jon Hendricks, of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross fame. They were a premiere jazz vocal group, and also influenced Herb's idea for the song "Summertime".



Capt. Bacardi
 
To be honest, some of Herbs later work after the TJB left me depressed and wondering what he was trying to accomplish. I don’t recall this album, I am sure I listened to it because I would buy anything Herb put out but more than likely listened to the songs and dismissed them. Big mistake! 10 years later I was listening to one of his CD’s and “It’s All for you” was listed. All it took was one listen and I was hooked. I am not sure what caused me to ignore it before but I could not get enough of it. I think it is one of Herb’s more masterful works and indeed it is a departure, but one I honestly enjoyed. Just my two cents worth.
 
What an atrocious album. I can understand Herb trying to reach the youth market with this, but I just can't take this.
 
david said:
10 years later I was listening to one of his CD’s and “It’s All for you” was listed. All it took was one listen and I was hooked.

That's a good point--I recall a couple of tracks on the purple "Classics Vol. 20" compilation. I felt the tracks sounded better there than in the context of the original album, and I think I surprised myself finding I liked those and they were from an album that I really didn't pay much attention to.
 
This was the first Herb Alpert album where I do not own the vinyl version, but went straight to CD instead.

For me, the album was never a huge favorite, though I guess I like both "It's All For You" and "No Time For Time" reasonably well.

Harry
 
My experience with this album mirrors most ot the other responses I've read here. It holds a special place in my heart, because it's the first Herb Alpert album my wife ever bought for me...it was my 31st Birthday present...and I was underwhelmed. There were a few moments that satisfied me, notably AFRICAN FLAME and NO TIME FOR TIME, but the album just didn't grab me the way BULLISH did.

I pulled it off my shelf a few days ago and gave it another spin; and initially, I was kind of impressed; but the feeling soon faded. It's almost like the trumpet is lost in the mix somehow...there's just too much going on in each song for my tastes. I have to give AFRICAN FLAME my nod for favorite track. It's got a nice groove, but it reminds me of Phil Collins' IN THE AIR. TONIGHT. NO TIME FOR TIME is well-done, but it's reminiscent of I BELONG. CATCH ME is similar to STRUTTIN' ON FIVE in overall mood...there's just no real groundbreaking new stuff going on. Everything seems to be a rehash of something else, something that was done better earlier.


I never was a fan of the Brenda Russell/Lisa Keith vocals; I even skip over them on the CLASSICS 20 album. Never saw the 8 BALL video, but heard about it...the kids thought it was dumb.

Herb had been on a roll with FANDANGO, BLOW YOUR OWN HORN and BULLISH. It couldn't go on forever...and KEEP YOUR EYE ON ME and UNDER A SPANISH MOON were much more in the vein of what we'd come to expect from Herb.


This album is a bit of a clinker...maybe he was just a little off his game.


Dan
 
I know that I might not get an answer to this question, when I ask my 'controversial' questions, but what was "8-BALL" about? Reason I'm asking is: years ago, my friend's uncle ran a record store, and she used to work there. She knew that I was a big Herb Alpert fan, and we were looking thru the singles that the store had of Herb at the time.

When we got to the title "8-BALL", she exclaimed, "OH MY GOD! That's horrible!" When I asked her what she was talking about, she explained that 8-Ball is street slang for COKE(and I ain't talkin' about the "I'd like to teach the world to sing" type, either!) I was a bit perplexed, and explained to her, that from what I had heard, Herb was basically very anti-drug, and had done a video(albeit a cheesy one) with a bunch of celebrities(including now California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger)that was anti-drug called STOP THE MADNESS.My friend then shrugged her shoulders, and said,"I hope he is(anti-drug)", and then we discussed other things.

My question is: was this an anti-drug song or what? I haven't heard this record in a long time(just heard it in one sitting at my cousin's neighbor's house), but I do remember some tunes:I really liked "You Are The One"; Herb's playing meshed wonderfully with Brenda Russel's vocals(by the way, it was during the making of this album that Herb offered her a contract at A&M), "Lady Love" and "Wild Romance" were hot club-type up tempo numbers, am I right? I also remember "No Time For Time" and I remember that as one of Herb's most sappiest performances(but I really dug Brenda's later rendition of the tune)."African Flame" sounded a lot like what Miles would later do on TUTU, and sounds like Herb's musical commentary on what was happpening politically in South Africa at the time(aparthied).

All in all, from what I remember, this album appears to be one of those "catch-up" records like KEEP YOUR EYE ON ME and BULLISH; music to reach the Prince-Michael Jackson, and some of the younger artists on his own A&M label like Ta Mara And the Seen crowd, which was the rage at the time(mid 80s). Oh yeah, and please answer my question. I would definitely appreciate it.Thanks!
 
jazzdre said:
I know that I might not get an answer to this question, when I ask my 'controversial' questions, but what was "8-BALL" about?
8-Ball is street slang for COKE(and I ain't talkin' about the "I'd like to teach the world to sing" type, either!) I was a bit perplexed, and explained to her, that from what I had heard, Herb was basically very anti-drug, and had done a video with a bunch of celebrities that was anti-drug called STOP THE MADNESS.

Since I was never into drugs, I never knew that "8-Ball" was anything more than poolhall/billiard terminology. :shock: Some people automatically assume the worst when looking at a title. With Herb's record, I just took it at face value, especially considering the opening percussion on the track sounding like somebody 'breaking' in a new game. I may be wrong, but this is the first I've ever heard on this.

Even the remote possibility of Herb Alpert deliberately co-writing, co-producing and ultimately recording a song conjuring up drug-related schadenfreude is insane. He just wouldn't do it... (unless it were on NORTH ON SOUTH ST.) Just kidding!!!
:D

Tony
 
If you had seen the video it would be clear that "8 Ball" had nothing to do with drugs. "8 Ball" is also a term referring to someone who can be rather manipulative or self-serving as well as a nut case, which is pretty much what the video showed. In the video Herb was intrigued by this one woman, and eventually after an evening of lust she took everything he had. It was a rather odd video.



Capt. Bacardi
 
Funny. This thread prompted me to look at which tunes from "Wild Romance" are in my iTunes library. ... None!
 
I have searched for the ''8 Ball'' video for a very long time, but I still can't find it :sad:










Moderator Note: Spelling and syntax repaired for clarity
 
This album would be the next AOTW. Since there's past discussion I commend another look at these posts for anyone who's not familiar with it. I don't have an entry for SP 5083, so we will continue forward.

JB
 
This still remains an album where vinyl was available, but I don't own one.
 
I was not aware of a cd version of this until it was long out of print but thankfully i still have my immaculate vinyl copy vintage from 1985. Along with a custom needledrop cd-r i hopefully can look forward to a future cd reissue of this there are enough good songs ( instrumentals in particular) to justify it IMO not to mention that i am an Alpert completist of sorts.
 
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