Herb & The Sandpipers

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I was listening to my Import Best Of The Sandpipers CD at the pool yesterday (still not sure why this CD is now so valuable & over-priced?)
and I was struck how their version of "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" has many simularities with moments in Herb & Lani's great new version.

Sorry if this has been asked before, but did Herb ever lay down any trumpet tracks for The Sandpipers?
 
I don't remember hearing of any, but that does raise an interesting thought: Given how many guest appearances he's made over the years, it's a little surprising that Herb didn't appear on more of the other A&M artists' albums, especially Brasil '66 and Carpenters, since he was very close to both those acts -- even producing Brasil '66. I'm sure it was just because he was SO busy with the TJB and with running the company in those days.
 
My guess is as good as Mike's: he was more busy working A&R for the label, arranging, producing, etc. in the 60s and 70s than he was in later years. I still remember mention of him playing on "Close To You" for Carpenters, but we all know that's Chuck Findley. Similar style, but definitely not the Main Man. :D

I might still say that he could have made a small cameo appearance on maybe the very early Baja Marimba albums, but that was early on before things got really busy. Even so, a lot of those early Baja trumpet parts are a different style.
 
Well, there is that little credit for Herb Alpert as playing the "shaker" on the OFFERING/TICKET TO RIDE album.

Eary on, he seemed to contribute more to the struggling acts like Lucille Starr and then he sort of backed off on the acts with the bigger expectations.

It was enough that he was churning out all of those TjB albums back then, plus touring, TV specials and appearances, and running a record company.

Harry
 
I have a different Sandpipers question:

The group did "The Wonder Of You" in 1969 for their album also titled THE WONDER OF YOU.

Is there a good reason why the song was also found on 1971's COME SATURDAY MORNING album?

Harry
 
Harry said:
Eary on, he seemed to contribute more to the struggling acts like Lucille Starr and then he sort of backed off on the acts with the bigger expectations.

Actually, I would not be surprised if he had played on SP-102 (George McCurn's album). That album's faster tracks had that "A&M sound" right off the bat, sounding just like the backing that would appear on some of Montez's and Longet's tracks, or even a few from the BMB. He had Shorty Rogers' assistance on that album, another contributor to the "Sound."
 
Is there a good reason why the song was also found on 1971's COME SATURDAY MORNING album?
Weren't the Sandpipers in a bit of a turmoil at that time? I always thought maybe they just needed another track to fill out the SATURDAY album but couldn't get the band together to record it. So they picked a good song that "fit" sonically on the album. I think it's a good addition -- at least, it didn't sound out of place to me when I heard it.
 
Well, they certainly weren't adverse to repackaging their stuff, what with the SPANISH ALBUM being an entire album of songs with Spanish lyrics that had already been released.

I just found it odd that they'd repackage the *title* song from a prior album. That would be like Herb Alpert placing "South Of The Border" on GOING PLACES, or Sergio sticking "Look Around on CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS.

Harry
...sitting out a crackling thunderstorm with a battery-powered laptop, but still online...
 
Was "The Wonder of You" the only song they re-used (besides the Spanish album songs)? I could've sworn there were one or two others. But I was never totally into the 'pipers so I'm probably dreaming.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

Check out "Let Go" sometime. Sounds VERY much like Herb.

Still think "The Drifter" is a major underated gem. :cool:
 
I think since many of the early A&M albums (up to 4120 at least) used the same stable of musicians in the studio -- largely "wrecking crew" members -- it is quite possible Herb picked up his horn a few times. The credits Steve S has posted for BMB's Rides Agan attest to it.

--Mr Bill
 
CherryStreet said:
Thanks for the input guys.

Check out "Let Go" sometime. Sounds VERY much like Herb.

Still think "The Drifter" is a major underated gem. :cool:

I love "The Drifter" by just about anyone, and I stuck the Sandpipers "Let Go" up on YouTube sometime last year since someone thought the backing track sounded like Sergio Mendes' aggregation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOVNKPY_17A

So you think it sounds like Herb on the track too? Would have been a lot of high-priced talent backing up the Sandpipers. Great record anyway.

Harry
 
The Roger Nichols gang did "The Drifter" also, which is probably my favorite version of it. In fact, Nichols liked it so much that they cut a new version of it on that album of theirs released in recent years.
 
"Let Go" is the vocal version of "Chant of Ossanha." An instrumental version's on Tamba 4's WE AND THE SEA.

JB
 
Digitally Remastered Best picks out some of the best tracks from their career, in particular the last two albums they did...

The individual albums deserve better than the Collectibles two-fer reissue editions, if only in that Softly is still one album, not yet remastered onto CD that I'd still like to see...

I did have the Japanese reissues of Come Saturday Morning and A Gift Of Song, and really just wish their entire catalog had just been reissued that way...


Dave
 
Oh, "The Drifter"!!! Love it! Steve Lawrence had the best version, IMO. I don't think any others can touch his. Backing by Eydie. Fantastic!!!
 
Is that the same "Drifter" that was on the Pisano/Ruff album? I know Herb sang on that particular tune.

Capt. Bacardi

After a lengthy search, today I was finally able to purchase a confirmed original of the Japanese CD pressing for a great price! Can't wait for it to arrive!
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Good find. And odd album, but a fun one in the A&M canon.

Harry
 
Great find, Cherrystreet. I had been curious about that album for years -- saw it in listings and catalogs but never found it. Then after reading about it here I finally sprung for it -- mine is also a Japan import. Like Harry says it's a very unusual album. Even though Herb did the arrangements you would NEVER know it from listening to virtually anything else he had a hand in. This album is a total original. It's not surprising that it didn't sell -- and it's also not very commercial at all. But it definitely has its charms. Looking forward to hearing what you think of it.
 
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