Randy Alpert's TJB Medley
- Thread starter Captain Bacardi
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Hi Dan:
Your story is beautiful and illustrates the exact reason I wanted to put a medley of some TJB songs together in a dance flavor. Those great songs/records will have a chance to be exposed to millions of people who never heard them before. We have to keep passing great music, art, and artists on to future generations to enjoy. Those T.V. commercials that play Louie Armstrong's version of Wonder World help to pass his legacy on to the next generation who would've never heard of him.
I'm a huge blues and R&B fan. As an 8 year old boy I discovered some of my all time favorite records and artists like Muddy Waters, Howl'in Wolf, Chuck Berry and Little Richard from listening to the Beatles and Rolling Stones who were covering their songs. Hearing McCartneys' and Jaggers' versions moved me enough to want to hear the original versions. After I fell in love with the original Muddy Waters and Little Richard tracks I discovered that their influences and idols were Sonny Boy Williamson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Peg Leg Howell, etc. which made me want to buy those records which exposed me to the whole new world of Delta Blues and New Orleans. I got into at least 20 other artists I would never have heard of because the Beatles or Stones did "Kansas City" and "Roll Over Bethovan".
Hope you have a great year ahead Dan,
randy
Randy's remarks about music are spot on. The constant diminution of musical spectrum by present-day commercial radio stations (both in the US and here in Britain) means more and more people hear less and less music. As the late John Peel oncesaid, "I can't understand why people want to hear stuff coming out of the radio that they've got on record at home and have heard a hundred times before!"
As the mass media (with notable exceptions) expose so little of the world's music to a general public, it becomes ever more important to spread the word about the music that we like.
As the mass media (with notable exceptions) expose so little of the world's music to a general public, it becomes ever more important to spread the word about the music that we like.
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
badazz said:
Prior to this version I had only heard it by Miles Davis on his Sketches Of Spain album, as well as the opening bit of Chick Corea's classic tune "Spain". I have since listened to legit classical versions, and would recommend that everybody give that a try as well. It's a gorgeous piece of music!
Capt. Bacardi
Captaindave
Well-Known Member
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Randy for posting on this forum, and joining in the discussion.
It's great to have this kind of communication opportunity.
My best personal regards and wishes to you, Randy, and to Herb, and thank you again for taking the time to share with us.
I'm looking forward to the opportunity in the near future to being able to bring my Herb Alpert recordings up to date with CDs.
I love to be able to talk about what Herb's music has meant to me, both personally and musically, over the last nearly 40 years. Many, many fond memories from years gone by, and Herb's music has been a great part of it all. He has been a huge influence as a trumpet player on me as a trumpet player.
Thanks again...
It's great to have this kind of communication opportunity.
My best personal regards and wishes to you, Randy, and to Herb, and thank you again for taking the time to share with us.
I'm looking forward to the opportunity in the near future to being able to bring my Herb Alpert recordings up to date with CDs.
I love to be able to talk about what Herb's music has meant to me, both personally and musically, over the last nearly 40 years. Many, many fond memories from years gone by, and Herb's music has been a great part of it all. He has been a huge influence as a trumpet player on me as a trumpet player.
Thanks again...
I would also like to thank Randy for posting on this forum. The music of Herb over the last 40 years has left an un eraseable smile on my face. when the times were tough there was always Herb and the TJB. Plus 40years of playing drums and percussion to that music has kept me in great shape physically and mentally. Thank you Herb and thank you Randy. The new year of 2005 is going to be a banner year!!!!
Hi Captain Dave:There sure are a lot of captains around here... Thank you so much for your very kind words and I'm glad to hear that you too are a trumpet player. I know that Uncle's records have meant so much to so many. Happy music, touching melodies, fun, warm, and uniquely original. It's been a part of all of us here.
I'll tell you a funny story: I too am a trumpet player and in December of 1966 when I was 11 years old playing trumpet in the elementary school orchestra we had the yearly Christmas show. Well uncle was a pretty huge star during that time and he was over one night at our house and I told him about the upcoming Christmas show, in a couple of weeks, and who should show up at Carpenter Elementary School for the Christmas Show????? The school auditorium went crazy and the school conductor almost passed out. I was probably the only kid having Herb Alpert at his Christmas recital that year.... Also, the conductor, Miss Steel, actually yelled at me, an 11 year old kid, after the show, for not telling her that Herb Alpert would be coming. She wanted to be "better prepared and better dressed". O well,, I couldn't win.... but it was a nice thing what Uncle did for his little nephew.
Be healthy and happy Dave,
randy
Dave
Well-Known Member
Randy, I like the way "uncle Herb" kicked off the Rise LP, with "1980"...! I would sure like to see a compilation (ie. a more fuller Definitive Hits) pair those two together, just like on the original album...
If not, maybe after the reissue of Herb's TjB albums, maybe his later, solo recordings will be part of Shout! Factory's reissue program (least for the sake of the packaging as well as a later portrait of the continuity of Herb Alpert's career), though that's been mentioned off and on, here, too...
And Randy, thanks for joining us in our discussions, here at A&M Corner, too...!!
Dave
If not, maybe after the reissue of Herb's TjB albums, maybe his later, solo recordings will be part of Shout! Factory's reissue program (least for the sake of the packaging as well as a later portrait of the continuity of Herb Alpert's career), though that's been mentioned off and on, here, too...
And Randy, thanks for joining us in our discussions, here at A&M Corner, too...!!
Dave
Mike said:
Mike:
Thank you for both your warm wishes and nice thoughts. Hopefully your Christmas mornings are a lot happier and much more special then me typing a few words and sharing a few stories... I'm generally a very quiet person and usually working very late hours however when Captain Bacardi came to see me in L.A. last summer, he was so kind and such a huge fan and so very knowledgable about music, uncle, and A&M, that I promised him I would try to keep him updated about the future releases and would occasionally visit his forum.
I'm glad that you are all so nice and generally excited about the new releases. I know the power of music and what it means to me, so, I totally understand how you guys feel about the TJB and appreciate all of your excitement and memories.
My best wishes to you Mike,
randy
Hi Hurrikane:
Very kind words (thank you).... You must be a really really great drummer if you've been playing to those records for 40 years. A few months ago when I was compiling a TJB Medley, I was so amazed at the sheer variety of time signatures and rhythms. From 70 bpm ballads to Zorba the Greek at around 200 bpm. Sambas to shuffles to waltz's to bassa novas to marches to 6/8 to whatever. I was also astonished at how very good the various drummers and percussionists were. Excellent excellent musicians. I never really analyzed the various parts in the music because I always listened to the records as a whole but when I started putting various songs together and really listening to the tempos and parts I was blow'in away.
You must be an awesome drummer Hurricane!!
Dave said:
Hi Dave:
Actually Herb always wanted to start the album off with 1980. It's such a great piece and I always (to this day) get goosebumps whenever I hear that song. Rise just happened to sound good sequenced right after 1980.
Back in those days there was only vinyl, cassettes, and no CD's so you had to be very concerned about keeping each side of the record fairly even at about 15-18 minutes. As you may or may not know, with vinyl you could cut or master the record louder and get a deeper bass when you cut the grooves deeper and wider. Once you start to get 19, 20, 21, 22 minutes on a side you would be forced to cut the grooves narrower and not as deep. The sound quality would change. With CD's you can make your sequence however you wish because time is generally not a factor.
(There will be many more albums, in addition to TJB, released in the future).
randy
Randy,
I join with my friends here at A&M Corner in saying thank you for taking the time to chat with us here. I am a huge fan of Herb. I've been there from the start. It was neat watching he and Jerry Moss build A&M Records into the giant powerhouse independent label it became. Herb has been a major influence in my life, musicially speaking. From the shear enjoyment of listening to his music to his inspiration which led me to learn to play trumpet. Thanks to Herb, we've had the pleasure of learning about and appreciating the brilliant talents of each person who played with the TJB including the late greats, Julius Wechter, and Nick Ceroli. All of us thank Herb for giving us music which is timeless. It's as fresh today as when it was recorded 40 years ago. We also thank him for his thoughtfulness in re-releasing all of his albums. We trust Herb will be rediscovered by the 30 and under crowd who've never heard of him or heard his music. And...he is refreshing all of us who've come to love his trumpet style.
Tom
I join with my friends here at A&M Corner in saying thank you for taking the time to chat with us here. I am a huge fan of Herb. I've been there from the start. It was neat watching he and Jerry Moss build A&M Records into the giant powerhouse independent label it became. Herb has been a major influence in my life, musicially speaking. From the shear enjoyment of listening to his music to his inspiration which led me to learn to play trumpet. Thanks to Herb, we've had the pleasure of learning about and appreciating the brilliant talents of each person who played with the TJB including the late greats, Julius Wechter, and Nick Ceroli. All of us thank Herb for giving us music which is timeless. It's as fresh today as when it was recorded 40 years ago. We also thank him for his thoughtfulness in re-releasing all of his albums. We trust Herb will be rediscovered by the 30 and under crowd who've never heard of him or heard his music. And...he is refreshing all of us who've come to love his trumpet style.
Tom
Hi Randy! Thanks for dropping by!
So...we should sell our "Fandango" CDs for $300 on eBay before there's a reissue? (Seriously...they do sell as high as that!)
Just a quick one for me, not even music related. Are there any plans to do vinyl or SACD releases for any of the upcoming reissues? I don't know if all of the title would sell in those formats, but I would bet a landmark like Whipped Cream would find its way into quite a few audiophiles' hands, including my own.
Just want to say, also, that I'm anxious to hear the remasters in comparison to the original vinyl and CD versions. Apparently Ted Jensen has done the remasters, and I like what he's done with the recent Beatles Capitol set.
badazz said:
So...we should sell our "Fandango" CDs for $300 on eBay before there's a reissue?
(Seriously...they do sell as high as that!) Just a quick one for me, not even music related. Are there any plans to do vinyl or SACD releases for any of the upcoming reissues? I don't know if all of the title would sell in those formats, but I would bet a landmark like Whipped Cream would find its way into quite a few audiophiles' hands, including my own.
Just want to say, also, that I'm anxious to hear the remasters in comparison to the original vinyl and CD versions. Apparently Ted Jensen has done the remasters, and I like what he's done with the recent Beatles Capitol set.
Not to veer away form the excitement over the Herb Alpert reissues (I am very excited about them), but let me go off on a tangent and heap a bit of praise right to you Mr Badazz...
I for one would LOVE to see the Randy Andy LP on CD. Of course, it would have to include the two alternate club mixes of "The Motor Song (Stick In...)" and the non-Andy cuts like "Honk Honk, Beep Beep", that gas station one (sorry I forget the title) and "Buck$." It's an LP I find to be highly under-rated in the "whiteboy funk" genre. Not to mention some great work by session players like Pete Jolly!
So thanks for your great music contributions, too!
--Mr Bill
I for one would LOVE to see the Randy Andy LP on CD. Of course, it would have to include the two alternate club mixes of "The Motor Song (Stick In...)" and the non-Andy cuts like "Honk Honk, Beep Beep", that gas station one (sorry I forget the title) and "Buck$." It's an LP I find to be highly under-rated in the "whiteboy funk" genre. Not to mention some great work by session players like Pete Jolly!
So thanks for your great music contributions, too!
--Mr Bill
badazz said:
Ah, grooves. Here in the UK, Pye Records developed cutting lathes that could cope with 30 minutes a side at 33 and a third. The resultant series of albums - on the "Golden Hour" label - were almost all easy listening orchestras, brass bands, and relatively "loud" stuff. Nevertheless the audio level in the groove was so reduced that playing these discs on the radio was difficult on two counts - the groove was so dense that it was very difficult to find the track divisions, and many radio studio desks didn't have enough gain to play these discs at the right level.
Few of us in the broadcasting game were sad to see the back of the "Golden Hour" records.
Last week I installed a new Stanton digital turntable in my main studio, and was able to get a decent amount of audio out of my "Golden Hour" vinyls. Listening very critically, I'm now much more aware of how much bass was missing from these pressings. The turntable (a joy of a beast to use) also plays 78rpm, and my collection of "broadcast-only" music on 78rpm vinyls sounds quite astounding - clean pressings with an astounding dynamic range. In fact, they knock the spots off CDs (I've got 78rpm vinyls of some stuff I remastered commercially to CD from the original tapes - and the CDs sound muffled and dull compared to the 78s!)
So let's see if we can now have "Whipped Cream" released as an album of 78rpm vinyls.....
(That was of course the origin of the description of a long-play record as "an album" because in the 40s you'd get the equivalent recorded on half a dozen 78s all packed neatly into a cardboard album, not unlike a photo album.)
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
badazz said:
You're always welcome here!
There is one question that I meant to ask you when I visited you in July. We all know you're Herb's nephew, but it never occurred to me to ask who your father was. The only brother of Herb's that I'm aware of is Dave Alpert, who was a drummer. I know there were a couple of other brothers and a sister, if I remember correctly. Since you're a drummer yourself, would Dave be your father? Or am I reaching here? I know Dave wrote some of the TJB tunes, and I think he was also involved in putting the A&M Studios together in some fashion. Am I close on this one?
BTW, I hope you're staying dry in all of that rain that's happening in CA right now!
Capt. Bacardi
Webmeister Rudy said:Just a quick one for me, not even music related. Are there any plans to do vinyl or SACD releases for any of the upcoming reissues? I don't know if all of the title would sell in those formats, but I would bet a landmark like Whipped Cream would find its way into quite a few audiophiles' hands, including my own.
Just want to say, also, that I'm anxious to hear the remasters in comparison to the original vinyl and CD versions. Apparently Ted Jensen has done the remasters, and I like what he's done with the recent Beatles Capitol set.
Hi Rudy:
Honestly, I have no idea about the formats. I did mention to uncle, during the summer, what I had thought the formats should be and when he asked for my thoughts on various aspects I gave him my thoughts. I am a big Beatles fan and I did let uncle know what was done over the years with their releases and what I like about them. I definitely brought up SACD as I really like the format when done correctly. Actually, I had no idea who0 was mastering the records. If it's Ted then I'm sure he'll do a great job. When I talk to uncle it's generally about musical things and family.
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