THE BEAT OF THE BRASS: Comments and poll

What is your favorite song on the album?

  • Monday, Monday

    Votes: 10 16.1%
  • A Beautiful Friend

    Votes: 4 6.5%
  • Cabaret

    Votes: 3 4.8%
  • Panama

    Votes: 5 8.1%
  • Belz Mein Shtetele Belz (My Home Town)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Talk to the Animals

    Votes: 1 1.6%
  • Slick

    Votes: 15 24.2%
  • She Touched Me

    Votes: 2 3.2%
  • Thanks for the Memory

    Votes: 1 1.6%
  • The Robin

    Votes: 7 11.3%
  • This Guy's in Love with You

    Votes: 14 22.6%

  • Total voters
    62
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I liked "This Guy's In Love With You" as my favorite. The song "Panama" is a close second. That song almost reminds me of the theme song from the TV series "Daktari" (which CBS ran back back in January 1966 till January 1969). I thought the song "A Beautiful Friend" was The Rascals song "A Beautiful Morning" (also from 1968). :laugh: Matt Clark Sanford, MI
 
in the liner notes for THE BEAT OF THE BRASS remastered edition,herb says that the television special of the same name was made for NBC.however,from what i understand,in reading about the tv special from other sources,the special was actually made for CBS! he also said this in the liner notes for definitive hits.the second showing,however was for NBC,as he and jerry had signed a deal for all future TJB specials to be shown on NBC.he also did the first brass special(the singer one)for CBS as well.did herb's experiences with CBS leave him with a bad feeling for the network,or maybe herb forgot?the other special for NBC was of course THE BRASS ARE COMIN'.
 
I just noticed this morning, the artwork on the CD itself says

THE BEAT OF THE BRASS
STARRING
HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS

...must be from some promotional ad for the TV show.
 
My favorites:

1. Slick

2. Panama and The Robin tie for #2. Actually, back when this album was new in 1968, I would have probably put The Robin ahead of Panama, because I hadn't listened to Panama as much. In later years, I hear it differently than back then, I guess.

3. This Guy's...

This Guy's... is a great song and back when it was popular it was pure magic. I guess I lean more toward the instrumental songs. But This Guy's... was a dynamite song and if you were around back then in 1968 when it was on the charts, you'll remember the impact it had with listeners. It was THE big song - the current hit - when I first heard the TJB in concert...right at the same time it was high on the charts. So, that made it very special.
 
Mike Blakesley said:
I just noticed this morning, the artwork on the CD itself says

THE BEAT OF THE BRASS
STARRING
HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS

...must be from some promotional ad for the TV show.

Or directly from the TV show itself:
BeatTV.jpg


Harry
 
jazzdre said:
in the liner notes for THE BEAT OF THE BRASS remastered edition,herb says that the television special of the same name was made for NBC.however,from what i understand,in reading about the tv special from other sources,the special was actually made for CBS! he also said this in the liner notes for definitive hits.the second showing,however was for NBC,as he and jerry had signed a deal for all future TJB specials to be shown on NBC.he also did the first brass special(the singer one)for CBS as well.did herb's experiences with CBS leave him with a bad feeling for the network,or maybe herb forgot?the other special for NBC was of course THE BRASS ARE COMIN'.

Yep! I think the original airdate for THE BEAT OF THE BRASS was April 22, 1968 - and it first aired on CBS. Its second run was on NBC, and the subsequent special of THE BRASS ARE COMIN' was on NBC.

Harry
 
I voted for SLICK...I'm a sucker for those chord changes in the chorus...it's a close vote between this song and the two Sol Lake compositions, though...the chord inversions on A BEAUTIFUL FRIEND are quite unique, and realy enhance the melody; this has to be one of Sol's best songs. And, SHE TOUCHED ME is probably Sol's most lyrical work...a ballad, almost a bossa nova...

Dan
 
"Monday, Monday" seems very over-improvised, but it retains that "hook of recognition"; the best remake "Cabaret" ever saw; "Panama" has that Julius Wechter/BMB-influence--a noticable Marimba there and I'm even warming up to "Talk To The Animals"--after the "newness" of this release goes away, I'll STILL listen to it! :winkgrin: The photo of Herb playing his trumpet to the giraffe, shows the band wanted a few laughs, I guess, but the Xylaphone in the "Lead-Off" is what's pretty nifty... (which otherwise, should have been the entire-version--or else maybe left up to Bobby Darin Singing Songs from DOCTOR DOLITTLE, much like Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse's "Candy Man" seeing covers...) And "Slick" was thought highly-of to have been recorded by The Tamba 4--pretty good as far as the original goes, too! :agree:

"Cropped Photo's?" Redundant Liner-Notes? An "Uncooporative" CD-Spindle? MY Disc is going in my Original Vinyl LP-Cover! :winkgrin:


Dave


Dave
 
My favorite track is The Robin, but it's like anything by the TJB: You don't really know why you like it, you just do.

I remember seeing the Brass's TV special in 1968, "The Beat of the Brass," and I remember part of the track was the TJB's cover of "La Bikina," yet they never released it, which has always disappointed me. I thought it might be on the new Lost Treasures CD, but they left it off again.
 
'This Guy's In Love With You' is my favorite track on this album. Actually this song title was also the name of my very first album bought here in Denmark in 1972 (a German compilation-album). So the song brings back a lot of memories from my youth.

By the way, what's happening to me? Years ago my Herb Alpert-favorites were songs like 'The Happening', 'Tijuana Taxi', 'Magic Trumpet' etc. and now I sit listening to 'Bud', 'The Trolley Song', 'You are my life' and 'Good Morning Mr. Sunshine'. Am I turning into a sentimental, old man, or is it just like a fine red wine, matured by the years??
 
blackhawks92 said:
My favorite track is The Robin, but it's like anything by the TJB: You don't really know why you like it, you just do.

I remember seeing the Brass's TV special in 1968, "The Beat of the Brass," and I remember part of the track was the TJB's cover of "La Bikina," yet they never released it, which has always disappointed me. I thought it might be on the new Lost Treasures CD, but they left it off again.

I believe this is actually "Good Morning, Mr. Sunshine" on the Brass Are Comin' album. (It would have been featured on that TV special, which was a later one than the one for Beat Of The Brass.) I heard "La Bikina" on an Esquivel album, which made the connection to the TJB's version for me.
 
It's SLICK for me -- Cabaret second, and a raft of others close to that. I'm hearing this whole album much differently than I did in 1968. Then, I perceived that Herb's chops had declined to the point where I couldn't enjoy the album. And, the arrangements seemed less inspired, and I was aghast (at age 15) that the band, which had seemed the epitome of "cool," would record TALK TO THE ANIMALS. Upon learning of the reissue campaign I briefly considered purchasing the CD's only through SOUNDS LIKE (as my concerns about faltering trumpet chops and arrangements applied to NINTH as well.) Thankfully, I purchased both NINTH AND BEAT last Tuesday, along with perhaps my favorite TJB album, SOUNDS LIKE. Well, after quite a few listens, my opinion of BEAT (and NINTH) has undergone a radical re-appraisal for the better. I'm still of the opinion that Herb's ability with the horn was slipping just then, but not nearly to the degree that I perceived in 1968. There's an element of vulnerability to Herb's horn sound on BEAT that appeals to me -- now -- and I suppose that, the way things were going in America in '68, a slightly wounded tone, and articulation, suited the changes in America: the good-times optimism of 1964-5 were fading fast. On BEAT Herb stills hits all the notes HE WISHES TO, and there is still joyousness and beauty to be found in his playing. I do prefer the sound of his horn on BEAT to that of NINTH, where, to my ears, his tone sounds a bit muffled on most cuts. In 1968, I think I may have also been bothered by Wechter's playing the vibes on some cuts, as opposed to the warmer sound of his marimba's. In 2005, I understand the artistic decision to employ the vibes. I'm STILL not crazy about ANIMALS, but the instrumental break is almost worth waiting for; I just wish they'd played it the other way around (instrumental, with a vocal break, a la "Mame.") Every other song, I now realize, is a treasure. In fact, at age 52, I LOVE BEAT OF THE BRASS, and recognize that it fully deserves its place on my shelf, next to the TJB preceding albums (CD's) ... including NINTH, which I'll address within the appropriate thread. Thanks, Mr. Alpert and Shout Factory -- and if WARM is released -- another TJB that underwhelmed me at the time -- I'll snap it up to give it the re-appraisal it probably deserves.
 
Hmm. This is the 3rd or 4th time I've heard references to a change in Herb's tone in the later albums. The responses have included a perceived problem with Herb's chops.

While I hear the change as well, it sounds like to me that he may have just changed his embouchure or went with a different-bore mouthpiece. Maybe a preference change?

I think I like the mellow tone better.

Steve
 
I think it has more to do with exhaustion than anything else. He was putting out 2 albums a year, constant touring, TV appearances, in the studio producing others, and keeping A&M - which was still a young company - above water. That's a lot of pressure for a young man at the time, and it led to his "retirement" at the end of 1969. He did say later that he developed bad habits playing his horn during this time. He probably didn't have a lot of time to practice properly (my guess anyway).


Capt. Bacardi
 
Once things went into overdrive in 1965, the pace must have been really hectic. The happy-go-luck look of Herb and/or the gang from '62-66 had, by SOUNDS LIKE, replaced a sterner, more tired-looking Herb on that cover. Small wonder! Huge success must, to some degree, exact no small price in terms of mental and physical health. I mean, whenever I take a vacation, it takes over a week to 'unwind' from something I always embark upon to unwind in the first place! Crazy but too often true...

And by the time WARM was issued, Herb was only 34...but in four years had packed an awful lot of living and touring into that time.

:ed:
 
When I bought the 1988 reissue of "The Beat Of The Brass", the CD timing is: 32:25. When I bought the Shout! Factory reissue, the CD timing is: 32:24. Matt Clark Sanford, MI
 
I probably played this album more than any other TJB record when I was z kid, so something about it must have impressed me at the time. All these years later, hearing it again, it strikes me as fairly weak. In retrospect, you can really hear Herb getting a bit tired.

I voted "Monday Monday". As was often the case, Herb's version was the first one I heard, I didn't get to know the Mamas & Papas version until years later. It was always Herb's song to me, and hearing it again, I remember why. Great album opener.

Forgot about "Slick" until hearing it again, but I recall it being a favorite years ago. Cool tune.

I recall hearing a DJ once outro "Thie Guy's In Love With You" by calling it "...pretty good for a guy who can't sing." I never figured that out, Herb wasn't Sinatra, but he wasn't Mrs. Miller either. I thought he did just fine then, and I think so now as well.

One of the best TJB album covers, too.

I'd love to see the special again, my memory of all of Herb's TV specials is non-existent, though we watched them all every time they ran.
 
Captain Bacardi said:
I think it has more to do with exhaustion than anything else. He was putting out 2 albums a year, constant touring, TV appearances, in the studio producing others, and keeping A&M - which was still a young company - above water. That's a lot of pressure for a young man at the time, and it led to his "retirement" at the end of 1969. He did say later that he developed bad habits playing his horn during this time. He probably didn't have a lot of time to practice properly (my guess anyway).


Capt. Bacardi

I agree.

I seem to recall comments made by Herb Alpert himself back at about the end of the 1969 regarding "burnout," especially in explaining the disbanding of the Tijuana Brass. Things weren't clicking with the horn at that time.

My own experience as a trumpet player would confirm that possibility. From the perspective of an experienced trumpet player, someone who had the sound that Herb did on his recordings in the mid sixties probably wouldn't intentionally seek to alter that resonant, rich, and glorious tone quality. Tone is a trumpet player's greatest asset, and no one who had the outstanding tone and sound that usually marked Herb's playing would change that on purpose.

It is also noteworthy that with the FANDANGO album, the old Herb sound was back in all its glory...
 
His album sales were droppingin 1969, which is as much a sign of what was happening in society as anything else. He hit a rough patch personally, which anyone who has gone through will tell you wipes you out emotionally.

And can you IMAGINE the round the clock hassle of being recognized?

I'll tell you a quick story. Herb was in for an interview with me to promote Fandango (a transcript of the interview is posted in the "Interview" section of this Web site). I thought it went well. Bill Earl was there and we chatted about the Pisano and Ruff album. "Ahhh, yes, you probably wonder what a chippewah is!"

Herb and his small entourage hung around the radio station for a while, and I gave him a mix tape I was proud of. "Don't worry, it's all commercially available!" He handed it to Bill Earl and asked him to take care of it.

Then I did it. I said, "hey, maybe someday, I'll get to blow the horn with you." And he shut down. It was like I had flicked off a light switch. I am sure it was yet another billionth example of someone who wanted something from him.

As he said in the A&M 25th anniversary book, "I fried in '69." That was probably partially the result of so many people wanting so many things.
 
reechie said:
I voted "Monday Monday". As was often the case, Herb's version was the first one I heard, I didn't get to know the Mamas & Papas version until years later.

This is what happened with most of the "popular" songs that the TJB covered. I'd grown up listening to all of these, which my parents owned. Later on I'd started reading more of the album credits and learned who composed the songs, so some of the Lennon-Macca titles started to click with me and I figured I'd one day hear the originals (which I did by the mid 80s). Or I'd come across others on "oldies" radio, or for older pop standards (like "Trolley Song" on NINTH), heard them in other versions. Sometimes Herb rearranged the original so much that the original almost went unrecognized!

reechie said:
I recall hearing a DJ once outro "Thie Guy's In Love With You" by calling it "...pretty good for a guy who can't sing." I never figured that out, Herb wasn't Sinatra, but he wasn't Mrs. Miller either. I thought he did just fine then, and I think so now as well.

The real irony is that his first singles on small labels and on RCA billed as "Dore Alpert" were all vocal singles. :D

BTW, how was the fried chicken? :wink:
 
Beat of the Brass makes my heart beat faster! Or as they say in Brazil: "A musica que faz bater os coracoes da gente"... ( "The music that makes peoples hearts beat"...)
"Panama" is an awesome Julius Wechter composition, and I think BOTB is one that features Julius playing (on vibes this time no less) in abundance. John Pisano's guitar is also sounding great as always. Needless to say his writing skills are evident once again for us to enjoy.
Herb Alpert re-invents himself and makes a number one hit song in one take! That guy has the "Midas" touch! Jim McCrary must be commended for his spectacular photographic eye. I love his work. Pete Turner is the other great lensman for A&M. What a stable of talent! Herb must be proud of himself for putting such a team together along with Jerry Moss. Nick Ceroli, what can one say but "pure genius"! I'm thrilled that new life has been given to such wonderful, honest music. Shout! Factory you guys rock!
 
It's nice to see "Slick" as the most favorite song in the poll, with "This Guy..." as the second highest. I've always liked "Slick" since I first heard in on 45 rpm (b/w/Cabaret). I got that 45 when I was five - still have it. I used to play drums with that swinging beat. (I'm a professional musician today)

I got the Herb Alpert bug early in life (1967 at the age of three). My parents would put a stack of TJB records on the changer, and in the summertime, my dad brought a speaker out on the back porch, where he installed a speaker jack. (Mono records-mono tube system!) Then everybody would play croquet and have cocktails listening to The Lonely Bull, Going Places, South of the Border and Volume Two. We didn't have "Whipped Cream" probably because my mother might not have been too fond of the cover! :laugh:
 
I have not posted at this site for a long time-however I do enjoy reading the enormous amounts of information and opinions about an incredible trumpet player.
What enticed me to post was Richards share regarding Herbs reaction to his seemingly friendly, innocent proposal to play the trumpet together. I had not heard many entries on this site share personal interactions with Mr. Alpert. I find it interesting to hear that Herb "Shut Down" after a seemingly friendly gesture. My point? if I were in a situation of meeting a celebrity like Herb Alpert, I would be walking on eggshells-afraid of committing some gaffe or crossing over an implied boundary. What would happen if I were to ask "How bout those Dodgers?" Would he suddenly turn beet red and walk away? I know I am being sarcastic but what I read in Richards post is what would keep me away from interacting (as much as I would want to) with a celebrity.
"Slick" was my favorite from "The Beat." If I remember correctly his TV special had cheerleaders from Fairfax High doing their routine to that song - I may be wrong - it was a long time ago.
 
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