The Brass Are Comin'

What's your favorite song in The Brass Are Comin'?

  • The Brass Are Comin' (Little Train of Caipira)

    Votes: 1 2.6%
  • Good morning Mr. Sunshine

    Votes: 3 7.9%
  • Country lake

    Votes: 7 18.4%
  • I'll be back

    Votes: 2 5.3%
  • Moon river

    Votes: 3 7.9%
  • Sunny

    Votes: 3 7.9%
  • Anna

    Votes: 4 10.5%
  • Moments

    Votes: 3 7.9%
  • You are my life

    Votes: 3 7.9%
  • I'm an Old Cowhand

    Votes: 1 2.6%
  • Maltese Melody

    Votes: 6 15.8%
  • Robbers And Cops

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Total voters
    38
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Harry said:
The BRASS ARE COMIN' TV special bit about "Moon River" starts with Herb meeting John Pisano on the beach where Herb mentions that he and John like to work out new arrangements at the beach house. … Harry

I asked, "What were they thinking?" and Harry stepped right up and laid it all out for me. Thank you for taking the time. What you describe makes abundantly good sense for a TV special—Herb's "Young People's Guide to Popular Arrangements." I agree with you that, without the images and commentary, the track didn't translate onto the LP—but now at least I know why. Thanks again.
 
Thanks Harry, you brought it right back into my memory. I couldn't remember if it was a Brass member he was talking to or an orchestra-leader guy. Given the amount of credit that Herb gives John P. in the new reissue liner notes, it all makes sense.

About the pants -- I'm sure the SUMMERTIME cover was an photo shot during the TBAC special's production. (What else could explain it, eh?) :D
 
DAN BOLTON said:
Would it be possible to remaster this album sans the HAECO-CSG system? If so, it would make even more sense to reissue it.

It's a process that can't be undone from the 2-track master. It would have to get a remix from the original multitrack tapes, and who knows how many of those are still lying around.
 
Chinese Sausage said:
Is it the same sound like when you plug your earphones to a stereo, only you don't plug it all the way? It sounds like fake stereo.

No...what you're hearing when you do that is only the "difference" portion of the stereo channels, so anything in the center is not heard.

The HAECO-CSG (Compatible Stereo Generator) turned one channel 90 degrees out of phase. If you were to reverse the positive and negative speaker wires on only ONE of your speakers, they would then be 180 degrees out of phase. How they do the 90 degrees is just a matter of electronics, so that's why Harry says the signal is half out of phase...it's like halfway between correct phase and completely out of phase. And it has that odd "non-localized" sound to it.
 
I voted for "Good Morning Mr. Sunshine" since it is probably the most "mariachi" of songs the TJB ever recorded--I believe it is a traditional Latin American song, as I've heard others do it prior to the TJB version, including Esquivel (as "La Bikina", found on the Music From A Sparkling Planet compilation). There are a few other musical high points here--for the most part I like this album. I only wish I could remember the TV special it came from! (All I remember is the brawl in the saloon. :D )
 
I voted for You Are My Life........

Harry, thanks for the infor about Moon River. It explains a lot. I always thought that they were two totally different recordings clumsisily edited together for no good reason. Either version works in isolation but they don't work together, imho.

Stephen
 
You're welcome. Since I saw the special way back when it first aired, it hadn't occured to me that more recent fans would have absolutely no perspective on why "Moon River" is so disjointed an arrangement.

Maybe we should do a play-by-play of the BRASS ARE COMIN' special to describe each song to those who haven't seen it.

Harry
 
Harry said:
Maybe we should do a play-by-play of the BRASS ARE COMIN' special to describe each song to those who haven't seen it.

Harry

That might be a nice idea! The only TV special I ever saw in the UK was the muppet one which ended with Herb signing I Belong. I remeber taping it on mono audio cassette and selectively editing out the bits which didn't interest me at the time. What an idiot! Still I have a few snippets of that audio tape which I must have recorded 30 years ago....

Stephen
 
Rudy said:
I voted for "Good Morning Mr. Sunshine" since it is probably the most "mariachi" of songs the TJB ever recorded--I believe it is a traditional Latin American song …

Hmm. I thought "Good Morning, Mr. Sunshine" was a song composed for the now ancient rock musical Hair. On the other hand, I am still reeling from the current HAECO-CRS conversation.
 
Akron Dave said:
I think you may mean "Good Morning, Starshine?" Wasn't that the title?
Or am I hallucinating?

:laugh: Hey -- the Haeco CSG system has that affect on people...

--Mr Bill
CSG=Creating Sound Garbage
 
Captaindave said:
I think you may mean "Good Morning, Starshine?" Wasn't that the title? Or am I hallucinating?

You're right: That's what I was thinking of. And I'm still hallucinating.

While I'm on the line: Can somebody help me with the mumbling I hear right before the drummer kicks into "Robbers and Cops"? Somebody says "Robbers and Cops," then something that I can't make out. What is that?
 
Numero Cinco said:
You're right: That's what I was thinking of. And I'm still hallucinating.

While I'm on the line: Can somebody help me with the mumbling I hear right before the drummer kicks into "Robbers and Cops"? Somebody says "Robbers and Cops," then something that I can't make out. What is that?

It's whispering; and the speaker-- probably Herb, is saying "..Take one..."

Anybody remember The BeeGees song LONELY NIGHTS? The first line was "Good morning, Mr. Sunshine...you brighten up my day..." I'll bet that's what Captain Dave was really thinking of...



Dan
 
"Good Morning, Mr. Sunshine"..."Good Morning, Starshine"..."Lonely Days, Lonely Nights"...somebody make these songs into a MEDLEY!! :rotf:

Another album where the HAECO-CSG-process has ruined my enjoyment of the music, was Wes Montgomery's Greatest Hits--there was really a "dense" contrast between the tunes there, and the more "spacious" sound quality on the original A&M/CTi's...

Anyway, I better watch my "CSG-level"--don't want to have to get operated on... :laugh:


Dave
 
Harry said:
You're welcome. Since I saw the special way back when it first aired, it hadn't occured to me that more recent fans would have absolutely no perspective on why "Moon River" is so disjointed an arrangement. Maybe we should do a play-by-play of the BRASS ARE COMIN' special to describe each song to those who haven't seen it.

Harry, you may have put your finger on why this album seems to me so incohesive: It may have been planned first as a television special, to which the LP was a supplement. In any case, if I dig deep in my long-term memory, I believe I can recall at least two visuals from the special whose soundtrack came from other albums: a scene in which, attired as cowboys, the band strides like Gary Cooper down a movie-western street to the tune of "Treasure of San Miguel"; and Herb's bidding us good night, then galloping away on a seashore to "The Sea Is My Soil."

Am I right?
 
Stephen Vakil said:
I voted for You Are My Life........

Harry, thanks for the infor about Moon River. It explains a lot. I always thought that they were two totally different recordings clumsisily edited together for no good reason. Either version works in isolation but they don't work together, imho.

Stephen

Well, it worked at least for me. I actually liked how the Brass and the orchestra mixed together near the end of the song. A sentimental favorite of mine. Too bad I didn't catch the TV special since I wasn't born yet.:cool:
 
I picked "The Maltese Melody" then "Country Lake" a close second. The song "I'm An Old Cowhand" sounds like trumpet or trombone farts. :laugh: Matt Clark Sanford, MI
 
AM Matt said:
I picked "The Maltese Melody" then "Country Lake" a close second. The song "I'm An Old Cowhand" sounds like trumpet or trombone farts. :laugh: Matt Clark Sanford, MI


They're supposed to be mooing cows...


Dan
 
And of course, HAECO was Holzer Audio Engineering Co. They do have a good deal to answer for, dunnay?
 
Well, just as a matter of personal "closure" for myself in regard to TBAC, I finally made a compromise on this album.

I did buy the vinyl album when it was first released back in late 1969. I had high hopes of another great TJB album like all the ones that had gone before. I could never make peace with the country/western presentation of this album even if only a couple of the songs actually lean in that direction. In general, some of the songs just don't make it for me anyway, even without that kind of concept.

But, I did decide to download four songs from the album...Moments, Robbers and Cops, Maltese Melody, and Good Morning, Mr. Sunshine. I like those songs quite a bit. I think they would have been good tracks on any TJB album - not just this so called "swan song" album.

For me, the previous albums had stronger tracks all the way through the entire albums. But, I do like these four very much, and I think that they strengthen the overall presentation; without which I would have been rather sad about this release, especially if compared to the glory days of the past.

So, thanks for those good tunes and the opportunity to hear them again, and the rest is filler IMO, which is something that I found previous TJB albums generally were able to avoid.
 
Captaindave said:
Well, just as a matter of personal "closure" for myself in regard to TBAC, I finally made a compromise on this album.
I've read your offering a few times, Cap'n -- I went through a similar circumstance with Wes Montgomery. Being a "hard core" jazz fella, I could never appreciate his Verve/A&M issues...I mean, all those strings and 2:30 songs where he barely gets 8 bars in. It was clear these LPs were designed to appeal to non-jazz listeners. One day the voice in my head said to me, of course it's not jazz -- it's pop music played by a jazz guitarist. Ever since I've been able to enjoy the music -- correctly filed with '60s pop [sandwiched by Montage and Van Morrison]. As a "popular" artist Wes' influence is immeasurable and his influence and contributions to pop is as significant as other notable '60s pop guitarist -- Cropper, Harrison, Hendrix, for instance.

Funny how looking at something in a different light changed everything. It's still the same music.
 
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