The Monday, Monday thread: Defend your favorite unappreciated TJB songs

[alpertfan]

"Panama", for its jazzy feel. "A Beautiful Friend", "Desafinado", "Memories Of Madrid", "It Was A Very Good Year", "If I Were A Rich Man", "The Magic Trumpet", "Never On Sunday", "Jerusalem".

 

[LPJim]

"Treasure of San Miguel" has been my favorite Herb/TJB song for many years. It's an epic ensemble piece that takes the mind to wide open spaces, optimism and possibilities.

JB

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I always felt like "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" never got the love it should have. Most recordings of the song are rather "sing-songy", but Herb's take really sizzles...it has a drive to it that all the others lack, even Johnny Mathis" version pales by comparison.

Herb thought enough of the song to record it twice, and both versions have that up-tempo drive that really cooks.

 

[A&M Retro]

You know it! 👍👍

Today's equivalent would probaby be a rap song with f-bombs every three words, played from an illegally downloaded MP3 over a laptop...

Truth!

 

[rockdoctor]

Truth!

That is one thing I despise about a lot of the music of today. The writers go out of their way to make sure there is something trashy in songs.
Those should not get airplay, even the so-called clean version since you know what they are saying.

 

[DeeInKY]

I’ve alwslays liked “Cantina Blue” from the “What Now My Love” album and “Sugar Cane” from “Second Wind”. Of course that second one was not TJB, but I don’t recall it getting airplay (unless I was listening to the wrong stations).

 

[A&M Retro]

The opening track from The Beat of the Brass, "Monday, Monday," came up on my music shuffle last night. This song doesn't get much respect among TJB critics but it's one of my favorites. I especially like listening to Bob Edmondson's work on it. Starting at about 1:25, the song is basically a duet between Herb and at least two or three iterations of Bob in the background just going crazy on the trombone. To me the trombone is really what makes this song work and I often think Bob Edmondson doesn't get enough credit for his contributions to the Brass sound. I don't know if it was a great decision to make "Monday" the opening song for the album, but I don't know what other tune on that album would have worked as an opener.

Now it's your turn.... think of a song that many people don't count among their favorites and tell us why you think it's awesome.

I was just listening to 'Monday, Monday' over the weekend. It's always been one of my favorite TJB tracks.

Amazingly, I found a MONO copy of 'The Beat Of The Brass' on eBay in January! Not only is it mono, but it was sealed! Actually, the LP was sealed in one of those clear plastic baggies and the cover was opened with no plastic. Needless to say, I lucked out. All of that eBay searching finally paid off. I paid $21.00.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

There are a couple of songs on the mono version that are a bit longer than their stereo counterparts -- I think "Monday Monday" and "Panama" both have a slightly longer fade, if memory serves.

 

[A&M Retro]

There are a couple of songs on the mono version that are a bit longer than their stereo counterparts -- I think "Monday Monday" and "Panama" both have a slightly longer fade, if memory serves.

I did notice that! It sounds very clean in mono. I was impressed with the mono version of 'This Guy's In Love With You', as well. It's a bit boomier sounding to me. I still can't believe I found this thing.

 

[rockdoctor]

A friend of mine does DJ work at weddings. I put the bug into his ear about using Love Potion Number 9 as well,

 

[A&M Retro]

A friend of mine does DJ work at weddings. I put the bug into his ear about using Love Potion Number 9 as well,

Nice work! : )

 

[toeknee4bz]

Here are a few gems that may be less than fully appreciated:

"Bud" Herb Alpert's Ninth. This is one of my favorite TJB tunes. This has beautiful guitar parts, cool trombone work, mellow trumpet, but with a nice beat.

"Marjorine" Warm. This song really swings.

"Whistlestar" Lost Treasures. This is a very hot piece, with some amazing key changes.

"Grandpa Lou" Just You and Me. Very nice sound.

"She Been" Main Event Live. Love the energy here.

"Catfish" Coney Island. So cool. And just a general comment about Coney Island, it has some fantastic marimba work from Julius, and virtuoso piano from Dave Fishberg

"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" The Christmas Wish. So interesting to hear Herb playing in a classical style. Very nicely done!

Add "Shame The Devil" from Main Event Live. Same notation.

 

[toeknee4bz]

'Underrated' gems? Hmm. Let's see... (From each album):
Struttin' With Maria, Surfin' Senorita, Angelito, Ladyfingers, Cinco de Mayo, Five Minutes More, FREIGHT TRAIN JOE , The Charmer, Flea Bag, A Beautiful Friend, Las Mananitas, Girl Talk, I'll Be Back, Darlin', Song For Herb, I Belong,
Musique, Moonza, Shame the Devil, Angelina, Reach For The Stars, I Get It From You, Angel, Latin Lady, Always Have A Dream, No Time For Time, Rocket To The Moon, My Song, Legs, It's The Last Dance, Friends, Side Steppin', Baila Conmigo (Dance With Me), Think About It, Speakeasy, Club Esquina, Jacky's Place, Begin the Beguine, Sweet and Lovely, Incognito, You Stepped Out of A Dream, What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?, Nature Boy

Whoops. Forgot this was just supposed to be TJB songs!

 

[Harry]

^Now THAT might be an interesting compilation.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Every year a friend and I put on a fireworks display for our neighborhood. Since 2015 I've been creating a soundtrack for it, using anywhere from 10 to 25 songs edited together. The whole thing usually runs about 18 minutes, so the song clips are usually less than a minute each. I have fun experimenting with the timing so the whole thing sounds seamless. I guess I'm channeling the old "Stars on 45" mojo.

Last fall I had the idea to try to make a soundtrack out of TJB songs. It's not done yet (I tinker with it when I have spare time) and the chances it'll ever get used for our show are slim, because my friend has veto power and he's more of a rock fan, but you never know.) Once I get it done I'll have to see if there's a way to get it on Youtube without the copyright police coming down on me. It's a fun listen for sure! I'm working on the ending.

 

[Rudy]

I'm working on the ending.

The last few bars of "Carmen" are about as "ending" as any song the TJB ever recorded. 😁

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Yeah I've been wavering between that and the end of "Zorba the Greek."

 

[Rudy]

Ouch. That's a tough call!

 

[rockdoctor]

Yeah I've been wavering between that and the end of "Zorba the Greek."

I have always liked both Carmen and Zorba. My favorite album by Alpert is Warm but Ninth is a very close second.
I actually bought them both at the same time as cutouts in an old Woolworths store.

 

[Moritat]

The first 2 songs that came to mind were "For Carlos" (aka Wind Song), and More & More Amor. Both are among my top 5 TJB songs ever. Carlos is a great arrangement and Amor is Sol Lake at his melodic best. Of the songs previously mentioned in this thread, I agree with "Green Peppers" ( in my opinion, a top 10 all time TJB song ) and Marjorine (another Sol Lake gem with a complex masterful melody). I find it interesting to see that someone listed "Flamingo" as an unappreciated song because I think "Flamingo is the best tune the TJB ever recorded.

 

[Steven J. Gross]

The opening track from The Beat of the Brass, "Monday, Monday," came up on my music shuffle last night. This song doesn't get much respect among TJB critics but it's one of my favorites. I especially like listening to Bob Edmondson's work on it. Starting at about 1:25, the song is basically a duet between Herb and at least two or three iterations of Bob in the background just going crazy on the trombone. To me the trombone is really what makes this song work and I often think Bob Edmondson doesn't get enough credit for his contributions to the Brass sound. I don't know if it was a great decision to make "Monday" the opening song for the album, but I don't know what other tune on that album would have worked as an opener.

Now it's your turn.... think of a song that many people don't count among their favorites and tell us why you think it's awesome.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

How'd I miss this thread?

I see Rudy beat me (he had a two and a half year head start) to "Girl Talk", so I'll cast my vote for "The Robin" and "Love So Fine".

 

[Harry]

In addition to my nominee of "Mae" from a couple of years ago in this thread I'd like to put forth another one that gets no respect or love.

"The Brass Are Comin' (Little Train of Caipira)" was the title track to the album and the TV special. I've come to like this track a good bit more since being able to undo the nasty CSG processing in which the album was released. It just makes it so much more listenable.

And talk about no respect? Not a single track from this album made it to the big HERB ALPERT IS..., and this song has never been on any other anthology.

Here's the track with the CSG removed:

 

[Nemily]

I will cast a vote for Freckles, the second track from What Now My Love. I’m not sure if this qualifies as an unappreciated song, it was never a single release so I am counting it is as a deep cut. In this song the density of texture and having the marimba as a perfect counterpoint to a particularly powerful brass arrangement really worked for them. It’s upbeat and gets me whistling.

 

[Harry]

[moved the Brass Are Comin' posts to its old AOTW thread.)