TJB prices keep going up...

[daveK]

Looking on Amazon, I see CD copies of "South Of The Border" and "Whipped Cream" are listed at over $100.00. Clicking on "Whipped Cream", one of the sellers says he doesn't have "Whipped Cream" but rather, "Bullish". His asking price is $139.99.

 

[Rudy]

For awhile there was an eBay bidder who was buying up TJB CDs at any price, then either relisting them or posting them on half.com for an outrageous price. I got this person's ID and put a block on it for any of my auctions...I'd rather have the end user buy and enjoy a disc from me, not an opportunist.

What will be funny is when some of these sellers get stung if/when any TJB reissues come out. After they paid $50 or $100 or whatever for a Going Places CD, and a new one in the stores is $15.

 

[Andrew T.]

It's painfully obvious that demand for Herb Alpert's CDs far outstrips supply, to the point where sellers justify $39 Foursiders, $56 Rises, and $70 Christmas Albums. Don't like Amazon.com? Then steer over to half.com before eBay shuts it down, where you'll see $21 Rises, but $129 Whipped Creams. I love it how the only thing under "Fandango" on Half is a "very rare 1984 "BULLISH" release" for $254.98. Similarly, the only !!Going Places!! listed on Amazon is a vinyl record for $30.
"They" had better get around to reissuing Herb's catalog before things get much more chaotic then they already are! Well, I found my very clean stereo LP of !!Going Places!! for $0.50.

 

[Rudy]

At today's prices, you can buy a CD recorder, a case of blank CDs and a few copies of an album and make a clean needle drop from them, for less than one of those CDs would cost. Other than for vinyl noise and pops/clicks (which aren't an issue with vinyl in good condition), the current CDs sound no better than the LPs that are out there. If Universal's currrent work is any indication, any new reissues may sound worse than what's out there already. (Think compression, EQ and no-noise.) These albums deserve a really good remastering, preferably on SACD so they can't futz with the sound too much. It's considered the most "analog" of all digital systems, and for the future, I think it's the way to go.

I know Herb is working on something TJB related right now, but I've heard conflicting stories as to exactly what. I still can't guess if reissues are in the near future or not!

Not sure about supply and demand though...LPs are plentiful, and I think a lot of the eBay buying is by opportunists looking to make a killing by reselling at outrageous prices. CDs like Lonely Bull and Whipped Cream were on the market for a decade...there shouldn't be any sudden rush to buy them all now. The rarer CDs should have more demand...but where were these buyers when the CDs WERE in print? A&M just killed off what didn't sell, which is why some titles didn't last long in print.

Of course in hindsight, all of us would have bought multiple copies...

 

[Mike Blakesley]

if/when any TJB reissues come out

OH NO! It used to be "when" ... now it's "if/when." That's only a short jump from "if."

 

[Rudy]

if/when any TJB reissues come out

OH NO! It used to be "when" ... now it's "if/when." That's only a short jump from "if."

The only concrete thing I've heard so far is that Larry Levine and Herb were going over old TJB master tapes...this was around the time of the Julius tribute. About a month ago, I read that Herb was overdubbing trumpet parts to some unreleased TJB tracks. Live or studio, I don't know...but these were TJB recordings made without the trumpet, so it's not like he's pulling a Richard Carpenter and RE-recording his parts.

Reissues still could be in the works, but I've heard less about them over the past year. Although, it would be wise, if a "new" TJB project comes out, to have the reissues ready and waiting in the wings to cash in on the popularity of a new recording.

Not saying reissues won't happen, but I haven't heard anything about reissues in awhile either. No news is...no news, I guess.

 

[Captaindave]

Here's a thought...

Maybe Herb plans to mark his 70th birthday with a reissue party

 

[Rudy]

Here are a couple of interesting threads from Steve Hoffman's forum regarding what he's done. Steve is one of the few good mastering engineers left.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=871&highlight=herb+alpert

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=319&highlight=herb+alpert

The first is archived from the old DCC forum before DCC went out of business. The second is archived from back before I was a member there. The short version: Steve has made archival copies of the three-track masters for Herb Alpert's own private use. And other members there also show a lot of interest in seeing the TJB catalog on CD one day!

It does verify that Larry Levine made the mono album mixes, and Herb did the stereo mixes.

 

[alpertfan]

Sounds like he's got it finished...or at least, half-finished...but the problem seems to be that no label wants it. Wonder why. Does that mean Universal has no interest?