Herb Alpert and A&M Masters

Herb's Masters

I hate to repeat information gained from the media because I know how unreliable they are.
It is my understanding that when Herb and Jerry sold A&M future revenues was figured in the formula as to what they would receive. Then the new owners closed down A&M and withdrew many of the releases on the market. That cut into the projected revenues part of the sale price. Herb (I heard) took the new owners to court and as part of the settlement they gave him the TJB masters. I guess they all figured he would sublease the material and make money of them.
The unique singles masters for A&M concern me. I have quite a few on the TJB , Baja Marimba Band (Can You Dig It and others), Claudine Longet that never appeared on Lps. If the same song appears on an LP its usually an inferior version and not what I remember hearing on Top 40 radio in the 60s.
Yes I like the LP version of Zorba The Greek but the single has a lot more live feel and festive sound even if it is overdubbs. Claudine's recording from the film "A Flea In Her Ear" as far as I can tell only appeared on A&M single. Even the movie soundtrack Lp doesn't have her version. They have a studio singer trying to sound like Claudine. It's definitely something to avoid hearing, believe me.
These singles versions are probably gone forever because the remasterers as a rule don't seem to know the music.
One persons opinion, and I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

IMO, the TJB would be an ideal candidate for a box set.

 

I'm happy to hear about potential 'new' TJB stuff. THAT's made an otherwise awful day, rather bearable.

For what it's worth, a recent movie, MATCHSTICK MEN, which uses music by Sinatra, Bobby Darin, and Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass in its soundtrack, credits the licensing of the TJB tracks to Almo Properties, LLC.

 

I am not sure they would sell TONS. The reason groups like The Beatles, Zeppelin, The Who etc. sell tons of catalog is because they are in perpetual rotation on classic rock radio. I don't even know where I would hear Herb Alpert on the radio. I am not saying they won't generated interest, but selling tons of records is not that easy these days.

I hate to say it, but as people get older, they tend to care less about things like music. My mom used to go to concerts in the 70s and saw Bowie, Elton John, Queen, etc. and could barely care about music at all. Although, she did shock me about a year ago when she told me she liked "that guy Creed (she meant the band)." I knew I disliked them for a reason....

 

That original A&M vinyl sounds pretty sweet on my system and the LP's are in every thrift shop and used record store. Get some of 'em, clean them up, and do some quality needle-drops like I did. It will hold you over until the catalog is re-released.

 

Personally, I think it's stupid to keep this TJB off the market.

I'd certainly be in line for reissues of Going Places, South Of The Border, Whipped Cream etc. Remastered properly mind you.

In the meantime, like Dean said it's needle drop city for me.

 

A&M's 25th Anniversary Releases/1987

What's the general consensus on these discs? I have the Brazil '66 one and used to have the Herb Alpert (lost, whatever). The Brazil CD sounds fine to me. I recall a Japanese reissue of Whipped Cream and Other Delights. How is that?

 

Re: A&M's 25th Anniversary Releases/1987

Many of us in A&M-land were happy to see the 25th Anniversary series, but were disppointed by two things:

- The fact that not all classic artists were represented. No Baja Marimba Band, no Claudine Longet, no Sandpipers, etc.

- Though they claimed to be from the 'original masters', they clearly weren't. In fact, to me, many of these sound significantly worse than their regular-album-on-CD counterparts. No offense, but I consider the Brasil '66 disc among the worst.

This is not to say that the series cannot be enjoyed, indeed it can. And the Lani Hall title routinely sells for well over $50 just about every week on eBay.

 

Herb Alpert can be heard on "Music of Your Life" and other "Nostalgia" stations these days. Whatever classic popular music you don't hear on oldies or classic rock radio formats are classified as "Nostalgia" by radio programmers.

 

Well, the TJB is well represented in "Oldies" type programming across the country You will hear the following TJB hits on just about ANY oldies station:

Taste of Honey
Tijauna Taxi
Whipped cream
Mexican Shuffle


I think there is a definite market for the TJB material. SO MANY people had those Lps and there is a big nostaligia factor there for all those catchy, infectous melodies that the TJB was so good at.

 

A current thread on our A&M Forum deals with Herb's chart successes and radio play. It can be found here.

(Hey - someone congratulate me - I've finally graduated to "member" status with 100 posts!)

 

Re: Herb's Masters

 

A special "I made 100 posts" Nauga award! Another 3079 and you'll get caught up to yours truly. (Thankfully I type very fast...)

 

Re: Re: A&M's 25th Anniversary Releases/1987

I still regret not buying every title in that 25th Anniversary Classics series. Some can still be found easily. Others seemingly vanished, and show up on eBay at ridiculous prices. Agreed about the sound quality though. The booklet notes that original masters were used. If that were true, why does the Supertramp disc have a very badly edited single version of "Goodbye Stranger" on it? I was still overjoyed to have the TJB on CD though...I remember picking it up the day I went on a lengthy drive, and it got quite a few plays. In fact, I still have the version with the incorrect track numbering on it.

I don't think any TJB release will ever sell in huge numbers. It's like I've mentioned before--for most people, a compilation presses all the right buttons for them. They get to relive a few memories in the course of an hour. Album reissues would be terrific, but there are far fewer buyers of something like Herb Alpert's Ninth or Summertime vs. one of those albums that every home seemed to have in the 60's like Whipped Cream or Going Places. Just a sad case of industry economics keeping perfectly good music out of circulation.

I still think a good alternative avenue would be for Herb Alpert to release his old albums himself, mainly via the internet and mail order sales. Don't underestimate what the power of the internet can do! Yellowjackets found themselves without a recording contract after almost 20 years in the business, having had two separate contracts with Warner Brothers and one with MCA/GRP. Despite the odds, they saved enough in sales via their website and post-concert sales to fund the recording of the live Mint Jam, sold exclusively online and after their gigs. It eventually was nominated for a Grammy! (Surprised us!! Although no surprise that Pat Metheny once again took the trophy. ) Selling the CDs direct, online, means the artist gets more of the proceeds from the sale, and doesn't have to worry about feeding the distribution chain and dealing with retailers and record company politics. Granted you may need a "fulfillment" service to do the shipping and billing, but it's easier to run small-scale.

 

I agree. I picked up some Herb Alpert at the local thrift. Lonely Bull and Whipped Cream. Both of them looked untouched by human hands. The sound is fantastic.

 

If you're willing to do a little bit of searching, good clean LP's of TJB can be found. Granted a lot of those LP's got many repeated plays on less than adequate equipment in the '60's.

I found near mint copies of Going Places (my fave TJB album) in both mono and stereo as well as a near mint Whipped Cream, all for pocket change and the sound on all of them is great.

 

I wish this was true. The oldies station in my area (KFRC in San Francisco) has a very narrow playlist that results in them playing the same songs every day. I have never heard a TJB song on the station -- or any music that I would call similar. They also almost always avoid anything that could be categorized as "pop vocal" with some exceptions (they play the Association's "Windy"). I once heard the morning dj pair play Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" and they made a crack about it afterwards and indicated that listeners were unlikely to hear that type of music on the station again. Their playlist also avoids most things pre-1960. It really is mostly a 1960's and 1970's rock/pop and pop/soul station. I don't dislike the music they play; I just wish they would expand what they play.

KFRC is also responsible for totally ruining what used to be a good record for me. They so overplayed Fontella Bass' "Rescue Me" for a period of several months (it seemed like every time I got in a car with that station playing, I heard that song) that I'm not sure I'll ever want to hear that song again.

 

The TJB gets no airplay in Detroit, other than on a low-powered radio station from Canada (CKWW, 580AM). On Oldies radio around here, they're too busy ramming Motown down everyone's throats...I'm very sick of Motown anything after all these years as a result. Immediate station change for me.

But back to the TJB: I laugh at some of the ridiculous prices on eBay for what are "ultra-rare" TJB albums on vinyl. The most notorious was a copy of "Lonely Bull" for $75 plus $9 shipping. I think after several of us e-mailed about being able to buy these anywhere for $3 a pop, he gave up selling it.

Locally, I've actually come across many sealed A&Ms, all for under $5 each. Including a couple of German pressings licensed to Deutches Gramaphone that have very quiet surfaces. That's one of A&M's appeals IMHO--many of the popular titles are very reasonably priced and easy to find. Unless it's a really rare title (like the George McCurn LP I finally found, SP102, A&M's second LP release), I don't usually pay more than $5 or $6 for them.

 

Try and find a "Nostalgia" station and you'll have better luck in hearing Herb on the radio.

 

We have a similar situation with our "good times, great oldies" station in Detroit, WOMC-FM. Lotsa Motown, plenty of stuff from the big names like the Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, etc., but precious little of anything else. I guess the programmers don't consider acts like the TJB to have any relevance or attraction for younger oldies listeners.

Tom Ryan, WOMC's afternoon host, actually went into a big on-air spiel about a year ago about how the station had a new PD, and how delighted he was because for the first time in years he'd be allowed to play Percy Faith's "Theme From A Summer Place". I was hoping that signalled a move to a broader playlist on the station, but it must not have lasted long because I haven't heard anything of that ilk since.

 

For Percy Faith, "Nostalgia" stations play his stuff a lot as well.

 

guy,

Good Times/Great Oldies stations WON'T usually play Herb Alpert/TJB. You have to find a "Relaxing Easy Favorites"- type station! We have one in Tampa called THE DOVE (WDUV). They play Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, The Carpenters, Little Anthony/Imperials, Lionel Ritchie, all kinds of interesting (non-standard oldies, too). It is a welcomed change from hearing RESPECT or DOCK OF THE BAY (good songs...mucho overplayed, though!) for the "umpteenth time"!

 

Jeez, now wouldn't THAT be a bold new idea? Let the DJ pick the tunes?? How....retro.

FWIW, do you remember The Bear? I remember in its earlier days, the DJs actually may have had a hand in picking the tunes. The afternoon drive time DJ would be more into the hard/metal rock, and the others had their own "flavor" of tunes they'd play. It still never ceases to amaze me how many rock-loving friends of mine mention they really miss The Bear...and yet they sank in the ratings. It was a break from the "same old same old".

WCSX had a freshening up of their programming a couple of years ago, bringing back Led Zeppelin and others they avoided in the couple years prior. BUT I just know from daily listening that they are still in a rut, and the same old tired songs are still played ad naseum.

I can't even get 580 AM out here in Canton...anyone else in the area have any luck with it?

 

Wow, Rudy, I'd forgotten all about "The Bear"! I have to admit I never listened to 'em that much, although I usually enjoyed what I heard when I did.

Speaking of defunct Detroit-area stations, the one I really miss is "The River" (93.9 FM, out of Windsor). The one and only time Detroit had a real AAA-type station, which is a format I absolutely love. When they started out they even had Ann Delisi as their PD. Now it's yet another lite-rock station, like we didn't have enough of those already.

WCSX has long since become a pale shadow of what it once was. I enjoyed the station when they actually played deep album cuts once in a while, now it's all about "the classics you know", over and over and over. I basically just listen to 'CSX now when they break from their usual format ("Over Easy", Little Steven, Mark Pasman's blues show), because I've heard "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" enough to last me this lifetime and the next, thank you very much.

Looks like we've hijacked this thread. Sorry, folks, it's too much fun to rant!

 

Or a Music of Your Life affiliate or a Stardust affiliate which offer similar programming formats.