A jazz re-issue making the CNN website

[mgraham333]

(CNN) -- In 1966, perhaps the greatest year rock 'n' roll has ever known, the biggest-selling album artist of the year wasn't the Beatles or Beach Boys or the Rolling Stones.

Indeed, it wasn't a rock 'n' roll artist at all, but a 31-year-old trumpeter and label co-owner whose records were full of finger-snapping instrumentals with a vaguely Latin sound called "Ameriachi."

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were on top of the world. Three of the group's albums made Billboard's year-end Top Five; several singles hit the Top 40. At one point during the year, the group had five albums in the Top 20 at the same time, still a record.

Alpert's hot streak began with "Whipped Cream & Other Delights." The album, with its legendarily naughty cover (later parodied to terrific effect by Soul Asylum) and hits "A Taste of Honey" and "Whipped Cream," came out in 1965 and stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks. It was on the charts for almost three years.

more at CNN

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Since the word "jazz" does not appear anywhere in the extract shown, nor in the complete CNN article - why are you mislabeling this a "jazz re-issue"???

I mean, it's false advertising or bait-and-switch or something.

Mike

[mgraham333]

Mike: I can see why you are confused. You are thinking of this one:

Clam Dip & Other Delights by Soul Asylum

[Michael Fitzgerald]

OK - *that's* probably more a jazz album than the Herb Alpert.....

Mike

[mgraham333]

I guess someone had better tell Alan over at jazzmatazz to move Herb and the boys into the non-jazz items of interest category for April 19th.

[bertrand]

Herb Alpert may not be jazz, but he publishes Wayne Shorter's music (Rondor music).

Of course, he only 'publishes' in the sense of collecting money and administering rights. If you think he'd actually take the initiative to put out a complete collection of scores/transcriptions, dream on.

Bertrand.

Edited April 15, 2005 by bertrand

[Bill Fenohr]

Back then we filed the Alpert albums in the "Easy Listening" section at our store. If we had put them in the Jazz section, we would have been run out of town on a rail.

The A&M albums we used to look forward to in those days were the Baja Marimba Band sides. Not for the music, but for the covers. On most of them there was always a band member with his back to the camera taking a wiz. It was maybe the only cover art running joke i can think of.

[DMP]

Well, they DID have a "hit" with "Work Song" - that probably paid for Nat's kids college education.

Does anyone remember the Chet Baker/"World Pacific" knock-off? Those albums (and the notes did talk about their jazz content") make Bud Shank playing "Michele" look like "West End Blues." (Or something.)

[JSngry]

What I find interesting is how Allan Toussaint had hit songs with both Herb Albert and Al Hirt.

Well. "interesting" might be stretching it, but...

Edited April 19, 2005 by JSngry

[JSngry]

"Casino Royale" was actually a pretty nifty single, but that's Bacharach.

Then again, Bacharach did his early solo albums on A&M, and his productions for Dionne Warwick often featured that kind of pinched trumpet tone that Albert had, so which came first? Who knows, and who cares, but all I'm saying is that although most of the TJB's catalog is cliched and formulaic corn, pure and simple, there's occasional pieces of genuine pop nexusism to be found, if that sort of thing contributes to your daily pleasure.

And then there's a John Pisano tune called "Slick" that is exactly that...

[Parkertown]

Back then we filed the Alpert albums in the "Easy Listening" section at our store. If we had put them in the Jazz section, we would have been run out of town on a rail.

The A&M albums we used to look forward to in those days were the Baja Marimba Band sides. Not for the music, but for the covers. On most of them there was always a band member with his back to the camera taking a wiz. It was maybe the only cover art running joke i can think of.

I just looked at all the album covers that All Music Guide has and nobody whizzin' anywhere...

What albums are you referring to? Pics?

B-)

[couw]

Back then we filed the Alpert albums in the "Easy Listening" section at our store. If we had put them in the Jazz section, we would have been run out of town on a rail.

The A&M albums we used to look forward to in those days were the Baja Marimba Band sides. Not for the music, but for the covers. On most of them there was always a band member with his back to the camera taking a wiz. It was maybe the only cover art running joke i can think of.

I just looked at all the album covers that All Music Guide has and nobody whizzin' anywhere...

What albums are you referring to? Pics?

B-)

Edited April 19, 2005 by couw

[Bill Fenohr]

If you look real close they all have a guy with his back to the camera taking a wiz. Of the images you posted, the one where you can see the best is the one in the boat. The one in front of the bus is the hardest because there is a band member up on the hill that you cant make out in this image.

Dont feel bad, most of the people who bought their albums never saw the joke.

[couw]

... a band member up on the hill that you cant make out in this image

for those with bad eyes: click

another one here

(these are quite big and I thought I'd better not paste them in the post here)

[DMP]

Now that I think of it, Herb Alpert was responsible for perhaps the most unlilely commercial success of a jazz musician of all time - Gato Barbieri! He sold the fiery saxophonist as a disco artist!

[JSngry]

And let's not forget how he gave John Snyder free reign (for a minute or two, anyway...) with Horizon.

[DMP]

And was responsible for one of the great (but unheralded) Stan Getz albums ever - "The Lost Sessions." (And the notes detail Alpert's relationship with Getz - very interesting.)

(Besided giving Snyder that free hand, he also did the same with Creed Taylor - does one cancel the other out?)

[Parkertown]

Thanks, Bill. I'm laughing my ass off! I see 'em now...