Happy 91st Birthday to Herb Alpert!
I came to know Herb Alpert as a young kid. primary from the above album. My dad had this album on vinyl and on 8 track.
Growing up it would often play at home and in the car. I’m not sure what the draw to it was, but we always listened to it.
One vivid memory of the album involved my aunt. She’s four years older than me. Whenever the song Zorba The Greek played we’d act like fools running around. In the song it starts fast and then there is a slow part that eventually winds back up to the original fast speed it started at. So we’d run/walk and dance to that tempo.
Other memories of the album:
- I don’t remember exactly when but at some point I realized The Spanish Flea was the theme to that Dating Game!
- The Detroit Tigers radio broadcasts were always sponsored by The Honey Baked Ham company. Their commercials always had A Taste of Honey at the end of it.
- Although we never played it in band, I found the sheet music to Tijuana Taxi and loved playing it.
Herb had great success with the TJB and would also help for A&M records. In 1966 his Whipped Cream & Other Delights was the number one record of the year. That bested The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and even Frank Sinatra!
The first number one song for the label was Herb’s solo effort, This Guy’s In Love With You. Thanks to play on the soap opera General Hospital, Herb notched up another number one with Rise.
He continues to play and I will see him pop up on interviews often. He looks great and sound great!
Happy birthday, Herb!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 