Shake Verdict:

I starting my vinyl selection seriously in the 60s with the Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Sergio Mendez and this guy, Herb Alpert. Back in 1967 he stamped his mark on the USA music scene with no less than five albums in the Billboard chart, with four of them in the top ten. It’s a feat that has never been matched, and never will be. So, what was it that endeared the man and his music to music lovers the world over (he sold over 80 million albums worldwide)? For me it was the way he could take a good tune and make it a great tune. Take for example  ‘A Taste Of Honey.’ It’s a pop standard written by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow and originally an instrumental track (or recurring theme) written for the 1960 Broadway version of the 1958 British play A Taste of Honey (which was also made into a film with the same name in 1961). Both the original and a cover by Herb Alpert in 1965 earned the song Grammy Awards. A vocal version of the song, first recorded by Lenny Welch, became popular when it was recorded by The Beatles in 1963. But it was the Herb Alpert interpretation that sticks in the brain. Mikis Theodorakis wrote the theme music for the movie Zorba The Greek but it was Alpert who took it into the charts - big time!

Then there were numerous original cuts including the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song ‘This Guy’s In Love With You’ released in 1968 by popuar demand after Alpert performed it on a TV show (he also sang the vocals), and a George Harrison favourite. And so it goes on with more chart singles and albums than you can throw a stick at, including many more songs penned and re-arranged by Alpert. Huge melodies, powerful rhythms and a distinctive signature sound gave Alpert his massive success and produced songs whose quality has never dimmed. As part of the deal in selling his share of A&M records he acquired the rights to all of his published music and is in the process of remastering all his albums. Here you get his definitive hits on one CD plus an incredible live jazz performance with his Grammy-winning wife Lani Hall, which we’ll be playing in its entirety shortly on one of our FM radio sessions.

For those of you who, like me, have only vinyl versions of his music, this CD is a God-send. In 1987 Alpert went R&B for the first time with his KEEP YOUR EYE ON ME album. Tracks from this album are included on the CD and are real eye-openers, especially coming from a man who at the time was making a dramatic change in his musical style late into his very long career. Here’s the full track listing of what must go down as the best best-of so far in 2010:

CD1 THE ESSENTIAL: The Lonely Bull, Mexican Shuffle, Whipped Cream, Lollipops and Roses, A Taste of Honey, Spanish Flea, Tijuana Taxi, Zorba The Greek, What Now My Love, So What’s New?, The Work Song, This Guy’s In Love With You, Casino Royale, Route 101, Fandango, Rise, Rotation, Diamonds, Keep Your Eye On Me, Making Love In The Rain.

CD2 LIVE WITH LANI HALL: Fascinating Rhythm, Para Raio, The Trolley Song, That Old Black Magic, Dinorah, It’s Only A Paper Moon, Let’s Face The Music & Dance, Morning Coffee, I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her face, Who Are You? Besame Mucho, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Laura.

5/5