Collecting Music: LP or CD. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Part THREE: Foreigners

September 21, 2018

#278

Gentle reader,

This is the third and final chapter about the legendary trumpeter, Herb Alpert and his decades long journey through the often difficult world of popular music. Did you know that he and his wife Lani are STILL touring and performing? Well, they are. And he is 83!

Here are links to the two previous chapters in case you missed them:

Collecting Music: LP or CD. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Part ONE.  

and:

Collecting Music: LP or CD. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Part TWO.

This final chapter deals with a number of Herb Alpert records that were created and offered for sale around the world. Music by American artists has and still does, interest many folks around the world. Herb Alpert's unique genre was no exception.

Let's start off with this one. A German release of their first LP: THE LONELY BULL. No date that I can find, but no doubt soon after it's domestic release in 1962. This is on the A&M label: 212 017 NOTE: I have seen blogger has a glitch. It is this, If I use "&" when I look at it later, it reads "&". So, it's not me.

The same cover, front and rear, is this Canadian release on Quality Records Limited. VOLUME 2. Based upon the three later albums shown on the back, this is newer than 1963. 

Another German release, another different cover than here. VOLUME 2 again. Also on A&M 212 050 Being slightly OCD, I shall put it next to it's mate when I re-shelve them.

Above, take a look at the covers. After this one, they use the standard US covers. Failed experiment or A&M stepping in?

Another German release, this time on Karussell GOLD-SERIE, it seems to be a compilation as I see tunes from more than one record listed. No date on this one either. 535010

A United Kingdom release on PYE INTERNATIONAL under label number NPL 28077. Both covers are identical to the US release.

Interesting, it has LONDON on the front which is a label that England's Decca uses for their American releases. But on the back it has "royal sound STEREO" and at the bottom in tiny writing is MADE IN GERMANY TELDEC & Telefunken-Decca and the address in Hamburg. All of that is also on the record's label. SHA 204

Covers are the same as US issues, it even has an A&M sleeve.

I have a son-in-law who is Colombian and showed this to him. He had no idea who the group was. Kids these days. THE BEAT OF THE BRASS. Anyway, yes, it was made in Columbia on CODISCOS INTERNATIONAL under license to A&M. Same cover photos as the US release. CI-20

Like some Asian records I have found (and you will see) they managed to completely encase the sleeve in plastic. Perhaps as a safeguard against equatorial heat and humidity? 

Another Colombian release, this one is SUMMERTIME. Same label, in fact, I found them together. CI-67

Also fully encased in plastic, even the insides of the cover.

This 1976 release intrigues me. This is a UK release. There is no mention of it in Wikipedia nor on Herb Alpert's own website. Yet it is a genuine release on A&M. Just You and Me. I should have a US copy of this, but never pursued it. 

He wrote, performed and dedicated it to his father, who had recently passed. The consumer reviews are disappointed by his playing. How well could you do something if you were grieving? Sheesh, cut the guy some slack!

This is one of two Asian release which I also found together. They call it volume 4, but it has the photo from WHAT NOW MY LOVE. Yet, the tunes are not from that album.

The brown  edge stripes are from ancient repair tape. Which I had to replace. The opening is at the top, rather than the western standard of the right side edge.

The record is transparent pink vinyl. Label is yellow. No English writing as to the record company that made it. 

The sleeve is thick paper rather than cardboard. It is not plastic sleeved like the one below. 

Completely different is this Hua Sheng release. No title, just a list of the tunes. The photo is from the back of THE BEAT OF THE BRASS and the list of tunes is the same.

The label confirms that it is in fact, THE BEAT OF THE BRASS. Nothing in English as to the country it was made in.

My only connection to Australia is automotive. I had, for six years, a sporty Ford convertible made there and sold here as a Mercury. The Capri XR2 model. That and there are some from GM's Australian branch called Holden. Sold here as Pontiacs, and Chevrolets. They started with the 2004 Pontiac GTO. The last model sold being the Chevy SS. All fine high performance cars. Ford and Holden continued making rear wheel drive coupes, sedans and Utes (think El Camino and Ranchero). You know, American cars. Sadly as of last year, both ceased making cars in Australia, citing costs. But I digress.

But this record is also from "...the land down under, the land of sunshine and sharks." That was from a Monty Python skit. Anyway, no photo of Herb or any band member.  On the Universal Record Club label and titled  VIVA MEXICO! It appears to be a mix of the first two records.

This one too has no photo of anyone who played on it. This one is from England on, oddly, STATESIDE Records. SOUNDS OF TIJUANA, it too seems to be a combination of the first two records. E.M.I. is the parent company, so it seems. SSL 10193

If "stateside" means nothing to you, it was and may still be, a phrase Americans in places other than here say when they are returning, "We're going stateside."

I spied this at an outdoor flea market. I dropped to my knees, it was the first foreign release Herb Alpert record I had ever seen. A BANDA is the title on AMIGA Records. I suspect that is not Herb Alpert OR his wife in that photo!

A German pressing made in Berlin. I forget if DDR was East or West Germany. As you can see, IM TIJUANA TAXI was another release. 8 55 228

Last of my foreign release is another from Australia. FIESTA I'm not going to go through my records to see which American one this might be. On UNIVERSAL SUMMIT Records under license from A&M. But it IS going next to VIVA MEXICO. SRA250 047.

Finally back in Trump land, is this boxed set from The Longines Symphonette Society. It is the first four Herb Alpert records and they reshuffled them so all of the tunes were spread throughout all four records. Fun to listen to since you don't know which is coming next.

Even back when I found it, which was long ago, I went through the list below and the records to mark where each tune originated. OCD, it's a good thing sometimes.

The Longines Symphonette Society was a record company that paired with music artists and did for them what they did here. Gather several records, mix them all up and press new records. Then add a booklet or at least a sheet like this and sell them to unsuspecting consumers.
They were not alone. Reader's Digest did the same thing and I suspect others. 

Well, that's it, I hope that you learned something. If there was a way to add music, without violating copyright laws, I'd do so. I see that I can add a video, but I don't do videos. I mean there are SO many videos out on the Internet, right?

Thank you once again for reading my humble blog. It is our continued support and kind comments that keeps me inspired to come up with new subject matter.

Scott
September 21, 2018
#278