Christmas Album | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 16, 1968 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 31:37 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Producer | Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss | |||
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass chronology | ||||
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Alternate cover | ||||
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Allmusic | link |
Christmas Album is a late-1968 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. It was the group's eleventh release. The LP edition of the album was issued twice. The original edition had the cover photography filling the front and back sides of the album jacket. For the reissue, the photos were reduced to half size and placed in the center of a white background. Although the Brass' albums were out of print for a good many years, the Christmas Album was released on CD in the 1980s (with the CD release sporting the altered cover artwork), with annual reappearances in record stores at Christmastime. The album was re-released again on CD by the Shout!Factory label in 2006 as were many of the other Tijuana Brass albums. The Shout!Factory release restored the original artwork to the front cover and featured the original back cover on the included CD booklet. Another CD re-release occurred on October 23, 2015 (Herb Alpert Presents label, remastered), this time restoring the original artwork to the front and back.
The album contains a mixture of popular Christmas-season music, mostly American secular standards. Exceptions include the Bach piece "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," and a traditional Hispanic number, "Las Mañanitas." The latter song's arrangement, provided by marimbist Julius Wechter, is near identical to one used by Wechter's Baja Marimba Band several years earlier, on their 1965 album For Animals Only. The songs's title literally means "The Little Mornings;" the song is traditionally sung on the morning of one's birthday celebration, or the day of a religious figure such as a saint (or, in this case, Jesus).
The cover features the image of Alpert, who is Jewish, dressed as Santa Claus while playing his trumpet.
Collaborating with Alpert in the production was his usual cadre of musicians: Nick Ceroli (drums/percussion), Bob Edmondson (trombone), Tonni Kalash (trumpet), Lou Pagani (keyboards), John Pisano (guitars/mandolin) and Pat Senatore (bass). Perennial sideman, Julius Wechter, appears on marimba and percussion. Alpert provides lead vocals on "The Christmas Song" and "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle," and there are also appearances by a studio choir and string instruments, arranged by Shorty Rogers.
Volume 2 is the second album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, known in this recording as "Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass". It was released in 1963 on A&M Records, and sold poorly upon initial release.
"Spanish Flea" is a popular song written by Julius Wechter in the 1960s with lyrics by his wife Cissy Wechter. The original version was recorded by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Cover versions of the song have been recorded by dozens of artists worldwide.
Whipped Cream & Other Delights is a 1965 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, called "Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass" for this album, released on A&M Records. It is the band's fourth full album and arguably their most popular release.
South of the Border is the third album by American easy listening brass band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, originally released in 1964. The name of the group, for this album, is "Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass".
What Now My Love is the sixth album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, released in 1966. It remained at #1 on the Billboard Album chart for nine weeks, the longest of any album released by the group. The cover photo, an outtake from Alpert's 1964 South of the Border album, features model Sandra Moss at the Patio del Moro apartment complex in West Hollywood.
Going Places is the fifth album by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. It was originally released by A&M Records in 1965 and has appeared in many formats.
Herb Alpert's Ninth is a 1967 album by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and spent 18 weeks in the Top 40. Its cover, in addition to containing some still photos from Brass concerts, includes a pop-culture joke: it shows Ludwig van Beethoven appearing to wear a T-shirt bearing Alpert's face at a time when T-shirts bearing Beethoven's face were popular. The title was also a play on Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, though no part of Beethoven's work actually appears in the album tracks. However, the album contains a medley of music from the opera Carmen, centering on "Habanera" and also including portions of some of the group's earlier hits: "Spanish Flea", "A Taste of Honey", "Whipped Cream", "What Now My Love", "Zorba the Greek" and "Tijuana Taxi".
S.R.O., is an album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, released in 1966. The title stands for "Standing Room Only," which is a term used to describe a sold-out performance where all the available seats are taken and only standing room remains. The album features the hit singles "The Work Song" and "Mame," as well as other popular tracks such as "Flamingo" and "Our Day Will Come." It was the seventh album released by the group and reached #2 on the Billboard 200 chart.
"Rise" is an instrumental written by Andy Armer and Randy 'Badazz' Alpert, first recorded in 1979 by trumpeter Herb Alpert. Released as a single from Alpert's solo album Rise, the song reached #1 on the Billboard charts. It is the instrumental sample for The Notorious B.I.G. hit "Hypnotize".
The Baja Marimba Band was an American musical group led by marimba player Julius Wechter. Formed by producer Herb Alpert after his own Tijuana Brass, the Baja Marimba Band outlasted the Tijuana Brass by several years in part due to TV producer Chuck Barris, who included the group's music on his game shows in the 1970s.
Julius Wechter was an American musician and composer who played the marimba and vibraphone. He also played various percussion instruments. He composed the song "Spanish Flea" for Herb Alpert and was leader of the Baja Marimba Band.
Sounds Like... is a 1967 album by the instrumental group Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, the group's eighth.
The Beat of the Brass is the tenth album by the popular instrumental group Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, released in 1968. It was the last album by the Tijuana Brass to be released in both mono and stereo versions; all albums afterward would be released in stereo only.
This is the complete discography of the fictional music group Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Although its actual release date was 1986, Classics Volume 1 was the first release of A&M Records' 25th Anniversary Series in 1987. The commemorative series was solely available on digital audio compact disc. Each volume contained the prominent works of a selected A&M artist. Volume 1 was the hits of Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Tracks ranged from their first single, "The Lonely Bull" in 1962, to "Jerusalem" in 1971. All tracks were originally produced by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss.
Ervan F. "Bud" Coleman was an American guitar and mandolin player, member of Baja Marimba Band, worked with Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, and who wrote the hit track, "Tijuana Taxi".
Fandango is a studio album by American musician Herb Alpert released on A&M Records in April 1982 with catalog number SP-3731.
You Smile – The Song Begins is a 1974 studio album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, though billed as "Herb Alpert and the T.J.B." It was the group's first regular studio album since 1969's The Brass Are Comin', and was arranged by Quincy Jones.
Summertime is a 1971 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. It consists of tracks assembled by Alpert's A&M Records label and was released during Alpert's hiatus from performing that occurred between the albums The Brass Are Comin' (1969) and You Smile – The Song Begins (1974).
Coney Island is a 1975 studio album by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, the second release that was billed as "Herb Alpert & The T.J.B." It followed the 1974 release of You Smile – The Song Begins. Both albums reflected personnel changes from the Brass that was disbanded after 1969's The Brass Are Comin'.