Greg Stereo

A very happy birthday to legendary musician and recording industry executive Herb Alpert, founder of the Tijuana Brass Brand, the “A” in A&M Records, and composer of “Spanish Flea”, which many people also call the theme to the Chuck Barris game show, “The Dating Game”.

One internet chronicler put it best regarding Spanish Flea:

everything instantly becomes awesome if this is played

This may be the most accurate statement anywhere on the internet.

Alpert’s musical accomplishments include five number one hits, twenty-eight albums on the Billboard charts, eight Grammy Awards, fourteen Platinum albums and fifteen Gold albums.

He disbanded the Tijuana Brass Band in the late 1960′s, released a new album by them in 1971, and re-formed TBB in the mid-1980′s. Alpert also performed an instrumental version of the US national anthem @ the 1988 Super Bowl.

Aside from his own performing musical career, and his work various television executives creating music for Chuck Barris’ many concept shows and others’ commercials, Alpert worked with and produced many popular artists on the A&M label. Notables include The Carpenters, Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66, Liza Minelli, Janet Jackson, and others.

His discography includes:

The Lonely Bull (1962) LP-101 (mono)/101S (stereo)
South of the Border (1964) LP-108/SP-4108
Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965) LP-110/SP-4110
Going Places (1965) LP-112/SP-4112
What Now My Love (1966) LP-114/SP-4114
S.R.O. (1966) LP-119/SP-4119
Sounds Like… (1967) LP-124/SP-4124
Herb Alpert’s Ninth (1967) LP-134/SP-4134
The Beat of the Brass (1968) SP-4146
Christmas Album (1968) SP-4166; reissued as SP-3113
Warm (1969) SP-4190
The Brass Are Comin’ (1969) SP-4228
Greatest Hits (1970) SP-4245
Summertime (1971) SP-4314
Solid Brass (compilation) (1972) SP-4341
Foursider (compilation) (1973) SP-3521
You Smile – The Song Begins (1974) SP-3620
A Treasury of the Award-Winning Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass plus selections from the Baja Marimba Band (1974) Longines Symphonette LWS-500-505
Coney Island (1975) SP-4521
Just You and Me (1976) SP-4591
Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (compilation) (1977) SP-4627
Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela (1978) SP-728
Main Event Live! (1978) SP-4727
Rise (1979) SP-4790
Beyond (1980) SP-3717
Magic Man (1981) SP-3728
Fandango (1982) SP-3731
Blow Your Own Horn (1983) SP-4919
Bullish (1984) SP-5022
Wild Romance (1985) SP-5082
Classics Volume 1 (compilation) (1986) CD-2501
Classics Volume 1 (1987)
Keep Your Eye On Me (1987) SP-5125
Under a Spanish Moon (1988) SP-5209
My Abstract Heart (1989)
North on South St. (1991)
The Very Best Of Herb Alpert (compilation of Tijuana Brass and solo material) (1991)
Midnight Sun (1992)
Second Wind (1996)
Passion Dance (1997)
Colors (1999)
Definitive Hits (compilation of Tijuana Brass and solo material) (2001)
Lost Treasures (2005)
Whipped Cream & Other Delights Rewhipped (2006) Shout Factory
Rise (reissue) (2007) Shout! Factory
Anything Goes (2009) Concord Jazz CJA-31441-02

Quite a list I think you would agree.

So pour yourself a nice martini, sit back in your velvet smoking jacket, and please enjoy the song that makes everything awesome. Thank you and Happy Birthday Mister Herb Alpert:

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