One of my favorite Tijuanabee records is this one right here. Why is that? I dunno, hard to say, but I think I like the voices on this one, something that the others seem to lack. (If you don't like the voices, just stay tuned...) The cover art doesn't disappoint either. This is a remastered version of the record I shared back in
2006, so I'm sure it sounds just a little bit better than it did back then. One more thing, a close reading of the credits seems to indicate that the person behind all this sound is
Bugs Bower, a trumpet player with a lot of kiddie records to his name for this same budget label. Please give a listen to
Tijuana Voices With Brass-
Tijuana Voices With Brass Sing Merry Christmas! (Pickwick SPCX-1005, Stereo, 1967).
1. Joy To The World
2. Deck The Halls
3. Angels We Have Heard On High
4. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
5. Tijuana Christmas
6. O Come All Ye Faithful
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
9. Jolly Old St. Nicholas
10. Jingle Bells
11. What Child Is This
12. Christmas Bells
MEGA
This sounds like a winner. How can I reject a name like Bugs Bower?
ReplyDeleteYou can't! :)
DeleteHi Ernie,
ReplyDeleteI just gave all of these TJB wannabees a second listen. Seems you saved a good group of albums to share at the close of this year's Christmas season.
This one is really nice. It reminds me of the Christmas albums put out by Ray Conniff and Percy Faith with their singers to name just a couple of artists. I kept thinking... could this have been a regular album, then...hey let us add some TJB sounds to it and release it that way. Or even, maybe there is the same album out there somewhere, without the TJB sounds added. Interesting thought.
I wouldn't put anything past those budget label bosses. They'll try any trick to sell you a record more than once. :)
DeleteAnd the cover could be considered Pickwick's homage to the Baja Marimba Band, the TJB's offshoot group led by Julius Wechter.
DeleteThe cover is a classic of the genre! :)
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