Well, I think today is Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas, and that means the end of this year's sharity. It's been a really busy year, but it's been a lot of fun and I hope you enjoyed it. I've got a handful of records to share with you today, most of them remasters, then that'll be it. But stick with me today as I walk through a large collection of Herb Alpert imitators or as I call them, Tijuanabees. This first one is a remaster of something I first shared back in
2012. I believe it turned out to be something that's come out in a lot of countries under a lot of names, and was originally released as a production record for radio. The giveaway here is the arranging credit to Moorhouse, That's
Alan Moorhouse who's known for making library music that you've heard time and again without realizing who it was. Dunno how this one made it's way from production music to budget release (a subsidiary of Columbia, but still their budget arm), but if there's a buck to be made, someone is going to figure out a way to make it. This is
The Toreador Brass-
Tijuana Christmas (Harmony (Columbia) HS 11352, Stereo, 1969).
1. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
2. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
3. While Shepherds Watched
4. Good King Wenceslas
5. Away In A Manger
6. Silent Night
7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
8. Once In Royal David's City
9. O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fidelis)
10. The Holly And The Ivy
11. Christians Awake
12. The First Noel
MEGA
Happy "Ukrainian Christmas" also, :)
ReplyDeleteI think Ukraine actually changed their Christmas celebration this year to align it with the West instead of the Russians. Sad situation when you have to move Christmas... :(
DeleteI would have thought secular Christmas music would be more suited to the mariachi treatment, but I guess not.
ReplyDeleteBut this way you don't have to pay royalties.
DeleteGood and undoubtedly decisive point.
DeleteThis album came out a year after Herb's "official" Christmas Album. Did not know this one existed until now. Usually when I find a Faux-TJB Christmas album in the thrift stores, it's usually Tijuana Christmas by the Border Brass on Design Records.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, some of these Tijuanabee records came out before the TJB Christmas record! And this one may have been created before this release as a production record. Not certain of the timeline.
DeleteLiked the silightly different "Classical" treatment of "O Little Town of Bethlehem", in which they used the iconic opening drum riff from the Ronettes' "Be My Baby"!
ReplyDeleteThe Ventures loved to do that sort of thing. :)
DeleteIf you also noticed in the closing minutes of O Little Town of Bethlehem, the guitar solo foreshadows the slightly faster tempo solos in the introduction of KC and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight"! "The First Noel" in the style of the TJB's take on "Lollipops & Roses" is great, despite a slight clinker note from the brass in the middle of the number.
DeleteThanks for bringing this album to my attention. I am on the lookout for my own personal copy.
ReplyDeleteYou may have it already as it was released as production music. Someone eventually decided to release the music commercially, and this is it.
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