The legendary Herb Alpert joins us for a heartfelt conversation that spans his extraordinary 90 years as a musician, producer, and cultural icon. With characteristic warmth and humility, Herb shares the pivotal moment when a teacher told him, "The trumpet is a piece of plumbing—you're the instrument," forever changing his approach to music and self-expression.
As we explore Herb's remarkable journey, he reveals surprising insights about being a "card-carrying introvert" who found his voice through the trumpet at age eight. The conversation weaves through his influential Tijuana Brass era, the creation of A&M Records with Jerry Moss (built entirely on a handshake), and discovering iconic artists like The Carpenters. Herb's storytelling shines when recounting how he recorded "This Guy's in Love With You" in a single take, giving his friend Burt Bacharach his first #1 hit.
What makes this conversation truly special is Herb's perspective on his current renaissance. At 90, he's experiencing an extraordinary revival of interest in the Tijuana Brass sound, with "Lady Fingers" accumulating over four billion TikTok streams. His eyes light up describing concerts where multiple generations gather to connect with music that sparks cherished memories of family and joy.
Herb's wisdom extends beyond music into life philosophy—authenticity above all, listening with your eyes closed to truly hear someone's essence, and finding contentment in sharing what makes you feel good. Don't miss Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass at the Safe Credit Union Theater on November 13th for a celebration of timeless music that continues to captivate audiences across generations.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
YAAA, that's right, baby.
Good morning.
It's a Friday.
How can you be in a bad moodlistening to the Herb Alpert and
(00:33):
the Tijuana Brass?
That's right.
Ladies and gentlemen, friday,september 12th.
This song was very influentialon me as a young boy and still
is to this day.
You're going to find out whyright here.
Because of that.
Anyone who knows me personallywill get that.
(00:55):
Anyone who's hung around withme for any period of time will
get that.
I grew up with this music.
Instead of our usual theme songfrom our friend Johnny Quality,
we're going with Herb Alpertand the Tijuana Brass.
I had an opportunity becausethey're coming to town.
(01:17):
I had an opportunity to talk toHerb Alpert, who is just gosh.
This guy is one of my favoriteguys.
He is such a good dude and Ihad the opportunity yet again.
This is the second time I've hadthis opportunity to speak with
Herb.
The first time we did this, hesaid, hey, why don't you come
(01:38):
backstage and we'll chat afterthe show, which I did.
So and he remembered me, whichis really awesome.
So I had this wonderful chatwith the legendary Herb Alpert
just now, one of the mostinfluential and powerful men in
(02:02):
the music business in the musicbusiness but, of course, grammy
Award winner, sold over 30, 40,50 million records.
It's amazing, so I present toyou on Pat's Peeps, by the way
looking out my studio windowinto the beautiful foothills of
Northern California.
Another gorgeous day, nice andcool, and the sun is out.
(02:24):
With that in mind, we arejoined and I am so honored to be
joined by one of my favoritepeople, man, herb Alpert, who
I've actually had the pleasureof meeting.
And Herb Alpert and the TijuanaBrass how cool is that is
coming to the Safe Credit UnionTheater here in Sacramento on
November 13th, about five yearsago, I had the honor, to the
(02:48):
pleasure to see Herb and Lonnieand the group there at the same
venue and it was wonderful.
And, herb Alpert, an honor foryou to join me on my podcast
today.
How are you, sir?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Hey, pat, I'm good, Nice talking to you again.
Yeah, I'm coming again, butthis time with a bigger band,
and boy, it's been a quarterride for me.
You know, I never thought thiswould happen at my age, but, man
, there's a whole rebirth ofthis Tijuana Brass and I'm going
to give it to you.
It's going to be my birthdaypresent for this whole, you know
(03:23):
, year of 2025.
I've been doing concerts andit's been pretty amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So you still love, you love touring.
I mean, it was very apparent tome when I saw you last time
that you just love what you'redoing so much.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yeah, I really do, pat.
You know I've been playing thetrumpet since I was 8 years old.
I had this tremendousopportunity at my grammar school
here and it's been aninteresting ride for me.
I started out trying to make asound out of the instrument,
which I couldn't do because Ithought you'd just blow hot air
(04:02):
into the trumpet and it doesn'twork like that.
But when I finally found out,you know it was making noise for
me and I am an introvert.
I'm a card-carrying introvert,and when this trumpet started
making the sounds that Icouldn't get out of my mouth, it
was, I don't know it was arelief for me.
(04:23):
I didn't have to talk, I justhad to play the horn.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
That is so interesting.
The horn was sort of your wayof communicating as an introvert
.
I never heard that from youbefore that that boy, good
choice.
I have to say you were talkingabout a teacher playing it in
elementary, I think.
You said I remember you sayingone time that I don't know if it
was that teacher or who it was.
That said hey, herb, you'replaying basically a piece of
(04:48):
plum in.
There is what you're doing.
Is that a true story?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, oh, an absolute true story.
But that didn't happen untillater in life.
When I was already aprofessional and I was
successful as a musician.
And then I ran into a snackplaying the horn.
I started stuttering throughthe trumpet.
I couldn't get the first noteout right and it took me a while
(05:11):
to get back into shape.
But I heard about this teacher.
His name was Carmichael Russo.
He was in New York and he usedto teach brass players from all
over the world who had run intoa little bit of a problem.
So I made contact with him,flew to New York and asked him
what I was doing wrong.
(05:32):
He says well, I got to you know, give you some lessons and get
you back into shape.
I said what am I doing wrong?
He says I can't tell you.
I said should I change mymouthpiece or change the trumpet
?
He said let me tell yousomething, kid.
He said the trumpet is a pieceof plumbing.
You're the instrument.
The instrument comes fromwithin you and the trumpet is
(05:54):
just a megaphone.
It's like a microphone thatamplifies your sound.
So that was a big aha for me,that the instrument is me and
that's what I try to impart onkids and and students who are
learning to play an instrument.
You're the instrument you gotto find.
No, it doesn't?
It's not important if you canplay like miles davis or any of
(06:16):
the great musicians that youmight like.
It's just important to findyour own voice.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Wow, that is very interesting.
That just makes so much senseto me.
Yeah, what a great thing.
What wisdom to impart on you,you know, and that now you're
able to say the same thing toother people who are looking for
that kind of great advice.
You know a time in my lifegrowing up, herb, you know there
(06:46):
was a day where we'd be ridingI'm a kid, we're riding in the
back of the station wagon and mymother's got the AM radio on.
And even as a kid, when I wouldbe sitting in the back of that
station wagon, we're talkingwith Herb Alpert and I would
hear your music on the radio.
There was a period of timethere in the 60s let's say the
(07:07):
mid to late 60s I would hearsongs like from the Tijuana
Brass.
Or I would hear Burt Bacharach.
There was a time with DionneWarwick and Jackie DeShannon,
brazil 66, sergio Mendez All ofthese artists.
I put them together in my mindin this time, in this place that
to me growing up was a veryspecial time for music.
(07:30):
Did you feel that way about theartists and that sort of pop
sound from that era?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Absolutely did.
I didn't feel it at thatparticular time.
But what's happening now for me?
I didn't feel it at thatparticular time, but what's
happening now for me, on my 90thyear as a musician, doing these
concerts around the country,and notes that I'm receiving
from kids that said you know,while they were growing up, they
(08:02):
used to hear my music, and whenthey hear my music now it
reminds them of those days withtheir parents, who are no longer
here unfortunately, but it's Idon't know.
I feel so blessed that I'm ableto be that conduit for so many
people and I love playing themusic.
The music makes me feel goodand I never thought I would be
(08:25):
doing these concerts with theTijuana Brass Sound because I
don't like living in the past,but my nephew, randy Badass
Albert, was the one who wasnudging me.
He says, uncle, why don't youtake these songs and give people
what they would like to hear?
I said what do you mean?
They'd like to hear it?
These songs, and give peoplewhat they would like to hear?
(08:46):
I said what do you mean?
They'd like to hear it?
Because he goes around theworld with his social media and
sees that there's theseparticular songs people would
love to hear in person, and so Imade a list of those songs,
started listening to them.
When I finished listening tothat list, I got goosebumps.
I was thinking like man, thisis fun to listen to.
This music is fun to listen to.
This music is fun to listen to.
(09:06):
And that's when I decided to dothis Tia Warner Brass Concert
for the year of 2025 tocelebrate my 90th birthday on
earth, and it's been absolutelyamazing.
I celebrated my birthday onMarch 31st, jazz at Lincoln
Center, and I walk out andpeople are singing happy
(09:30):
birthday to me.
Man, this has gone way beyondmy dreams.
I certainly wanted to besuccessful in the music industry
, but I didn't expect this tohappen.
When I'm 90 years old and themusic sounds great, people love
it.
And I'm having a good 90 yearsold and the music sounds great,
people love it and I'm having agood time doing it.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
And that's what matters is you're having a good
time and that music is.
It's hard to be in a bad moodwhen you're listening to the
Tijuana Brass.
It is very happy music.
I'll tell you this how itinfluenced me.
This is the silliest thingthing, but it's so true to this
day.
Everyone, anyone that knows me,herb I'll, I'll make this sound
(10:11):
, I'll make a a little um, I'lldo a little songs.
I'm always singing.
I sing in a, in a band, and andat the end I'll goof around
with someone.
I'll go at the end, where did Iget that number one?
Laugh in-In, laugh-in used todo the thing do you remember
what I'm?
talking about.
And then you have Tijuana Taxiwho beautifully at the beginning
(10:34):
and at the end of the song goesthat little silly thing has
stuck in my mind for foreverthing.
Herb has stuck in my mind forbreakfast and anyone that knows
me knows I do that.
So I am so curious where didthat little it's kind of like a
(10:55):
little sour horn sound?
How did that idea come about?
Speaker 2 (11:00):
well, it's an actual sound.
It's.
There's a instrument called aklaxon and it makes that sound,
and it seemed like a perfect endto that.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
It wasn't, you know, really planned on the paper.
It was just something that justevolved.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Well, it certainly, for whatever reason between you
and laughing that really youknow.
That stuck in my mind.
Here's another thing that Ithink about as we're talking
with herb albert, and it's justreally a a pleasure to be
talking with you.
I, I connect these in my mindand I'm pretty sure that you
produce this.
So you, you're, you're not even, uh, latin.
(11:42):
I believe your, your father wasfrom russia.
I know you've said this manytimes in your life.
I think your mother was fromNew York.
So people have this feelingthat somehow you perhaps are
Spanish or Latin or Mexican,whatever the case may be, but
that's not the case.
And there was another groupthat was out at the same time.
You were so influential withthe Tijuana Brass.
There was another group at thattime called the Baja Marimba
(12:05):
Band, and for me, I remember itso well.
Weren't you the producer, orsomething, from the Baja Marimba
Band?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Well, yeah, that's true.
Yeah, the Baja Marimba Bandcame after, maybe a couple of
years after, tijuana Brass.
It was Julius Wachter who wasthe marimba player that played
on most of my Tijuana Brass.
It was Julius Wachter who wasour marimba player that played
on most of my Tijuana Brassrecords.
I kind of got into getting agroup together and to play some
music that goes through him.
(12:34):
Yeah, they did quite well.
I'll take credit for some of it, but not all of it.
Yeah, I did one single recordwith him and a tune I wrote with
Scotty Turner called Coming inthe Back Door and Julius was
(12:56):
playing a bass marimba and fromthat point on, that's when we
started to think about getting agroup together, calling it the
Baja Marimba Band with JuliusWechter.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
I'll be darned.
It's funny how my mind willconnect all of these songs
together because it was acertain place in a certain time,
and certainly Sergio Mendez andBrazil 66 was part of that
growing up and listening towhether it was Fool on the Hill,
whatever it might have beenBeautiful different versions of
(13:28):
Beatles songs and some otherthings.
And I'm curious because you'vehad this wonderful relationship
with Lonnie Lonnie Hall for somany years.
You've been married for so long.
What an incredible relationship.
And when I saw you last timeshe was singing and it was so
special to see that you can justfeel after all these years the
passion between you two oh yeah,we've been married for 52 years
(13:52):
together, probably 55, sixyears.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Um, she's an angel.
She changed my life and uh, Imet her actually check this out,
pat In 1962, when I had theLonely Bull.
I was doing this Lloyd Saxtonshow Lloyd Saxton, I think that
was his name, and from LA, youknow, I was playing the Lonely
(14:20):
Bull and Lonnie was in Chicagoat the time.
She was like 16 years old andsaw me on television and kind of
got a little buzz on me.
She thought that record thatshe heard the Lonely Bull, she
couldn't picture me playing it.
But then when she saw me inPerth, you know, on TV, she had
(14:43):
a little I don't know inner buzzAnyways.
So she was excited to meet mein 1966 when she joined Sergio
Mendez, brazil 66.
And we hit it off right off,you know, because I walked into
this audition and I loved thesound of Sergio's band and loved
(15:04):
Lonnienie was the lead singerand I asked after the audition I
wanted to take her home.
She wouldn't go with me, shehad a little I don't know inner
buzz anyways.
So she was excited to meet mein in 1966 when she joined
Sergio Mendes, brazil 66, and wehit it off, right off.
(15:30):
You know, because I walked intothis audition and I loved the
sound of Sergio's band and lovedLonnie, who was the lead singer
, and I asked after the auditionI wanted to take her home and
she wouldn't go with me.
She said no, no, no, no, no, Iknow what you're up to.
She was like 18 or 19 years oldat the time.
(15:56):
I just wanted to take her home.
It was an innocent thing.
She didn't think it was thatinnocent and anyways, we became
friends and I produced the firstfew albums of Sergio and we
hung out together.
I just there's something abouther that is so natural.
She's just a regular personthat's not caught up in any
(16:19):
Hollywood hoopla.
So, yeah, one thing led toanother and we've been together
and she's changed my life,because I was married before and
I was going through a divorcein 1969 and 1970 and she was
(16:45):
right there with me and for me,because it was a tough time in
my life and that was the timethat, when we spoke a few
minutes back, we were talkingabout, uh, you know, I had
trouble playing the horn, andthat was that period when I had
trouble playing the horn.
I was going through a divorceand I was a little stressed out
(17:05):
and I could.
All of a sudden I wasstuttering through the
instrument.
That's when I needed that, thathelp that Carmine Caruso came
with, and that famous thing thathe said you're the horn, you're
the instrument the sound comesfrom in you.
That's how that comes.
I went full circle with thatwhole idea.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Yeah, yeah, you know that.
So you say 69, huh, 69?
, yeah, 69, 1970.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Yeah, I was going through a divorce and it was a
tough time for me.
I was going through a problemand little by little, you know,
I had to make sense out of itand I was.
It was going through a period Ithink I told you this last time
we spoke but I went through aperiod of you know having.
(17:57):
I was successful.
I had, you know, the funds, Iwas popular, I was the A of A&M
Records and things were goingreally perfectly.
It seemed like and I wasn'thappy, so I had to suss that out
.
I thought I had the brass ringand got everything I wanted out
(18:22):
of life happening for me, and Iwasn't feeling good and I wasn't
feeling good.
So that's when I took stock ofwhat I was doing and was willing
to throw my horn into the ocean, because I live right near the
ocean.
Wow, I just wanted to feel good.
I just wanted to have a lifethat made me content.
(18:44):
Waking up in the morning, andone thing led to another, and
Lonnie was the big source of mefinding a bunch of answers.
And here I am talking to Pat.
Wow, what a highlight I'm havinga time of my life, because I
can't believe that, the amountof reaction that I'm getting
(19:04):
just doing these concertsbecause the band sounds great.
I'm telling you folks that ifyou ever like the Do you Want a
Brass?
Or the Whipped Cream and OtherDelights album, don't miss out
on this one.
It's a delight and we'replaying the music that touches
(19:25):
you and touches people.
It touches me, so I know it'sworking.
I'm not doing it for know it'sworking.
I'm not doing it for any otherreason.
I'm not doing it to see how Ican, you know, get people to
like me.
I say it's not about that, it'sabout the music is good.
I want to share it as a giftyour beloved.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Your audience loves you.
You transcend generations.
As far as I'm concerned, peoplewho are much younger know, you
know of your music, which Ithink is quite remarkable, and I
can certainly tell your passionfor that.
It's amazing because you knowyou talk about that time in your
life and I know that maybe Ihave my I think my timeline is
(20:09):
correct.
You did the song which I thinkwas maybe your first uh number
one hit, which was uh, thisguy's in love with you, which
was, as I understand, thisgirl's in love with you, and uh,
you sing this song and um andand and again you, you go out I
think it was in malibu, whereyou live, and you're singing.
Initially I remember seeing ait was a video or a film or
(20:32):
early video, if you will, formusic and you're singing, I
think, to your first wifeperhaps, and it must've, and
that was like had to be like 67or 60, maybe 68.
I think that song came out soit was right.
After that that you kind of hadthe, the marital issues and got
divorced.
Is that about right?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Yeah, you're right, absolutely right.
And what's interesting aboutthis?
This guy's in love with you.
I was obviously singing it.
I'm not a singer, but I youknow it was a great song and one
of my dear friends is BurtBacharach.
Burt produced it with me, heplayed piano on it, he did the
arrangement and you know the wayyou record.
(21:12):
At least in those days you geta track without the lead singer
or the instrumentalist playing.
And I wanted to see if the trackwas going to work, if it was
the right key for me, if it madesense for me to sing the song.
So I was in the studio after wegot the track.
I was singing the song.
So I was in the studio after wegot the track, I was singing
the song.
I walked into the control roomwhere Bird was and a couple of
(21:35):
singers were there and as Iopened the door, they said don't
touch it.
I said what do you mean?
Don't touch it, don't change it.
Man, it was perfect what youdid.
It was just one take.
I just wanted to see if it wasgoing to.
You know, and I he says youcommunicated the song.
It felt great, leave it alone,and that's what I did.
It was one take disguise andlove with you.
(21:57):
And the irony of this wholething is, as I throw it up to my
dear friend burst, that was hisfirst number one record that
you know, he produced umpteenmajor hit records with.
You know burton, hal david, andthat was their first number one
record done by a trumpet playeroh my gosh, it was fantastic I
(22:20):
always teased him about that.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
That was fun well, wow, that that I mean.
In my estimation, I think thatbird back rock I'm I would
imagine you would agree is oneof the greatest composers and
writers of a generation.
Burt Bacharach, who, of course,did things for Jackie Deshan
and Tom Jones, Dionne WarwickAll of these songs again going
(22:44):
back to that era that we weretalking about at the beginning
he was a huge part of that and,to me, one of the most
remarkable songwriters of alltime.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
There ain't no doubt about it, and he was very
original.
He just had his own take onmusic and these abstract
melodies that had the rightlyric, like Alfie, which Alfie
was one of his favorite songsthat he did.
But you know, these songs arenot just your typical rock and
(23:18):
roll songs or pop songs.
They're just uniquely.
Burt Bacharach and Hal Davidhad a lot to do with it too,
because those lyrics were prettyamazing.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Well, yeah, what is it like for you to start a
company, a&m Records, and thenone day you sell this thing?
It must have been an amazingmoment for you and for Jerry to
sell, or for you, at leastspeaking for yourself, to be
able to sell that record label,which, of course, we know all
(23:48):
the great artists from, peterFrampton, which boy one of the
greatest albums of all time, thelive record.
There Frampton Comes Alive.
But it must have been anincredible feeling for you, herb
, to be able to create that andthen to sell that and see that
success and all the artists thatyou helped discover.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
I am pretty proud of what we did and you know I drove
out the gate in 1990.
I guess it was for the firsttime I drove out as not the
owner and never looked back.
You know I always felt that wasthen.
And you know I started paintingand sculpting and making music.
You know I make music probablyevery day of my life.
(24:28):
It was an amazing sequence ofevents that happened and I had
an amazing partner.
I was very lucky.
I know I told this story beforeto you as well.
I did A&M Records on ahandshake with my partner, jerry
(24:49):
Moss, and never had anythingsigned and we sold the company
in 1990.
And we had a handshake and abig hug because he was a dear
friend.
You know, at one point in ourearly days with him I just knew
that this man was the real thing.
(25:09):
He was honest, he wasprofessional and he was a great,
great friend of mine and he'smissed sorely by all people that
knew him because he was specialand he knew what to do with my
career.
I mean, I was just a trumpetplayer.
(25:30):
I made good records.
I know that I got a lot of myideas from the great Sam Cooke,
who I watched and held his musicwhile we recorded a few times
and he just he was so down toearth and it just some of the
things I learned from him.
(25:50):
It just morphed right into theway I was making records when I
had my chance.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Wow, I could just talk to you all day.
So a couple of more things andthen I just appreciate your time
this morning.
It's very interesting to me,you know.
On a couple of personal notes,I can remember as a kid the what
was it?
The T-Berry Shuffle that youguys did.
I remember this gum.
It was gum, I think, and it wasthe most.
(26:24):
It was a cool commercial.
I remember that so well.
I don't know if you wanted tomaybe share something about that
.
Maybe my mind's playing trickson me, but I swear I remember
that gum commercial.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
And then the other thing yeah, I use it in the show
and the visual is in the show.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
You're kidding.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Really, oh my gosh.
Yeah, I definitely use it.
It was a pivotal moment becausethat's when we got this
national exposure with that.
Seabury commercial and fromthat point on things started to
really take shape for us.
I think it was before I did theWhipped Cream and Other
(27:05):
Delights album.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
The album that is.
I'll tell you something that'seven crazier.
Now not many people know this,but there is a song in the
Whipped Cream album called LadyFingers that I did that somebody
on TikTok picked it up and wasusing it as a background to some
of the visuals they were using.
Well, it went viral and to thisday, are you sitting, pat?
Speaker 1 (27:33):
I'm yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I've had four billion with a B streams on this one
song.
What?
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Really.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Four billion.
Actually, it's four billion700,000 thousand to be exact
isn't that amazing what socialmedia will do these days it's
more than amazing, man, becausein the concerts we're playing
now, like I see young kids, oldfolks and it's just a beautiful
mixture and, yeah, I can'tbelieve it's happening to me
(28:09):
right now.
I'm a lucky guy, I appreciateit and I'd like to share this
music to all that want to hearit.
And I'm telling you, the bandis great.
No one will be disappointed ifthey come to the concert.
I guarantee that.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Well, I guarantee it?
Speaker 2 (28:28):
How am I going to guarantee it?
You've got to take out aguarantee policy.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I'll back him on this .
He is wonderful in concert andI don't think that you know back
in that day, in those days,even if your dad and this is
true in my case, herb, my mothercollected the records, not my
dad but guess what my dad had?
Guess what one album he had.
Of course he had Whipped Creamand Other Delights.
(28:56):
Of course he had that.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Yeah, no, it was a huge album.
It sold over 14 million copiesand it certainly put me on the
map because from that album Iwas doing all the big shows,
including Ed Sullivan.
That was the big one.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Well, he broke all the acts, didn't he?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
He had millions of people watching and at that
moment I had Taste of Honey,which was in the top five.
At that moment that I did theEd Sullivan show and we were
rehearsing for the show.
I tell this in concert at timeswe were rehearsing for the show
.
You rehearse at four o'clock inthe afternoon and then after
(29:40):
the rehearsal they set up andthen you do the live show.
So after the rehearsal then Iplay Taste of Honey, ed Sullivan
comes over to me and says, herb, I discovered you.
Yeah, I know, it was kind offunny.
I said, ed man, you're late.
(30:01):
My record's in the top five.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
But he discovered you , a really big artist.
I have just discovered the tealon a brass.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Yeah, wow, that is wonderful, but he was a good guy
.
I don't want to belittle him.
I liked him very much.
He was an honorable guy.
I liked him.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Hey, you know, he was a guy back then.
He didn't look like the guythat maybe you would think was
going to come out and introduceHerb Alpert and introduce the
Rolling Stones, and introducethe Beatles and Elvis and the
Doors and but there he was.
There he was doing it.
Um, I know you were also, um,uh, influenced by Joe Cocker,
but I know we're out of time butif you want to tell that story
(30:40):
real quick, I know you were veryfond of Joe and he was very
influential in your life interms of music yeah, well, joe,
you know recorded for A&M.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
He had that magical sound.
He was like a little bit of RayCharles Plus His energy was
very interesting.
They were rehearsing on oursound stage at A&M for their
tour, and Not that clear at thevery moment as we speak.
(31:11):
But anyways, I went out to thesoundstage with my eyes closed.
That's the way Sam Cooke usedto tell me.
He says listen to an artistwith your eyes closed and don't
get swayed by.
If they can dance real well, ifthey're extremely handsome or
beautiful, Just listen to thesound and see if it touches you.
So I walk out of the soundstage.
I'm kind of not looking at thesoundstage, I just wanted to be
(31:35):
there, so I sit on thesoundstage At the end of the
stage.
Joe and the group.
They were mad dogs andEnglishmen.
It was a concert tour.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
And so I slowly opened my eyes watching Joe sing
and I was like holy shit, hewas like gyrating, like he was
playing guitar.
He looked like he was possessedsinging and it gave me
goosebumps, you know, he justhad that sound that drilled
right into you.
And so from that point on Istarted listening to music that
was a little different than themusic I grew up in, because I I
(32:07):
was classically trained.
And then I started listening topop music and then rock and
roll.
I didn't seem to get it yet,but then I started opening up
and that's when A&M startedbeing a little more daring with
the artists that we werechoosing.
We got Sting and the Police.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Sting and the Police.
Oh man, I know the artisan.
I mean what a discovery.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
And the carpenters.
You know, I signed thecarpenters in 1970 and everyone
thought oh man, why are yousigning these two kids?
Speaker 1 (32:50):
You know, they're just kind of pop and cute.
They didn't say this after theyhad the close to you, right,
right, and didn't you like hearfrom them?
I think you first heard them,maybe on a demo tape or
something out of DowneyCalifornia and you thought, well
, geez, these guys, we need tofind a song for these guys
because they're very special andunique.
Do I have that kind of right?
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Well, yeah, I didn't really think about at that time
to find a song for him.
I just was intrigued by thedemos that they put together and
Karen's voice.
I just wanted to meet them andI did and I realized that's the
music that was coming out ofthem.
Naturally, it wasn't affected.
They weren't trying to get hitrecords.
(33:31):
They were just making musicthat Karen and Richard felt and
it was beautiful, not the typeof music that I normally listen
to but, it was honest, andthat's what I look for in an
artist it has to be authentic.
If it's not authentic and you'retrying to fake it, it might
(33:51):
look good for a one-hit record,but that's not a career and
you're trying to fake it.
It might look good for one hitrecord, but that's not a career.
And that's what I wanted to doto find artists that had that
magical thing that maybe theydidn't have a hit record right
off the bat, but they had theintegrity and they were able to
flag themselves down to therunway.
And that's Carpenters.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
That must be an incredibly proud feeling for you
, herb, to say look, I sawsomething in them.
And now look at them.
Look how big they are.
I had the ear.
I noticed that.
That had to be huge for you torealize that you had discovered
this beloved, became such abeloved artist.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Yeah.
I'm still in awe of it, becausethey're not over.
They're still selling productall around the world especially
in the uk and in japan.
It's amazing, I mean, she hadthis magical voice and you know,
karen thought of herself as adrubber, not not as a singer,
but she was special and I missher so much.
(34:55):
She was uh.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
She had no idea the effect that she had on so many
people and you talked about halblaine and the wrecking crew,
which the wrecking crew was sucha big part of that era too.
I know I'm going to let you gowe're kind of running a little
long here but I, um, I'm sointrigued by everything about
you and your career.
(35:18):
Um, I'm a huge fan and I'm ahuge fan of the wrecking crew,
which the wrecking crew, um, and, let's face it, um, from the
beach boys to, I mean, all a lotof the music that we heard back
in those days.
They were responsible for a lotof that and I think a lot of
credit is due to the WreckingCrew.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Yeah, they were a bunch of real flexible, gifted
musicians.
You know, hal Blaine wascertainly one of a kind.
He had a great sound on hisdrums but if he was recording
for me or Sinatra or Beach Boysor Neil Diamond, it didn't
(35:56):
matter.
He just put himself in theplace of trying to get what the
producer was looking for and hewould adapt to the session he
was in and all the other guysthat were, you know, playing
along with him.
Amazing group of artists thatwas fun to have on a session
(36:20):
because you know, I I would goin there with with slim ideas of
what I wanted to do and I'dplay these songs for for the
guys and little by little, youknow, tommy tedesco would strum
something, or Carole King wouldplay a bass line or you know
somebody would do something.
I'd hear, yeah, that's what Iwant, and I had Leon Russell
come.
(36:42):
You know, I used to use LeonRussell, who came in a suit and
tie and no beard.
You know, when I met Leon andhe used to sit down on the piano
and he says Zerby I don't knowwhat to do.
I said look, man, don't doanything.
If you feel something happening, chime in, but if you don't
feel it, don't play.
And then inevitably he'd beplunking along you know doing
(37:06):
something, and all of a suddenhe hit on a rhythm that you say,
oh my goodness, I couldn't havethought that rhythm in 100
years.
You know, it was magic.
So, yeah, I'm friends with Leon.
He was just a.
Really he was a super talent.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
I'm just trying to picture Leon back in those days
with no beard, because you knowyou're used to the big beard and
the white suit and all that andthere he is plunking on his
piano with a couple of greatsright there.
Listen, I yeah, herb albert, Iyou're you, sir.
I just want to tell you thisyou're a good man.
I appreciate you so much,beyond your music, beyond your
(37:46):
passion.
The fact that you would taketime with me, this guy up
sitting in the foothills ofNorthern California and you've
done it twice the idea that youwould actually take the time to
meet with me last time issomething that I will never,
ever forget.
I will always cherish it, andyou mean a lot to me and so many
(38:09):
others.
You affected my life.
I told you that earlier and Ilove you for that and I highly
respect you, herb Alpert.
Go see Herb Alpert and theTijuana Brass November 13th, the
day after my mother's birthday,safe Credit Union, sacramento.
I promise you you will have thetime of your life watching this
(38:30):
legendary artist and thislegendary man.
I appreciate you, herb thanks,pat.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
I appreciate that, what you just said.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Thank you so much god bless you and thank you for
being a part of my show and Iwill see you at the.
I'll be in the audience, okayall right, man, till next time.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
I bless you, man.
Thank you so much, bye-bye.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Wow, how cool was that?
Herb Alpert, what a graciousguy, what an amazing guy, like I
just told him, taking his timewith us.
So I think, as we go out here,I need to go back and revisit
(39:14):
the Tijuana Taxi song.
There's so many you can choosefrom, but, as I told him, I
don't know what it was, it juststuck in my head from laughing
and the Tijuana Brass.
There it is.
I don't know, I love that.
(39:35):
I'm always using that, always.
Anyhow, thank you so much fortuning in to my Pat's Peeps 330.
(40:00):
Wow, you know what a guy.
Hey, listen if you would.
By the way, I am the host of thePat Walsh Radio Show, kapk News
Radio.
I'll be playing part of this onmy show tonight, 7 to 10 pm.
There it is.
(40:20):
I love that.
You know Frank Zappa influencedme in the same way.
Well, there's just a lot ofyou'd have to be a Zappa guy yet
, but, um, all these artiststhat influence my goofiness, my
personality, my soul, quitefrankly, even as a young kid man
(40:47):
, where do you hear that?
You don't hear that too oftenanymore anymore.
Yep, so we'll have Ken Dogg ontonight talking movies.
We'll play part of this andplease, if you enjoyed this.
Would you do me a favor, please, please, to help Pat's Peeps.
Support local business so wecan support other local
(41:08):
businesses.
Please go to AI Lending, youhave a chance to win.
Oh, there, it is A chance towin a trip to Europe.
Put your name out of a hat.
Two for one.
Dinner is at Rock and SoulDiner in Sacramento.
Thank you, see you on the radio.
See you on the radio.
YAAA, that's right, baby.
Good morning.
It's a Friday.
How can you be in a bad moodlistening to the Herb Alpert and
(00:33):
the Tijuana Brass?
That's right.
Ladies and gentlemen, friday,september 12th.
This song was very influentialon me as a young boy and still
is to this day.
You're going to find out whyright here.
Because of that.
Anyone who knows me personallywill get that.
(00:55):
Anyone who's hung around withme for any period of time will
get that.
I grew up with this music.
Instead of our usual theme songfrom our friend Johnny Quality,
we're going with Herb Alpertand the Tijuana Brass.
I had an opportunity becausethey're coming to town.
(01:17):
I had an opportunity to talk toHerb Alpert, who is just gosh.
This guy is one of my favoriteguys.
He is such a good dude and Ihad the opportunity yet again.
This is the second time I've hadthis opportunity to speak with
Herb.
The first time we did this, hesaid, hey, why don't you come
(01:38):
backstage and we'll chat afterthe show, which I did.
So and he remembered me, whichis really awesome.
So I had this wonderful chatwith the legendary Herb Alpert
just now, one of the mostinfluential and powerful men in
(02:02):
the music business in the musicbusiness but, of course, grammy
Award winner, sold over 30, 40,50 million records.
It's amazing, so I present toyou on Pat's Peeps, by the way
looking out my studio windowinto the beautiful foothills of
Northern California.
Another gorgeous day, nice andcool, and the sun is out.
(02:24):
With that in mind, we arejoined and I am so honored to be
joined by one of my favoritepeople, man, herb Alpert, who
I've actually had the pleasureof meeting.
And Herb Alpert and the TijuanaBrass how cool is that is
coming to the Safe Credit UnionTheater here in Sacramento on
November 13th, about five yearsago, I had the honor, to the
(02:48):
pleasure to see Herb and Lonnieand the group there at the same
venue and it was wonderful.
And, herb Alpert, an honor foryou to join me on my podcast
today.
How are you, sir?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Hey, pat, I'm good, Nice talking to you again.
Yeah, I'm coming again, butthis time with a bigger band,
and boy, it's been a quarterride for me.
You know, I never thought thiswould happen at my age, but, man
, there's a whole rebirth ofthis Tijuana Brass and I'm going
to give it to you.
It's going to be my birthdaypresent for this whole, you know
(03:23):
, year of 2025.
I've been doing concerts andit's been pretty amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So you still love, you love touring.
I mean, it was very apparent tome when I saw you last time
that you just love what you'redoing so much.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yeah, I really do, pat.
You know I've been playing thetrumpet since I was 8 years old.
I had this tremendousopportunity at my grammar school
here and it's been aninteresting ride for me.
I started out trying to make asound out of the instrument,
which I couldn't do because Ithought you'd just blow hot air
(04:02):
into the trumpet and it doesn'twork like that.
But when I finally found out,you know it was making noise for
me and I am an introvert.
I'm a card-carrying introvert,and when this trumpet started
making the sounds that Icouldn't get out of my mouth, it
was, I don't know it was arelief for me.
(04:23):
I didn't have to talk, I justhad to play the horn.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
That is so interesting.
The horn was sort of your wayof communicating as an introvert
.
I never heard that from youbefore that that boy, good
choice.
I have to say you were talkingabout a teacher playing it in
elementary, I think.
You said I remember you sayingone time that I don't know if it
was that teacher or who it was.
That said hey, herb, you'replaying basically a piece of
(04:48):
plum in.
There is what you're doing.
Is that a true story?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, oh, an absolute true story.
But that didn't happen untillater in life.
When I was already aprofessional and I was
successful as a musician.
And then I ran into a snackplaying the horn.
I started stuttering throughthe trumpet.
I couldn't get the first noteout right and it took me a while
(05:11):
to get back into shape.
But I heard about this teacher.
His name was Carmichael Russo.
He was in New York and he usedto teach brass players from all
over the world who had run intoa little bit of a problem.
So I made contact with him,flew to New York and asked him
what I was doing wrong.
(05:32):
He says well, I got to you know, give you some lessons and get
you back into shape.
I said what am I doing wrong?
He says I can't tell you.
I said should I change mymouthpiece or change the trumpet
?
He said let me tell yousomething, kid.
He said the trumpet is a pieceof plumbing.
You're the instrument.
The instrument comes fromwithin you and the trumpet is
(05:54):
just a megaphone.
It's like a microphone thatamplifies your sound.
So that was a big aha for me,that the instrument is me and
that's what I try to impart onkids and and students who are
learning to play an instrument.
You're the instrument you gotto find.
No, it doesn't?
It's not important if you canplay like miles davis or any of
(06:16):
the great musicians that youmight like.
It's just important to findyour own voice.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Wow, that is very interesting.
That just makes so much senseto me.
Yeah, what a great thing.
What wisdom to impart on you,you know, and that now you're
able to say the same thing toother people who are looking for
that kind of great advice.
You know a time in my lifegrowing up, herb, you know there
(06:46):
was a day where we'd be ridingI'm a kid, we're riding in the
back of the station wagon and mymother's got the AM radio on.
And even as a kid, when I wouldbe sitting in the back of that
station wagon, we're talkingwith Herb Alpert and I would
hear your music on the radio.
There was a period of timethere in the 60s let's say the
(07:07):
mid to late 60s I would hearsongs like from the Tijuana
Brass.
Or I would hear Burt Bacharach.
There was a time with DionneWarwick and Jackie DeShannon,
brazil 66, sergio Mendez All ofthese artists.
I put them together in my mindin this time, in this place that
to me growing up was a veryspecial time for music.
(07:30):
Did you feel that way about theartists and that sort of pop
sound from that era?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Absolutely did.
I didn't feel it at thatparticular time.
But what's happening now for me?
I didn't feel it at thatparticular time, but what's
happening now for me, on my 90thyear as a musician, doing these
concerts around the country,and notes that I'm receiving
from kids that said you know,while they were growing up, they
(08:02):
used to hear my music, and whenthey hear my music now it
reminds them of those days withtheir parents, who are no longer
here unfortunately, but it's Idon't know.
I feel so blessed that I'm ableto be that conduit for so many
people and I love playing themusic.
The music makes me feel goodand I never thought I would be
(08:25):
doing these concerts with theTijuana Brass Sound because I
don't like living in the past,but my nephew, randy Badass
Albert, was the one who wasnudging me.
He says, uncle, why don't youtake these songs and give people
what they would like to hear?
I said what do you mean?
They'd like to hear it?
These songs, and give peoplewhat they would like to hear?
(08:46):
I said what do you mean?
They'd like to hear it?
Because he goes around theworld with his social media and
sees that there's theseparticular songs people would
love to hear in person, and so Imade a list of those songs,
started listening to them.
When I finished listening tothat list, I got goosebumps.
I was thinking like man, thisis fun to listen to.
This music is fun to listen to.
This music is fun to listen to.
(09:06):
And that's when I decided to dothis Tia Warner Brass Concert
for the year of 2025 tocelebrate my 90th birthday on
earth, and it's been absolutelyamazing.
I celebrated my birthday onMarch 31st, jazz at Lincoln
Center, and I walk out andpeople are singing happy
(09:30):
birthday to me.
Man, this has gone way beyondmy dreams.
I certainly wanted to besuccessful in the music industry
, but I didn't expect this tohappen.
When I'm 90 years old and themusic sounds great, people love
it.
And I'm having a good 90 yearsold and the music sounds great,
people love it and I'm having agood time doing it.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
And that's what matters is you're having a good
time and that music is.
It's hard to be in a bad moodwhen you're listening to the
Tijuana Brass.
It is very happy music.
I'll tell you this how itinfluenced me.
This is the silliest thingthing, but it's so true to this
day.
Everyone, anyone that knows me,herb I'll, I'll make this sound
(10:11):
, I'll make a a little um, I'lldo a little songs.
I'm always singing.
I sing in a, in a band, and andat the end I'll goof around
with someone.
I'll go at the end, where did Iget that number one?
Laugh in-In, laugh-in used todo the thing do you remember
what I'm?
talking about.
And then you have Tijuana Taxiwho beautifully at the beginning
(10:34):
and at the end of the song goesthat little silly thing has
stuck in my mind for foreverthing.
Herb has stuck in my mind forbreakfast and anyone that knows
me knows I do that.
So I am so curious where didthat little it's kind of like a
(10:55):
little sour horn sound?
How did that idea come about?
Speaker 2 (11:00):
well, it's an actual sound.
It's.
There's a instrument called aklaxon and it makes that sound,
and it seemed like a perfect endto that.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
It wasn't, you know, really planned on the paper.
It was just something that justevolved.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Well, it certainly, for whatever reason between you
and laughing that really youknow.
That stuck in my mind.
Here's another thing that Ithink about as we're talking
with herb albert, and it's justreally a a pleasure to be
talking with you.
I, I connect these in my mindand I'm pretty sure that you
produce this.
So you, you're, you're not even, uh, latin.
(11:42):
I believe your, your father wasfrom russia.
I know you've said this manytimes in your life.
I think your mother was fromNew York.
So people have this feelingthat somehow you perhaps are
Spanish or Latin or Mexican,whatever the case may be, but
that's not the case.
And there was another groupthat was out at the same time.
You were so influential withthe Tijuana Brass.
There was another group at thattime called the Baja Marimba
(12:05):
Band, and for me, I remember itso well.
Weren't you the producer, orsomething, from the Baja Marimba
Band?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Well, yeah, that's true.
Yeah, the Baja Marimba Bandcame after, maybe a couple of
years after, tijuana Brass.
It was Julius Wachter who wasthe marimba player that played
on most of my Tijuana Brass.
It was Julius Wachter who wasour marimba player that played
on most of my Tijuana Brassrecords.
I kind of got into getting agroup together and to play some
music that goes through him.
(12:34):
Yeah, they did quite well.
I'll take credit for some of it, but not all of it.
Yeah, I did one single recordwith him and a tune I wrote with
Scotty Turner called Coming inthe Back Door and Julius was
(12:56):
playing a bass marimba and fromthat point on, that's when we
started to think about getting agroup together, calling it the
Baja Marimba Band with JuliusWechter.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
I'll be darned.
It's funny how my mind willconnect all of these songs
together because it was acertain place in a certain time,
and certainly Sergio Mendez andBrazil 66 was part of that
growing up and listening towhether it was Fool on the Hill,
whatever it might have beenBeautiful different versions of
(13:28):
Beatles songs and some otherthings.
And I'm curious because you'vehad this wonderful relationship
with Lonnie Lonnie Hall for somany years.
You've been married for so long.
What an incredible relationship.
And when I saw you last timeshe was singing and it was so
special to see that you can justfeel after all these years the
passion between you two oh yeah,we've been married for 52 years
(13:52):
together, probably 55, sixyears.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Um, she's an angel.
She changed my life and uh, Imet her actually check this out,
pat In 1962, when I had theLonely Bull.
I was doing this Lloyd Saxtonshow Lloyd Saxton, I think that
was his name, and from LA, youknow, I was playing the Lonely
(14:20):
Bull and Lonnie was in Chicagoat the time.
She was like 16 years old andsaw me on television and kind of
got a little buzz on me.
She thought that record thatshe heard the Lonely Bull, she
couldn't picture me playing it.
But then when she saw me inPerth, you know, on TV, she had
(14:43):
a little I don't know inner buzzAnyways.
So she was excited to meet mein 1966 when she joined Sergio
Mendez, brazil 66.
And we hit it off right off,you know, because I walked into
this audition and I loved thesound of Sergio's band and loved
(15:04):
Lonnienie was the lead singerand I asked after the audition I
wanted to take her home.
She wouldn't go with me, shehad a little I don't know inner
buzz anyways.
So she was excited to meet mein in 1966 when she joined
Sergio Mendes, brazil 66, and wehit it off, right off.
(15:30):
You know, because I walked intothis audition and I loved the
sound of Sergio's band and lovedLonnie, who was the lead singer
, and I asked after the auditionI wanted to take her home and
she wouldn't go with me.
She said no, no, no, no, no, Iknow what you're up to.
She was like 18 or 19 years oldat the time.
(15:56):
I just wanted to take her home.
It was an innocent thing.
She didn't think it was thatinnocent and anyways, we became
friends and I produced the firstfew albums of Sergio and we
hung out together.
I just there's something abouther that is so natural.
She's just a regular personthat's not caught up in any
(16:19):
Hollywood hoopla.
So, yeah, one thing led toanother and we've been together
and she's changed my life,because I was married before and
I was going through a divorcein 1969 and 1970 and she was
(16:45):
right there with me and for me,because it was a tough time in
my life and that was the timethat, when we spoke a few
minutes back, we were talkingabout, uh, you know, I had
trouble playing the horn, andthat was that period when I had
trouble playing the horn.
I was going through a divorceand I was a little stressed out
(17:05):
and I could.
All of a sudden I wasstuttering through the
instrument.
That's when I needed that, thathelp that Carmine Caruso came
with, and that famous thing thathe said you're the horn, you're
the instrument the sound comesfrom in you.
That's how that comes.
I went full circle with thatwhole idea.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Yeah, yeah, you know that.
So you say 69, huh, 69?
, yeah, 69, 1970.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Yeah, I was going through a divorce and it was a
tough time for me.
I was going through a problemand little by little, you know,
I had to make sense out of itand I was.
It was going through a period Ithink I told you this last time
we spoke but I went through aperiod of you know having.
(17:57):
I was successful.
I had, you know, the funds, Iwas popular, I was the A of A&M
Records and things were goingreally perfectly.
It seemed like and I wasn'thappy, so I had to suss that out
.
I thought I had the brass ringand got everything I wanted out
(18:22):
of life happening for me, and Iwasn't feeling good and I wasn't
feeling good.
So that's when I took stock ofwhat I was doing and was willing
to throw my horn into the ocean, because I live right near the
ocean.
Wow, I just wanted to feel good.
I just wanted to have a lifethat made me content.
(18:44):
Waking up in the morning, andone thing led to another, and
Lonnie was the big source of mefinding a bunch of answers.
And here I am talking to Pat.
Wow, what a highlight I'm havinga time of my life, because I
can't believe that, the amountof reaction that I'm getting
(19:04):
just doing these concertsbecause the band sounds great.
I'm telling you folks that ifyou ever like the Do you Want a
Brass?
Or the Whipped Cream and OtherDelights album, don't miss out
on this one.
It's a delight and we'replaying the music that touches
(19:25):
you and touches people.
It touches me, so I know it'sworking.
I'm not doing it for know it'sworking.
I'm not doing it for any otherreason.
I'm not doing it to see how Ican, you know, get people to
like me.
I say it's not about that, it'sabout the music is good.
I want to share it as a giftyour beloved.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Your audience loves you.
You transcend generations.
As far as I'm concerned, peoplewho are much younger know, you
know of your music, which Ithink is quite remarkable, and I
can certainly tell your passionfor that.
It's amazing because you knowyou talk about that time in your
life and I know that maybe Ihave my I think my timeline is
(20:09):
correct.
You did the song which I thinkwas maybe your first uh number
one hit, which was uh, thisguy's in love with you, which
was, as I understand, thisgirl's in love with you, and uh,
you sing this song and um andand and again you, you go out I
think it was in malibu, whereyou live, and you're singing.
Initially I remember seeing ait was a video or a film or
(20:32):
early video, if you will, formusic and you're singing, I
think, to your first wifeperhaps, and it must've, and
that was like had to be like 67or 60, maybe 68.
I think that song came out soit was right.
After that that you kind of hadthe, the marital issues and got
divorced.
Is that about right?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Yeah, you're right, absolutely right.
And what's interesting aboutthis?
This guy's in love with you.
I was obviously singing it.
I'm not a singer, but I youknow it was a great song and one
of my dear friends is BurtBacharach.
Burt produced it with me, heplayed piano on it, he did the
arrangement and you know the wayyou record.
(21:12):
At least in those days you geta track without the lead singer
or the instrumentalist playing.
And I wanted to see if the trackwas going to work, if it was
the right key for me, if it madesense for me to sing the song.
So I was in the studio after wegot the track.
I was singing the song.
So I was in the studio after wegot the track, I was singing
the song.
I walked into the control roomwhere Bird was and a couple of
(21:35):
singers were there and as Iopened the door, they said don't
touch it.
I said what do you mean?
Don't touch it, don't change it.
Man, it was perfect what youdid.
It was just one take.
I just wanted to see if it wasgoing to.
You know, and I he says youcommunicated the song.
It felt great, leave it alone,and that's what I did.
It was one take disguise andlove with you.
(21:57):
And the irony of this wholething is, as I throw it up to my
dear friend burst, that was hisfirst number one record that
you know, he produced umpteenmajor hit records with.
You know burton, hal david, andthat was their first number one
record done by a trumpet playeroh my gosh, it was fantastic I
(22:20):
always teased him about that.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
That was fun well, wow, that that I mean.
In my estimation, I think thatbird back rock I'm I would
imagine you would agree is oneof the greatest composers and
writers of a generation.
Burt Bacharach, who, of course,did things for Jackie Deshan
and Tom Jones, Dionne WarwickAll of these songs again going
(22:44):
back to that era that we weretalking about at the beginning
he was a huge part of that and,to me, one of the most
remarkable songwriters of alltime.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
There ain't no doubt about it, and he was very
original.
He just had his own take onmusic and these abstract
melodies that had the rightlyric, like Alfie, which Alfie
was one of his favorite songsthat he did.
But you know, these songs arenot just your typical rock and
(23:18):
roll songs or pop songs.
They're just uniquely.
Burt Bacharach and Hal Davidhad a lot to do with it too,
because those lyrics were prettyamazing.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Well, yeah, what is it like for you to start a
company, a&m Records, and thenone day you sell this thing?
It must have been an amazingmoment for you and for Jerry to
sell, or for you, at leastspeaking for yourself, to be
able to sell that record label,which, of course, we know all
(23:48):
the great artists from, peterFrampton, which boy one of the
greatest albums of all time, thelive record.
There Frampton Comes Alive.
But it must have been anincredible feeling for you, herb
, to be able to create that andthen to sell that and see that
success and all the artists thatyou helped discover.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
I am pretty proud of what we did and you know I drove
out the gate in 1990.
I guess it was for the firsttime I drove out as not the
owner and never looked back.
You know I always felt that wasthen.
And you know I started paintingand sculpting and making music.
You know I make music probablyevery day of my life.
(24:28):
It was an amazing sequence ofevents that happened and I had
an amazing partner.
I was very lucky.
I know I told this story beforeto you as well.
I did A&M Records on ahandshake with my partner, jerry
(24:49):
Moss, and never had anythingsigned and we sold the company
in 1990.
And we had a handshake and abig hug because he was a dear
friend.
You know, at one point in ourearly days with him I just knew
that this man was the real thing.
(25:09):
He was honest, he wasprofessional and he was a great,
great friend of mine and he'smissed sorely by all people that
knew him because he was specialand he knew what to do with my
career.
I mean, I was just a trumpetplayer.
(25:30):
I made good records.
I know that I got a lot of myideas from the great Sam Cooke,
who I watched and held his musicwhile we recorded a few times
and he just he was so down toearth and it just some of the
things I learned from him.
(25:50):
It just morphed right into theway I was making records when I
had my chance.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Wow, I could just talk to you all day.
So a couple of more things andthen I just appreciate your time
this morning.
It's very interesting to me,you know.
On a couple of personal notes,I can remember as a kid the what
was it?
The T-Berry Shuffle that youguys did.
I remember this gum.
It was gum, I think, and it wasthe most.
(26:24):
It was a cool commercial.
I remember that so well.
I don't know if you wanted tomaybe share something about that
.
Maybe my mind's playing trickson me, but I swear I remember
that gum commercial.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
And then the other thing yeah, I use it in the show
and the visual is in the show.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
You're kidding.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Really, oh my gosh.
Yeah, I definitely use it.
It was a pivotal moment becausethat's when we got this
national exposure with that.
Seabury commercial and fromthat point on things started to
really take shape for us.
I think it was before I did theWhipped Cream and Other
(27:05):
Delights album.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
The album that is.
I'll tell you something that'seven crazier.
Now not many people know this,but there is a song in the
Whipped Cream album called LadyFingers that I did that somebody
on TikTok picked it up and wasusing it as a background to some
of the visuals they were using.
Well, it went viral and to thisday, are you sitting, pat?
Speaker 1 (27:33):
I'm yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I've had four billion with a B streams on this one
song.
What?
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Really.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Four billion.
Actually, it's four billion700,000 thousand to be exact
isn't that amazing what socialmedia will do these days it's
more than amazing, man, becausein the concerts we're playing
now, like I see young kids, oldfolks and it's just a beautiful
mixture and, yeah, I can'tbelieve it's happening to me
(28:09):
right now.
I'm a lucky guy, I appreciateit and I'd like to share this
music to all that want to hearit.
And I'm telling you, the bandis great.
No one will be disappointed ifthey come to the concert.
I guarantee that.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Well, I guarantee it?
Speaker 2 (28:28):
How am I going to guarantee it?
You've got to take out aguarantee policy.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I'll back him on this .
He is wonderful in concert andI don't think that you know back
in that day, in those days,even if your dad and this is
true in my case, herb, my mothercollected the records, not my
dad but guess what my dad had?
Guess what one album he had.
Of course he had Whipped Creamand Other Delights.
(28:56):
Of course he had that.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Yeah, no, it was a huge album.
It sold over 14 million copiesand it certainly put me on the
map because from that album Iwas doing all the big shows,
including Ed Sullivan.
That was the big one.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Well, he broke all the acts, didn't he?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
He had millions of people watching and at that
moment I had Taste of Honey,which was in the top five.
At that moment that I did theEd Sullivan show and we were
rehearsing for the show.
I tell this in concert at timeswe were rehearsing for the show
.
You rehearse at four o'clock inthe afternoon and then after
(29:40):
the rehearsal they set up andthen you do the live show.
So after the rehearsal then Iplay Taste of Honey, ed Sullivan
comes over to me and says, herb, I discovered you.
Yeah, I know, it was kind offunny.
I said, ed man, you're late.
(30:01):
My record's in the top five.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
But he discovered you , a really big artist.
I have just discovered the tealon a brass.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Yeah, wow, that is wonderful, but he was a good guy
.
I don't want to belittle him.
I liked him very much.
He was an honorable guy.
I liked him.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Hey, you know, he was a guy back then.
He didn't look like the guythat maybe you would think was
going to come out and introduceHerb Alpert and introduce the
Rolling Stones, and introducethe Beatles and Elvis and the
Doors and but there he was.
There he was doing it.
Um, I know you were also, um,uh, influenced by Joe Cocker,
but I know we're out of time butif you want to tell that story
(30:40):
real quick, I know you were veryfond of Joe and he was very
influential in your life interms of music yeah, well, joe,
you know recorded for A&M.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
He had that magical sound.
He was like a little bit of RayCharles Plus His energy was
very interesting.
They were rehearsing on oursound stage at A&M for their
tour, and Not that clear at thevery moment as we speak.
(31:11):
But anyways, I went out to thesoundstage with my eyes closed.
That's the way Sam Cooke usedto tell me.
He says listen to an artistwith your eyes closed and don't
get swayed by.
If they can dance real well, ifthey're extremely handsome or
beautiful, Just listen to thesound and see if it touches you.
So I walk out of the soundstage.
I'm kind of not looking at thesoundstage, I just wanted to be
(31:35):
there, so I sit on thesoundstage At the end of the
stage.
Joe and the group.
They were mad dogs andEnglishmen.
It was a concert tour.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
And so I slowly opened my eyes watching Joe sing
and I was like holy shit, hewas like gyrating, like he was
playing guitar.
He looked like he was possessedsinging and it gave me
goosebumps, you know, he justhad that sound that drilled
right into you.
And so from that point on Istarted listening to music that
was a little different than themusic I grew up in, because I I
(32:07):
was classically trained.
And then I started listening topop music and then rock and
roll.
I didn't seem to get it yet,but then I started opening up
and that's when A&M startedbeing a little more daring with
the artists that we werechoosing.
We got Sting and the Police.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Sting and the Police.
Oh man, I know the artisan.
I mean what a discovery.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
And the carpenters.
You know, I signed thecarpenters in 1970 and everyone
thought oh man, why are yousigning these two kids?
Speaker 1 (32:50):
You know, they're just kind of pop and cute.
They didn't say this after theyhad the close to you, right,
right, and didn't you like hearfrom them?
I think you first heard them,maybe on a demo tape or
something out of DowneyCalifornia and you thought, well
, geez, these guys, we need tofind a song for these guys
because they're very special andunique.
Do I have that kind of right?
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Well, yeah, I didn't really think about at that time
to find a song for him.
I just was intrigued by thedemos that they put together and
Karen's voice.
I just wanted to meet them andI did and I realized that's the
music that was coming out ofthem.
Naturally, it wasn't affected.
They weren't trying to get hitrecords.
(33:31):
They were just making musicthat Karen and Richard felt and
it was beautiful, not the typeof music that I normally listen
to but, it was honest, andthat's what I look for in an
artist it has to be authentic.
If it's not authentic and you'retrying to fake it, it might
(33:51):
look good for a one-hit record,but that's not a career and
you're trying to fake it.
It might look good for one hitrecord, but that's not a career.
And that's what I wanted to doto find artists that had that
magical thing that maybe theydidn't have a hit record right
off the bat, but they had theintegrity and they were able to
flag themselves down to therunway.
And that's Carpenters.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
That must be an incredibly proud feeling for you
, herb, to say look, I sawsomething in them.
And now look at them.
Look how big they are.
I had the ear.
I noticed that.
That had to be huge for you torealize that you had discovered
this beloved, became such abeloved artist.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Yeah.
I'm still in awe of it, becausethey're not over.
They're still selling productall around the world especially
in the uk and in japan.
It's amazing, I mean, she hadthis magical voice and you know,
karen thought of herself as adrubber, not not as a singer,
but she was special and I missher so much.
(34:55):
She was uh.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
She had no idea the effect that she had on so many
people and you talked about halblaine and the wrecking crew,
which the wrecking crew was sucha big part of that era too.
I know I'm going to let you gowe're kind of running a little
long here but I, um, I'm sointrigued by everything about
you and your career.
(35:18):
Um, I'm a huge fan and I'm ahuge fan of the wrecking crew,
which the wrecking crew, um, and, let's face it, um, from the
beach boys to, I mean, all a lotof the music that we heard back
in those days.
They were responsible for a lotof that and I think a lot of
credit is due to the WreckingCrew.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Yeah, they were a bunch of real flexible, gifted
musicians.
You know, hal Blaine wascertainly one of a kind.
He had a great sound on hisdrums but if he was recording
for me or Sinatra or Beach Boysor Neil Diamond, it didn't
(35:56):
matter.
He just put himself in theplace of trying to get what the
producer was looking for and hewould adapt to the session he
was in and all the other guysthat were, you know, playing
along with him.
Amazing group of artists thatwas fun to have on a session
(36:20):
because you know, I I would goin there with with slim ideas of
what I wanted to do and I'dplay these songs for for the
guys and little by little, youknow, tommy tedesco would strum
something, or Carole King wouldplay a bass line or you know
somebody would do something.
I'd hear, yeah, that's what Iwant, and I had Leon Russell
come.
(36:42):
You know, I used to use LeonRussell, who came in a suit and
tie and no beard.
You know, when I met Leon andhe used to sit down on the piano
and he says Zerby I don't knowwhat to do.
I said look, man, don't doanything.
If you feel something happening, chime in, but if you don't
feel it, don't play.
And then inevitably he'd beplunking along you know doing
(37:06):
something, and all of a suddenhe hit on a rhythm that you say,
oh my goodness, I couldn't havethought that rhythm in 100
years.
You know, it was magic.
So, yeah, I'm friends with Leon.
He was just a.
Really he was a super talent.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
I'm just trying to picture Leon back in those days
with no beard, because you knowyou're used to the big beard and
the white suit and all that andthere he is plunking on his
piano with a couple of greatsright there.
Listen, I yeah, herb albert, Iyou're you, sir.
I just want to tell you thisyou're a good man.
I appreciate you so much,beyond your music, beyond your
(37:46):
passion.
The fact that you would taketime with me, this guy up
sitting in the foothills ofNorthern California and you've
done it twice the idea that youwould actually take the time to
meet with me last time issomething that I will never,
ever forget.
I will always cherish it, andyou mean a lot to me and so many
(38:09):
others.
You affected my life.
I told you that earlier and Ilove you for that and I highly
respect you, herb Alpert.
Go see Herb Alpert and theTijuana Brass November 13th, the
day after my mother's birthday,safe Credit Union, sacramento.
I promise you you will have thetime of your life watching this
(38:30):
legendary artist and thislegendary man.
I appreciate you, herb thanks,pat.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
I appreciate that, what you just said.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Thank you so much god bless you and thank you for
being a part of my show and Iwill see you at the.
I'll be in the audience, okayall right, man, till next time.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
I bless you, man.
Thank you so much, bye-bye.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Wow, how cool was that?
Herb Alpert, what a graciousguy, what an amazing guy, like I
just told him, taking his timewith us.
So I think, as we go out here,I need to go back and revisit
(39:14):
the Tijuana Taxi song.
There's so many you can choosefrom, but, as I told him, I
don't know what it was, it juststuck in my head from laughing
and the Tijuana Brass.
There it is.
I don't know, I love that.
(39:35):
I'm always using that, always.
Anyhow, thank you so much fortuning in to my Pat's Peeps 330.
(40:00):
Wow, you know what a guy.
Hey, listen if you would.
By the way, I am the host of thePat Walsh Radio Show, kapk News
Radio.
I'll be playing part of this onmy show tonight, 7 to 10 pm.
There it is.
(40:20):
I love that.
You know Frank Zappa influencedme in the same way.
Well, there's just a lot ofyou'd have to be a Zappa guy yet
, but, um, all these artiststhat influence my goofiness, my
personality, my soul, quitefrankly, even as a young kid man
(40:47):
, where do you hear that?
You don't hear that too oftenanymore anymore.
Yep, so we'll have Ken Dogg ontonight talking movies.
We'll play part of this andplease, if you enjoyed this.
Would you do me a favor, please, please, to help Pat's Peeps.
Support local business so wecan support other local
(41:08):
businesses.
Please go to AI Lending, youhave a chance to win.
Oh, there, it is A chance towin a trip to Europe.
Put your name out of a hat.
Two for one.
Dinner is at Rock and SoulDiner in Sacramento.
Thank you, see you on the radio.
See you on the radio.
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