One
of the most successful instrumental performers in pop history,
trumpeter Herb Alpert was also one of the entertainment
industry's shrewdest businessmen: A&M, the label he
co-founded with partner Jerry Moss, ranks among the most
prosperous artist-owned companies ever established. Born
March 31, 1935, in Los Angeles, Alpert began playing the
trumpet at the age of eight. After serving in the Army,
he attempted to forge an acting career, but soon returned
to music, recording under the name Dore Alpert for RCA.
With Lou Adler, Alpert co-wrote a number of Sam Cooke's
most enduring hits, including "Wonderful World"
and "Only Sixteen." Under the name Dante &
the Evergreens, he and Adler also recorded a cover of the
Hollywood Argyles' "Alley Oop"; additionally,
Alpert produced tracks for the surf duo Jan & Dean.
In 1962 he teamed with Moss to found A&M Records, scoring
a Top Ten hit with the single "The Lonely Bull."
From its humble origins as a company run out of Alpert's
garage, A&M grew to become the world's biggest independent
label; among its greatest successes were the Carpenters,
Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, and Sergio Mendes & Brasil
'66. Nevertheless, Alpert and his backing unit, the Tijuana
Brass, remained the label's flagship act: on the strength
of the hit "A Taste of Honey," his 1965 LP Whipped
Cream and Other Delights topped the charts, popularizing
his Latin-influenced style (dubbed "Ameriachi").
The follow-up, 1965's Going Places, also hit number one,
launching the hit "Spanish Flea."
After 1966's What Now My Love — his most popular effort,
remaining at number one for nine weeks — Alpert continued
to dominate the charts with records including 1966's S.R.O.
and the following year's Sounds Like and Herb Alpert's Ninth.
In 1968, he scored his first number one single by taking
a rare vocal turn on a rendition of Burt Bacharach's "This
Guy's in Love With You"; the album Beat of the Brass
followed the hit to the top of the charts, becoming Alpert's
fifth and final number one LP.
Released in 1969, Warm was the first of Alpert's 11 albums
not to crack the Top 20; by 1971's Summertime, his commercial
fates had fallen to the point where he no longer reached
the Top 100. As A&M continued to thrive, he moved his
primary focus from music to industry, although he regularly
recorded throughout the early '70s; 1974's You Smile —
The Song Begins was his most successful outing in several
years, but subsequent releases like 1975's Coney Island
and 1976's Just You and Me met with greater chart resistance.
In 1979, Alpert staged a major comeback with Rise; not only
did the album reach the Top Ten, but the title track topped
the singles charts and became the biggest hit of his career.
The follow-up, 1980's Beyond,
was a Top 40 success, but subsequent efforts like 1982's
Fandango and 1985's Wild Romance fared poorly. In 1987 Alpert
enjoyed another renaissance with the album Keep Your Eye
On Me; the lead single "Diamonds" hit the Top
Five and featured a guest vocal from Janet Jackson, one
of A&M's towering successes of the late '80s.
Alpert
continued recording throughout the 1990s, producing work
like 1991's North on South Street, 1992's Midnight Sun,
and 1997's Passion Dance. After selling A&M to PolyGram
in 1990 for a sum in excess of $500 million, he and Moss
founded a new label, Almo Sounds, in 1994; among the imprint's
hit artists was the group Garbage. His own albums, including
1997's Passion Dance and 1999's Colors, were also released
on the label. Alpert also tackled other forms of media,
exhibiting his abstract expressionist paintings and co-producing
a number of Broadway successes, including Angels in America
and Jelly's Last Jam. He also established the Herb Alpert
Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to establishing
educational, arts, and environmental programs for children.
The
Mexican Border Brass Ensemble – “The Music Of
Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass”
