Still digging the 1960s vibe, our next version of "Jingle Bells" is in the hands, well lips, of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass!
Here they are from their 1968 "Christmas Album" on A&M Records:
I like how you get a minute or so of Jackie Gleason-esque lushness before the typical Tijuana Brass arrangement kicks in!
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| Herb Alpert (left) and Burt Bacharach confer! |
The album also included the "Jingle Bells" spinoff "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" with Herb on the vocal (he had the huge vocal hit with Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "This Guy's in Love with You" earlier in the year):
That cute number was written by Burt Bacharach (with Larry Kusik AKA not Hal David!) back in 1964 but for some reason I think it works better in this format, as the earlier versions are too cute-sy.
Interestingly, A&M also released a version by Mr. Bacharach in 1968:
That doesn't really stray from the Tijuana Brass version, as it fits what I think of as the A&M "house" sound of the 1960s.
That sound shows up all over the 1968 A&M album "¡Something Festive!" which I think was a promo item for Goodrich Tires and included Burt's version of "The Bell..."
The album also includes Herb and the TJB with "Winter Wonderland":
Also fitting right in is Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 with "The Christmas Song":
And there's also TJB percussionist Julius Wechter's Baja Marimba Band with "Partridge in a Pear Tree (Twelve Days of Christmas)" (originally from 1966's "For Animals Only" album):
That's a fun take on the traditional carol!
Something festive was indeed in the air for A&M Records in 1968!
And Herb and Burt are both still around, so a Happy 2022 to them!
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