Thursday 2/2/23 11pm ET: Feature LP: Herb Alpert – Keep Your Eye On Me (1987)

Keep Your Eye on Me is a pop/R&B/dance album by Herb Alpert, released February 13,1987. It contains two hit singles, “Diamonds” and “Making Love in the Rain” (both featuring lead and background vocals by Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith). These Billboard Top 40 hits, along with the title track and “Pillow” (featuring co-lead vocals by Alpert and singer/wife Lani Hall) were produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The remainder of the album consists of tracks produced by Herb Alpert and various producers. Keep Your Eye On Me was constructed with Side 1 (Tracks 1-5) featuring up-tempo songs, while Side 2 (Tracks 6-10) featured down tempo songs and ballads.

All trumpet solos were played by Herb Alpert.

The album was released on CD by A&M Records, along with extended CD singles of the title track and “Diamonds”. It was re-released on September 12, 2013 in a download-only version available exclusively through Alpert’s official website, HerbAlpertPresents.com.

“Keep Your Eye on Me” 5:13
“Hot Shot” 3:56
“Diamonds” 4:53
“Traffic Jam” 3:16
“Cat Man Do” 5:26
“Pillow” 4:32
“Our Song” 3:55
“Making Love in the Rain” 5:56
“Rocket to the Moon” 3:52
“Stranger on the Shore” 2:54
“Making Love in the Rain” 4:05 (Single Edit)

Wednesday 9/28/22 10pm ET: Feature LP: Herb Alpert – Fandango (1982)

Fandango is a studio album by American musician Herb Alpert released on A&M Records in May 1982.

One of Alpert’s most popular albums, the title tune was composed by Juan Carlos Calderón. It was briefly available on CD in the early ’90s, but went out of print. In 2012, a remastered version was released on CD by Shout Factory, and is also available as a download on Alpert’s official website, herbalpertpresents.com as well as the major online music vendors such as iTunes.

1. “Fandango” 3:41
2. “Margarita” 3:41
3. “Push and Pull” 4:40
4. “California Blues” 3:49
5. “Quiereme Tal Como Soy” 3:49
6. “Route 101” 3:21
7. “Coco Loco” 2:54
8. “Aria” 3:44
9. “Angel” 2:51
10. “Sugarloaf” 5:07
11. “Latin Medley (Frenesi / Bahia / Moliendo Cafe / Porompompero)” 5:43

Trumpet, Vocals, Vocoder, Arrangement – Herb Alpert
Arranger – Juan Carlos Calderón (track 1,6,9,11); Bill Cuomo (tracks 2,7); Michel Colombier (track 3,5); Eduardo Magallanes (track 4,8); Rafael Perez–Botija (track 5); Jose Quintana (track 10)
Backing Vocals – Marie Cain (track 6,11); Darlene Holden–Hoven (track 6,11); Mary Hylan (track 6,11); José Quintana (track 2);
Bass – Abraham Laboriel (track 1,9–11); Victor Ruiz Pazos (tracks 2,4,7,8); Freddie Washington (tracks 3,5,6)
Drums – Ralph Humphrey (track 10); Carlos Vega (tracks 1–9,11)
Guitar – Bernardino Santiago Gonzales (track 8); Abraham Laboriel (tracks 1,3,5,6,10,11); Tim May (tracks 3,5,6,11); Miguel Peña (tracks 2,4,7,8); Carlos Rios (track 3,6,9,11);
Harp – Gayle Levant (track 3,5,8)
Horns – Guillermo Espinosa (track 8); Carlos Macias (track 8)
Keyboards/Synthesizer – Juan Carlos Calderón (track 11); Michel Colombier (tracks 1,3,5,6,8,10,11); Bill Cuomo (tracks 1,2,4,7–9,11); Eduardo Magallanes (track 8); Greg Mathieson (tracks 6,10)
Marimba – Julius Wechter (tracks 3,11)
Percussion – Paulinho DaCosta (tracks 1–3,5–7,9,11); Laudir de Oliveira (track 10)

Monday 11/29/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Herb Alpert – Rise (79)

Rise is a 1979 album by Herb Alpert.

In 1979, the song “Rise”, written by Andy Armer and Alpert’s nephew Randy “Badazz” Alpert but without an accompanying album, became a worldwide sensation. The 12″ version was a favorite of club DJs and the 7″ single, released on July 20, 1979, reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October, staying there for two weeks. “Rise” was Alpert’s first No. 1 hit in the US since “This Guy’s in Love with You” spent four weeks there in 1968. Armer and the Alperts then set about creating an album to capitalize on the song’s success, and Rise was released in September.

Side 1 of Rise consists of original songs composed by Armer, Herb Alpert and Randy Alpert. Side 2 contains cover versions of songs that Herb Alpert admired. All songs featured the elder Alpert on trumpet, with many other studio musicians contributing.

The opening track, “1980”, is an instrumental theme written by Herb Alpert that NBC Sports executive Don Ohlmeyer had originally commissioned for the network’s planned coverage of the Summer Olympics in Moscow, but it was used seven years later as the official theme song for NBC’s telecast of the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. The closing song on the first side is another Armer and Randy Alpert song called “Rotation”, which was released as the follow-up single to “Rise”, peaking at No. 30 on the Hot 100 chart in January 1980.

Side 2 of the album includes a cover of “Street Life,” originally recorded by the Jazz Crusaders, a version of the Bill Withers song “Love Is” featuring Herb Alpert’s vocals and a dance rendition of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez classical composition.

Rise was the first album to be recorded digitally on the 3M 32-track digital recorder at Alpert’s A&M Records studios.

The album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart and at No. 6 on both the Billboard 200 and R&B album chart, selling more than three million copies.

1980 (2:25)
Rise (7:37)
Behind the Rain (5:34)
Rotation (5:12)
Street Life (5:01)
Love Is (4:28)
Angelina (4:13)
Aranjuez (Mon Amour) (6:42)

Thursday 9/23/21 1am ET: Feature LP: Herb Alpert – Catch The Wind (2021)

Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss.

His career highlights as a musician include recording five No. 1 albums; charting 28 albums on the Billboard magazine album chart; achieving sales of 14 platinum albums and 15 gold albums; and earning nine Grammy Awards. He has sold 72 million records worldwide.[1] Alpert is the only musician to hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop chart as both a vocalist (“This Guy’s in Love with You”, 1968) and an instrumentalist (“Rise”, 1979).

We are featuring his latest release Catch The Wind, released September 17, 2021

1. Slick (3:21)
2. Catch The Wind (2:59)
3. Eleanor Rigby (3:35)
4. Dance With Me (3:30)
5. Will I See You Again (2:27)
6. Brazilian Moon (3:23)
7. Billy Cha (3:09)
8. I’m Comin’ Home (3:15)
9. Yesterday (2:47)
10. Summertime (2:55)
11. Fantasy Island (3:06)
12. Zoo Train 21 (3:15)
13. America The Beautiful (3:16)
14. Smile (2:38)

Monday 4pm ET: Feature Artist – Herb Alpert

Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American jazz musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass, or TJB. Alpert is also a recording industry executive, the “A” of A&M Records, a recording label he and business partner Jerry Moss founded and eventually sold to PolyGram. Alpert also has created abstract expressionist paintings and sculpture over two decades, which are publicly displayed on occasion. Alpert and his wife, Lani Hall, are substantial philanthropists through the operation of the Herb Alpert Foundation.

Alpert’s musical accomplishments include five No. 1 albums and 28 albums total on the Billboard Album chart, nine Grammy Awards, fourteen platinum albums, and fifteen gold albums. Alpert has sold 72 million records worldwide. Alpert is the only recording artist to hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop chart as both a vocalist (“This Guy’s in Love with You”, 1968) and an instrumentalist (“Rise”, 1979).

Great Soul Performances 2: The 80s with Bobby Jay 5pm ET

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms. Coming up in a couple of hours on “Great Soul Performances 2: The 80’s” you’ll hear music from Jimmy Castor, Isaac Hayes, Shalimar, Kashif, Oran “Juice” Jones, Skyy, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Herb Alpert with Janet Jackson, Cuba Gooding, Sr., Odyssey and others. Check us out at 5PM ET, 4PM CT, 3PM MT and 2PM PT. Immediately following at 7PM eastern time will the encore of last evening’s “Great Soul Performances” with my tribute to my brother, the late Ben E. King and songs for Mother’s Day. If you missed it, or want to hear it again, now’s your chance. Enjoy Mother’s Day with me and the music on RadioMaxMusic.com.