Rating:
Genre:
Easy Listening
Release Date: 04/19/2005
Building upon
South of the Border's (1964) Top Ten success,
Herb Alpert dismissed the contingency of Los Angeles-based studio instrumental all-stars, which he had christened
the Tijuana Brass. Because there was enough demand for live dates, just like a musical Gepetto,
Alpert formed a real
Tijuana Brass. The bandleader/trumpeter was joined by
Tonni Kalash (trumpet),
Robert Edmondson (trombone),
Pat Senatore (bass),
John Pisano (guitars),
Lou Pagani (piano), and
Nick Ceroli (drums). Ostensibly, the personnel wasn't a primary consideration as
Alpert and company had already begun making serious inroads on the
pop music scene. Not bad, considering the market was being heavily infiltrated, if not practically dominated by the
British Invasion. With
Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965), they would take that momentum to new heights -- including three Grammy Awards alone for the update of the
Bobby Scott and
Ric Marlow-penned theme to
Shelagh Delaney's play of the same name,
"A Taste of Honey." The remainder of the material on the dozen-song album was chosen with food as the underlying thematic motif.
Sol Lake -- who provided
Alpert "The Lonely Bull" and
"Mexican Shuffle" returns, and this time he has custom-made the upbeat and, above all, catchy trio of
"Green Peppers," "Bittersweet Samba," and
"El Garbanzo." Allen Toussaint's title composition
"Whipped Cream" garnered significant attention, but not as a chart hit. Rather, it could be heard as bachelorettes were being introduced on
ABC-TV's
The Dating Game. Early in the series run, additional
Alpert offerings were also incorporated as incidental music:
"Spanish Flea," as the bachelors were being announced,
"Lollipops and Roses," when the lucky winners were being told where they would be spending their date, and both
"Ladyfingers" and
"Lemon Tree" were in rotation as contestants mulled over their answers.
After several poor analogue-to-CD transfers in the '80s and '90s,
Whipped Cream & Other Delights was reissued as part of
Shout! Factory's
Herb Alpert Signature Series and boasts remarkably improved sound. [The CD was also released with two bonus tracks:
"Rosemary" and
"Blueberry Park," which are denoted as "unused studio session masters."]
~Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
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