A&M Records: RFI, etc.

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In the 60's, the purveyors of easy listening. But some of the stuff that I have is fantastic, sort of reverbed out spacey stuff with tons of harmony vocals and sometimes inventive arrangements. I can't really imagine who bought these records at the time because they seem so out of step with most things that were going on, but I guess it was someone's parents. I have all the Claudine Longet records, the Sandpipers, and maybe a couple others. Mostly seems to have been produced by Nick DeCaro or Tommy LiPuma. What else from the label is like this? Or talk abou tstuff on other labels that might be related (e.g. some of The Association, etc.)

― g, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm fairly certain that Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66 fit in here (I believe they were an early Herb Alpert signing, though not sure). Their big hit is good--"Mais Que Nada" I think it's called--but they have one absolute moment of greatness in the shoulda-been-number-one- around-the-world song, "Pretty World." An amazing Bacharach sort of thing, great arrangement, sweet vocal, perfect melody.

― s woods, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm a huge fan of late-60s soft-pop--as you say, the stuff "out of step" with what was going on (the frilly, bubblegummy-yet-square side of psychedelia). Though not specifically on the AC side that you might be looking for, check also:

"Tighter Tighter" by Alive 'N Kicking "More Today than Yesterday" / Spiral Staircase "Wedding Bell Blues" / Fifth Dimension various Gary Puckett & the Union Gap songs ("Lady Willpower," especially)

Oh, and Carpenters of course were A&M.

I hope other people add to this list--it's making me want to make my own mixed CD.

― s woods, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bauhaus, who fit right in.

― Sean, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Chris Montez (of "The More I See You" fame) made 4 albums on A&M in the mid-to-late 60s.

For really experimental spacey moogy stuff, check out Mort Garson's Electronic Hair Pieces, Wozard of Id, and his "Signs of the Zodiac" LPs.

― Jeff W, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Gothic onanism!

er, sorry, ba ba ba, sunny day, marry me Bill, etc.

― Sean, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Signs of the Zodiac" LP

The liner notes say "Must be played in the dark"! Kinda gothic, no?

― Sean, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Chris Montez (of "The More I See You" fame)

Covered by OMD on their second album. What does it MEAN?

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Label owner Herb Alpert was making a fortune with square-ish soft pop: that's EXACTLY what was going on in mid-60's mid-America.

― briania, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

g, since you mentioned The Association, you probably already have heard of Curt Boettcher's stuff -- his solo album "Misty Mirage" is excellent, and the Ballroom/Millennium 3-CD set is essential. If you haven't heard it, I'd highly recommend it as we seem to have similar music tastes (me being a TCS fan and all)...

I found a great reverb-y record album from 1968 (not available on CD to the best of my knowledge) with really good orchestral soft pop arrangements -- The Lettermen "Goin' Out of my Head". The first track in particular, "Never My Love", deconstructs a familiar song with an otherworldly orchestral arrangement... Amazing stuff. The rest of the album is pretty good, but that opening track is stunning. I plan to check the liner notes later today and see if I can find out anything else the arrangers for that album have done.

― popmusic, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've got a few early A & M albums (all of which I purchased from charity shops). Perhaps the best is "Stereo '70" which is an easy- listening compilation. My favourite tracks are "Love is Blue" by Claudine Longet and "Look Around" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66. The inner sleeve contains pictures of many A & M albums. Some are famous (e.g. Carole King's "Tapestry") whilst others are obscure (such as "The Gospel According to Dylan" by the Los Angeles Gospel Choir).

I'm not a big fan of Bacharach's instrumental records. I much prefer the Dionne Warwick versions. The worst A & M record I own is the poorly-recorded "Sergio Mendes and Brazil '77 in Concert".

― Mark Dixon, Tuesday, 14 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yep, all the above are fabulous. But for me, the definitive record of this sub-genre is the self-titled LP by Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends. A&M issue, Nick Decaro/Tommy Lipuma arrangements & production, super-smooth vocals, Tony Asher lyrics, it's the greatest. There's a few 45s by the group which are even better, all of which (together with the LP) are collected on a 'Complete Roger Nichols' Japanese CD.

― harveyw, Wednesday, 15 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

herb made a fortune but it wasn't from this stuff i don't think. most of it didn't sell much i suspect. There were other heavy hitters on A&M though.

― g, Wednesday, 15 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've been meaning to find a copy of the circle of friend lp

― g, Wednesday, 15 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

sean: i like bauhaus too as a matter of fact. but i'm one of those damn eclectics...

― g, Wednesday, 15 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Herb's fortune *was* from this kind of stuff. the Tijuana brass albums sold amazingly well in particular.

― michael, Wednesday, 15 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Baja Marimba Band is a nice A&M spinoff of the Tijuana Brass... I dig the "Rides Again" album... Has a surprisingly moving arrangement of "Walk On By" and a downright amazing version of "The Woody Woodpecker Song", if you can believe it.

― popmusic, Wednesday, 15 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Of course Herb Alpert made a fortune off this stuff and sold zillions of records, but I still think his (and, say, the Association's) brand of soft-pop was somewhat "out of step" in relation to what was the dominant pop music of the day ("dominant" from a cultural perspective, which doesn't necessarily = sales--at least not entirely)--i.e., psychedelia, soul music, Stones. But then, maybe that's just the *Rolling Stone* version; the *Song Hits* or the *Billboard* version would suggest a different story, of course.

― s woods, Thursday, 16 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Check the Soft Rock feature in the new Mojo for a broader outlook on this music. The Poppy family LP mentioned is particularly perfect.

― harveyw, Thursday, 16 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I just read on a cluadine longet website (http://home.earthlink.net/~elbroome/longet/) that Munster records from sapin is going to release what sounds like a nice comp of her stuff on both CD and vinyl. Doesn't say when exactly though, and it is actually all from her post-A&M material, same type of stuff though.

― g, Thursday, 16 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The fact that she's a murderess is the best thing about her.

― Sean, Thursday, 16 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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