TEASER - 232: Herb Alpert & Other Delights (with Marker Starling)

Access this entire 70-minute episode (and additional monthly bonus episodes) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! https://www.patreon.com/junkfilter/posts/232-herb-alpert-165373100The Toronto-based musician Marker Starling (aka Chris Cummings) returns to the pod for a discussion of the career of Herb Alpert, who at age 91 is on tour with his new lineup of the Tijuana Brass; we went together to see his Toronto show at Massey Hall.It is hard to imagine today, but during the sixties only The Beatles dominated the American pop charts more thoroughly than Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, who famously landed four albums in the Billboard Top 10 simultaneously in 1966. Their era-defining smash, 1965’s Whipped Cream & Other Delights, served as a sonic harbinger of the massive cultural changes about to sweep America. The band's music quickly became ubiquitous, soundtracking everything from commercial jingles and game shows to house parties. Interestingly, while framed as a band, many of their early albums were secretly recorded by the legendary LA session musician unit The Wrecking Crew. Though changing musical tastes eventually landed millions of these vinyl records in garage sales and dollar bins, their cultural legacy remains, as evidenced by hip-hop samples and viral TikTok memes.We discuss all 13 Tijuana Brass albums but also explore Alpert's visionary work co-founding A&M Records, including key signings like The Carpenters, Chris Montez, and Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66. Finally, we discuss Herb's collaborations with Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the massive influence of A&M’s jazz label CTI in mainstreaming bossa nova via Antonio Carlos Jobim and Quincy Jones, and tell you what it was like to get to finally see Herb & the Brass in concert. Follow Marker Starling on Twitter and Instagram.Here are links to Chris’ most recent releases:Lammping/Marker Starling/Drew Smith - RISKY (2026)Cici Arthur - Way Through (2025)Marker Starling - Diamond Violence (2022)Herb Alpert music videosThis Guy’s In Love With You (1967)Rise (1979)Route 101 (1982)