# Herb Alpert - Why Was He Popular? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801 "2011-01-24T16:48:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/41 "2011-01-25T12:59:33Z")
A jolly, fat, bearded guy who wasn’t a scary hippie? Don’t underestimate what a draw this guy was to the viewers of **The Mike Douglas Show!** A side note: The famous cover for Whipped Cream? That was actually shaving cream, which behaves better under studio lights. They tried to hire the girl back for another album cover, but she was massively pregnant at the time, so it didn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/42 "2011-01-25T13:17:42Z")
My parents and their friends used to give parties regularly, and Herb Alpert was their party music. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/43 "2011-01-25T13:26:20Z")
We had “Going Places” when I was growing up, and yeah, I thought that was a sexy cover. I loved “Zorba the Greek” on that album. And the trumpet is cool. Plus, as **hajario** said, Alpert put out fun, peppy music. It was “better” than what the kids were listening to, but not as stodgy as classical. It was just right for the time: something people who weren’t yet into the “champagne music” of Lawrence Welk could enjoy, but more grown-up than say, The Archies. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/44 "2011-01-25T14:09:29Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > A jolly, fat, bearded guy who wasn’t a scary hippie? Don’t underestimate what a draw this guy was to the viewers of **The Mike Douglas Show!** > > A side note: The famous cover for Whipped Cream? That was actually shaving cream, which behaves better under studio lights. They tried to hire the girl back for another album cover, but she was massively pregnant at the time, so it didn’t happen. Herb Alpert wasn’t jolly, fat & bearded when he first got famous. Found some [interesting facts](http://www.irememberjfk.com/mt/2010/01/herb_alpert.php) about his pre-TJ Brass career: > [@](#): > > In 1957, Herb garnered a job as a songwriter for Keen records. He struck up a partnership with Lou Adler, who was also just starting out. Together, they penned some familiar refrains, including What a Wonderful World (with Sam Cooke), Alley Oop for the Hollywood Argyles, and Baby Talk for Jan and Dean. > > Here’s fodder for you trivia fans: Herb tried his hand at acting, and landed a bit role blowing a shofar in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments. His music was never a favorite of mine (or Mom’s!). But his stuff was _everywhere._ Johnny Cash borrowed the mariachi horn sound to make a hit of June’s “Ring of Fire.” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/45 "2011-01-25T14:35:47Z")
I have five of his first 6 albums. (I never bothered getting the Album _Volume 2_). After that he released a lot of filler albums. There’s some good music, but I’m not buying an album that only has a couple great songs. Are there specific albums from the 70’s,80,90’s that are considered really good? I may buy Rise based on comments in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/46 "2011-01-25T14:41:49Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Check out [his web page](http://www.herbalpert.com/music_discography.shtml) – he has all the songs available for listening Snippets of them. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/47 "2011-01-25T15:04:12Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > A jolly, fat, bearded guy who wasn’t a scary hippie? Don’t underestimate what a draw this guy was to the viewers of **The Mike Douglas Show!** > > A side note: The famous cover for Whipped Cream? That was actually shaving cream, which behaves better under studio lights. They tried to hire the girl back for another album cover, but she was massively pregnant at the time, so it didn’t happen. Are you sure you’re not confusing him with [Al Hirt](http://www.nndb.com/people/479/000113140/)? Hirt was another trumpeter with a few pop hits, such as [_Java_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERNdH-0OcXc), but was also a well-known jazzman. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/48 "2011-01-25T15:55:31Z")
[Alpert had no beard](http://www.ultragraphik.com/images/herb.jpg) in the 60s and 70s, though he has one now. He also wasn’t fat. You’re definitely confusing him with Hirt. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/49 "2011-01-25T18:02:03Z")
I’ve been listening to _Whipped Cream and Other Delights_ this morning. Whipped Cream (the song) sounds like the Dating Game theme. 😃 Or maybe the Newlywed Game. It’s one of them for sure. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/50 "2011-01-25T18:17:44Z")
Dating game theme [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c53P0D4N9n4) Sure sounds like Chuck Barris ripped off some of Whipped Cream’s melody. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/51 "2011-01-25T18:31:56Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Dating game theme > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c53P0D4N9n4](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c53P0D4N9n4) > > Sure sounds like Chuck Barris ripped off some of Whipped Cream’s melody. I am almost certain that Barris credited Alpert and paid royalties. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/52 "2011-01-25T18:46:39Z")
> [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](#): > > We had “Going Places” when I was growing up, and yeah, I thought that was a sexy cover. I loved “Zorba the Greek” on that album. And the trumpet is cool. I always thought he \*was \*Greek, but [Wiki has Alpert born into a Jewish family of Russian and Romanian origins.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Alpert)His father Louis was from Radomyshl (present-day Ukraine) and although a tailor by trade, was also a talented mandolin player. His mother, Tillie, had her roots in Romania on her father’s side; she herself taught violin at a young age. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/53 "2011-01-25T18:56:05Z")
I was not quite a fan of Herb’s music at the time. I liked it okay and thought the genre he helped make popular was easy to listen to. My mother was more of a true fan in that she had several(if not most) of his LP’s. That said, [Herb Alpert Route 101](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9MY72llgZs) is on my YouTube Favorites list and there’s just something about it that gets me. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/54 "2011-01-25T19:01:06Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > “Rise” was a great song (I remember hearing it on the radio quite often in '79). It was pretty different from the rest of what was on the Top 40 at that time, which was dominated by disco. Yep. That is the only song I can associate with him, but it’s still stuck in my head, 30+ years later so…not bad. One of these days I will get around to listening to something else by him. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/55 "2011-01-25T19:59:51Z")
> [@jasonh300](#): > > [More than once…](http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/F/frivolous_sourf.jpg) [More than twice even…](http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/b52d99e5dfea2dba6191cdf4bb9dcc5c/180366.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/56 "2011-01-25T22:57:27Z")
Rise is also sampled in the Notorious B.I.G. song “Hypnotize”, which lead me to listen to that song for the first time ever the other day when I got curious about that bassline, which in turn lead me to read Herb Alpert’s Wiki page, which in turn sent me back to YouTube to hear the other songs, which in turn lead me to realize that Herb is Homer Simpson’s favorite musical artist of all time, since Homer singing or humming them is how I know most of those songs. Also, one of them is the elevator music in the Blues Brothers when they’re going to the county assessor. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/57 "2011-01-25T23:04:48Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > …which was so iconic that it was [parodied](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000018VF.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg). [Several](http://www.freqresponse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/sourcream.jpeg) [times](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MSG04KyjL.jpg) [over.](http://sj.foodsci.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/album-cover-crap-84_normal_vinylcoversfreefr_00338.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/58 "2011-01-26T01:44:17Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Are you sure you’re not confusing him with [Al Hirt](http://www.nndb.com/people/479/000113140/)? Hirt was another trumpeter with a few pop hits, such as [_Java_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERNdH-0OcXc), but was also a well-known jazzman. Until right now, I had no idea they were two separate people. Kind of like Kurt Russell and Jeff Bridges. {Blush} ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/59 "2011-01-26T04:18:37Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Also, one of them is the elevator music in the Blues Brothers when they’re going to the county assessor. I thought it was “The Girl from Ipanema”, though I might well be mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801/60 "2011-01-26T04:35:06Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I thought it was “The Girl from Ipanema”, though I might well be mistaken. You’re correct. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herb-alpert-why-was-he-popular/568801.md?page=4)