Sweet Sound of Jazz

Herb_AlbertA Taste of Honey” is a pop standard written for the 1960 Broadway version of the 1958 British play A Taste of Honey. Both the original and a cover by Herb Alpert in 1965 earned the song four Grammy Awards.

Whipped Cream & Other Delights is a 1965 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, called “Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass” for this album, released on A&M Records. It is the band’s fourth full album and arguably their most popular release. Whipped Cream & Other Delights sold over 6 million copies in the United States and the album cover alone is considered a classic pop culture icon. It featured model Dolores Ericsson wearing chiffon and shaving cream. The picture was taken at a time when Erickson was three months pregnant. The album cover was so popular with Alpert fans that, during concerts, when about to play the song “Whipped Cream”, Alpert would tell the audience, “Sorry, we can’t play the cover for you!”

Album: Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass – Whipped Cream and Other Delights
Source: Edith Hopkins’ (my mother-in-law) closet
Price: $0

I was sorting through a pile of change looking for treasures to add to my coin collection when I heard it. Mom and dad usually listened to singers like Andy Williams and Dionne Warwick. This sounded like trumpets and there was no singing. I decided to go check it out.

I was enjoying this new style of music when I saw the album cover. The angel on one shoulder whispered in my ear, “You should not be looking at that. Put it down.” But the devil standing on the other shoulder said, “Don’t listen to her, it’s just a picture of a woman.” I decided to compromise. I would finish listening to this first song then put the album down. The first song finished but before I could put the album cover back on the stereo…(Press play to continue)

Before I knew it the entire album side was finished. Maybe I was growing up. If that meant I could listen to this music and look at this kind of album cover then so long childhood. Inspired by this first experience with jazz music, I decided to play trumpet when I entered middle school. My guilty pleasure looking at pictures of sexy women would eventually lead to a fascination with Hugh Hefner publications. (see Boys Will Be Boys)

Challenge question to readers:  Anyone else out there brave enough to share your guilty pleasures?

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3 Responses to Sweet Sound of Jazz

  1. Ann says:

    My parents had that same album and I’ll always remember that cover!

  2. Steve says:

    I too remember enjoying that album…..cover. I had forgot. You Han amazing memory.

  3. Beth says:

    No one in my family owned this album, but I remember staring at the cover in the record section of the Eielson AFB BX and wondering many things. I remember the songs, too and his later albums. He had a decent voice and I liked to listen to him sing, too. Nice memory!

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