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A&M Records Highlights: Housekeeping

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Revisiting A&M Records No. 27
Various artists: ‘Million Dollar Sound Sampler’ (Nov ’67)
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass: ‘Herb Alpert’s Ninth’ (Dec ’67)

This is somewhat a housekeeping post as we near the end of the most crucial year yet in my more-or-less chronological look at A&M’s history. Certainly won’t be the last time we encounter Mr. A as a recording artist or take stock of these assortments his label compiled to entice buyers, but both topics have been addressed in previous installments.

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Soundtrack Sunday: American Hot Wax

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There’s a really great film to be made about the influential rise and payola-plagued downfall of seminal rock ’n’ roll disc jockey Alan Freed. This well-intentioned yet utterly incoherent mess isn’t that flick any more than the ’99 TV movie that miscast Judd Nelson as the ingenious impresario.

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A&M Records Highlights: Tambra 4

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Revisiting A&M Records No. 26
Tamba 4: ‘We and the Sea’ (November ’67)

Now this is serious shit. Makes Sérgio Mendes seem exactly like the lightweight he was — highly capable, yes, and plenty enjoyable, just nowhere near the heavyweight class that this prodigious quartet was punching at by the time sunset fell on the Summer of Love.

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Christine McVie Deep Dive: Mick Fleetwood’s ‘I’m Not Me’

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Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks weren’t the only ones from Fleetwood Mac to pursue solo ventures after the Tusk tour of ’79-’80 ended acrimoniously (again). The front half of the group’s namesake did likewise, releasing his noble failure The Visitor in June ’81.

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A&M Records Highlights: The Merry-Go-Round

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Revisiting A&M Records No. 24
The Merry-Go-Round: ‘The Merry-Go-Round’ (November ‘67)

Ten installments ago I asserted Lee Michaels was the label’s first true rock star. I stand by that statement, even if it took him four years and five albums to score a genuine chart smash.

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