The Steel Guitar Forum

Remember this tune? A hit for Herb Alpert in 1963, also recorded by The Shadows and The Ventures. Thanks for listening.

--click it--> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSG4w4D54PQ



My new lap steel song book, 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 tunings ---> http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=288589

I love it! I really like the chords at the beginning. I guess that's why you use a flat pick? Great sound!

Hey Doug, I LOVE that tune and your rendition of it! Just terrific. I play it on acoustic in open D but your electric version is great too.

The "Tijuana Brass" was actually Herb Alpert overdubbing himself for all the trumpet parts playing purposely slightly out of tune to get that Mariachi band effect. An A-list crew of LA studio musicians supported him. Herb had a great ear. He was the composer of Lonely Bull.

Neat Job Doug! Like the bass sound on the bridge.

That was a fun ride!

Great rendition, I thought you were using your finger nails till your pick showed after the ending. I have the album, it was always my favorite song!

Nice Doug!!!
Joe Elk

Love it! I wish this had been song 17 in your book.

Are you using a flatpick on this one?

Man...I could listen to that all day. Awesome Doug!

Is it just standard C6th with the low C replaced with a G?

Thanks for the kind comments. Yes, I'm using a flatpick on this one. I thought it was more appropriate for this song... trying to get a surf guitar kind of sound. Plucking with the pick makes a brighter, more stinging tone, especially on the low wound string. I tried a thumb pick, but the tone was too dull on the bass string.

The intro is harmonized thirds over 4 bars of C major. The original recording has a mandolin on the intro, and that's where I got the idea for tremolo picking the 3rds. The intro I ended up with sounds different than the mandolin part though.

The tuning is standard C6 with low G. I had to put a thicker string on #6 to get the low notes I was after. The original recording also has a low guitar part there.

"The Lonely Bull" Album was one of the first albums I ever bought. I was 14 years old and I made some money mowing lawns, so I spent all of it on albums! I also bought "Meet the Beatles" that day.

I've been thinking about doing a rendition of that song for years, perfect for lap steel. Great job as always!

Right on the money Doug, perfection at it`s greatness, Keep up the good work.
Ron

Another fanastic rendition of a great old tune You certainly can "pick" them Doug.

Yet again!!! Great work!

Sounds good, Doug. Love the old Tijuana Brass records.

Excellent!

Thanks, guys!

Doug Beaumier wrote:Remember this tune?

Great stuff!

-Bo Parker

YES, I remember the tune. You also mention The Shadows that fantastic guitar and EQ make it sound very Shadows to me. You also mention Beatles, I have the ticket from July 29 -64 when I was tn Stockholm Sweden and see The Beatles.
Is this from the next book?

Bosse in Sweden

Great tune and playing. Love that low G string.

Thanks Len, Bosse, Bo. Bosse, I don't think I'll be doing any more books for quite a while.

Doug as always, great playing and great touch and tone ! Ironically i was just taking a break from working on your latest book, when I saw this post. Immediately brought a smile to my face !
The first 8 track tape I bought was of the Tijuana Brass to play in my new 1964 Plymouth Valient !

Nice one Doug. The surf sound worked.. That was the first thing I thought, kinda surfy sounding.

The ten year old me was very taken with the cover of Whipped Cream and Other Delights but I wasn't 100% sure why. LOL.

By coincidence, I've been working on a C6th arrangement of Herb's tune, Rosemary, which was recorded for the "Whipped Cream" LP but didn't make the cut until the CD release 40 years later. It's a beautiful, somewhat melancholy song with unusual changes and lays out great on lap steel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAGNU6SQedM