Guantanamera/The Sandpipers

by The Sandpipers

Overview

There is an undeniable charm in the whimsy and subdued kitsch of these affably mellow melodies. This two-fer from Collectors' Choice Music gathers the Sandpipers' 1966 release Guantanamera, as well as their self-titled follow-up from 1967. These were the highest charting long-players that the trio -- consisting of vocalists Jim Brady, Mike Piano, and Richard Shoff -- issued, reaching number 13 and number 53 respectively on the pop album charts. In addition to including the title track from their LP -- the South American folk standard "Guantanamera" -- this disc also highlights some remarkably fresh sounding pop/rock covers, as well as other traditional folk songs from around the globe. While Guantanamera is their debut album, the members of the Sandpipers had previously worked together for several years. Initially, the three met as members of the Mitchell Boys' Choir before seceding to perform as the Four Seasons, and later the Grads. Enter the "A" of A&M records -- Herb Alpert -- who first signed them to his label, and, second, placed their talents into the careful supervision of staff producer Tommy LiPuma and musical arrangers Nick DeCaro and Mort Garson. Indeed, the inobtrusive sound that the team came up with was strikingly similar in approach to that of Alpert's own Tijuana Brass and their percussive cousins, the Julius Wechter-led Baja Marimba Band. The trio's blithe vocals -- which are often enhanced by an uncredited female lead -- are ideally suited to the equally carefree and often lush instrumentals, producing some interesting and quite unexpected results. On one end of the spectrum are the somewhat conventional interpretations of pop music standards "Strangers in the Night," "It's Over," and "Try to Remember." A harpsichord-laced and Latin-tinged "Carmen," as well as the languid rhythms featured on the arrangements of garage rock staples "Louie Louie" and "La Bamba," are innocuous nods to the psychedelic music scene -- replete with a slight echoplex and wide stereo production -- that not only send the senses reeling, but have also remained surprisingly fresh and even modern. A related highlight includes the ethereal "Things We Said Today," which reveals the beauty of the composition in a unique light. From the decelerated tempo to the emphasis placed on chord and key changes, this arrangement bristles with innovation. Likewise, it ranks among the finest -- and equally as original -- cover versions of any Beatles track. Unfortunately, their spins on "Yesterday" and "Michelle" fall short in comparison. Although the CD occasionally reveals surface noise from the vinyl transcription during quieter passages, those incidences are few and never detract from the listening experience. ~ Lindsay Planer

Product Details

Release Date:	04/14/2023
Label:	France
UPC:	4117412522825

Tracks

1. Guantanamera
2. Strangers In the Night
3. Carmen
4. Cast Your Fate to the Wind
5. La Bamba
6. La Mer (Beyond the Sea)
7. Louie, Louie
8. Things We Said Today
9. Enamorado
10. What Makes You Dream, Pretty Girl?
11. Stasera Gli Angeli Non Volano (for the Last Time)
12. Angelica
13. The French Song
14. Bon Soir Dame
15. For Baby
16. Inch Worm
17. It's Over
18. Glass
19. Rain, Rain Go Away
20. Yesterday
21. Michelle
22. Try to Remember
23. I'll Remember You
24. Softly as I Leave You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Sandpipers   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Bruce Botnick   Engineer
Tommy LiPuma   Compilation Producer
Kui Lee   Composer
Jack Lawrence   Composer
Duke Ellington   Composer
Cynthia Weil   Composer
Charles Trenet   Composer
Vince Guaraldi   Composer
John Lennon   Composer
Pete Seeger   Composer
Joseito Fernandez   Composer
Audio 2   Composer
Richard Berry   Composer
Albert Lasry   Composer
Arturo Sanchez, Jr.   Composer
Jimmie F. Rodgers   Composer
Bert Kaempfert   Composer
Barry Mann   Composer
Eddie Snyder   Composer
John Denver   Composer
Roy Orbison   Composer
Georges Bizet   Composer
Harry Pease   Composer
Larry Vincent   Composer
Hector Angulo   Composer
Hal Shaper   Composer
Bud Dashiell   Composer
Jose Marti   Composer
Charlie Singleton   Composer
Frank Loesser   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Paulina Rubio   Composer
Bill Dees   Composer
Paul McCartney   Composer
Antonio de Vita   Composer
Keith Colley   Composer