Trumpet player Herb Alpert was working in the makeshift recording studio in his garage one day in 1962 when he happened on something interesting; he discovered that he could add a new dimension to his sound by recording a second trumpet part directly on top of the original, a process known as overdubbing. When the two parts were combined slightly out of synchronization, another effect was produced, which he called a "Spanish flair."

At 25, Alpert was already a Los Angeles music industry veteran with a track record of peaks and valleys. Among the highlights was a songwriting collaboration with friend Lou Adler and seminal soul singer Sam Cooke that produced several chart entries, including the oft-covered "Wonderful World." With Adler, Alpert also produced and managed Jan & Dean in their pre-surf-music days, resulting in a top ten hit for "Baby Talk." Having recently dissolved his partnership with Adler, Alpert was wondering what his next move should be.

The answer came to him a couple of months later in Tijuana, Mexico, during his first visit to a bullfight. Soaking up the atmosphere, he suddenly realized how to utilize that "Spanish flair." He recorded the thunderous chants of the bullfight crowd and, back in his garage studio, he added them to his "flaired" recording of a friend’s instrumental composition called "Twinkle Star," which he then retitled "The Lonely Bull."

Born on March 31, 1937, in Los Angeles, CA; married Lani Hall (a former singer), c. 1968.

Address: Record company--Shout! Factory, 2042-A Armacost Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025
Website: http://www.herbalpert.com