Pop Music

Sixties music was diverse. It could go from English Beat Music to American Soul to the ever-present pop. Herb Alpert, the musician and go-getting recording industry executive, would always ask songwriters if they had a composition or lying around that no one had recorded. He figured that there was always a gem to be found (pearl was his term). Alpert asked this of Burt Bacharach, and sure enough, he and Hal David had “This Guy’s in Love with You.” Alpert was known for his trumpet playing and for leading the Tijuana Brass, but he sang the vocal on this. There were even places for a trumpet solo in the bridge and fadeout.  It became his only major vocal hit. It was also his first #1 single and his first #1 for his A&M Record Label. (A&M stood for Alpert and the M in Jerry Moss.) Alpert sang the song on the 1968 TV special “The Beat of the Brass.” The response was very positive, so Alpert released it as a single backed with “A Quiet Tear.” In 1968, it went to #1 on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary Chart. He also recorded the song in Spanish and Italian. “This Guy’s in Love with You” was also released on the 1968 album The Beat of the Brass.

Herb Alpert was born in 1935 in Los Angeles. At the age of 80, he has many accomplishments to his name as a musician, arranger, composer, executive, paint, and sculptor. He and Lani Hall, who sang with Sergio Mendes, have been married since 1974. They have been very involved in philanthropic activities. In the 1980s they created The Herb Alpert Foundation and the Alpert Awards in the Arts with The California Institute of the Arts.

Here are the lyrics to “This Guy’s in Love With You” by Herb Alpert:

You see this guy, this guy’s in love with you
Yes,  I’m in love who looks at you the way I do
When you smile I can tell we know each other very well

How can I show you I’m glad I got to know you ’cause
I’ve heard some talk they say you think I’m fine
This guy’s in love and what I’d do to make you mine
Tell me now is it so don’t let me be the last to know

My hands are shakin’ don’t let my heart keep breaking ’cause
I need your love, I want your love
Say you’re in love, in love with this guy, if not I’ll just die

Tell me now is it so don’t let me be the last to know
My hands are shakin’ don’t let my heart keep breaking ’cause
I need your love, I want your love
Say you’re in love, in love with this guy, if not I’ll just die”

For a song by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass: “A Taste of Honey.”

Check Out The Groove Pad for More 1960s Music

The Pass the Paisley Groove Pad is a resting stop, a place to chill out and listen to the featured song on the stereo. If the mood strikes you, click on the juke box to access and listen to the 50+ free online songs there. The TV has several channels, with selections updated twice a week. Every now and then, Pass the Paisley hosts an all-request of 1960s and 1970s songs for a Be-In at the juke box in the Groove Pad. Keep on truckin’. Hope you enjoyed “This Guy’s in Love With You” by Herb Alpert.