Scopitone: Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - "Tijuana Taxi" (S-1064)

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[@jacquiethielen]

My brush with greatness? The blonde in the striped poncho is my life long best friend’s ( RIP SERGIO), Bonnie. Today is her birthday too.

[@MrsClippit]

Lucky you! I absolutely love watching the dancing! I first saw this when I was little and I have always loved it. I would love to know everything about how this video was made! It gives me so much happiness. Give her a big belated Happy Birthday for me! 🧡🌻🎂🎉🎁

[@antoh2106]

That has to be the campest thing I've ever seen and simultaneously heard......Fabulous lol

[@peterkuchenbrod5696]

This was filmed on Olvera Street in Downtown Los Angeles.

[@TVHouseHistorian]

I was sitting here trying to get a feel for the filming location, but there’s not much context to go on for a non-LosAngelean. Thank you!!

[@trooking1]

You can't help feeling happy when you hear this.

[@gymnastix]

I agree with you that just hearing "Tijuana Taxi" will put a smile on one's face. And one will become even happier when one watches the Scopitone video (as seen here) for "Tijuana Taxi." It is too bad these Scopitone video jukeboxes never caught on. Scopitones really were the ancestors of MTV., when MTV stood for "Music TeleVision" and stil aired music videos almost 24/7. I would also like to know who the dancers seen in the video here are. Presumably they are the dancers who toured with Herb Alpert' & The Tijuana Brass' live revue shows. The Tijuana Brass were not really Mexicans anyway. For the recordings, Alpert used the Hollywood studio musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew," the same guys (including drummer Hal Blaine and guitarist Tommy Tedesco) and one woman (bassist Carol Kaye) who played on the records of producer Phil Spector (The Crystals, The Ronettes, early Righteous Brothers, etc.), some of the records of The Beach Boys, early records of The Byrds and The Monkees, as well the records of Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, and many others. Herb Alpert himself is Jewish and the co-founder (with former partner Jerry Moss) of A&M Records. And for the purpose of performing live concerts Alpert assembled a live "Brass," another group of crack session musicians he used to jokingly refer to as "Four lasagnas (Italians), two bagels (Jews), and an American cheese (presumably Anglo-American)." They were, respectively, John Pisano (electric guitar); Lou Pagani (piano); Nick Ceroli (drums); Pat Senatore (bass guitar); Tonni Kalash (trumpet); Herb Alpert (trumpet and vocal); and Bob Edmondson (trombone). Alpert also put together an entire revue which included the "Brass," dancers and comic material specially written by Bill Dana, best-known for his farcical "José Jiménez" character of a Bolivian goofball who holds various professions, including bellboy, elevator operator, sailor and submariner, and Mercury astronaut. Dana himself was also not Hispanic, but of Hungarian-Jewish ancestry (birth name "William Szathmary"), making his material the perfect fit for a group of fake Tijuanan musicians that comprised Alpert's "Brass." Bill Dana's "José Jiménez" first appeared on Steve Allen's "Tonight!," then on "The Danny Thomas Show" and was eventually spun off into his own self-titled sitcom, "The Bill. Dana Show," which aired two years on NBC and featured the first incarnation of Don Adams' "Maxwell Smart" (from "Get Smart") character, but as a hotel detective, and Johnathan Harris (later "Dr. Zachary Smith" in Irwin Allen's "Lost in Space" series) as the hotel manger and foil for Dana's hotel bellboy character.

[@Sincopare]

Any time I need a shot of energy I go straight to this song and video.

[@slimshine953]

Simply fantastic, and a real blast to watch! Uplifting and so much fun!

[@mmccarrell]

Wonder where these dancers are these days and what happened to them? Just curious. This video drives me crazy, these girls are just too damn sexy.

[@jcjohnsong8570]

Teri Garr did a lot of these as one of the dancers before becoming famous on 'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour' ... she was also a dancer in several Elvis movies

[@henridelagardere264]

0:40 & 1:35 These two guys may very well have been the inspiration for Monty Python's _Ministry of Silly Walks_ sketch.

[@5277088]

Only 374 likes after 63k views? Thats what I never got about KZbin. What does it cost people to give it a "like" and reward the uploader? NOTHING! Stingy people. Or lazy people.

[@ericvanderheijden1013]

There you go. A thumbs up!

[@AliasUndercover]

It's like a scene from Sweet Charity.

[@shakiMiki]

Great post, but you should clip the top. Takes too long to come in.

[@excelsior5564]

Note the quizzical expressions on the bystanders... What a hoot! Looks like about '65 or '66.

[@glpilpi6209]

I believe the record was released in 66.

[@karlwjm]

I could have sworn this was a Benny Hill skit.

[@coppingtonfarnham7731]

I opened another browser window and played the Benny Hill theme over Herb Alpert's tune and wow!

[@marthalopez4390]

Esta musica es la mejor la disfrute en grande esos si heran verdadetos artistad

[@wallofvideo]

this looks a lot like olvera street.

[@jonnuanez2843]

That's what I thought as well.

[@UNOwen1]

If I'm not mistaken, the dark-haired gentleman's Mr Herb Alpert, the bond is none other than ace producer, Bob Crewe.

[@peterpaul231]

Interesting! Thank you.

[@hebneh]

If you're referring to the man sitting in the car at 0:17 - no, that is definitely NOT Herb Alpert.

[@agathavercotti]

craziest dance ever ... but love it!

[@TVHouseHistorian]

@1:15 the girls are dancing on the rooftop of the Golondrina Cafe (the outdoor seating area). It's still there if memory serves.

[@lajas46]

I don't see at least 1 Latino.

[@legaleagle46]

It makes you wonder just how whacked out the 60s really were, doesn't it?

[@aris95]

But why the use of drugs in the 60s when they had scopitones?

[@douglasgoralski1639]

Dare to be stupid! I love it.

[@5277088]

Why would I be highly surprised if those guys arent gay? Nothing wrong with a man dancing exuberantly. Yet... the association is definitely of gay

[@bryanpalmer9660]

My all time favorite of Herb and the boys,a wonderful 💎 from my childhood and from an era that can never be recaptured PS LOVE the video too Auckland New Zealand 2024

[@Sincopare]

Yellow pants is dazzling 😍

[@lenb7275]

Herb alpert and the Tijuana brass weren't even in it !

[@villedocvalle]

Lol Olvera Street in Los Angeles

[@RichardDorma-y3j]

Perfect

[@hebneh]

Herb Alpert himself had the good sense to stay as far away as possible from appearing personally in this little cheeseball production.

[@fromthesidelines]

The song was licensed by Herb (through A&M records) to Scopitone. He and the "Brass" were appearing on numerous variety shows at the time......

[@roysheaks1261]

This video is legendary, none-the-less.

[@lordgriff]

Leyton Orient ♥️

[@ShaggyDawg]

Awesome.

[@villedocvalle]

Fun music

[@lauribricker9439]

The song from the kids' TV show "Professor Kool's Fun School"! Thanks for the memories!

[@elibravo9710]

cómo me gustaban esas coreografias llenas de vitalidad y alegría 😀

[@peterpaul231]

I love the little move at 1:58

[@TVHouseHistorian]

I loved that too!!!

[@nickzee7723]

I Always loved this song. I was in grade school when this was a hit on the radio.

[@fenils1]

toute ma jeunesse avec papa qui travaillait pour la firme Seeburg les plus ancien était d'un vert horrible.

[@RobRVA]

Where's Herb? 🤷‍♂️

[@TheMiloMinder]

Was that Barbara Eden?

[@ShastaPacificRoad]

Nope. I even ran it in slow-motion with some software to check. My first thought when I saw this was Teri Garr since she started out as a dancer in the early/mid 60's and appeared on a lot of the beach movies from American International(and others) but no go. Besides the facial features are too coarse for either lady. Soooo, no idea.

[@fromthesidelines]

ARE YOU KIDDING??? What would Barbara be doing in a "Scopitone", when she already established as "Jeannie", and appearing on numerous variety shows at the time????

[@eld-ritch]

***** Teri Garr is in some Scopitones though, I'm sure. Check out the one by Frank Sinatra Jr. & also Bobby Vee's "Baby Face".

[@ShastaPacificRoad]

eld ritch I agree. Pretty sure I've seen her in some Scopitones even though dancers were usually uncredited until much later or there was some sort of arrangement. Not sure when dancers started being listed in the credits for Scopitones or videos but I've seen a lot of people in them who later went on to fame of some sort.

[@tombennett1195]

+Milo Minderbinder No, it was Katharine Hepburn.

[@EBenderTheRobot]

What's the website URL?

[@TheShizue777]

Someone help me. I lived in San Francisco during the 1960s. I know Tijuana Taxi very well. Where could I have seen this Scopitone? There was no MTV back then.

[@jlyons7327]

They were film reel machines in bars and clubs. MTV's video grandparents.

[@jackkelly4668]

lol bs

[@themoviedealers]

BS? No, sorry. That's what this film was made for. A video film reel machine jukebox for bars and nightclubs. They lasted only a few years, but a surprising number of these films were made. There were a few different brands of machines as well.

[@mpirron1]

Shill

[@esperanzasesaldo7948]

I think we are looking the same MTV.. I cant really find it.. it features Tijuana taxi, spanish flea.. its a sort of a comedy variety show..we have in vhs and we lost it..

[@RichardDorma-y3j]

Back when we had class

[@mattalbrecht7471]

Now i have seen some terrible videos in my day...

[@roysheaks1261]

One of my all time favorites...

[@peterpaul231]

Perhaps the gayest thing ever! To die for!