Yesterday I read a BBC article about Herb Alpert (91) and his Tijuana Brass which got me reminiscing about my childhood and the records my parents used to listen to. I still clearly remember the warm evenings in early 60s Gibraltar with my parents preparing to go to another cocktail party at the naval base and the sounds of Herb Alpert or Acker Bilk wafting from their record player.
I was maybe five or six years old at the time, but even then, I was able to know what music I liked, which certainly was not Herb or Acker, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what music I did like back then. Then came Ray Conniff, whom I always associate with elevator music, then Kenny Ball, and I still don’t like jazz, then Louis Armstrong, and numerous other artists from that era. I do remember wrapping a pillow around my head when Herb Alpert’s, This Guy’s In Love With You sounded from the living room, not to mention the dozens of songs written by Burt Bacharach that my parents loved, not forgetting Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra, who did nothing for me at the time. However, I do remember being taken by Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made For Walkin’, probably because at my young age, it sounded quirky and I wondered why anyone would walk over someone with their boots!
Herb Alpert and a “brand-new” Tijuana Brass are playing US tour dates throughout 2026.
Then came the late sixties, and things began to spice up a bit.
By this time, my older sisters were teenagers, and when The Beatles stormed onto the scene, music changed, and so did they. Not that I would have noticed at such a young age because music was still just a noise to me. However, I distinctly remember a few years later, when I heard All My Loving at boarding school being played on the older boys’ Dansette record player and immediately being captivated by it. I still am!
Then The Rolling Stones, with their long hair and attitude, burst onto the scene in stark contrast to The Beatles‘ clean-cut image, with my parents being shocked and dismayed, referring to them as long-haired layabouts! There are too many influential singers and rock/pop groups to mention here, but as I grew older, I came to love music in all its forms – rock, pop, classical, and even opera, up to a point. I still have memories of sitting around the record player with my sisters and listening to Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, followed by the mellifluous Chopin and Rachmaninov. Yes, I now have a catholic taste in music, which even extends to The Sex Pistols‘ God Save The Queen (banned by the BBC) and their unmissable version of My Way.
How Has Your Taste In Music Changed?
In over sixty years, my taste in music has matured healthily, as I believe it should, and it’s only recently that I’ve come to truly appreciate Herb Alpert and particularly Acker Bilk. In fact, I referred to Acker Bilk’s beautiful Aria during a love scene in one of my published books, and I now know why my parents loved his 1962 hit, Stranger On The Shore, so much. In many ways, my musical tastes have come full circle, and I’ve come to appreciate all the artists mentioned above, but in different ways. Back in the 70s and 80s, I was angry and rebellious, so David Bowie, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Guns N’ Roses were my go-to bands. And it’s all very well commentators griping about music not being the same as it used to be because it evolves, as it should do. I may not be a Swiftie (fan of Taylor Swift, if you’re wondering), but I’ve come to love the music of Moby, Gipsy Kings, David Guetta, Groove Armada and many others, up to and including Argentine groups such as Los Palmeras with their song, Olvídala being so rich in detail, instrumentation and harmonies that I never get tired of listening to it. In fact, nowadays I’m leaning much more towards Latin music, including Cumbia, probably because of the fact I live in South America, which I blame on osmosis, but that’s another story.
How have your musical tastes changed over the years? Please comment below.
—
