''Trini Lopez at PJ's'' is the debut,
live album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by singer and guitarist
Trini Lopez, released in 1963 on
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels.
Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
. Many of the tracks are
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
songs. The record was a result of
Don Costa hearing him perform at
PJ's nightclub, and signing him to his new Reprise record label. The club floor was miked to get the crowd reaction on the record, as the producer and
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
wanted the "live" experience to come across in the recording. The cover shows Lopez with his
Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923 – May 6, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Known in particular for his knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies, he was a member of many prominent jazz groups a ...
guitar, outside the nightclub. The album peaked at #2 on the
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
in August 1963 where it remained for 6 weeks.
Singles
The album includes a
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of "
If I Had a Hammer
"If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)" is a protest song written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. It was written in 1949 in support of the Progressive movement, and was first recorded by the Weavers, a folk music quartet composed of Seeger, Hays, ...
", which reached
number one in 36 countries (No. 3 in the United States). It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a
gold disc.
Lopez also performs a version of the traditional
Mexican song "
La Bamba". This version was later re-issued as a single in 1966.
Track listing
Side one
#"
A-me-ri-ca"
#"
If I Had a Hammer
"If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)" is a protest song written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. It was written in 1949 in support of the Progressive movement, and was first recorded by the Weavers, a folk music quartet composed of Seeger, Hays, ...
"
#"
Bye Bye Blackbird"
#"
Cielito Lindo"
#"
This Land Is Your Land"
#"
What'd I Say"
Side two
#"
La Bamba"
#"
Granada
Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
"
#"
Gotta Travel On
"Gotta Travel On" is an American folksong. The earliest known version was printed in Carl Sandburg's The American Songbag in 1927 under the title "Yonder Comes the High Sheriff" and several variations were recorded in the 1920s, but the best kno ...
" - (
Billy Grammer
Billy Wayne Grammer (August 28, 1925 – August 10, 2011) was an American country music singer and accomplished guitar player. He recorded the million-selling " Gotta Travel On", which made it onto both the country and pop music charts in 1959. ...
) (medley, tracks 3-7)
#"
Down by the Riverside"
#"
Marianne"
#"
When the Saints Go Marching In"
#"
Volare"
#"
Unchain My Heart"
Musicians
*Lopez - guitar, vocals
*
Mickey Jones
Mickey Jones (June 10, 1941 – February 7, 2018) was an American musician and actor. He played drums with acts such as Trini Lopez and Bob Dylan, with whom he played on his 1966 world tour. He became a founding member of The First Edition ...
- drums
*Dick Brant - bass guitar (credited on the album, reportedly cut from the final recording)
Production
* Recorded at
PJ's nightclub,
West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...
, California.
Other contributors
* Liner notes by
Mike Connolly of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
''
* Cover photo - Marko
References
*''Trini Lopez at PJ's'', Trini Lopez. Reprise Records R-6093 (1963)
1963 live albums
Reprise Records live albums
Trini Lopez albums
Albums produced by Don Costa
1963 debut albums
Live albums by American artists
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