Spanish Flea by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass was recorded in Hollywood on August 13, 1965.
Percussionist Julius Wechter wrote it, and it reached No. 3 in the UK early in 1966.
In America it was only a B-side, yet game-show television made it one of the decade's most recognized instrumentals.
Table of Contents
- The Marimba Player Who Wrote It
- The Gold Star Session
- A B-Side in America, a Hit in Britain
- The Dating Game and Television
- Lyrics, Covers and Parodies
- FAQ
The Marimba Player Who Wrote Spanish Flea
Julius Wechter
Julius Wechter was born in Chicago on May 10, 1935.
By the early 1960s he was working sessions in Los Angeles.
Songfacts says Wechter played vibes and marimba on many Alpert records, including the 1962 hit "The Lonely Bull."
Mix also places him on percussion for the "A Taste of Honey" session.
He wrote at least one tune for most Tijuana Brass albums.
This bright two-minute instrumental became the one everybody remembers.
A Band of His Own
Alpert encouraged Wechter to lead a group of his own on A&M.
The result was the Baja Marimba Band, a marimba-led cousin of the Brass.
So the man who wrote Alpert's most familiar tune also ran a rival act on the same label.
The Gold Star Session
The track was cut at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood on August 13, 1965.
The musicians' union contract for that date lists two more titles from the same session:
- "And I Love Her," the Lennon and McCartney song
- "More and More Amor," by Sol Lake
Alpert's lead trumpet rides over a light Latin rhythm, with marimba bouncing underneath.
The whole record runs just 2:07.
Alpert and Jerry Moss, A&M's two founders, produced it.
It landed on side one of Going Places, released on September 13, 1965.
That side opened with "Tijuana Taxi" and also held "More and More Amor."
Going Places went on to reach No. 1 on Billboard's album chart.
A B-Side in America, a Hit in Britain
Britain Took It First
British buyers found the tune before Americans did.
It entered the UK singles chart on December 15, 1965.
By early February 1966 it had climbed to No. 3, and it stayed on the chart for 20 weeks.
The US Flip Side
In the US, A&M put it on the back of "What Now My Love" in 1966.
Both sides made the Hot 100 as separate entries.
The flip side peaked at No. 27 on the Hot 100.
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (Official Charts) | No. 3 |
| Canada (RPM Top Singles) | No. 6 |
| Billboard Hot 100 | No. 27 |
The Dating Game and Television
The Bachelor's Theme
American viewers knew the tune long before they knew its name.
On ABC's The Dating Game, it played as contestants were brought out and introduced.
Several other Tijuana Brass tracks were heard on the show too.
That nightly exposure is why so many people hum it without knowing who played it.
Film, Cartoons and Ads
- The Simpsons has used it in at least four episodes.
- One of them, "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday," aired the day before Wechter died on February 1, 1999.
- It plays in a laundromat scene in the 1996 film Striptease.
- It turns up as background music in Ocean's Eleven (2001).
Lyrics, Covers and Parodies
The Words Behind the Tune
Few listeners know the song has lyrics.
Cissy Wechter, Julius's wife, wrote them.
Several singers quickly cut vocal versions with her words:
- Teresa Brewer
- The Modernaires
- Frankie Randall
- Soupy Sales
In Britain, Marcel Stellman wrote a different set of lyrics.
Kathy Kirby sang his version on a 1966 recording.
Songfacts also points out the title's play on "Spanish fly," a slang name for a supposed aphrodisiac.
Where It Fits
The recording belongs to 1965, the year the Brass broke wide open.
Read the full story in our Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass biography.
For the wider sound, see our 1960s jazz and easy listening guide.
Or tune the Radio Dial to 1965 and hear what played around it.
FAQ
Who wrote Spanish Flea?
Julius Wechter, the Tijuana Brass session percussionist best known for his marimba.
His wife, Cissy Wechter, later wrote lyrics for it.
Is Spanish Flea the Dating Game song?
Yes.
In the US it is closely tied to The Dating Game, where it played as contestants were introduced.
What album is Spanish Flea on?
Going Places, released by A&M on September 13, 1965.
It is track four on side one.
Does Spanish Flea have lyrics?
Yes, though Alpert's hit is instrumental.
Cissy Wechter's words were sung by Teresa Brewer, The Modernaires, Frankie Randall and Soupy Sales.
Was Spanish Flea a hit?
It reached No. 3 in the UK and No. 6 in Canada.
In the US, as a B-side, it peaked at No. 27 on the Hot 100.
Wikipedia's entry on the song lists dozens more covers and screen uses.
Press play above and hear Spanish Flea, two minutes of 1965 that never stopped playing.