The Sandpipers

The Sandpipers 是一組美國3人男子組合，以輕快的和音見稱，雖然組團的時間并不長久，但也在1966年的時候產(chǎn)生過一首曾入排行榜第10位的歌曲，那就是之后很多歌手也曾經(jīng)翻唱過的《Guantanamera》。這首歌曲是出自古巴的詩歌，是一首古巴民謠。
 
The Sandpipers 開始組團時名叫“the Four Seasons”，由3位成員組成，分別是Jim Brady、Mike Piano和Richard Shoff。在組團前，他們曾是加利福尼亞一家男孩合唱團的成員。成團后，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)紐約有一隊組合名也叫“the Four Seasons”，于是他們就決定將組合名改為“the Grads”，然后在一家夜總會駐場。
 
The Grads在夜總會演出了不久后，他們的朋友就把他們引薦給一位小號手Herb Alpert，Herb Alpert自己經(jīng)營了一間唱片廠牌——AM。The Grads給他留下了深刻的印象，于是他就與他們簽了唱片合約，并發(fā)行了一些單曲。單曲并沒有取得成功，直至他們的制作人Tommy LiPuma推薦他們演唱一首南美的民謠《Guantanamera》（此時他們的組合名已改為“The Sandpipers”）。1966年，這首歌曲在美國榜和英國榜都打入了前10位。
 
The Sandpipers 在1970年之后推出過《Come Saturday Morning》等等。雖然The Sandpipers在1970年代仍有推出唱片，但他們的聽眾已經(jīng)越來越少了。5年都沒有得到排行榜的任何位置后，他們在1970年代中期就解散了。
 
The Sandpipers were a male vocal trio that recorded a handful of easy listening pop hits in the mid-'60s. The group was distinguished by its light, breezy harmonies, which floated over delicate, breezy string arrangements, as well as the occasional appearance of a wordless female backing vocalist who drifted in and out of the music. Though they didn't manage to have a long, sustained career, the group did have one Top Ten hit with &Guantanamera& in 1966.
 
Originally, the Sandpipers were known as the Four Seasons. The three members — Jim Brady, Mike Piano, and Richard Shoff — were part of the Californian Mitchell Boys Choir before they formed their own group. Shortly after their formation, they learned that there was a New York group using the name the Four Seasons, so they changed their name to the Grads. As the Grads, they cut a handful of singles, which helped the group secure a residency at a Lake Tahoe nightclub.
 
After the Grads had been performing in Lake Tahoe for a while, a friend of the group introduced them to trumpeter Herb Alpert, who ran his own record label, A&M. Impressed, he signed the group to a record contract. A&M released a handful of singles by the Grads before the trio changed its name to the Sandpipers. None of the singles the group released were successful until their producer, Tommy LiPuma, recommended that they record a South American folk song called &Guantanamera.& Once &Guantanamera& was released in 1966, it became a major hit, reaching the Top Ten in both the United States and Britain.
 
The Sandpipers managed to follow &Guantanamera& with several minor hits, including versions of &Louie Louie& and &Kumbaya.& During this time, the group had taken to recording and performing with a supporting female vocalist named Pamela Ramcier. Ramcier contributed ethereal, wordless vocals to the group. Her vocals never acted as harmonies to the group's singing; they functioned in a supporting role, much like the strings that comprised the band's instrumental backing. Although Ramcier was never credited on the albums and was always shrouded in shadows during concerts — though her hip, mod outfits complete with miniskirts and go-go boots often made her more noticeable than the actual Sandpipers — her voice was one of the most distinctive elements of the group's music.
 
In 1970, they contributed songs to The Sterile Cuckoo (&Come Saturday Morning&) and Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Though the Sandpipers continued to record into the '70s, their audience diminished with each successive year. After spending five years without any chart success, the group disbanded in the mid-'70s.