The Baja Marimba Band

Formed as a nine-piece instrumental ensemble under the direction of marimba specialist Julius Wechter, born May 10, 1935, the Baja Marimba Band emerged from Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass and secured a contract with A&M Records, the imprint founded by Alpert. Throughout the latter 1960s, the ensemble achieved multiple chart entries via renditions of popular songs from the era, peaking at number 41 with their 1964 take on "Comin' in the Back Door," while their album Watch Out! from 1967 represented their strongest commercial showing on the LP charts.