A Very Special Christmas wife Vicki, as she was a volunteer for the organization. Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the founders of A&M Records, along with Bobby Shriver, helped the Iovines realize the project. Since the release of the first album in 1987, the series has raised over $100 million for Special Olympics, more than any other benefit series. The album cover art is designed by artist Keith Haring. In 1995, the jazz-oriented "Jazz to the World" was released by Blue Note Records. The following year, "World Christmas", which focused on diverse artists from around the globe, was released by Blue Note subsidiary Metro
Herb Alpert several groups including one-time A&M band Soul Asylum and by comedian Pat Cooper for his album "Spaghetti Sauce and Other Delights". The singles included the title cut, "Lollipops and Roses", and "A Taste of Honey". The latter won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. "Going Places" produced four more singles: "Tijuana Taxi", "Spanish Flea", "Third Man Theme", and "Zorba the Greek". "Tijuana Taxi" and "Spanish Flea" would be used in the 1966 Academy Award-winning animated short "A Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Double Feature". The Brass covered the Bert Kaempfert tune "Happy Trumpeter", retitling it "Magic Trumpet".