2012-11-26

EXCEPTION 22 - THE GENTS - SHOUT




South Yorkshire band The Gents

LOS BRINCOS - DANCE THE PULGA

Los Brincos, one of the most famous Spanish bands, singing this terrific song. Enjoy!


LOS POPS - HIERBA LARGA reloaded

Los Pops again! This time covering The Troggs' hit "Night of the long grass". Wow!



LOS GATOS NEGROS - TÚ SERÁS MI BABY

What a cover Los Gatos Negros did! Enjoy!

LOS GATOS NEGROS - CORRE CORRE

Los Gatos Negros again. As Alex y Los Findes did as well (see the post here), they recorded this cover of the famous Spencer Davis Group, and in the same year: 1966. Enjoy!

LOS GATOS NEGROS - LA TIERRA DE LAS MIL DANZAS

Los Gatos Negros again!! This time covering a soul hit, also covered in the same year by Alex y Los Findes, already posted here. It seems that obscure reasons made both bands record the same song few times, as youcan see in the forthcoming post. Anyway: Enjoy!

LOS COMETS - TÚ ME DIJISTE ADIÓS

Los Comets, from EL salvador, covering "Tú me dijiste adiós". Enjoy!


2012-11-25

THE END - DON'T TAKE ME


As I said in my post The Vampires (5), in May 1967, during a break The Vampires did while acting in Club Nicca's (Madrid), the manager came to the podium with a bottle of Johnny Walker, four glasses and ice, and asked them if they played songs by the Rolling Stones? When they said no, he said that the whiskey was by a member of the Rolling Stones, who was among the guests. Sat in the back of the club, surrounded by several people, the Stones bassist Bill Wyman was there in person! During the break Wolfgang took his glass, and went to met with Bill Wyman to thank personally for the whiskey. 
He tells Wolfgang Jünger (The bassist of The Vampires) that he and the singer Glyn Johns and the London band The End, with whom he is friends, stayed on promotion tour in Madrid, because he wanted make it a success in Spain. The End's members were: Dave Brown (Bass, vocals); Nick Graham (Keyboards, Vocals); Colin Griffin (Steel Guitar, Vocals); Roger Groom (Drums); John Horton (Sax); Hugh Attwooll (Drums); Gordon Smith (Sax); Terry Taylor  (Guitar); and Paul Francis (Drums).


Although never achieving the success they deserved, the End are best remembered for their Bill Wyman-produced psychedelic-pop that was a masterful mixture of swirling, dream-like numbers, and flowery, but never twee, pop. Their Introspection album is now viewed as one of the finest examples of British psychedelia. Dave Brown and Colin Giffin formed the End in 1965 following the demise of beat group the Innocents. Nicky Graham and John Horton were drafted in from Dickie Pride's backing group, the Original Topics, and the line-up was completed with former Tuxedos drummer Roger Groom. After recording at the now legendary R.G. Jones' Morden studio, successful friend Bill Wyman arranged a tour with the Rolling Stones. They also appeared with Spencer Davis on ITV television's Thank Your Lucky Stars playing "Hallelujah I Love Her So." At this time their music was very much in the club-soul/blue-eyed soul style that was sweeping England by storm. Following the tour, Roger Groom quit to be replaced by Hugh Atwooll, a former school friend of Nicky Graham. John Horton also quit, but the split was amicable as he continued to help out on their second single, "Shades of Orange." Cut by Bill Wyman, with the addition of Charlie Watts on tabla, the song was recorded during the sessions for the Rolling Stones' psychedelic foray, Their Satanic Majesties Request. "Shades of Orange" epitomizes British Psychedelia and is one of the genre's most sought after items. Following the single's release, Gordon Smith also left and was replaced by former Mode guitarist Terry Taylor. The band then decamped to Spain, where several singles were released domestically, including "Why," a Top Five hit in April 1967. By Christmas 1968, both Colin Giffin and Hugh Attwooll had left after recording the Introspection album, and although a new drummer, Paul Francis, was enlisted, the writing was on the wall. With the arrival of another Mode refugee, Jim Henderson, the End metamorphosed into the more progressive-sounding Tucky Buzzard. Introspection was delayed for over a year due to a fallout from the Rolling Stones' bust-up with Allen Klein and was musically the type of psychedelia that had gone out of fashion by the time of its December 1969 release. The band had changed name and style, leaving this glorious album to sink without a trace.

THE END IN SPAIN


In Feb 29, 1968 The End, along with Los Canarios, and Almas Humildes played in a high-society wedding. In Ap. 1970, The End appeared in the Spnish movie "Un, dos tres, al escondite inglés" (Dir: J. L. Borau), along with ten bands: Pop-Tops, Los Ángeles, Los Beta, Los Buenos, Fórmula V, Heny and The Seven, Los Íberos, Ismael, Los Mitos, and Shelly y Nueva Generación. They sang "Cardboard Wacht" in the middle of a main street of Madrid: Gran Vía, as you can see in the video below.



From late 1969 to early 1970, The End helped to the Spanish Rock Star Miguel Ríos in recording his famous hit "Himno de la alegría", adapted from Beethoven's 9th, that reached a great success all over the world, although I do not like Miguel Ríos (Youtube). In May 1970, Miguel Ríos launched his 2nd LP, "Despierta", once again, masterfully helped by The End.



2012-11-23

LOS POLARIS - TEXAS


Los Polaris (not Los Polares) was a pioneering band of the  instrumental rock in Madrid. In early 1962 two 17 old boys were living in Argüelles neighborhood: Fernando Munoz (organ) and Fernando Mariscal (drums). They both decided to form a band. Throughout that year will be completing training with Ele Juarez (guitar plucking), Juan José Sánchez Campins (bass), and Luis Blanco (rhythm guitar). They start rehearsing in a room  of Fernando Muñoz's home (Joaquin Maria Lopez St.), but soon emerge a serious problem when Juanjo go to Los Relámpagos band, where his brother already was. Missing a bassist, and after a long searching, they will encounter one of the few Japanese who then lived in Madrid: Tony Yoh , who will handle the instrument. The beginnings are always very slow, and ever as instrumental band under the name of The Zipi-Zape. Playing such as The Shadows, The Tornados, Johnny & The Hurricanes and other groups of the time, usually with the organ as the main asset. They play in clubs like Imperator, or Consulate, acting 7 days a week. Faced with protests from local people carry their rehearsals to a  school in the Isaac Peral St., where the director was Fernando Muñoz's mother. At that time they definitely renamed, taking Los PolarisBy the end of 1965, they recorded for Columbia their only EP. In that album The Polaris are: Fernando Muñoz, Ele Juarez, Manolo Diaz, Manolo Diaz Mariscal and Fernando Pallares. Manolo Diaz leave the group before the end of the year. Another occasional member was Miguel Ángel Sánchez, who become a mariachi singer.
Enjoy!

Links: 
Miguel Ángel Sánchez
Los Polaris, un conjunto ejemplar
Ap. 6, 1965:  Club IMPERANTE (Almendrales. 41) -Todas las tardes: Miguel Ríos, Robert Jeantal, Michel. Los Diablos Negros. Los Polaris.





2012-11-20

COOPER - TÚ ME DIJISTE ADIÓS



The past November 12 Cooper "The Great" launched new vinyl single limited edition (500 copies). In this case, the subject character is Arizona , one of the most agile and energetic songs from his latest album, My Universe , recorded at Konk studios in London, founded in the early 70s by Dave and Ray Davies (The Kinks ) and in which they have recorded, among others, artists like Blur, Elvis Costello, The Artic Monkeys, Suede or Spiritualized. This single comes backed by a B-side AMAZING version of Tú me dijiste adios (You said me goodbye), original by Los Brincos. The online edition of the single is already on sale in digital platforms and vinyl in stores and on the website of the label Elefant . I highly recommend to buy this song, and all Cooper discography. ENJOOOOY!!!

Hi, Cooper.
Since I know you're OK, please, let me know what about your Vespa ;)

2012-11-19

KULDIP - ESTA ES MI CHICA

El Mundo Deportivo, November 29, 1965

Kuldip Rae Singh, or "The kashmirian crooner", or "Cool Dip" (b. Kashmire 1935) is a famous show man, physician, and Bop singer with a long story before he came to Spain. According to an interview in Saratoga Herald Tribune (Apr. 11, 1958) wanted to be a physician in UCLA and to be "responsible for the education of would-be doctor in Cashmire". In November 1956, he appeared in quiz shows. The goal was "earn enough money to be able to help exchange students" from his country. 
November 1956 at George Gobel Show
The name "Cool Dip" came from an unrehearsed chorus of "woman in love" on Groucho Marx's "You Bet Your Life" TV Show. Kuldip was limited to the confines of a shower stall, and he pronounced "cool-dip", literally was signed overnight to records song for RCA Victor. Since then, Kuldip traded his medical dictionaries for TV scripts including numerous guest shots in two "Matinee Theater" productions. On April 18, 1958 Kuldip portrayed Aladdin's son in the Shirley Temple's storybook spectacular for NBC TV, "The Land of Green Ginger". Kuldip is a 14th generation descendant of Guru Nanak Shah Bedi, Hindu prophet. The "Kashmir krooner" also was able to arrange for his family, including 3 sisters and a brother to come to the US from the British West Indies where his father was inthe import-export business. Althoug born in Kashmire, Kuldip was schooled in the Dominican Republic, and in San Juan of Puerto Rico. He attended medical college at the University of Santo Domingo for three years before coming to the US in 1954. In The Dispacht journal (Feb 24, 1958) we can read that he sang at the Silver Slipper in Las Vegas, and was a regular on the Ray Anthony TV Show.
Here goes the tranlation of Kuldip's story appeared in a Spanish compilation:

Throughout the history of popular music has been many cases of artists who, for one reason or another, have been known very little. An aura of mystery, sought or found, wrapped his movements, his life and career, and with the passing of his fame has become even denser. Maybe that's harder to forget, to escape its fascination, Robert Johnson, the you-say-bluesman sold his soul to the devil and composed songs barely twenty, has been a myth for generations of rock musicians. Or eden abnez, who wrote songs like "Nature Boy" before disappearing like a bum and did not allow his name to be written in capital letters because that only God deserved. Or more recently Peter Green, the first leader of Fleetwood Mac, who once felt a kind of light and got rid of all their worldly goods, including guitars, before renouncing music. And of course, our hero today, the mysterious singer Kuldip Singh, also known as 'The Prince of Light' ... "Born in the Valley of Kashmir, between India and Pakistan. Very child still haunts the main capitals of America, Asia and Europe with his father, a lawyer of international prestige. They travel very fast but they are instilling in children an open mind and optimistic. When he returns to his native began his primary education in Sind Hyabrabad (Lahore). At age nine, he travels to America, where he remains boarding school until seventeen, when he graduated from the University of California. He studied medicine and music grows, for whom he feels a special inclination. Her passion is singing. At that time, Groucho Marx had a popular television contest. Kuldip goes to the program and the lot will choose to participate. It answers many questions and asked to sing. It is at this point that success begins.Thousands of letters are received. Everyone wants to return you to listen. All interested in the young singer came from far, poetic and mysterious India. Contracts and propositions occur multiply. Signature with Twentieth Century Fox Life magazine published an extensive report on the young singer. NBC hired him as an actor and participates in the fabulous TV shows with (Tennessee) Ernie Ford, Bob Crosby, Ed Sullivan and Perry Como represents important roles in operettas famous U.S. and around the main cities in the United States ... already a star ...At this important moment in the artistic life of Kuldip, the call to parental obedience, so sacred in India, reminds abandoned his college career. It is time for the big decision. Must complete a medical career. In late summer of 1964 resolved to come to Spain in the strictest incognito and continue his studies.In Spain is happy. You like our environment. It is a fervent admirer of our customs, but miss your home and misses his great triumphs in America. She decides to find an outlet and decided to combine their studies with music. He wants to sing. It is then signed his exclusive contract with Hispavox. The album that we present today, the first recorded in Spain, is the result of this new stage in the life of Kuldip and his great passion for music. From the Far East came to the new world and won, representing the latest generation of India. Now awaiting final consecration in the new continent. " The above is a brief biography that accompanied the first EP by Kuldip in our country, edited by Hispavox. An album that began to draw attention to the character and in which no one seemed to be who I really was; arrangements, for example, signed Frank Ferran, who was none other than the 'totemic' conductor and arranger of Waldo Rivers, already considered a genius on both sides of the Atlantic in which he spoke Castilian but his fame far from popular seventies. And Kuldip history could not be more challenging in a time when it seemed the world's largest and some of its farthest corners, and a character like him could not go unnoticed ... Although it was almost impossible to know for sure who was beyond what counted. And in an extensive interview he did shortly after the then neophyte Paco Umbral put even more mystery in the story: "To his thousands of subjects is Kuldip Prince. To his thousands of fans, simply Kuldip. To each other is the 'Prince of Light', a title he inherited from his ancestors. From remote founder Guru Nanak Sikh religion. Kuldip has traveled and studied throughout the world. Hollywood gave him the song.Currently, in Madrid, studied medicine and burn discs for a major house music. We are in his apartment in Madrid.

- I was born in the Kashmir valley. I do not say how many years ago was that because I think the old one and the dates do not matter.

Kuldip is to his subjects and their religion what the young Agha Khan Kharim to yours. These last descendants of the legendary Indian religions are already a completely Western. Kuldip, tall, thin, young, betrays his face, however, the features and the color of their race. He speaks with an Eastern Castilian musicality.

- The Sikhs are warriors. My grandfather (grandparents call all our ancestors) was a reformer of Hinduism.He preached kindness and suppressed the worship of idols. We have ten million subjects. But I think that, of the five hundred million people in India, seventy percent follow our precepts and is inspired by the Bible.
- Are you a direct descendant of this dynasty?
- My father is a descendant in direct line number thirteen. And I am the eldest son. As you have noted, my situation is the same as that of Prince Kharim regarding Islam.- Once he left his country, where he has lived for longer?
- In the United States. In Los Angeles. There was studying when I discovered Groucho Marx. Groucho was a TV show. And looking for new faces, and possibly alien. And found me ...Kuldip smiles. Was to become a famous singer. Facing violent rhythms of Elvis Priestley (sic), he brought a romantic and sentimental song.
- I won a lot of money. I did a movie with Shirley Temple, 'The son of Aladdin'. But then my father came to find out what was happening. My studies were not going well. My father wants to end a medical career to the day when India again and put me in front of our subjects, can be helpful in some way. I suggested to a country where I finished my studies. And after much thought, I decided on Spain. And here I am. About a year ago I live in Spain.- And has come to sing ...
- It was inevitable. I love this country. For his deep spirituality, reminds me of mine. I love the Spanish language. I wrote the lyrics of several songs in Spanish. These are the records. "
Here we make the first paragraph. In the sixties it was really difficult to compare any information and also was a time when somewhat mysterious and exotic origin added 'charme' to any artist, not a few of those episodes added all sorts of fanciful and adventurers to his biography, even in the case of well-known artists. But today we have tools like the Internet, but should not be considered as the calyx of absolute truth, if it is useful to contrast certain information. As for example, Shirley Temple retired from film in 1949, and even recorded some television programs later made ​​no movie to be called "Son of Aladdin". Nor is it clear that Groucho had a program that describes the characteristics of Kuldip, but the memories of television are so forgetful that maybe ... 
On with the stale interview:
"But Kuldip is a good student, despite everything. He goes every morning to the Clinic. The album folder presented with turban headdress. It has a weekly program on Radio Madrid. Composes and writes his own songs. With discs has released a grocery bag full of letters from admirers.

- I get hundreds of letters every week. My secretary answering them. Spanish girls are lovely. Almost all I talk about marriage. I do not know if it'll end up marrying in Spain ...
Kuldip always smiling. Even when I ask about his grades.

- I passed the third full year. Someday I will focus on medicine, no doubt. And back to my country. But I can not give up singing. Now I want to travel around Latin singing.
He is passionate talking about life and the problems of their vast country. Under the exotic character launched by advertising encourages remote descendant of Guru Nanak, the founder of a religion and a dynasty. " Certainly, as we have seen anywhere Sikh Hispanic Network, "the Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539) was the founder of the Sikh religion, spread over the following centuries for another ten teachers or Gurus, the tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh ended the 'Guruship' personal and proclaimed the 'Guru Granth Sahib', Sacred Scripture of Sikhs, as the eternal Guru forever. The Guru Granth Sahib is surely an aircraft carrying a devout worshiper or the ocean of materialism, thus leading to the human soul to its final destination which is absolute bliss. " What we have not been able to find is any reference to Kuldip Singh, who is like signing his own compositions, but also called himself Singhera-out the legitimate descendant of that tradition.

The mystery Kuldip therefore continues. Maybe it's better this way. We have to refer to their songs, just left 14 subjects in his time in Spain, recorded between 1965 and 1967, but later, in 1969, would release a new single, "I Could Cry", and under the name of Grant Morgan, of which there are not many chronicles. His two biggest hits were the "Spanish eyes" by Al Martino, masterfully covered in Spanish, in a newly acquired Spanish one in 1966 but practically not noticed any Indian accent ... 








2012-11-18

EDWARD Y LOS WINDYS - SHOUT


Edward y Los Windys is another rare Spanish band not known as they deserve. Banded in 1961 by two scholars groups coming from university tunas.One from The District, and the other from Isabel la Católica, both in the city of Granada. Original members were: 
Eduardo López-Huertas Pérez (Edward), singer; Francisco Guardia "Pacuqui", on drums; and the brothers Carlos Sánchez de Medina, guitar; Fermín Sánchez de Medina, bass; ALVARO SANCHEZ DE MEDINA, banjo & trumpet; and  JAVIER SANCHEZ DE MEDINA, on piano. 
Pacuqui, Carlos, Eduardo, Fermín, Álvaro & Javier
With Rocío Dúrcal
Under this name, they started their acts in the opening party of "Jardines de Neptuno" (Granada), a future music center in the city. In 1962 Miguel Quirós ocassionally become a member of the band, playing sax while Alvaro Sánchez de Medina was ion Madrid learning Ingeniery. Another occasional member was Pepin Martin Vivaldi "El Briegas", playing the rythm guitar. In these year, they played with Rocío Dúrcal in the launch of her 1st film "Canción de Juventud" in Dúrcal (Granada), at the Aliatar cinema. In 1963 they signed with Philips Records, when "Pacuqui" is changed by Rafael Ruiz Rodriguez, coming fron Los Nevada. He aldo appeared with Los Windys in the TVE Show "El Show de Torrebruno". In May 1963 they launched their first recordings: 2 EPs at the same time, under the Philips' subsidiary Fontana Label.Curioualy appears only "Los Windys" in the frontcovers, but "Edward y Los Windys" in the backcovers. 
Partially taken from Guateque.net and Cuadernos del Rock en Español



THE ZARA'S - EVERY DAY I CRY SOME

The Zara's again. This time performing "Every day I cry some", the 1963 Steve Alaimo's hit. Please, note the good exercise of music they did here. Enjoy!

THE ZARA'S - HAPPY ORGAN

The Zara's again!. By the way, Marino Zaratiegui, a member of the band, kindly sent me an email with The Zara's story, that made me pulish up the story I told in the first post devoted to them. Here goes an abstract of that email:


My father taught music theory, guitar, accordion and piano at first himself and then with teachers from Tafalla, Zaragoza and San Sebastian when we were very young. He wantedthat we studied  in the Paris Conservatoire and in 1952 took us there. After few years led us to Milan where he was told they had the best schools of accordion, harmony and composition. Later, our own musical inclination led us to leave the classics and started playing rock and roll, we were three brothers and two sisters, changed the electric guitars for a classic, the accordion for an organ, a sister learned to electric bass, a brother drums and saxophone and I by 1960 most of our repertoire was rock and roll and country western U.S. At that time we were already a professional group and where we were offered better contracts in Germany performing in the clubs of American military bases. This environment helped us a lot in our musical journey. We continue to develop our career combining musical talent and the presentation of our activities for 1968 were a very visual productions, with instruments and equipment "top of the line". In 1969 was offered a contract in the United States, was for three months but continued offers and travel all over the East Coast until 1970 came in a five years in Las Vegas. there down roots, till a brother and sister  in 1977 broke the original band in 1977. Just Toto was the best singer and lead guitarist, forming their groups continued to act according to their musical progress. In 1990 began his presentation at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas and continued there for over ten years. Meanwhile, he open a recording studio and developing new talent as ingeniro sound and record producer. He keeps in Las Vegas recording and performing as a soloist. It seems as if time had stopped, singing better than ever and I play keyboards and guitar that I die of envy.
ENJOY!!

THE VAMPIRES (VI)- HOLD ON reloaded

The Vampires with "Huevo"

THE VAMPIRES' STORY
VI: FROM 1969 TO EVOLUTION.


In early March, Joe and Paul flew for a few days at home. On 13 March visited Mickey and Wolfgang visited Cinema in Castelldefels. When they left the theater after midnight, where there were a couple of young guys who were asking which of them was Det Ferring. They were from the criminal police in Barcelona, ​​though there were a few inconsistencies, and to clarify this, would come Det. Micky and Wolfgang followed the police car, then back to Det take home with them. They took him to an office in the notorious police station in Via Layetana. The point was something about the seduction of a minor! Talking with a recognized layer, Wolfgang could know that Det and Mickey were moved temporarily to the prison in Barcelona. The whole thing was "muy dificil" very difficult because they are suspected of kidnapping and child predation. Then there were many years in prison. Teresa and her friend had run away from home, but they could do not know, and their totally distraught parents had turned in desperation to the police. The rest was a matter of research by the well-organized, powerful police apparatus. At that time women were in Spain until age 23, men since 21st. The two were 21 and 22 years old., so the law still a minor and the Spanish judiciary was relentless on this point. Nevertheless, Mickey and Det came into freedom eight days later.
Tony Secunda

From 14 May they were back for a few days in the recording studio in Madrid, because they had worked four soul tracks. There were two original compositions: Your time has gone and I can go down. Furthermore, two of them arranged Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding and the traditional piece A Shot of Rhythm and Blues, a traditional piece. And they had committed the brass section of the band Los Canarios and the British organist of The Mode band: Graham Bircumshaw. The Mode had as manager to Tony Secunda (24 August 1940 - 12 February 1995), who was also of Procol Harum

The Mode
The arrangements for the wind Paul had written. 15th during the summer months, up to and including September 1968, they played with breaks again in Calella, where they acted in the past year so successful. From 14 to 30 August they made guest appearances in Madrid, Toledo, and in Bilbao. On their drive towards Euskadi, the Basque Country. According to their guest performances they back to Calella to bring their contract to end. This was followed by galas in all parts of the country. End of the year:  Joe left the group and went along with his Rosie to Germany, back in their hometown of Trier.
ABC journal, July 29, 1967
The gap that he created was of the French guitarist Dominique LeBeau, whose cradle was in Tahiti, closed more bad than good. Dominique had a soft spot for Jimi Hendrix, and was thus not necessarily on their wavelength. But what could they do? Suddenly, Mickey and Wolfgang were the only ones that dated back to the early days. Earlier 1969 this year two men were standing in front of their door to tell them that they were in breach of Spanish customs regulations: they drove by with a non-imported and unregistered vehicle on Spanish roads. Mickey had to hand over the car keys and sign a waiver. Then they seized their loyal Volkswagen bus. They went inevitably to a junkyard, where they acquired a used Citroën van, called by Wofgang “huevo”. In March 1969, Mickey and Wolfgang back to Germany to visit their parents few days.
Tony Ponce today
In early summer, they had a gig near Barcelona, ​​a Spanish band as the opening act. The band was called "Los Agnis". The guitarist of the band could have been visually the twin brother of Joe. Only his hair was jet black even longer. He impressed and fascinated them with his incredible playing technique. During the break they started talking, because they could vividly imagine integrating it into their ranks, as finally happened. The next day appeared Antonio Ponce Fernández, Tony briefly (facebook), and expressed his willingness to join with them immediately. From then on they were rehearsing almost every day in a friend's house, and during this session they created a number of original compositions. (“Domino”, Dominique left the group at the same time and moved to Zaragoza). Now Tony knew all people in Barcelona, which was a great advantage for them, because they fervently hoped for a new recording contract, since the agreement with Sesión Records in Madrid had gone and they had never heard from them again. During one of their first gigs with Tony, the manager of a Barcelona new record label (Ekipo) talked with them. His name is Artur Mas and he had the idea for his company with a new label called Dimension, to call progressive music to life. They were exactly according to his ideas. However, a name change would be inevitable, because he had to give the group a completely new image. The Vampires would have fizzled in his opinion. He was right.
Evolution

In October, they completed an agreement with Artur Mas, and called them Evolution, also an idea of ​​Ekipo. Evolution became oe of the most recognized progressive rock band in Spain. But this is another story well documented in the www.






LA RULETA CHINA - SEPTIEMBRE

La Ruleta China. 1st Lp. Unpublished front cover
Hi, folks!
Once again, I am proud to give you another jewel. Few days ago, Charlie Mysterio sent me an email with this song. As I said in the previous post devoted to La Ruleta China, they have a deep link with Carlos Berlanga  (Madrid, August 11, 1959 – Madrid, Juny 5, 2002), a landmark in the well-known contra-cultural movement Movida Madrileña. This song, September, is a cover of a song composed by C. Berlanga in his LP "El ángel exterminador" (Hispavoz, 1990). This time, we can listen to Clara singing, sorrounded by the touch La Ruleta China gives: in Tom Jobim style. What exercise of music! Many thanks to Charlie for this present. ENJOY!!






2012-11-17

THE VAMPIRES (5) - SOMETHING YOU GOT reloaded




THE VAMPIRES' STORY
V: FROM 1967 TO 1969

Cine Victoria
On January 12, 1967, they played in the studio: Sunny, Get Off My Life Woman and Gimme Some Lovin, the latter of the Spencer Davis Group. This movie was unfortunately never published. On 13 married their producer Señor Tenorio. The pompous celebration took place at the Hilton Hotel. The Vampires played there. On 14 in the morning they flew to Barcelona in the TVE studios in Hospitalet for the TV recording of Walking in the sand. On 15 they went back to Madrid, where we performed in the evening at the club Nicca’s. On 17 they played a gala at Club Victoria (Francisco Silvela 48, bajos del cine Victoria). 
Sala Victoria


On 20 January, they gave an interview to Radio Peninsular, which was broadcast live. On 22 they were in their apartment by the music magazine journalists interviewed TELVA. On 30 they were at 18.00 on Radio España, then back at the club's Nicca. On 31, 1.00 am in the morning they gave an interview in the studios of Radio Madrid. In the meantime, the record company prepared them for a music festival, the Second Certamen Internacional de Conjuntos Musico-Vocales, from 1 until the 4th February in León took place in León. Each of the participating groups had to play three tracks: A piece of your choice, then the mandatory title Déjala Dormir, and a leonesisches folklore piece that each group had to arrange themselves. The third piece of a previously unpublished original composition. The cover of their choice was Walking in the sand. 
Mike Kennedy
Déjala Dormir was arranged in the style of Michelle or Nowhere Man by the Beatles, with a lot of choir La-la-la. Their own song: Vamos a Cantar (Let's sing), with Spanish text, and never immortalized on board. On Tuesday, January 31, they went to Leon, capital of the province of León in northeastern Spain, where arrived the next morning at 6 o’clock, and rested in Hotel Riosol (Avenida de Palencia  3), in which all participants were accommodated. 
Hotel Riosol (León)
In the evening they stood to classify for the finals on the main stage of the theater, where the festival took place. They reached the 3rd place, and won 25.000 pesetas (150 € today). From 6 to 12 they appeared again in Nicca's Club. In November appeared a song destined to be a worldwide hit: Black is Black by Spanish group Los Bravos, immediately used by them to expand their repertoire. Their singer, a Berliner named Michael Kogel aka Mike Kennedy, entered the club's Nicca and sat right in front of their panel. Det who knew Mike from Germany volatile encouraged him to come on stage and be with them to sing Black is Black to sing, which was now in all the charts of the world in the first place. Mike said yes, and Black is Black was sang in Nicca’s Club. From then on, Mike spent his free time with The Vampires. From then on, they became friends, more than compatriots, with much annoyance of his manager Alain Milhaud and the rest of the band. 
Alain Milhaud
Mike even came back and back to their gigs to sing together with Det Black is Black. This increased their success and reputation enormous. On 19 we played a gala for the magazine TELVA. On Sunday, the 26th, they played their songs success of the festival: Walking in the sand and Déjala Dormir in the concert hall of the station Gran Musical. The songs are from our record label, to an audience, a live recording. This was done primarily for the archive of this station. On the plate was then later the screaming of the guests heard. From March 1, 1967 they played back in the club Consulado, along with Dave Dacosta and the Spanish band Los Canarios. On 9 they were again on TV in the show Hi-Fi on the stage. On the 12th, a Sunday, at 14:30 clock, they gave back the Gran Musical honor. On 13 they were again in the recording studio to record new tracks. From 20 to 27 they did not play, but skiing in Navacerrada, the nearby mountains called Sierra de Guadarrama. On March 30 Wolfgag celebrated his 23rd Birthday. Then they had gigs in clubs Kursal, Versalles, and Victoria.

Seyyal Tanner (1969)
On 6 April, a Thursday, they had another recording session in the recording studio. Harald had fallen in love with a young Turkish film actress, who has been riding in the Western Pancho Villa, and participated in the strip along with Yul Brynner and Robert Mitchum. The film was made for Paramount Pictures in Almeria. He had moved in with her and said that after he went with it very well, to have to hide from our music business. From then on, they played our concerts without him. Eventually, he took his leave of them. Finally Harald moved to Turkey with Seyyal Taner, the name of his girlfriend (she is still a celebrated singer and actress), backing after to Germany. In 1968, she married in Hanau, on 9 November 1969 saw her daughter Melanie the light of day. 

Glyn Johns (r) and some other (l) (1967)
After the failure of her marriage Seyyal returned to Turkey after Istanbul, starring in numerous films. It applies since the 80s as the Tina Turner of Turkish pop music and appeared in 1987 as the representative of Turkey to the Euro Vision Song Contest in Brussels. Unfortunately, their energetic performance as Tina & Türker Lokomotif came with the jurors to not good, because they came in last place with 0 points. This placement she has still not digested and retired in subsequent years of the music industry. Meanwhile, she lives in Bodrum, brings sporadically released albums and playing with some telenovelas. The Vampires’ apartment in Paseo de la Habana was in the 4th floor. Meanwhile Det became their frontman. On 6 May the Vampires met The Shadows while the last ones were playing in Ponciano (Madrid), and, during a break, tgey were talking with Bruce Welsh, the rhythm guitarist of the Shadows. During May they keep playing in club-Nicca's, when one evening the manager came to the podium with a bottle of Johnny Walker, four glasses and ice, and asked them if they played songs by the Rolling Stones? When they said no, he said that the whiskey was by a member of the Rolling Stones, who was among the guests. Sat in the back of the club, surrounded by several people, the Stones bassist Bill Wyman was there in person! During the break Wolfgang took his glass, and went to met with Bill Wyman to thank personally for the whiskey. He tells Wolfgang that he and the singer Glyn Johns and the London band The End (wait for my next post on The End in Spain), with whom he is friends, stayed on promotion tour in Madrid, because he wanted make it a success in Spain. 
Playing in León

The Vampires rapidly became friends of the members of The End. The Hi was great when they later met again by chance in Barcelona. Gordon Smith, the saxophonist was a very rustic type. His girlfriend was beside himself with fear, because Gordy hosted a live snake in a bucket in his room. Thus escape the snake could not, he had placed a newspaper on the bucket ...

The End
Then they played on radio El Gran Musical, at the U.S. Air Base Torrejon, in the theater of Valencia and even in Zaragoza. From 22 to 27 they then made holidays in Benidorm. On Tuesday, 6th June, we went in the morning to Barcelona, ​​where we are at the 7th should play for the opening of the nightclub Romano di Capri. During the breaks we surrounded the elegant invited guests, clad in tuxedos and evening gowns, clinging to their whiskey or champagne glasses. There they played until 22 June. The concerts followed in Cataluña, and they quickly realized that they had there, the much better opportunities to develop, as in Madrid, which is like a desert island in the central Spanish plateau.

The Vampires Record Session
From 6 July to 31 August they made guest appearances in Calella. There we were at the club on a daily basis Bergantin, only interrupted by numerous concerts on the coast or inland. Calella was a typical German tourists stronghold, in other words: folk festival around the clock. They inspected all the pubs and made friends with Jordi, the owner of Kiki's Bar. The liked the casual way, as we put on the day. Who had a white painted Willy's Jeep, he left us and with which we, the narrow streets of Calella made uncertain.

In Calella they also met the Dutch saxophonist Lodi van de Bliek, who from then starred as a time with The Vampires and enriched their sound with his skill. Then they expanded their occupation with the German musician Kurt “Paul” Waldhecker, a brilliant saxophonist and arranger geur. On 24 November they again stood before the television cameras of TVE in Madrid Casa de Campo. Then they said final goodbye to Spain's capital in December 1967. They lived from then on in Castelldefels, down ten kilometers south of Barcelona, in a home that was of the most famous Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudí was, where Wolfgang lived till his departure from Spain in late 1972. They rented two apartments in apartment house near the beach El Alba, where we spent the next few months. During their rambles around the houses they met  in early 1968 two Dutch girls, whose parents owned an apartment building in Castelldefels, which they rented out during the summer, on a Dutch travel agency, to tourists. They made friends with her family very soon. 
The owner was Ms. Erkelens, and her eldest daughter Susanne, “Suze “, with whom Det has been married since 1971. One day there was a knock on our door at El Alba and outside were two girls: Tere and Elisa, that they knew fleetingly of Madrid. They had left Madrid behind, because they wanted to look for work in Barcelona and would like to, if possible, hatched with them for a while. In their infinite goodness, Micky and Det presented them their beds available. A real living community, since Joe's girlfriend Rosi, who had come from Germany in the spring, also lived with them. She stood a little later in their performances as Go Go Dancer on stage and enriched their performances visually, because she was very pretty. Once, when they made guest appearances on Menorca, the organizers had printed even own posters for them.