Saturday, February 24, 2024

The Day After The Sabbath 153 Hungary pt 1: Mátyás' Dark Array


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A belated happy new year to everyone, and welcome to the first volume for 2024. I am happy to be making another collection for eastern Europe, as there is still such a breadth of talent from this part of the world to cover, and this volume makes some more welcome inroads to the subject. The full set of Eastern European volumes is now:
41: Eastern Roc | 101: Poland | 120: Serbia | 134: Macedonia | 153: Hungary 1

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As an aside, i'd also like to recommend my friend Kev's TDATS radio show again....he is doing his own radio-style episodes based on complete volumes of TDATS, you can listen to them at: mixcloud.TDATSRadio
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Here we have almost a completely new set of names for TDATS, with only Omega and Piramis having appeared before. During research for this particular volume I have discovered a huge amount of great music, i'm excited to say there will be two more Hungarian volumes in the future, in order to cover it all!

As with many Eastern European countries during the '60s & '70s, it's impossible not to make at least some mention of the political environment of the time. From the little I have read, it would seem that there was nowhere near as much maleffect on the rock industry in Hungary as I have mentioned in previous volumes such as the GDR (vols 146 & 149), where musicians faced outright bans and sometimes even imprisonment. I am making this assumption on what I have personally read so far of course, and maybe it was just not as well documented as in other regions. However, the all-powerful state-owned record label Magyar Hanglemezgyártó Vállalat (M.H.V.) and its subsidiaries such as Hungaraton, Pepita and Qualiton did have complete control over what was released, and at times they stifled the ability of some bands to officially publish records, if they took any stylistic or ethical dislike to them.

What is now generally considered as "Hungary's Woodstock" occurred in 1973. The Miskolc Diósgyőr Pop Festival took place in the city of Miskolc at the DVTK soccer stadium in June. This was the brainchild of 23 year old Attila Kurucz as a charity event to raise money for youth organisations in the area. He was assisted by guitarist Béla Tolcsvay who handled negotiations with the invited acts. Béla's band Tolcsvayék És A Trió is included in this volume. 

Some of the acts that appeared at the festival are down for inclusion in this and forthcoming TDATS, being BergendyP. MobilIllés, Corvina, Syrius, Zsuzsa Koncz and Generál.

At around 25,000 attendees this was a huge pop event by Hungarian standards of the time, and it completed successfully with little disturbance on the day, although, according to an interview with organiser Attila (link), the authorities were making surveillance and took issue with some joke comments made by János Bródy of the band Illés, resulting in an anti-state agitation court case being raised against him and even a house search and restraining order. More can be read on the festival at beatkorszak.hu (link), popkulturalis.hu (link) and kepmas.hu (link).

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TRACKS

01. Omega - A Hetedik Napon (1973)
from album Omega 5
02. Taurus Ex-T 25-75-82 - Szólíts Meg Vándor (1972)
single
03. Kati Kovács & Hungária - Alles, Was Du Gern Hast (1973)
single
04. Piramis - Csak Rövid Idő (1978)
from album Piramis 2
05. Syrius - Sápadt Fényű Ablak (1974)
single
06. Hungária  - Ezerarcú Bíborhajnal (1971)
from album Hungária
07. Dinamit - Neked Adnám A Világot (1979)
single
08. Corvina - Utak Előtt, Utak Után (1975)
from album Utak Előtt
09. Éva Nagy - Ez Az Utolsó Randevúnk (1968)
single
10. P. Mobil - Menj Tovább (1978)
single
11. Tolcsvayék És A Trió - Ha Lenne Pénzem (1972)
single
12. Syconor - Te Hol Vagy ? (1974)
single
13. Korál - Válaszra Várva [original version] (1975)
single
14. Sprint - Talán Egy Perc Alatt (1978)
from album Sprint
15. Beatrice - Nagyvárosi Farkas (1979)
from album 78
16. Omega - Van Aki Nyugtalan (1973)
from album Omega 5


"
"Omega 5" LP
Omega - A Hetedik Napon (1973)
This volume is book-ended by two excellent heavy prog tracks from Omega, both from the "Omega 5" LP. Making sense of the chronology of their records is not straight-forward, as they recorded different versions of albums for different countries and labels, using a separate numbering system for those, which were usually sung in foreign languages like English and German. As far as I can surmise, "Omega 5" denotes the fifth album made for Hungary and sung in Hungarian.

These facts show that they were a successful band and surely one of the most important and widely recognised Hungarian bands of all time. Having existed since 1962, Omega survived the various epochs of rock music. They touched on all combinations of beat, psych, hard rock, progressive rock and space rock, so there's something in their huge discography for everyone, what ever they did was always good, and often great. This is shown by the fact they have appeared in TDATS no less than five times previously, in volumes Two, Twenty Two, Forty One, Eighty Seven and #149, phew! They remained active until 2021, at which time a second founding member had sadly passed away, singer János Kóbor, so easily recognisable on album covers with his huge mane of hair. At this they called it a day. Omega shared members with a number of other bands which will be mentioned again, including Locomotiv GT, Kex and Non-Stop, plus Syconor, who appear later in this comp.

Taurus
Taurus Ex-T 25-75-82 - Szólíts Meg Vándor (1972)
Szólíts Meg Vándor (Call me Wanderer) opens in confident, stomping Deep Purple-ish heavy prog style. Taurus, one of the first bands in Hungary formed with the express intention of making hard rock, was started in 1972 by a bunch of guys from established bands. The full name was inspired by the Taurus constellation, combined with the phone number of drummer Brunner Győző, as he was the only member with a phone! They released only two singles in their short existence, which is a shame as both are excellent! 

The band was founded by guitarist Lajos Som and singer Ferenc Balázs, who went on to success in Piramis and Korál respectively, both of which feature in this set. It is suggested in Wikipedia that one reason for the band's demise was Brunner Győző's open criticism of the communist regime, which put him under surveillance by the authorities. Brunner did however also become a member of Korál later. More Taurus info at: Wikipedia (link) and Wayback Machine (link).

Kati Kovács & Hungária - Alles, Was Du Gern Hast (1973)

Kati is a famous pop singer in Hungary, who gladly for us made a few heavy songs in in co-operation with rock bands like Locomotiv GT, Juventus, Gemini, Hungária and Tolcsvayék És A Trió, all of whom will appear in this volume or later in TDATS regarding Hungary.

As with a lot of Hungarian acts, she was popular in communist Germany of the time, and the version of her 1972 album track "Van Jó Minden Rosszban" (which she originally recorded with Tolcsvayék És A Trió) I have used here is a German version re-titled "Alles, Was Du Gern Hast", that she made with Hungária the next year. She even recorded a version in Japanese! (link).

Piramis
Piramis - Csak Rövid Idő (1978)

This is a great slab of metallic hard rock with some prog touches, from one of Hungary's premier heavy bands during the latter part of the seventies. Bass player Som Lajos came from Taurus as mentioned. Drummer Köves Miklós and guitarist Závodi János both came from Non-Stop, and singer Sándor Révész came from a great hard rocking pop group called Generál. The latter two bands will feature in a future Hungarian TDATS.

According to Wikipedia, one contributing factor to the demise of Piramis in 1982 was the conviction and prison time for Lajos Som, for gold smuggling! Apparently, members of communist area bands that were internationally popular sometimes took advantage of their travel permissions to smuggle gold out of the Soviet Union, which must have been an attractively lucrative pursuit. More Piramis info at Facebook (link), Wikipedia (link).

Syrius
Syrius - Sápadt Fényű Ablak (1974)
Here's a fine example of riffy jazz prog from a band that had a big revolving-door lineup, featuring members of many other bands that will be mentioned here. The main ones are Taurus's Brunner Győző, guitarist Tamás Barta who will come up again in Syconor and Hungária, and later Locomotiv GT, and bassist Miklóska Lajos of Beatrice. Another member of note was bass player Jackie Orszaczky, who was also in Bakery, a band that had a brilliant track on the Australian TDATS volume 21 (link).

This obscure connection results from Syrius's strong connection to Australia, which they first visited to an enthusiastic reception in 1971, leading to them signing with the Aussie label Spin, who produced their first album in the same year. The band only made two albums during their main period of existence, but like many bands in these Hungarian TDATS, were more prolific with singles throughout the late '60s and '70s. According to Wikipedia, some key members of Syrius loved Australia, which is maybe understandable having come from communist era Hungary, and quit the band to stay there when it moved back home. The band and it's founding leader, Zsolt Baronits (deceased 1999), has remained a cult favourite for purveyors of jazz prog, and Syrius re-grouped for a commemorative show on a Danube river island in 2001. More info at Wikipedia (link).

Hungária 1971 Lang Klub
Hungária  - Ezerarcú Bíborhajnal (1971)
I had not heard of this band myself but i'm sure anyone in or near Hungary has, as they are described as the most successful rock n roll band of the country.

I really like their sound! They definitely drew influence from The Beatles, in terms of production and vocal style at least, but much of their second album verges on hard rock, with warm, over-driven bluesy guitar. This melding of pop and heaviness is instantly likable, and if you dig "Ezerarcú Bíborhajnal" (Crimson Dawn with a Thousand Faces) included here, the album it's from is equally good and consistent.

Self-Titled LP 1971
According to beatkorszak.hu (link), after the initial '60s beat/psych-pop period of the early singles and first album, they made a decisive move towards hard rock in 1971, introducing covers of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Steppenwolf and Uriah Heep to their live shows. Of the core members at this time, singer/keys man Fenyő Miklós, bassist Peter Sipos and guitarist Csomós Péter were also in Syconor (coming up soon) and Juventus (later TDATS), guitarist Tamás Barta was also in Locomotiv GT, Syconor and Syrius, and drummer József Tóth also played in Juventus

Early '80s Hungária
After 1971, there was a long period with no albums, but frequent singles, some on the GDR's Amiga label. According to Wikipedia, the all-powerful state-owned record company M.H.V. was to blame for refusing to let them make albums, as they did not approve of the band's hard rock direction but were scared that they would still out-sell bands that were more agreeable to them, which may explain why around 1980 it seems the band had been through an overhaul, with major line-up changes and an album that reverted to a traditional rock n roll sound and rockabilly appearance.

At this point Hungária became very successful, breaking records in terms of sales and popularity, but broke-up in 1983 for the first time, due to internal disagreements. They have re-formed at various times since then, and last year it was announced that in this year (2024) the band will reunite for a concert in the Puskás Arena, with the four surviving members of the most successful line-up. Further info: Wikipedia (link), beatkorszak.hu (link). There is a huge article that goes into details of their post-'70s career at recorder.hu (link).

Dinamit debut single 1979
Dinamit - Neked Adnám A Világot (1979)

Dinamit were a supergroup who lasted just 2-3 years in their initial existence. According to Wikipedia, the band publicly blamed the breakup on a critical trade press, for deriding them as a "state rock band".

This stately piece of Uriah Heep-like heavy prog is a side from a pair of singles released in 1979, which were followed by two albums in 1980 and 1981. Some members of note were guitarist Lugosi László and bassist Zselencz László of Beatrice (coming upon on here soon), guitarist Szűcs Antal Gábor also of Skorpió and Hungária and singer Vikidál Gyula, also of P. Mobil (coming up in this set). There have been some re-formations since 1981 and events have been announced for this year (2024). See more at Facebook (link), Wikipedia (link), zene.hu (link), passzio.hu (link) and dinamitegyuttes.hu (archived)

Corvina - Utak Előtt LP
Corvina - Utak Előtt, Utak Után (1975)
This is a haunting mood piece for a change of pace, though it does heat up a bit toward the end. Corvina created four albums in the seventies and around ten singles. Their output remained largely at the accessible, pop end of pastoral prog but they could funk it up for a few tracks on each album. At all times though the music was of a high standard. The track used here is from second album "Utak Előtt" and this is probably the first record i'd recommend to check out to anyone looking for their heavier cuts.

A member of note that played on this LP was guitarist Ferenc Szigeti, who founded Karthago, a band I have lined up for another Hungarian TDATS. More Corvina info at Wikipedia (link).

Éva Nagy - Ez Az Utolsó Randevúnk (1968)
Here's a groovy entry from the second girl singer in this set. This dancer and pop performer appears to have had only a small discography that I can find, and there is not much information to be found regarding Éva's pop career. This track is taken from a 1968 single which shared sides with Illés, a band lined up for inclusion in TDATS later and were one of the big Hungarian acts, somewhere near the recognition levels of Hungária. More about Éva at 24.hu (12) and Wikipedia (link)

P. Mobil in 1978
P. Mobil - Menj Tovább (1978)
This band was started by Lóránt Schuster in 1969 as "Gesarol". By 1973 they had become popular and were asked to stop using that name, which was actually a trademarked name for insecticide, so they became "Perpetuum Mobile", written as P. Mobil.

While always being the leader and main writer of the band, Schuster made the decision quite early to step back from performing and take up management and organisation full time, still helping as an occasional backup performer when needed.

50 year anniversary, Schuster center
The band had started out as a straight hard rock act from the outset and according to their biography, this was not a style that the state-run record labels approved of during the '70s, a problem mentioned earlier for Hungária also. However, the band refused to change style as they were getting an excellent reception at live events, so they decided to stick it out as a working live band until eventually things came around, and they started getting opportunities to make records in the late '70s. The track I used here is from their first published single, in 1978.

Since then the P. Mobil has been through many lineup changes, with some members coming and going many times, but the band has proven to be one of the most enduring hard rock acts of Hungary, with Schuster still in charge, they are still playing in 2024. More at: Wikipedia (link), pmobil.hu (link). Mobilogy (link).

Tolcsvayék És A Trió - Ha Lenne Pénzem (1972)

Here's a compact little psych blues nugget, that just plain rocks. At the time of this non-album single the titular "Trio" was the Tolcsvayék brothers, Béla and László, on guitars/keys, and Czipó Tibor on bass, although many other players are credited on the album they released the same year, such as Németh Oszkár on drums and Móricz Mihály on guitar. On that album they also had vocal contributions from no less than three of the girls who I will feature in these Hungarian comps, Zsuzsa Koncz, Kati Kovács and Sarolta Zalatnay.

Speaking of Kati Kovács, Tolcsvayék És A Trió were the backing band on her album Autogram Helyett, where you can find the original Hungarian version of track three in this set. Tolcsvayék És A Trió's music often rocked in a US country rock type way and I enjoyed a lot of what I heard while making this volume. More about the them at: Wikipedia (link

Syconor in 1972
Syconor - Te Hol Vagy  (1974)
This is a rocking prog track from a band that have been around since the beginning of Hungarian beat music, where a few names originated that would go on to bands included here like Hungária, Syrius, Locomotiv GT, Juventus and Omega. Syconor did not produce any albums but their website says they made several singles and radio recordings and were a popular live act at various stages of their career. They started up again in 2015 and are still playing now, with many original members. More at: Wikipedia (link), syconor62.hu (link). Facebook (link).

Korál - Válaszra Várva [1975 version]

Here's one of the heavier tracks in the set that begins with an abrasive hammond organ attack, clearly a preference of heavy Hungarian bands in the seventies, if the music I have found so far is anything to go by!

Although not mentioned when I was reading Taurus information for this set, all the Korál biographies state that the band came into existence to serve popular performer Zsuzsa Koncz when she was looking for a new backing band. Ex-Taurus members; singer/keys Ferenc Baláz and drummer Brunner Győző, were joined by Pál Makrai (guitar, also of Apostol & Atlas) and András Kozma (bass - also of Apostol) in 1974. While working with Zsuzsa they also released a few singles of their own, and the track I have included here is one of those. This formation of the band was very brief, and broke up within two years or so.

In 1977 a concert occurred with Piramis and legacy performances from defunct bands Taurus & Tûzkerék. Taurus's positive reception compelled Ferenc to start up a hard rock band again, so he revived Korál along with an all-new lineup of László Fischer (guitar), Zsolt Scholler (bass) and István Pados (drums). This proved to be a good decision as Korál then became one the most successful Hungarian rock bands of the '80s, making albums until the '90s, and playing big re-union shows up until the untimely death of Ferenc from Corona virus in 2020. More Korál info at: Wikipedia (link), koral.hu (link), koralforever.hu (link) and Facebook (link).

Sprint LP 1978
Sprint - Talán Egy Perc Alatt (1978)
Sometimes a bit of old fashioned rock n roll hits the spot and this track certainly delivers, really going off in the solos with truly excellent axe work from Faragó István, who was previously in one of Hungary's early beat groups, Scampolo. As far as I can tell, this is a cover of a Lehel Németh single from 1960, he is described in Wikipedia as Hungary's first ever pop / rock n roll idol.

Sprint's LP is a good example of a mainstream rock album of the late '70s touching on funk, jazz. blues, pop and even a bit of disco, not TDATS territory in the main but when they turn up the dials now and again, they show they could really rock hard. If that description appeals to you, the album is solid and definitely worth checking out in entirety.

Looking at the resumes of the members, its easy to see why the musicianship is of a high standard, but there is really no information I could find on the band regarding their seemingly brief existence from around 1976 to '78. Even the Hungarian Wikipedia has no page for them, the only act in this volume that hasn't. If anyone knows of a Hungarian rock resource which mentions them, drop me a line. Sprint included members of famous earlier bands such as Bergendy, Mini, Non-Stop, Atlas and Scampolo, and I intend to feature Bergendy and Non-Stop later!

Beatrice circa 1978, Feró Nagy center
Beatrice - Nagyvárosi Farkas (1979)
Here's the final act for this set, and it's certainly the most punk entry, from a great and heavy 1979 demo album that's a combination of hard rock and glam-punk throughout.

Beatrice had a complicated, stop/start formative period dating back to 1969, at which time they were an all-girl band who are down on at least one record, a single in 1970 where they backed singer Komár László, who in one of those could-never-be-planned TDATS coincidences, was a member of Sprint, the band that I decided to place just before this track, before I had any idea of the connection!

In 1971 they took on a front man singer called Feró Nagy, and from there the band under his influence gradually morphed into a glam rock, then hard rock act, with an all-male lineup. After a second reunion in 1987, before which Feró had started a new band called Bikini, Beatrice became a success in an atmosphere of regime change (Hungary's transition to democracy in 1989), and they are still playing now, in the form of "Feró Nagy És A Beatrice", with Feró still rocking at the age of 78! More Beatrice info at Wikipedia (link), beatrice.hu (link) and Facebook (link).


Köszönet a következő alkalomig, hogy meghallgattál, és tovább! Rich

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Further listening:
The Day After The Sabbath 146: HALLO Nr. 1 - DDR Rock part 1 [Rock of Communist Germany]
The Day After The Sabbath 149: HALLO Nr. 2 - DDR Rock part 2 [Rock of Communist Germany]
The Day After The Sabbath 131: Land Beyond The Wave [Ireland pt 1]
The Day After The Sabbath 25: Cantrips [first Scottish collection]

[Summary of all previous volumes]

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Tuesday, November 28, 2023

The Day After The Sabbath 152: Lovely Jugglies Part 2 - More Rare Vinyl From the DJ Juggles Collection

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Welcome to part 2 of my collaboration with DJ Juggles. Sometimes it's good to mix things up by inviting fellow musical explorers to join in here. In this case we have more awesome obscure vinyl rips made available to us by Australia's DJ Juggles. Since the mid '70s he's been collecting exactly the kind of music that TDATS adores, not only collecting, but also championing such bands as a radio and live DJ.

Here we have a selection of fifteen tracks, from the USA and Australia, ranging from 1971 to years unknown (and in one case, from a mystery band) and again spanning all styles of heavy psych, prog, AOR, hard rock and metal. I listened to a lot of singles that Juggles has revealed to us over recent years and I personally selected these 15 sides according to their excellence and apparent obscurity, so I'm sure that this will be another adventure into genuinely unknown territory for the large majority of readers! This is part 2, part 1 was posted back in early October 2023 in TDATS v150, so go see that one now as well if you missed it! (link)

TRACKS

01. Sound Company - Imaginary Fix (1971 Neosho, Missouri)
02. Weather - Railroadin' (1972 Jonesboro, Arkansas)
03. Vision - Love Is What's Happening (1979 Los Angeles, California)
04. Spectrum Ltd. - I Can't Stand The Lying, Lying (1977 Ohio)
05. Amber Band - Keep It Burning (19?? San Diego, California)
06. Blue Gravel Rock Band - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (19?? Texas)
07. Ukiah - Why Did You Lie To Me? (1978 Ohio)
08. Collision - I Gotta Know (1973 Texas)
09. Dahlquist - Farewell To The Dreamer (1978 Texas)
10. Dink Stover - How Can Love Survive (1975 Encino, California)
11. Good Mother Sunday - Strap Yourself In (1975 Ohio)
12. Rush Brothers - Dark Side Of Today (19?? Golden, Colorado)
13. Straight Up - So Blind (1974 Minnesota)
14. Unknown Artist - Wind Of Miracles (19?? Long Beach, California)
15. Fox - Ziggy Stardust (1974 Australia)

DJ Juggles Interview part 2

Juggles at the decks
Here is the final part of my interview with Juggles, which started in v150 (link)

Are there any other tunes that you like to play at DJ events for specific times? What's a good crowd-warming track? Or maybe a good long track for when you want to have a break and get a beer etc?

Honestly there's a heap to get the crowd rocking but they are probably more commercial ie: Lizzy, Buffalo, Angels, Master's [Aprentices], Sweet etc

Break time is usually a 10 minute Buffalo track or Los Destolles depending on crowd and how things are vibing. I normally throw in a few strange tracks to see what the punters are doing at THAT time as well.

Where is your favourite place to go in the USA when you are looking for records?

The US back in the day was like a cultivating pearl, every visit we would meet someone new who would lead us into another shed, shop or their friend's home that would be like an open shell with the Pearl just waiting to be harvested. However some of my best finds were in Texas. The last few years it's been St. Louis with the help of my good friend Massimo Contreras.

What are your opinions on the historical importance of your collection, and the future of this obscured music in these days of streaming and digital audio, with physical media becoming less common for general music consumption?

That's something that I have probably not given too much thought to. I would imagine that in today's world most of it may already be digitised.

I do have a few boxes where this still hasn't happened, however I think overtime they will come to light. Presently we have some fantastic bands and artists being pressed onto records either from lost acetates or tapes. We also have a heap of reissues and LP comps having been released over the years. The current crop of people like Adam from Ancient Grease Records, Mike from Little Stones, Daniel from Riding Easy with Lance from Brown Acid etc keeping this space interesting and alive. We also have blogs and Youtube channels like yourself at TDATS, Massimo at Psych 45s and Jordan at Heavy '70s who are forever introducing stuff to all the peeps willing to dig on the internet.

No doubt it has become easier for the modern digger as they search the internet whereas in the old man Juggles' days you psychically searched with a portable [turntable] by your side, scoured through sales catalogues or traded mixtapes with friends. Then you had the Haupt brothers with Rich at Rockadelic and The Guru John at OPM Records (Other People's Money) releasing and finding gems. 

Personally I would like to commend Adam at Ancient Grease Records and his peers as it is people like them who will make sure that these gems are never lost.


I agree, and with that, thanks again to DJ Juggles for his time in answering these questions!

Juggles' recommendations above


THE RECORDS

Most of the technical information here is taken from Discogs. If anyone has more light to shed on any of these singles drop me a line and I will update it here!

Sound Company - Imaginary Fix (1971)
Here's a huge opening track, the powerful combo of fuzz guitar, farfisa and vocal attitude hits immediately and never lets up! Sound Company was formed in Neosho, Missouri in 1969. The band included Gary Lohmann (guitar, vocals), Rick Hair (organ, vocals), Randy Butler (bass, vocals) and Kenny Vaughn (drums).

In 1971 they laid down a 6-track demo at Damon Recording Studios in Kansas City, which resulted in a few 12" acetates, and 'Imaginary Fix' is from that session. The same year they recorded a 2-sided single in Tulsa, Oklahoma which was properly released on the studio's Derrick label. There is an extensive interview with Sound Company drummer Kenny Vaughn over at PsychedelicBabyMag (link), where he talks about their later exploits in California, after changing name to Mizzouri Foxx

Sound Company
Juggles says: "I was lucky enough to get involved when my good mate Massimo Contreras tracked the band down as he liked their released 45. He asked Sound Company if they had any other material and it went from there. Massimo contacted me straight away and said they had some stuff that would be right up my alley. When I listened to the 6 tracks there were 3 that I couldn’t control my excitement over. We spoke with the band and they had an acetate that was with Kenny Vaughn the drummer. I asked him if I could have it and he said yes! I offered him a deal and we went from there. Between the legendary Massimo Contreras, Kenny Vaughn and myself I believe we slabbed out on wax, a EP of the best heavy psych tracks discovered in the last 30 years."

Juggles and Massimo have overseen the release of a three track 45rpm EP in 2023, which you can read more about at Mizzouri Foxx's website (link) and the official shop page (link).

Weather - Railroadin' (1972)
A plain fantastic, rip-roaring psychedelic blues instrumental!
Weather was led by Jim Murray, who also made some solo music (link). This single was released on the Jonesboro, Arkansas label Wham Records, produced by Jim & Anita Murray and backed with a cover of Free's All Right Now, which would be great to hear sometime!


Vision - Love Is What's Happening (1979)
Here's a solid piece of rockin' AOR with a great chunky guitar tone.
Released on Los Angeles' Cream label.  Produced by George W. St. John. Songwriters include Brian Stewart, Bill Sims, Danny Lai and Mark Adrian, who may be members of the group.


Spectrum Ltd. - I Can't Stand The Lying, Lying (1977)
Here's a nice bit of catchy boogie rock. 
Engineered by Bob Ernspiker, Produced by Ron Grayson. Recorded by AMG (Cincinnati, Ohio). This song is credited to Tom Lazaros from Detroit, who also wrote a national number 1 single for country singer Ray Price (link). I can't find evidence that he or anyone else other than Spectrum recorded this one.


Amber Band - Keep It Burning (19??)
Here's another really catchy song with a great production, it could have been a big hit for a famous band!
Recorded at Golden Track studio, San Diego. Produced by Steven Wetherbee. Written by Dan Pinnella and Ed Cunningham Jr. Lyrics by Laurie McCardell.


Blue Gravel Rock Band - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (19??)
Like the Supremes song in the previous Juggles volume (link), here's another great rock cover of a soul pop hit.
Produced by Fred Carroll. Released on the Bellaire, Texas label Solar Records. The b-side is credited to B. Scarmardo, who may be in the band. Blue Gravel seemed to like making soul covers, as they also released Otis Reading's Respect. Tymeshyfter at RYM (link) says this about the single: "This label was headquartered in Bellaire, TX, and most of the acts they released were Texas natives as well. And a large number of those releases were in the hard rock vein, this one being no exception. The A-side is a mid-tempo, psychedelic hard rock cover of the Motown hit with a fuzz bass riff, organ, wah-wah guitar, incl. the break, and a heavy overall sound. The other side is a mid-slow pop ballad with organ, mild guitar, vocal harmony chorus and a nice guitar break - all reverbed. Probably from 1971."

Ukiah - Why Did You Lie To Me? (1978)
Here's a great piece of melodic hard rock, with a chorus worthy of Thin Lizzy!
Bruce Arbaugh (bass), Larry Cappocia (drums), Brad Sanders (guitar) and Greg Teater (guitar), vocals not credited. Recorded at Star Track Studios in Columbus, Ohio.


Collision - I Gotta Know (1973)
A "Crunching double sider..." in DJ Juggles' own words, and I have to agree! This one has a real raw, punk immediacy about it, quite different to rest of the tracks in this volume.
Vocals by Johnny Lopez & Fernando Lopez. Written by Johnny Lopez & Fernando Lopez. Produced & recorded by Jeff Smith. "A product of Texas Sound Studios" (506 W. Hildebrand Ave. San Antonio).

Dahlquist - Farewell To The Dreamer (1978)

Here's a metallic prog riffer, from a collection called "Kangaroo Jam".
From the KNFO-FM (K-95) benefit Album for the Waco Family Abuse Center. There are eight acts on this record, which you can read more about on Discogs (link). From the sound of this track, I thought this possibly was an '80s recording, but Juggles has confirmed it was recorded in 1978. John Haupt, who first showed him the track, found it on demo tapes that were made before the Kanagroo Jam record was released around 1979/80.

Dink Stover - How Can Love Survive (1975)
Here's another catchy, pop-inflected rocker, there's quite a few in this volume, which is really cool! This one in particular reminds me of an excellent song I encountered years ago during TDATS searches, namely East of Eden's "Northern Hemisphere" (link). There's a similar vibe here, especially in Stover's use of mellotron, somewhat like 'Eden's violin.
This was Written by Mark Mortensen. Arranged by Jimmie Haskell. The Motive Records label only has two releases in Discogs, both being from Dink Stover.

Good Mother Sunday - Strap Yourself In (1975)
This one has had a great reception on my youtube channel (link), and for good reason, it's a real blues rock stomper, somewhat similar to Maternal Joy's "Fat" on TDATS v70 (link) or Cobra's "Midnight Walker" (link).
Written by D. Brickler & G. Wanger. Produced by Bud Reneau. Recorded at AMG (Cincinnati, OH). 


Rush Brothers - Dark Side Of Today (19??)
Here's a great rural rocker packed with catchy hooks and loads of ripping guitar segues.
Written by Michael Knight, Engineered by Richie Cicero. Label: Aspen Records, Colorado.




Straight Up - So Blind (1974)
Time for a diversion now,  with this epic power ballad from a band with some prestigious members.
Written by Hogan, Kenet, Lundeen, Miller & Murry.
Straight Up have connections to some famous bands. Singer-guitarist Randall "Xeno" Hogan (link) was a formative member of Cheap Trick, (which he left to join Straight Up, according to wikipedia) and drummer Tom Murray (link) was a formative member of garage psych legends, The Litter.

Unknown Artist - Wind Of Miracles (19??)
Here's a true obscurity which is undocumented anywhere so far, including Discogs. 
Made by "Premonition Productions". Written and produced by R. Romano, D. Cook, B. Berman and J. Graham. Recorded at Pakaderm Studio, Long Beach California. Also credited as Pakaderm Studio, Los Alamitos, this studio was owned by John Elefante and Dino Elefante, operational until 1993. The earliest release from the studio in Discogs (link) is 1979, so "Wind Of Miracles" could well be later than that.

Fox - Ziggy Stardust (1974)
Here's our closer, from a band that featured way back in the Australian vol80 of TDATS (link). In Jugg's words, "Fox's Ziggy Stardust is a number that I have finished my shows off for as long as I can remember. I think it all came about as a kid I loved Bowie and truthfully still do. When Fox released this it gave me an excuse to play Bowie in my Obscure heavy shows without having to feel I was selling out the underground rock world... shallow at the time? YES!  but it got a cracking track into my shows on a permanent basis."

Written by David Bowie. Fox were Peter Laffy (Guitar, Vocals - later worked with Mondo Rock and Jim Keays), Neil Hodgson (Bass, Keyboards), Michael Upton (Vocals) and Les Oldman (Drums, Vocals).


Thanks again to David Juggles (instagram) for all the amazing music!

Stay tuned for the next volume of TDATS....if you'd like to get email notifications for all new volumes, sign up in the box on the right-hand panel of this site, or follow on instagram, X (twitter), facebook or other links below. Cheers, Rich. 

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Related listening:
The Day After The Sabbath 150: Lovely Jugglies Pt 1 Rare 45s From the DJ Juggles collection
The Day After The Sabbath 114: World in Sound [rarity label interview, compilation]
The Day After The Sabbath 94: It's Psychedelic Baby [interview/magazine review]

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Wednesday, October 25, 2023

The Day After The Sabbath 151: Los Desposeidos [60s-70s Bolivia Psych & Hard Rock pt1]

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Welcome to volume #151. It's time to visit Latin America again, a region of the world that never fails to provide amazing psychedelic rock. Bolivia pt1 is now the eighth volume dedicated to latin rock, following 43: General | 84: Brazil | 89: Mexico | 104: Peru 1 | 137: Argentina 1 | 144: Venezuela and 118: Chicano Rock.

This is without doubt one of the most psychedelic volumes I have made for a while, the misty, hazy fuzz billows from almost every track, and the less than perfect sound quality of some of these vinyl extractions only serves to enhance it.

As with some other countries I have covered who's rock scenes may have been overshadowed by neighbors, in this case Argentina and Brazil's huge scenes that probably attracted some home-grown musical talent out of Bolivia, it had a relatively small number of key bands, in the '70s heavy prog genre especially, but it certainly had its fair share of 60s garage and beat acts. I have still managed to fill an excellent set with all the above styles of music, which everyone will enjoy. We have sixteen new acts to TDATS, plus the return of Climax, a fantastic band that was previously included in vol 43.

I'd like to thank one source of information on rare Bolivian rock music, a youtube channel called Rock Hecho en Bolivia (link). This has been the most useful place to discover such music, it's run by Julio Cesar Moya and he has debuted many rare vintage Bolivian records to the world for the first time, through his channel. There is an article at Cabeza De Moog blog where Julio describes his mission (link).


TRACKS

01. Los Grillos - Leño Verde (1975)
                    from album Vibraciones Latinoamericanas Grillos – PGMP-2001
02. Grupo Trigal - La Calle Principal (1971)
                    from Oruro EP Psicofasico – 0148
03. Los Laser - Los Desposeidos (1971)
                    from Vuelven ! EP Polydor – EP-60802
04. Climax - Nacido Para Ser Salvaje II (1974)
                    from Nacido Para Ser Salvaje II EP Lyra – DED-228
05. Los Black Stones - Oh My Baby (1975)
                    from Black Stones EP Exito Discolandia DED-414
06. Estrella de Marzo - Encuentro (1974)
                    from album A Los Niños Con Amor Discos Heriba – SLP-2018
07. Los Signos - Copacabana (1975)
                    from Los Signos EP Discos Heriba – EP-209
08. 50 de Marzo - Ciceron (1971)
                    from Ciceron EP Lyra – DED-293
09. Antares - Piénsalo (1972)
                    from Tundiqui Rock EP Lyra – DED-335
10. Los Flintstones - Solo Quiero Hacerte El Amor (1970)
                    from Nuevo Testimonio EP Lyra  – DED-225
11. Manantial - Arriba Y Encima (1975)
                    from Arriba Y Encima EP Lyra – DED-421
12. Mandrill - Sol Y Quena (1975)
                    from Sol Y Quena EP Discos Heriba – SEP-233
13. Los Ovnis - Ya No Escucho Tu Voz (1976)
                    from Ya No Escucho Tu Voz EP Discos Heriba – EP-274
14. Tabú - She's My Woman (1972)
                    from TABÚ EP
15. Los Donkeys - Luis XVI (1969)
                    from Los Mas Recientes Exitos De Los Donkeys EP Lyra – DED-170
16. Wara - Realidad (1973)
                    from album El Inca Discos Heriba – LP-2007
17. Renán Michel - Madre Hay Una Sola (1974)
                    from El Ángel EP Discos Heriba – EP-100

references





The Acts

Los Grillos - Leño Verde (1975)
We set the scene with some nice Bolivian flavour. This track combines pan-pipes with psych guitar and spacey Moog atmospherics to great effect. Los Grillos are one of the most iconic bands here and spanned the 60s beat period up the 80s with many albums and EPs. The album this is from, "Vibraciones Latinoamericanas", was one of the early records from Bolivia to really mix prog rock with traditional Andean sounds, and is famous for doing so. Wara are equally well-known for doing the same thing in the early seventies, they are coming up later. There is a wealth of Grillos information here at Cabeza De Moog (link).

Grupo Trigal - La Calle Principal (1971)

This one starts with a nice fuzzing riff, and high-pitched vocals, which are a frequent distinction of latin psych. The Oruro EP this is taken from doesn't have a release date in Discogs, but seeing as all Grupo Trigal's other records documented there are from 1979 onwards, I would predict the sound of this EP makes it an earlier recording, and the indispensable Bolivan rock youtube channel Rock Hecho en Bolivia (link) seems to back this up, as 1971. Grupo Trigal still have a presence on Facebook (link).


Los Laser - Los Desposeidos (1971)
This fits in very nicely with the previous track, opening with another fuzzy garage riff fused with those addictive higher-register vocals. The EP this is from is one of the few used in this set that was released on a major international label, Polydor. Los Laser only have one more EP documented on Discogs, but one thing that has become apparent to me now, is that a lot of Bolivian records are still missing from Discogs, so maybe there will be more appearing from Los Laser, and new entries are appearing for Bolivian rock acts in general all the time, so Bolivia remains an exciting prospect for crate diggers. Spanish label Discos Quilombo reissued this song and another on 7" single just this year (2023), with an info booklet. (link)

Climax, 1974
Climax - Nacido Para Ser Salvaje II (1974)

This is a nice, extra groovy re-interpretation of a classic. Climax have appeared once before here on TDATS, in volume 43 (link), and it's a shame they had such a limited output of one album and a couple of EPs, as they surely were one of the most talented hard rocking bands in Bolivia at the time.

From the late sixties they made their influences clear, with excellent covers of Hendrix, Blue Cheer, Cream & other cutting-edge heavy originators, and their 1974 album "Gusano Mecánico" has the musicianship and style to fit right in with those names, and famous names from the world's progressive rock scene also. They are one of the few acts here to have received their own label / career retrospective, "Edición Completa", on Lyra in 2003, which itself is now quite collectible. Guitarist Jose A. Eguino was previously in beat group Los Black Byrds, and later in pop band Circus. Bass player Javier Saldías had a more extensive career, he also came from Los Black Byrds, and later went on to prog folk band Luz De America, then similar acts such as Savia Nueva and Khonlaya.

Los Black Stones - Oh My Baby (1975)
Here's a tight little rocker which curiously mixes hard rock, boogie and garage rock for refreshing results. The 1975 EP here does not seem to be mentioned on Discogs, but the band released stuff on multiple labels such as Psicofasico, Lyra, RCA, and this EP was apparently on Exito Discolandia (link). So this may well be another band that has some more records yet to be documented, online at least. "Musicians on this record were Miguel Cuellar (lead vocals), Jorge Flores (drums), Raúl López (keyboards) and the surprising addition of Rolando Camacho (Ex-Grupo 606) playing electric bass and Remberto Cabrera on lead guitar (considered one of the best Bolivian guitarists of the time), who had returned to the country after taking his first steps in music in Brazil." - Julio Cesar Moya

Estrella de Marzo - Encuentro (1974)
This great track marks a welcome diversion towards explorations in doomy, heavy prog. Estrella De Marzo are one of the few bands in this comp to have completed a full length album, called "Encuentro". It was the only thing they put on wax in their short existence, as a side project by guys from 50 De Marzo and Wara, during a temporary period that 50 De Marzo had split, both of whom are coming up later. These were Luis Eguino, bassist and lead vocalist of the group, along with the experienced drummer Germán Urquidi, both from 50 De Marzo. Carlos Daza Leytón, guitarist of Wara, completed the trio. Their sole album is solid, and as mentioned just now, the heavy style that veered away from the more common garage rock or tropical sounds was quite rare for any Bolivian LP in the '70s, save for a few more of the acts to follow in this comp, like Manantial and Mandrill.

Los Signos - Copacabana (1975)
Here's a nice brooding prog track with good keyboards and some galloping pace, and No, it has nothing to do with the Barry Manilow. It's just a shame that it's over so quickly, hopefully a longer version exists somewhere out there! According to online articles by Bolivian rock historian Julio Cesar Moya (link), Los Signos are one of the most important and successful 1970s rock acts in Bolivia. They formed in late '60s La Paz (capital of Bolivia, the highest-altitude capital city in the world at 3.5km above sea level) out of an earlier incarnation, "Los Mack".

Like most Bolivian rock bands at the time, they did not release any full-length LPs (that I can find evidence of) until later decades, but did regularly release 4-track EPs, through the '70s & '80s. The one I used here, self-titled as "Los Signos" (1975) featured a lineup of Efraín Salazar on lead vocals, René Cordero on guitar, Cesar Conde on bass, Héctor Cuentas on percussion and Pedro Aiza on keyboards. It seems Los Signos never broke up and have been self-releasing new music, and playing live, up until 2017 (link), and maybe even more recently? Let me know if you know more.

50 de Marzo - Ciceron (1971)

In 1971, Bolivian rock bands were just starting to come out of their reliance on covers and sounds directly influenced by the usual British and North American names like The Beatles, Stones and Hendrix etc. 50 De Marzo were one of the first bands to make an important break away to develop a new identity that represented Bolivian progressive rock. They originated in Cochabamba but soon moved to La Paz. They played a show there organised by Radio Chuquisaca, with Climax & Los Signos, which quickly got them invited to record the three-track EP "Ciceron". This provides the next track here, and in the view of Julio Cesar Moya (link) it's one of the most important records of all time to represent Bolivia's own unique emerging sounds.

At this time the band was Luis Eguino (ex Grupo 606) on bass and vocals, Benjo Gómez on lead vocals, Oscar Astete on guitar and Germán Urquidi on percussion. 50 De Marzo felt the environment in Bolivia was impossible after the 1971 Hugo Banzer coup, and emigrated to the USA. This was brief and not successful, Luis Eguino and Germán Urquidime returned to La Paz and started Estella De Marzo. By 1975 Estrella De Marzo was finished and a new line-up of 50 de Marzo formed and made one final record, "Ayer Y...Hoy," before splitting again, this time permanently.

Antares - Piénsalo (1972)
Here's a good slice of groovy, psychedelic hard rock, and one of the absolutely earliest examples of such from Bolivia. Antares came from the breakup of '60s band Los Loving Dark's, drummer Boris Rodríguez and guitarist Félix Chávez returned to Bolivia after a post-Loving Dark's stay in "South America's Rock Mecca" Argentina. While there they had played with notable Argentine names like Billy Bond. Boris Rodríguez had a particularly great and musically educational experience there and after both of them were back in Bolivia, Boris and Félix Chávez formed Antares, adding a mutual friend, Roy Vélez, on bass. Antares were inspired to make blues & hard rock with the flavour and rhythms of Bolivia, and notably, influences of African music from La Paz, which had an African community resulting from colonial days of the past. Santana's latin rock was another particular inspiration.

They made the EP "Tundiqui Rock" on the Lyra label and drew crowds playing in the Planet 2000 nightclub next door to the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) in La Paz. Alas this was their only record and they split in 1974 for other music and careers. Antares re-appeared later and were active with Boris as an original member up until 2019 (facebook) but sadly he died in 2020. There is an article about him at opinion.com.bo (link) which describes him as one of Bolivia's rock pioneers, at a time when it was almost impossible just to get access to the instruments and equipment required to learn to play and start a successful band such as Loving Dark's. Félix Chávez appears again later in this comp...

Los Flintstones - Solo Quiero Hacerte El Amor (1970)
Here's a super groovy garage rock re-interpretation of the Willie Dixon / Muddy Waters / Etta James classic, from La Paz's Los Flintstones. They were started by composer songwriter Jaime Mirtenbaum Zenamon (link) and Oscar Murillo Wayar, singer and guitarist. Bassist Jaime Landa and drummer Walter (Waltico) Aparicio completed the band. Los Flintstones were a big draw in late-'60s La Paz, playing at all the prominent rock festivals and venues of the time and releasing successful EPs on the Psicofasico and Lyra labels. Zenamon was later a teacher at the Berlin Academy of Music (HdK) from 1980 to 1992. Since then he has been a freelance composer and concert guitarist in his own recording, composition and concert studio in Curitiba, Brazil.

Manantial - Arriba Y Encima (1975)
Here's what I consider to be a highlight of this volume, a very groovy and psychedelic hard-rocking tune with those great latin rhythms and impassioned performances, especially in the vocals. The sound quality of this is lacking, but it is the best quality version of the EP available at the moment, which is a very rare and sought-after record. Maybe one day a better vinyl audio extraction will appear, from a less-worn record. If so I will upgrade this volume with it.

One of Manantial's main members was guitarist Félix Chávez, previously mentioned in Antares.  Bassist Alfredo Negrón, drummer Victor “Pocho” Salgar (ex-Dhag Dhag's) and one of the best vocalists of this generation: Luis Fernando del Rio, completed the band. Two 4-track EPs were produced in the mid-'70s, "Sombras Negras" on Disco Exito Lyra, which the song appearing here is taken from, then a self-titled in 1976. Manantial split in 1978 when Luis Fernando del Rio left to join Orquesta Swingbaly, a prolific Bolivian tropical, salsa, merengue etc. collective that spanned four decades from the '60s to '90s, which Félix Chávez (and no doubt other names in this comp) also had some involvement with over the years.

Mandrill - Sol Y Quena (1975)
And on we go on to another of the heavy highlights of this set, fusing Bolivian sounds with the power of proto-metal / prog monsters like Deep Purple. To again quote Julio Cesar Moya - "The origin of this important group dates back to the second half of 1973, when the Salgado brothers, Belizario and René, of the popular group Four Star, and Carlos Salgado, lead guitarist and singer of Blue Star, joined together, with bassist Roberto Ojeda and drummer Rodolfo Aguilar. This gave life to a group whose creation myth revolved around avant-garde, European and North American rock, and the influence and inclination for progressive rock fused with Andean rhythms and melodies, leading to one of the first examples of Heavy Metal in Bolivia, whose main characteristic is the strident and distorted guitar, and a wailing voice."

"Mandrill's impressive first record was presented in a special concert at the Cine Teatro Princesa in La Paz, along with excellent covers of important bands such as Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath, Focus & Yes. In an interview, Carlos Salgado says that in live performances he carried a live viper placed round his neck, as part of the intense performance that Mandrill offered the audience."


Mandrill called it a day after their third EP, 1977's "Vol. 2". After that the members continued in tropical music groups such as Orquesta AnacondaLa Banda Del Loco and Marejada. In recent years Carlos Salgado has been active in events to honour bands that he was involved in like Blue Star, Mandrill and Anaconda, playing in a re-formed Blue Star, covering Mandrill songs and inviting members of other bands appearing in this comp, Climax, Los Signos & Los Grillos for example, to play at shows with Blue Star. You can see some of this activity on Carlos's facebook (link) and a promotional facebook page of his (link).

2023: (l-r) Jose A. Eguino (Climax), Carlos Salgado (Mandrill), Humberto Paredes (Los Grillos)

Los Ovnis - Ya No Escucho Tu Voz (1976)
We change the pace now with some psychedelic pop from Los Ovnis [The UFOs], also known as Los Ovnis De Huanuni, where Huanuni is a town in Oruro, a department of Bolivia and the band's place of origin. This is a fun whimsical track, full of fuzz, infectious beats and eerie electronic tones that are very suited to their name. The band was Absalón Zabala on guitar and vocals, plus his sisters Noemí Zabala on bass and Sara Zabala on farsisa keyboards and backing vocals, and Moisés Rivera on drums. I have been able to find three documented EPs from Los Ovnis, but they may have made more that will be rediscovered some time. If you like the track here they are all worth hearing, and you can do so on Julio Cesar Moya's youtube channel (link).

Tabú - She's My Woman (1972)
Here's a Bolivian re-interpretation of The Beatles' "She's a Woman", but it's so different and Santana'd up that I personally would not have guessed and it may as well be a unique (and very cool) latin rock song! Tabú, came out of previous band Conga, and there will be a lot more to say about them later in this comp as they became "Wara" straight after this, one of the original and iconic bands to forge the new Bolivian early '70s progressive rock sound, along with names like Los Grillos, Antares and 50 De Marzo mentioned previously. This extreme rarity was made available by Rock Hecho en Bolivia (youtube).

Los Donkeys - Luis XVI (1969)
Nearing the end now and here's one of the oldest songs in the set, which is a worthy inclusion due to the wild fuzz wig-outs on display. Los Donkeys were a popular La Paz beat / garage rock band that were very influenced by the '60s sounds of western rock, covers and adaptations of which made up much of their repertoire. They made around ten EPs from 1967 to the early '70s and were contemporaries of other classic Bollivian bands like Los Red Socks, Grupo 606, Bonny Boys Hot's and Four Star. They did a small interview with cambio.bo in 2019 (link), at which time Boris Rodríguez of the afore-mentioned Antares was drumming for them. Their facebook page is still up, with recent posts (link).

Wara - Realidad (1973)
This is taken from Wara's first LP "El Inca", which comprised a combination of heavier brooding prog tracks like the inclusion here "Realidid", "Wara Estrella" (which musically reminds me of a latin take on Child In Time) and introspective, mellow tracks with some symphonic touches. The core band members to play on this album were Nataniel Gonzales on lead vocals, Omar León on bass, Carlos Daza on guitar and backing vocals, Jorge Cronembold on percussion and Pedro Sanjinés on synthesizers. Many other support musicians contributed with backing vocals and extra instrumentation such as bassoon, flute, oboe and violin, for a rich varied sound.

Wara
What made this album stand out at the time was Wara's concerted efforts to forge a new, uniquely Bolivian progressive rock style, with lyrical themes of Andean philosophy. Subsequent albums, starting with 1975's "Maya Hichhanigua Hikjatata", dropped the heavier rock aspects, while their compositions became far more subtle and complex, going for a total folk sound with even more acoustic and wind instrumentation. More albums of new material have followed regularly, initially on established labels like Lyra, MCB and Inbofon. The most recent documented album in Discogs is 2015's self-released "Kimsaqallqu 8". As of 2023, the modern incarnation of Wara is still going strong and playing live, with updates and recent performances on facebook (link) and instagram (link).

Renán Michel - Madre Hay Una Sola (1974)
And to finish, a melancholic piece of psychedelic pop from Renán Michel. He was a solo pop performer. As you may have noticed over the years, I especially like to include some "unexpected sources of heaviness" in TDATS, and in the 1960s especially, you never knew when a pop singer might chuck in a psychedelic track on a b-side or album, which is what appears to have happened here. I had no idea initially, but after choosing this track and completing this write-up, I have discovered that the backing band on this EP was Four Star, previously mentioned in relation to Mandrill and the Salgado brothers, which was a nice surprise and a nice way to end this edition of TDATS...

¡Hasta la próxima, adiós!


Further listening:
The Day After The Sabbath 144: La Sayona [Venezuela pt.1 1969-1978]
The Day After The Sabbath 123: Llega La Destrucción [Spain pt2]
The Day After The Sabbath 118: La Fuente del Ritmo [Latin and Chicano rock]


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