Showing posts with label Sarolta Zalatnay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sarolta Zalatnay. Show all posts

Friday, August 21, 2026

The Day After The Sabbath 164: Hungary pt 3: Fehérlófia (Son Of The White Mare)

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password: tdats



Welcome to volume 164: Hungary part 3! I wrote an introduction to Hungarian rock in the first part and you can read the details there (link). The full set of Eastern European volumes is now:
41: Eastern Roc | 101: Poland | 120: Serbia | 134: Macedonia | 153: Hungary 1 | 157: Hungary 2 | 164: Hungary 3

The cover for this volume is from the 1981 Hungarian feature-length animation 'Son Of The White Mare'. I discovered it while looking for art for this volume, and was immediately struck by the visual style, so I watched the movie, which was released on blu-ray (with English subtitles) in 2022 (link) and I can recommend it as a mesmerising piece of moving psychedelic art form start to end!

Director Marcell Jankovics (1941-2021) worked to bring Hungarian folk tales to the screen from the 1960s onwards and Son Of The White Mare is his magnum opus. The tale of 'Fehérlófia' (Hungarian) was first interpreted for print in 1862 and describes the heroic odyssey of a boy to a man, with super-human strength, born of a white horse that's depicted as a Gaia-like, earth-mother figure.

First I must give big thanks to another blog for supplying the two un-released and impossible to find tracks that bookend this set, openers 'Scampolo & Kati Bontovics' and the closer from Dzsuvox. I had finalised this third Hungarian comp a while ago, but recently saw the Dzsuvox song on youtube recommendations and this lead me to the source, a Hungarian comp at a blog called 'Music For Ironing' (link). So for this third and final (for now) Hungarian TDATS I had to include them!

The rest of the songs here can be found on the region's familiar labels PepitaQualiton and Amiga, with two outliers from acts Locomotive GT and V'73 explained further below.

So, in this set we have the same level of musical virtuosity that inspired me to plan two more Hungarian volumes after posting the first one a few years ago (link). Satisfyingly, this volume adds ten new acts that have never been on here before, and rounds-off songs from the final few acts that have been mentioned in name only in the previous Hungarian volumes. This includes the funky energy of Scampolo & Kati Bontovics, the dirty freakbeat of Neoton, Deep Purple vibes from Illés, frantic pop hooks from Generál, and driving horns with Bergendy. We also have speeding prog from Karthago, contagious country breaks from Locomotive GT and Levente Szörényi, V'73's crazy prog wig-out, Kék Csillag's relaxing fuzz bath, Non-Stop's flute vs. guitar jam and Dzsuvox's jazzy neck-breaker.


TRACKS

01. Scampolo & Kati Bontovics - Tétova Utakon Tanulok Járni (1970s)
                                from Best of Hungarian Rock 1968-1976 Vol 3
02. Kati Kovács & Gemini - Fémzene (1975)
                                from album Intarzia
03. Neoton - Nehéz Fiúk (1970)
                                from album Bolond Város
04. Locomotiv GT - Back Home (1974)
                                from album Locomotiv GT
05. Illés - Szorits Erosen (1971)
                                single
06. Generál - Törökméz (1973)
                                from album Staféta
07. Bergendy - Hej, Te Szép Kemény Legény (1976)
                                from album Fagypont Fölött Miénk A Világ
08. Hungária - Eredeti Rubin (1970)
                                single
09. Karthago - Csak Egy Szót Akarok (1979)
                                single
10. Levente Szörényi - Zazi (1973)
                                from album Utazás
11. Tolcsvayék És a Trió & Kati Kovács - Láttam, Ne Tagadd-Vihar Előtt, Vihar Után (1972)
                                from album T&T
12. V'73 - Gondolatok (1975)
                                from album Seven Pieces For Keyboards, Bass Guitar And Drums
13. Kati Kovács & Juventus - Wind, Komm, Bring Den Regen Her (1973)
                                single
14. Kék Csillag - Ki Volt Az Az Ember (1970)
                                single
15. Non-Stop - Szelíd Tüzek (1972)
                                single
16. Sarolta Zalatnay & Locomotiv GT - Itt A Nyár (1972)
                                single
17. Dzsuvox - Éjszaka (Orosházi Beat Fesztivál) (1975)
                                from Best of Hungarian Rock 1968-1976 Vol 1


The Stars Of This Volume


Kati Bontovics
Kati Bontovics
Scampolo & Kati Bontovics - Tétova Utakon Tanulok Járni (1970s Radio Recording)
from 'Best of Hungarian Rock 1968-1976 Vol 3'
Scampolo seem to have been an important early rock 'n roll band that didn't put much on record but played from the early '60s into the '80s on stage and radio. At one time in the early '70s, pop singer Kati Bontovics was a member, singing on singles, and this infectious groovathon 'Tétova Utakon Tanulok Járni'. Before that, Sarolta Zalatnay often sung with them in the '60s.

Many players passed through the ranks from other acts I've mentioned, including Zoltán Kiss (Karthago, Korál), Komár László (Sprint), Szidor László (Gemini), Tamás Mihály (Omega) and Váradi László (Sakk-Matt). Scampolo became a regular live draw at the Buda Youth Park in Budapest, along with familiar acts Bergundy, Gemini and Syconor (link). More on Scampolo at zene.hu (link), wiki (link) and rimretro.hu (link).

Kati Kovács & Gemini
Kati Kovács & Gemini (album rear)
Kati Kovács & Gemini - Fémzene (1975)
from album 'Intarzia'
This track is one of Kati's diversions into heavy psych that you can find in her work in the 60s and 70s. She is a famous pop singer in Hungary, who gladly for us made a few heavy songs in co-operation with rock bands like Locomotiv GT, Juventus, Gemini, Hungária and Tolcsvayék És A Trió, bands who appear in this and other volumes.

Kati won TV & Radio's 'Táncdalfesztivál ’72' with the song 'Add Már Uram Az Esőt!' (Lord, give me the rain!), with Juventus backing her. It was released on single the same year and she was popular in East Germany where it was released in German, as were many of her songs. It became one of her perennial favourites and she performed it on stage as recently as 2024 (link). Later she made an English version on a curious album in 1996, which also includes interpretations of Vangelis's 1492 soundtrack. You can hear that version on my youtube (link).

Neoton - Bolond Város LP 1970
Neoton - Bolond Város LP 1970
Neoton - Nehéz Fiúk (1970)
from album 'Bolond Város'
Neoton's first album reminds me a bit The Netherlands' Q65 (see vols 63 and 138), clearly a product of the 1960s but with a nasty, dirty edge that wasn't typical of beat bands. This early formation included names from previously mentioned heavies such as Omega (Ferenc Debreceni), Piramis (Som Lajos), Taurus Ex-T: 25-75-82 (Som Lajos and Ferenc Balázs) and Korál (Ferenc Balázs).

The formation that made that first album had changed out of all recognition by 1976, when they combined with a trio of girls called Kócbabák to become the 'Neoton Família', embarking on a disco pop career, reportedly steered by the head of the Pepita record label. It was good news for all involved though as Neoton Família went on to huge success as one of Hungary's biggest pop exports by far, rivaling the success of ABBA in some countries.

Locomotive GT (1974) on Epic UK
Locomotive GT (1974) on Epic UK
Locomotiv GT - Back Home (1974)
from album 'Locomotiv GT'
One of the Hungarian bands along with Omega and Skorpió that is likely to be known to TDATS readers already, and like those bands, Locomotiv GT also attempted to export their popular hard rock sound to the west. This track sung in English is from the self-titled 1974 LP released abroad on such labels as ABC in the USA and Epic in the UK. It's a version of the song 'Visszamegyek A Falumba' (trans: I'm Going Back To The Village) from the previous years' Hungarian release 'Bummm! (Locomotiv GT III.)' on the Pepita label.

Formed in 1971 by ex-Omega members Presser Gábor and Laux József, they released one LP almost every year until around 1985, after which time they recorded and toured occasionally, finally splitting after the death of long-time bassist Tamás Somló in 2016.

Illés - A Lány És A Csavargó / Szoríts Erősen 7" 1971
Illés - A Lány És A Csavargó /
Szoríts Erősen 7" 1971
Illés - Szorits Erosen (1971)
single b/w 'A Lány És A Csavargó'
What's not to love about the Deep Purple-like swagger this develops into? It's just missing a screaming chorus.

The communist government of Hungary did not seemingly have quite as much detrimental affect on rock music as authorities in other communist states, but the state-owned record label Magyar Hanglemezgyártó Vállalat (M.H.V.) did have complete record-publishing control, and occasionally used it to stifle bands which they took any stylistic or ethical dislike to. For instance, Illés, one of the country's most successful rock acts, was banned from performing or releasing records for a while after saying unfavorable things to "the enemy" in a BBC TV interview in London.

Similarly to Hungária, Illés trod the familiar beat band path of Beatles inspiration in the mid '60s and then psychedelia, prog and some harder rocking songs into the '70s, but during that period Illés was more prolific in output and variety, so no two albums sounded the same, and they didn't make a consistently heavy LP to the extent that Hungária's 1971 S/T was, but they played a few hard songs across albums and singles. The band first officially broke up in 1973 with some of them joining-up with members of Tolcsvayék És a Trió to start 'Fonográf' the same year.

Generál - Staféta LP 1973
Generál - Staféta LP 1973
Generál - Törökméz (1973)
from album 'Staféta'
In the summer of 1972, Hungarian Television (MTV) broadcast two events that helped shape the nation's music scene: the Ki Mit Tud? (Who knows what?) talent show, followed by the Táncdalfesztivál (Dance Song Festival). Generál won votes in these events and quickly became popular.

The first album from the band has around four really cool and hard rocking pop songs like the one here 'Törökméz'. Another equally good one is 'Tűzmadár', with doomy prog juxtaposed by pop vocals from the girls in the band. The sound is fresh and something that I could totally buy as being from an eccentric new band of today. The second album 'Generál II' has some great heavy glam songs, bursting with creativity. In some ways they remind me of the German band Nine Days Wonder (vol82), stylistically diverse and falling somewhere in the middle of pop, glam, art rock and prog. The band went through many changes after core members started to leave in the mid-'70s but albums were still released until 1979. A major reunion happened in 1999 and since then there have been more reunions, as recently as this year (2026). More at rockbook.hu (link) and wiki (link).

Bergendy - Fagypont Fölött Miénk A Világ LP 1976
Bergendy - Hej, Te Szép Kemény Legény (1976)
from album 'Fagypont Fölött Miénk A Világ'
From what I have read, Bergendy were among the biggest bands in Hungary during the 1970s, along with Hungária and Illés. Originally starting out as a jazz band, brass and jazz remained a constant part of their sound as they progressed into pop, prog and fusion in the '70s. There is a great cover of Black Night on their first LP (link), adding more keyboard improv, and a brass section that sounds like it should have always been there!

Bergendy band
While not producing any hard rock albums, you will find many heavy prog and brassrock tracks throughout their LPs. The band's main career continued with regular albums into the '80s, with some spin-offs and reformations occurring until the sad case of founder member István Bergendy's covid-related death in 2020.

Hungária 1971 Lang Klub
Hungária - Eredeti Rubin (1970)
single b/w 'Ítéletnap'
I had not heard of this band until first investigating the country, 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 the single 'Eredeti Rubin' included here, the album that came a year later 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 and Juventus, 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 in 2024 it was announced that the band would 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).

Karthago 1979 (source)
Karthago - Csak Egy Szót Akarok (1979)
single b/w 'A Fények, A Hangok, Az Árnyak'
This is a quirky track with a bit of a fusion sound, just staying within the realms of good taste enough to get away with it haha (you may have noticed that fusion type sounds are not something you'll often see here at TDATS).

Karthago is one of he few acts in this comp that is still touring, with the next show this September 2026 (link), the lineup having barely changed since they started, with founding members Ferenc Szigeti (guitar, vocals, ex-Corvina), Zoltán Kiss (bass, ex-Korál, Scampolo), Attila Gidófalvy (keys), Miklos Kocsandy (drums) and Tamas Takáts (vocals) all still on board since 1979.

Ferenc started the band and was already an established talent in Corvina, which I have used in both previous Hungarian volumes (153 & 157). Karthago became one of the prominent '80s hard rock acts that also had success in other countries, and released two albums sung in English. More: Official website (link), Facebook (link).

Levente Szörényi - Utazás LP 1973
Levente Szörényi - Zazi (1973)
from album 'Utazás'

Here's a piece of country rock with one of the more infectious riffs i've heard in a long time, from a big name in Hungarian rock who was a founder of the previously mentioned Illés, and the post-Illés act, Fonográf. In fact, Fonográf re-recorded this solo song of Levente's on their first single released on the Amiga label in east Germany in 1974.

Levente is still well-known in Hungary, having been involved in many important bands and the writing of hits, and writing music in other avenues such as stage, TV and film. He is also noted for successfully introducing traditional folk elements into modern music, encouraging Hungarian pop to have more of its own cultural identity. More at wiki (link) and facebook (link).

Tolcsvayék És A Trió - T&T LP 1972
Tolcsvayék És A Trió - T&T LP 1972
Tolcsvayék És a Trió & Kati Kovács - Láttam, Ne Tagadd-Vihar Előtt, Vihar Után (1972)
from album 'T&T'
Somehow, Kati Kovács is never far away in Hungarian rock that catches my ear! Here's an effortlessly cool, rolling riffer, with her distinctive vocals. At the time of this album, simply entitled "T&T", 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, such as Németh Oszkár on drums and Móricz Mihály on guitar.

On the album they had vocal contributions from two more of the girls who I have featured in these Hungarian comps, Zsuzsa Koncz and Sarolta Zalatnay. Tolcsvayék És A Trió's music often rocked in a US country rock type way and I enjoyed a lot of what I heard when checking them out. More about them at wiki (link

V'73 – Seven Pieces For Keyboards, Bass Guitar And Drums
V'73 - Seven Pieces For Keyboards,
Bass Guitar And Drums LP
V'73 - Gondolatok (1975)
from album 'Seven Pieces For Keyboards, Bass Guitar And Drums'
Time for a turn-around and some bombastic, twisting prog. V'73 put out very few records of their own but played in various live situations including supporting Locomotiv GT and Omega. They were a trio styled after ELP and took a classical, keyboard-heavy approach to progressive rock when they were playing their own material, something unusual in Hungary at the time. Wikipedia states that they were yet another band that backed Kati Kovács at times (i'm starting to wonder if there was a Hungarian band that didn't, haha) and the first album for that is her 1977 LP 'Csendszóró'.

V'73 was absorbed into the 'V'Moto Rock' band soon after that, with the addition of Ferenc Demjén, ex-Bergendy, and that outfit continued to back Kati, while also becoming a popular new-wave pop band of their own in the '80s, moving away from music of interest here. 'Gondolatok' is a track from an LP of rare unreleased V'73 recordings, put out by Moiras Records a few years ago (link). More: wiki (link).



Kati Kovacs 1975
Kati in 1975
Kati Kovács & Juventus - Wind, Komm, Bring Den Regen Her (1973)
single b/w 'Komm Und Laß Uns Gehn'
And Kati is back yet again! This is the German version of her 1972 signature song I already used on v157, it is very similar to that version, but rocks a little harder and was put out in east Germany on the Amiga label a year later, where she and many Hungarian acts were popular, as mentioned many times before.

Kék Csillag band
Kék Csillag - Ki Volt Az Az Ember? (1970)
single b/w 'Öt Fiú Balladája'
Seemingly an elusive group, that existed for the best part of 20 years but only put out three 7-inchers, according to the usual sources like Discogs. This track spreads-out with delectable waves of fuzz. They were another act that first came to the country's attention by appearing on the Ki Mit Tud? TV show, ten years previous to Generál, one of the other bands here with the same distinction. In fact Kék Csillag (Blue Star) appeared at the beginning of the show's life in the early '60s, and Generál in 1972.

There is a regional newspaper interview with member Frankl Gábor at minalunk.hu (link) and a lot of info has been collated at netadoradio.hu (link) but i'm not confident in online translation to repeat much from those sources, so take a look if so inclined. They have two jazzy, fuzzy b-sides on singles in 1970, this one included, and they played backing to a pop crooner called Pál Szécsi.

Non-Stop band
Non-Stop - Szelíd Tüzek (1972)
single b/w 'Szép Margit'
A great song here, starts out with some up-beat prog pop but soon turns into a psych guitar jam with some sweet flute breaks. The guitarist in question here is János Závodi (later of Piramis) according to the label that produced Non-Stop's anthology CD in 1999, though I may be wrong there as band info is patchy across other sources, the only extended article specifically about Non-Stop I could find is at rocknemzedek.hu (link), and János Závodi's own website (now defunct) states he was in the band from 1973 which doesn't line up with this single (link).

What ever the truth is, Non-Stop produced a number of high quality singles in a short space of time and various members went on to more well-known bands such as Piramis, Generál, Locomotiv GT and others.

Sarolta Zalatnay - Álmodj Velem LP
rear cover
Sarolta Zalatnay & Locomotiv GT - Itt A Nyár (1972)
single b/w 'Hidd El, Ha Mondom'
Here's an original song from the pairing of Sarolta Zalatnay & Locomotive GT. Sarolta is one of Hungary's famous pop singers, and her material included a number of psychedelic songs of interest to TDATS. Sarolta, like Kati Kovács, recorded with a host of the best Hungarian bands and in 1972 made an album with LGT called 'Álmodj Velem', although the song I selected here from the same year is from a unique single, written by LGT and Skorpió's Frenreisz Károly.

The punchy, hook-laden musical style of LGT and Skorpió is evident here, and Sarolta's vocals in rock queen mode are perfect for it.

Dzsuvo - Éjszaka (Orosházi Beat Fesztivál) (1975)
from 'Best of Hungarian Rock 1968-1976 Vol 1'
Here's a cool live recording from a festival held in southern Hungary. Quoted from facebook (link): "The first Orosháza beat festival was organized in 1974 by the Petőfi Cultural Center, the sixth competition was held in 1981. The driving force of the Orosháza festivals was Benedek Péter Benkő, an employee of the cultural center, who organized these events until 1978. Zoltán Varga, who was the secretary of the festivals at the time, later became a library director and member of parliament."

Dzsuvox were a band who, according to rockkluboh.blogspot (link), were the most renowned act in the area local to the festival. Unfortunately, Dzsuvox never released any official records, but luckily this video of them is available, playing the same song at a later time on the Ki Mit Tud? show, the third time this show has come up here after Generál and Kék Csillag (link).


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If you liked this please explore this site further, with 160+ similar collections, articles and interviews. My social links are below, I also have a youtube channel (link).

Thanks for reading, until next time, rock on!
Rich



Further listening:
The Day After The Sabbath 153: Hungary pt 1: Mátyás' Dark Array
The Day After The Sabbath 157: Hungary pt 2: Death's Dark Heralds
The Day After The Sabbath 101: Polski Hazy [first Polish special]
The Day After The Sabbath 120: Wolf of Iron Jaw [Serbian rock pt1]
The Day After The Sabbath 134: Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia special



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Wednesday, December 4, 2024

The Day After The Sabbath 157: Hungary pt 2: Death's Dark Heralds

Download from: [mf] or [mg]
password:  tdats


Welcome to volume 157 of TDATS. As promised at the beginning of this year, here is part 2 of Hungarian heavy rock of the '60s–'70s. The full set of Eastern European volumes is now:
41: Eastern Roc | 101: Poland | 120: Serbia | 134: Macedonia | 153: Hungary 1 | 157: Hungary 2 | 164: Hungary 3

I set the scene in the introduction to my first Hungarian collection, and you can read that in detail in volume 153 (link). In summary:

  The 1973 Miskolc Diósgyőr Pop Festival was "Hungary's Woodstock" and some of the names appearing here were involved in it.
The communist government of Hungary did not seemingly have quite as much detrimental affect on rock music as authorities in other communist states, but the state-owned record label Magyar Hanglemezgyártó Vállalat (M.H.V.) did have complete record-publishing control, and occasionally used it to stifle bands which they took stylistic or ethical dislike to. For instance, one of the most successful bands, Illés, was banned from performing or releasing records for a while after saying unfavorable things to "the enemy" in a BBC TV interview in London.

This volume brings five new artists to TDATS, brooding blues rock from Gemini, fantastic funky prog from Juventus, Kex and Korong, and a groovy psych stomper from the pairing of Koncz Zsuzsa & Illés. The quality of musicianship from Hungary is stunning, everything presented here can easily stand up to the best rock from the UK, USA, Germany or anywhere else. Music seems to be in the bones of Eastern Europe and I look forward to visiting this part of the world again in future volumes!

The cover art for this volume is inspired by Busójárás, a festival where Šokci inhabitants in the town of Mohács, Hungary, parade in horned monster disguises, celebrating a time when it is said that ancestors used the same tactic to scare-off scouts of the Ottoman Empire, looking for new conquests...


TRACKS

01. Sarolta Zalatnay & Skorpió - The Freak (1975)
                        from album Sarolta Zalatnay
02. Hungária - Harom Szeplany Ejszakaja (1971)
                        from album Hungaria
03. Piramis - Rocket (Short And Sweet) (1979)
                        single
04. Korál - Válaszra Várva (1978 version) (1978)
                        from album Korál IV
05. Juventus - Akit Feikapott A Szél (1972)
                        single
06. Kex Együttes - Elszállt Egy Hajó A Szélben (1970)
                        single
07. Kati Kovács & Juventus - Add Már Uram Az Esőt! (1972)
                        single
08. Skorpió - Előre Nézz! (1979)
                        single
09. Korong Együttes - Magyarország 1945 [I. Rész] (1975)
                        single
10. Omega - One Man Land (1975)
                        from album The Hall Of Floaters In The Sky
11. Corvina - A Tűz (1974)
                        from album Corvina
12. Hungária - Doktor Schizofrén (1971)
                        single
13. Koncz Zsuzsa & Illés - Visz A Vonat (1970)
                        from album Szerelem
14. Tolcsvayék És A Trió - Reggel (1972)
                        from album T&T
15. Taurus Ex-T 25-75-82 - A Kõfalak Leomlanak (1972)
                        single
16. Gemini - Nem Nyugszik A Szívem (1972)
                        single



Sarolta Zalatnay & Skorpió - The Freak (1975)
Sarolta Zalatnay LP (1975)
Sarolta Zalatnay & Skorpió - The Freak (1975)
Here's an original song from the pairing of Sarolta Zalatnay & Skorpió. Sarolta is one of Hungary's famous pop singers, and her material included a number of psychedelic songs of interest to TDATS. This track appeared in its original form on her 1973 album "Hadd Mondjam El" sung in Hungarian, and then again on her 1975 self-titled LP, in English. Discerning readers will be interested to know that the backing group on both these albums was no less than the awesomely fun and quirky rockers Skorpió, (see vols 13 & 41) who are close to a TDATS institution by this point.

Hungária 1971 Lang Klub
Hungária - Harom Szeplany Ejszakaja (1971)
I had not heard of this band until earlier this year 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 "Harom Szeplany Ejszakaja" included here, the album it's from is equally good and consistent. Later in this set is another Hungária song, the fantastic psych blues "Doktor Schizofrén" from 1971, which was only on a single.

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, 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).

Piramis – Rocket - The Gift 1979
Piramis - Rocket 45 (1979)
Piramis - Rocket (Short And Sweet) (1979)
Since Piramis's previous appearances on TDATS, here is another great slab of metallic hard rock, from one of Hungary's premier heavy bands during the latter part of the seventies. Bass player Som Lajos came from Taurus who are coming up. 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).

Korál - Válaszra Várva (1978 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. This 1978 single b-side is a re-recording from the second incarnation of the band, of what was originally the a-side on a 1975 single from the original band.

All the Korál biographies state that the band first 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. 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), beatkorszak.blog.hu (link) and Facebook (link).

Juventus
Juventus - Akit Feikapott A Szél (1972)

Here we have a short & sweet side of funky bass and flute and some pretty wild guitar. Juventus sprang from artistic disagreements within the initial formation of the band Syrius, who appeared in my previous Hungarian TDATS. Various Syrius members split to form Juventus. As with most of the bands here, all the players were associated with other acts, examples being Péter Csomós and Péter Sipos, who were in Hungária. Juventus never made an album in their nine-year existence but made high quality singles, including some in support of the ubiquitous Kati Kovács.

Kex Együttes - Elszállt Egy Hajó A Szélben (1970)
Kex Együttes
Kex Együttes - Elszállt Egy Hajó A Szélben (1970)

Here's another funky jazz prog side from a short-lived band that only made one single, but luckily we can hear a lot more of them on a 1999 retrospective collection called "Kex 1969-1971", the bulk of which is radio recordings. Some members of note from bands that will appear later are Földes László, better-known later as "Hobo" of the Hobo Blues BandTamás Somló of Omega, Locomotiv GT and Non-Stop, and Závodi János of Hobo Blues Band, Non-Stop, Piramis and '90s supergroup TRB.

Kati Kovács & Juventus - Add Már Uram Az Esőt!
Kati Kovács
Kati Kovács &
Juventus - Add Már Uram Az Esőt! (1972)
Kati is a famous pop singer in Hungary, who gladly for us made a few heavy songs in co-operation with rock bands like Locomotiv GTJuventus, Gemini, Hungária and Tolcsvayék És A Trió, bands who all appear in this volume or later in TDATS regarding Hungary.

Kati won TV & Radio's "Táncdalfesztivál ’72" with the song "Add Már Uram Az Esőt!" (Lord, give me the rain!), with Juventus backing her. It was released on single the same year and she was popular in East Germany where it was released in German, as were many of her songs. It became one of her perennial favourites and she performed it on stage as recently as this year 2024 (link). Later she made an English version on a curious album in 1996, which also includes interpretations of Vangelis's 1492 soundtrack. You can hear that version on my youtube (link).

Skorpió - Előre Nézz!  (1979)
Skorpió - Előre Nézz! 45 (1979)
Skorpió - Előre Nézz! (1979)

Although Skorpió's presence has often loomed on this site since it started, I have yet to write anything substantial about them. I guess a good place to start is with the review of their first album that I put on RYM recently (link): "Probably the best album from this Hungarian band, the musicianship is hard-riffing, funky, super-tight and proggy while maintaining a relentless sense of fun & exhilaration, with about half of the album rocking surprisingly hard, while somehow never becoming too much or too cheesy. You could say it has the same type of appeal as good heavy glam rock, but the music itself is more technical than most '70s glam. All this makes for a very refreshing sound that should still appeal to fans of hard rock / early metal, especially fans of bombastic, keys-heavy bands like Deep Purple."

Skorpió's debut album lineup was band-leader Károly Frenreisz (bass/sax), Szücs Antal Gábor (guitars), Papp Gyula (keyboards) and Fekete Gábor (drums). They were all experienced players, with Károly coming from Locomotiv GT,  Szücs & Fekete coming from Hungária (in this volume) and Papp from Mini. They are one of the country's most successful bands with the debut album alone selling over 300,000 copies. Last year (2023) Skorpió played a 50th anniversary tour with Károly, Szücs and Papp still rocking the stage.

From a 2008 interview with Szücs (link): "- You were an active part of two of the three acts of Skorpió. How do you remember those years?
- The band has always worked a lot, we played 360-400 concerts a year: we toured in Germany, Poland was almost our second country. Karesz [Károly Frenreisz] and I gave interviews in Polish on the live TV broadcast there. I don't think there was another band in Hungary that spent so much time abroad. Karesz, as I already mentioned, is a very good organizer, a real international figure. Not to mention that he invested a lot of money in the band. He traveled to London and bought equipment for the band with his own money."

Skorpió on Wikipedia (link).  Károly Frenreisz on facebook (link). More info about Károly (link).



Korong Együttes - Magyarország 1945
Korong Együttes
Korong Együttes - Magyarország 1945 [I. Rész] (1975)
Here's a great side of prog featuring another of the four female singers in this volume. Bódy Magdi was in a trio of girls called Mikrolied Vokál, who won a TV talent show in 1972 and sang with bands that I have already mentioned such as GenerálJuventus and Beatrice. I was particularly impressed by Generál's hard rocking pop and look forward to including them on the next Hungarian volume. Korong made only three singles and the final one, which comprises "Magyarország 1945" parts 1 & 2, is a very different proposition to the earlier pop efforts. Seemingly a piece of concept prog, it plays like a mini album, no doubt with a heavier subject matter considering the name (translated: "Hungary 1945" parts 1 & 2).

Korong Együttes - Magyarország 1945 [I. Rész] (1975)
Bódy Magdi
Korong appears to be an evolution of a previous band called Sakk-Matt, with three of the same members, Csuha Lajos (gtr,vox), Hőnig Rezső (drums) and Miklóska Lajos (gtr,bass). Sakk-Matt only lasted a couple of years with no releases, which is a shame as they delighted in covers of the likes of Hendrix, Cream and Blue Cheer, so they may have made some heavy records. Korong member Radics Béla (gtr) is also of note, being a formative member of Taurus Ex-T 25-75-82, in this and the previous Hungarian volume.


Omega - The Hall Of Floaters In The Sky
Omega - One Man Land (1975)
The previous Hungarian volume was book-ended by two excellent heavy prog tracks from Omega, and here is one from the 1975 album "Hall Of Floaters In The Sky", which is the English lyrics version of their 6th album, "Nem Tudom A Neved". By this time the band's international fame meant they were recording albums in multiple languages.

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 TwoTwenty TwoForty OneEighty 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 GTKex and Non-Stop, plus Syconor, who appeared in the previous comp (#153).

Corvina 1974
Corvina LP 1974
Corvina - A Tűz (1974)
This is a jaunty, funky album cut. 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 1974's self-titled album. This LP, and their next in 1975, are the records i'd recommend to check out for 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 the next Hungarian TDATS. More Corvina info at Wikipedia (link).

Koncz Zsuzsa És Az Illés Zenekar – Szerelem
Koncz Zsuzsa És Az Illés Zenekar
Szerelem LP (1970)
Koncz Zsuzsa & Illés - Visz A Vonat (1970)
Here's a groovy psych mover from the pairing of Koncz Zsuzsa & Illés. Koncz is a very successful pop singer to this day. She often worked with the band Illés, who will get more coverage in the next Hungarian volume. This track is from her third album, 1970's "Szerelem" (Love).

Since appearing in one of Hungary's first beat generation movies "Ezek A Fiatalok" (These Are The Young People), she became something of a representative for youth, which I assume meant her songs were scrutinised to a high degree. Koncz and her main song writer János Bródy, used to speak their minds on issues of young people and at one time around half her songs were blacklisted by state radio. Koncz is still performing at the age of 78 and her next show is in December 2024.

Tolcsvayék És A Trió - Reggel (1972)
Tolcsvayék És A Trió - Reggel (1972)

Here's a propulsive little number that rocks as much as prime James Gang! At the time of this album, simply entitled "T&T", 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, such as Németh Oszkár on drums and Móricz Mihály on guitar. On the album they also had vocal contributions from no less than three of the girls who I have featured in these Hungarian comps, Zsuzsa Koncz, Kati Kovács and Sarolta Zalatnay.

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 them at: Wikipedia (link

Taurus
Taurus Ex-T 25-75-82 - A Kõfalak Leomlanak (1972)
A Kõfalak Leomlanak (Stone Walls Falling Down) opens in ethereal, stately fashion, and soon ramps things up with superb performances from the whole band over this tumultuous six minute trip, lead by Balázs Ferenc's stunning organ work. 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 made him a subject of surveillance by the authorities. Brunner did however also become a member of Korál later. More Taurus info at: Wikipedia (link) and Wayback Machine (link).

Gemini
Gemini - Nem Nyugszik A Szívem (1972)
Here's a cool bluesey slowburner to end the set. To me it seems a strange choice for the a-side of a band's debut single, it's more like something you'd place in the middle of an album. Listening through their work its very clear they are talented musicians and they were a commercially-orientated band that played any style of rock adeptly, from pop / schlager music to hard rock. Along with many bands here they also performed as the backing band for female pop singers of the time, such as Kati Kovács. Gemini only released one album but they made many singles during '72 to '81 of varied styles, and most of the members were playing in other popular acts of the time, such as Apostol, Neoton Família and Generál. As of now (2024) you can stll see the activities of the remaining members of Gemini at markogeminiband.hu (link).

Köszönet a következő alkalomig, hogy meghallgattál, és tovább!
'Till the next time, Rich.

----------------------------
Further listening:
The Day After The Sabbath 124: Dimmar Nætur [Iceland special]
The Day After The Sabbath 135: Der Herrscher [Mega producer Dieter Dierks part 1]
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]


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