Below are 2 tracks I recorded to share. Enjoy
One of the scoop and most successful bands to issue from the musically fertile soil of East Los Angeles is El Chicano. Originally formed as the V.I.P.s in the late 60's, the group recorded a rendering of a call by jazz composer Gerald Wilson, "Viva Tirado," an homage to a Mexican bullfighter by the list of Jose Ramon Tirado.
The album and i were released on MCA Records in 1970. With the cultural awakening of the Mexican- American in full sway and the new Chicano consciousness on the rise, the circle was renamed El Chicano. The book became a local hit in Los Angeles, remaining at issue one for 13 consecutive weeks. It also did good in New York, Baltimore, the South and the Midwest. It was historically significant because it was the first single to reach positions in all pop music categories except country and western. The recording had a definite mid-tempo latin jazz feel and was an instrumental, featuring the Hammond organ of Bobby Espinosa and the Wes Montgomery-inspired guitar of Mickey Lespron. With the winner of their first record, they toured extensively, playing the Ohio Jazz Festival and became the first Chicano band to do at the legendary Apollo Theater. El Chicano went on to release six other albums with MCA, which include, "Revolution" (1971), "Celebration" (1972), "El Chicano" (1973), "Cinco" (1974), "The Best of Everything" (1975)" and "Pyramid" (1976). Also in 1976, they recorded an album called "This Is El Chicano" for the independent Shady Brooke label. It was the low book on which they had been in full creative control. During this point they had hits with their rendering of Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl" in 1972 and "Tell Her She's Lovely," which reached number 40 on the national charts in 1973. In 1982, they recorded an album for CBS entitled, "Do You Wish Me."
In the ensuing years, El Chicano has made a huge name for themselves in Japan and abroad. They have performed in such diverse places as Nicaragua, Canada, Malaysia and Korea. They have performed on the same charge with such diverse artists as Rod Stewart, Michael Jackson, ZZ Top, Earth, Wind and Fire, Olivia Newton-John, Chaka Kahn, Chicago, Santana and War. Their success prompted MCA to reprint a greatest hits collection entitled, "Viva! El Chicano, Their Very Best" in 1988, and 5 of El Chicano's MCA albums to be re-released on Bomba Records, as a Japanese import, in 1995. In gain to touring, El Chicano has appeared on the "Donny Brasco" (Tri Star) soundtrack with "The Latin One" (1998) as good as doing the full score in collaboration with John Taylor (Duran Duran) for the movie "Mi Vida Loca" ("My Crazy Life") in 1995. In 1997, El Chicano resurfaced on Thump Records with the turn of "Latin Legends Live," a live recording that also includes the Chicano bands Malo and Tierra. The groups went on to do a Southwest tour for the release.
In 1998, El Chicano recorded a new album entitled, "Painting the Moment." It is their first new aggregation of songs in well over a decade. It also marks the issue of original guitarist, Mickey Lespron, after a 20 year absence. I'm personally happy to see that Mickey is on this album because he and Bobby have a large musical chemistry together. After all, it was that team that put El Chicano on the map in the foremost place. The new album features instrumentals as easily as vocal performances by Steve Salas. In the row of bandleader Bobby Espinosa, "This album is an evolution of the El Chicano of the 70's. With our well known sound signature, we've managed to save the original musical formula intact while taking it to a new stage by adding horns. I am very pleased with the results." In 1997, MCA released another compendium of El Chicano songs entitled, "Chicano Chant" and Varese Sarabande recently reissued their self-produced 1976 album, "This Is El Chicano." If you'd like a sample of what the former El Chicano was all about, I recommend, "Viva! El Chicano, Their Very Best" on MCA, and to see what they're about now, pick up their new album "Painting the Moment"
Currently El Chicano is putting together the model for a brand new image that will feature original members Bobby Espinosa and Freddie Sanchez - bringing back that great musical blend that gave us their signature sound in their first hit "Viva Tirado", plus will have several well known guest artists, so be on the watch for the new El Chicano release coming soon!
EL CHICANO - JUST CRUSIN 1976
EL CHICANO - MELLO HI 1976
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