Los Shakers - Break It All (1966)

While the British Invasion was taking America by storm, there was a lesser-known influence of British bands being made in Latin America, as well. The Uruguayan Invasion, similar to the British Invasion, was an influx of British-inspired Uruguayan bands making their mark in Argentina. Among the top Uruguayan acts of the period were Los Mockers, fashioned after The Rolling Stones, and this band, fashioned after The Beatles.

Formed in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1963, this band was a huge hit in Argentina. Appearance-wise, they fashioned matching Beatles-suits and sported Beatles haircuts. The band sang entirely in English and primarily sounded like a lot of the British hits from the mid-‘60s. They were originally known as The Shakers, but quickly changed their name to that seen above after the release of their first single (“My Bonnie”) in 1965. The band’s last album, La Conferencia Secreta del Toto’s Bar, released in 1968, was not promoted or supported by their label, EMI, because of its harsh, psychedelic sound. The label didn’t approve of the band’s new direction. Resulting from the lack of push, the album bombed and the group split up, not reuniting until 2005.

This song appeared on the band’s 1966 Break It All album, which was the first release by the band that was commercially available in North America. As with most of the band’s songs, this track was written by band members and brothers, Hugo and Osvaldo Fattoruso. Osvaldo passed away from cancer on July 29, 2012 at the age of sixty-four.



Los Shakers - Break It All (1966)

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Lyrics:

We want you to come
We want you to hear
We want you to dance
Dance all night long

But when the music start
Don’t stand there like a fool
And break it all
You listen me
Break it all

If you’re getting tired
If you’re getting sad
Cannot shake with that
Break plans tonight

But when the music start
Don’t stand there like a fool
And break it all
You listen me
Break it all

If you’re alone
Or nobody shake with you
Oh, please don’t mind
And shake, oh yeah

Now, we know you’re fine
Do the shake, do the shake
Oh yeah
And break it all
You listen me
Break it all

We want you to come
We want you to hear
We want you to dance
Dance all night long

But when the music start
Don’t stand there like a fool
And break it all
You listen me
Break it all

If you’re alone
Or nobody shake with you
Oh, please don’t mind
And shake, oh yeah

Now, we know you’re fine
Do the shake, do the shake
Oh yeah
And break it all
You listen me
Break it all

We want you to come
We want you to hear
We want you to dance
Dance all night long

But when the music start
Don’t stand there like a fool
And break it all
You listen me
Break it all

And break it all
You listen me
Break it all

And break it all
You listen me
Break all

The Mystic Moods Orchestra - Maria Elena (1967)

Brad Miller’s passion in life was recording sounds as accurately as possible. In the 1950s, he recorded some of the USA’s last steam locomotives, as well as thunderstorms, crowds of people, and other various sounds he thought were unique or pleasant. In an effort to sell his work, Miller created Mobile Fidelity and experienced a moderate level of success. One night, in the mid-‘60s, a disc-jockey in the San Francisco, California area took one of Miller’s recordings and thought it would be interesting to play it on top of some easy listening music. Listeners loved it. The DJ told Miller about his discovery, and soon, Miller was working with musical arranger and composer Don Ralke to create their own version of the DJ’s idea. What resulted was the first Mystic Moods Orchestra album, One Stormy Night, in 1965. Usually, original music tracks such as the ones on One Stormy Night continued throughout the ‘60s until the orchestra moved to the Warner Bros. label in the ‘70s. Then, rather than original music, the sounds of nature and people were generally put over contemporary pop instrumentals. Around this same time, the albums began to feature erotic pictures of couples on the cover, marketing them to adults as “mood music.” Unfortunately for Miller, the societal switch from vinyl albums to CDs didn’t work out in his favor. Miller himself passed away in 1998 and his business, which had been struggling for years, collapsed the following year.

This track comes from the Mystic Moods Orchestra’s fourth album, titled Mexican Trip. Released in 1967, each song on the album was laid on top of sounds of the ocean, children playing, trains, people cheering, etc. in the usual Mystic Mood fashion. This song in particular appears as the album’s seventh track. The original song was written in 1932 by Lorenzo Barcelata, who dedicated the song to the wife of Mexican President Emilio Portes Gil, María Elena. Although the song had accompanying words available in both Spanish and English, this particular version replaced the words with sounds of the ocean.



The Mystic Moods Orchestra - Maria Elena (1967)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)

The Premiers - Farmer John (1964)

When brothers John and Lawrence Perez decided to start playing music in 1962, they recruited neighborhood friends George Delgado and Frank Zuniga and formed this band. All of them came from East Los Angeles, specifically San Gabriel, and their band started out by holding rehearsals in the Perez brothers’ backyard. After a short period, neighbors and friends began forming crowds at their rehearsals, liking what they heard, and the group got the attention of a popular East L.A. manager, Billy Cardenas. Cardenas remade the still-teenaged boys’ attire by dressing them in matching suits. He also got them some gigs at local venues, opening for names like Chris Montez. When it came time to record, Cardenas wanted to capture to spirit of “Louie Louie,” which had recently become a huge hit for The Kingsmen.

He presented them with this song, written and first recorded by rock and roll duo Don and Dewey. Although the band was hesitant to record the song, they eventually warmed up to it and released it on Faro Records in the summer of 1964. It was misleadingly labeled as having been recorded “live” at the Rhythm Room in Fullerton, California, but was actually recorded at Stereo Masters in Hollywood, California. Much like the Beach Boys’ Party! album that would be recorded in 1965, this song had the “live audience” qualities overdubbed. In this case, the girls heard on the song had come into the studio from The Chevelles car club. The song reached number nineteen on the US charts and led to the band touring with acts such as The Supremes, The Crystals, Cannibal & the Headhunters, The Dave Clark Five, and many others. They even opened for The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and The Zombies in Alabama and the Southeast United States.

When the band toured the racially segregated Southern USA, they were never really sure if they were supposed to use the “Whites Only” or “Blacks Only” bathrooms, as they were of Mexican heritage. Unfortunately, the war in Vietnam prematurely ended the band when Frank Zuniga was drafted during their second tour and later Lawrence Perez was drafted into the conflict, as well. Luckily, both members survived the war.



The Premiers - Farmer John (1964)

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Lyrics:

Has anybody seen Kosher Pickle Harry?
(No!)

If you see him, tell him that Herbert is looking for him.
(Who’s Herbert?!)
(Herbert who?!)

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, here we go: The Premiers!
(Yeah!)

Farmer John
I'm in love with your daughter
The one
With the champagne eyes
She knows that I love her
Ever since she showed me those eyes

Farmer John
Someday I will marry
The one
With the champagne eyes
She won't accept my hand
She won't wear my wedding band

One more time

I dig the way she walks
(Yeah!)
The way she talks
(Yeah!)
She really knocks me out
(Yeah!)
When she starts moving slow

Now let me hear ya

Farmer John
I'm in love with your daughter
The one
With the champagne eyes
With the champagne eyes
With the champagne eyes
With the champagne eyes…

Ritchie Valens - Come On, Let's Go (1958)

Born Richard Valenzuela on May 13, 1941, this Mexican-American singer, songwriter, and guitarist only had a career that lasted eight months before ending in tragedy. As a young boy, Valenzuela was absent on one particular day of school to attend his grandfather’s funeral. On that same day, two planes collided above the playground of his school, killing and injuring many of his friends. From there forward, Valenzuela had a fear of flying. A self-taught musician, Valenzuela joined a local band at the age of sixteen, while still in high school, called The Silhouettes. He started as a backup singer and guitarist, but when the group’s lead vocalist quit, Valenzuela took charge. He was eventually discovered by Del-Fi Records' owner and president, Bob Keane, who had Valenzuela respell his first name from “Richie” to “Ritchie,” and shorten his last name from “Valenzuela” to “Valens.” Soon, Valens was recording nationwide hits, appearing in movies, and dropping out of high school to join a nationwide tour. “The Winter Dance Party,” a tour that began in early 1959, featured Valens, Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, Dion and the Belmonts, and Frankie Sardo. On February 2nd, 1959, just eight months after Valens’ career had started, Ritchie Valens died in a plane crash that also claimed the life of Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper, now known as “The Day the Music Died.” Although his imprint on rock and roll history was short lived, there were an astounding number of future musicians to have been influenced by him, both Latinos and non-Latinos alike.

This was Ritchie Valens’ first hit song. It was written by Valens himself with the help of Bob Keane, credited as Kuhn, using his real surname, and featured the B-Side “Framed,” a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Heard below, the song was recorded, pressed, and released in a span of mere days. It was the success of this song and his record that followed (“Donna”/”La Bamba”) which led Ritchie to quitting high school and focusing music full-time. The song reached number forty-two in the US.



Ritchie Valens - Come On, Let's Go (1958)

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Lyrics:

Well, come on, let's go
Let's go, let's go, little darlin'
And tell me that you'll never leave me
Come on, come on, let's go’a
Again, again, and again

Well, now, swing me, swing me
All the way down, there
Come on, let's go little darlin'
Let's go, let's go again once more

Well, I love you so, girl
And I'll never let you go
Come on, baby, so
Oh, pretty baby, I love you so

Let's go, let's go, let's go
Little sweetheart
That we can always be together
Come on, come on, let's go again

I love you so, girl
And I'll never let you go
Come on, baby, so
Oh, pretty baby, I love you so

Let's go, let's go, let's go, little darlin'
They’re dancin’ and we’ll be longer
Come on, come on, let’s go’a
Again, again and again and again
Again, again and again and again
Again, again and again and again
Again, again…

Cannibal & the Headhunters - Land of 1000 Dances (1965)

Founded in 1963, this East Los Angeles, California group was one of the first Mexican-American groups in the United States to have a hit record (heard below). Originally known as Bobby and the Classics, the band was formed by Richard “Scar” Lopez and Robert “Rabbit” Jaramillo. According to an interview with Lopez, everyone in East L.A. had nicknames. Eventually joining the group were Robert’s brother, Joe “Yo Yo” Jaramillo and Frankie “Cannibal” Garcia. Frankie had been given his nickname by the neighborhood after having been in a few neighborhood fights and biting his opponent. He was actually known by friends as “Little Cannibal,” whereas his older brother was “Big Cannibal.” After Garcia joined the band, they began to call themselves Cannibal and the Headhunters. 1965 saw the band release their one and only hit, heard below, which led to the band opening for The Beatles on their 1965 (last ever) tour that ended at Shea Stadium. Although the band had an opportunity to tour Europe with Motown Records, they chose to tour with the fab four and spent quite a lot of time with them on the plane. By 1967, with no other hits to their name, the band called it quits. “Cannibal” Garcia, who happened to be a homosexual, died of AIDS in 1996 at the age of 49. “Yo Yo” Jaramillio passed away in 2000 after his liver shutdown from a lifetime of too much drinking. Most, “Scar” Lopez passed away on July 30, 2010 from lung cancer.

Written by Chris Kenner, this song was first released by Kenner himself in 1962 as a slow blues song. To bring the song into the spotlight, Fats Domino was approached to record the song in 1963; and, he agreed under the stipulation that he would be given half of the writing credits (he didn’t actually write any of it). The song didn’t really take off, though, until the band above decided to record it in 1965. Lead singer Cannibal forgot some of the words and the very catchy “na, na na na na…” hook was inserted in their place. The version heard below was then covered in 1966 by Wilson Pickett, who decided to fashion his version of the song on Cannibal’s. Pickett’s version became the most successful version of the song, reaching number one on the R&B charts and number six on the pop charts. The version heard below reached number thirty in early 1965.



Cannibal & the Headhunters - Land of 1000 Dances (1965)

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Lyrics:

I said, “Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na”
“Na na na na”

You gotta know how to Pony
Like Bony Moronie
You gotta know how to Twist
I said, “It goes like this”

I said, “Mashed Potato”
Do The Alligator
I said, “Billy, get your yo-yo”
Come on and let's go

And then clap your hands
(Come on)
Just clap your hands
(Come on)
And then move your feet
(Come on)
Get into that beat
(Come on)

I said, “Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na”
“Na na na na”

Everybody, come on now
(Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na)
(Na na na na)

Yes, and one more time
(Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na)
(Na na na na)

You gotta know how to Jerk
(Oh, yeah)
Come on, baby, work
You gotta know how to Jangle
Make you do The Tango

I said, “Do The Watusi”
Come on and do The Watusi

I said, “Goodbye Lucy”
I said, “Goodbye child”
I said, “Wa-Watusi”…

Los Bravos - Black Is Black (1966)

This band was the first group from Spain to have an international hit single, reaching that milestone with their signature song heard below. Formed in 1965 from two local pop bands, Los Sonor and The Runaways, the group featured the German-born Mike Kogel on lead vocals who had moved to Spain in 1960 when he was fourteen or fifteen. Although primarily remembered to be a one-hit wonder, the group actually released a successful single, “I Don’t Care,” in October 1966 to follow-up their hit heard below. “I Don’t Care” reached number sixteen in the UK, but their subsequent singles didn’t fare nearly as well, reaching number ninety-one (“Going Nowhere”) and number fifty-one (“Bring a Little Lovin',” a cover of The Easybeats). Sadly, Manuel Fernandez, the band’s organist, took his own life in May 1967 after learning of the death of his wife, Lottie, who had died in an automobile accident. The band officially called it quits in 1968.

Released as the A-Side of their debut single in 1966 for Decca Records, this song was written by Michelle Grainger, Tony Hayes, and Steve Wadey. After having worked with the Spanish division of Decca, the group wanted to tap into the English-language market and went to England to work on a song. Kogel’s vocals were so close to sounding like Gene Pitney’s, many people believed the song was a Gene Pitney single when they heard it on the radio. The song reached number four in the US, number two in the UK, and number one in Canada. It featured the B-Side “I Want a Name.”



Los Bravos - Black Is Black (1966)

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Lyrics:

Black is black
I want my baby back
It's gray, it's gray
Since she went away, oh, oh
What can I do?
'cause I- I'm feelin' blue

If I had my way
She'd be back today
But she don't intend
To see me again, oh, oh
What can I do?
'cause I- I'm feelin' blue

I can't choose
It's too much to lose
My love's too strong
Wow!
Maybe if she
Would come back to me
Then it can't go wrong

Bad is bad
That I feel so sad
It's time, it's time
That I found peace of mind
What can I do?
'cause I- I'm feelin' blue

I can't choose
It's too much to lose
My love's too strong
Wow, maybe if she
Would come back to me
Then it can't go wrong

Black is black
I want my baby back
It's gray, it's gray
Since she went away, oh, oh
What can I do?
'cause I- I'm feelin' blue
'cause I- I'm feelin' blue

We All Together - It's a Sin to Go Away (1972)

Founded by brothers Saul and Manuel Cornejo in 1971, this rock group lived, recorded, and released all of their music from their hometown of Lima, Peru. With songs in both English and Spanish, their accent in English-sung songs is never a concern, if even noticeable. Their songs never managed to make much of an impact in the US or Europe, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t any good. Some of their music, such as the song heard below, could have easily held their own in the US and UK charts had they received more exposure.

This song is the fourth track on their self-titled album released in 1972. The album is solid all the way through and features four cover songs: two tracks from Wings’ Wild Life (1971) and two tracks from Badfinger’s Magic Christian Music (1970). This song, which is easily the best song put out by the group, is an original work that was later released on the second Nuggets compilation.



We All Together - It's a Sin to Go Away (1972)

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Lyrics:

Oh, it's a sin to go away
Oh, it's a sin to go away
Oh, it's a sin to go away
Maybe I'll return
I will

When I turn my head, I saw the lights
That disappeared behind the trees
Then I saw the moon
It was the same
I start to cry hiding my face

Oh, it's a sin to go away
Oh, it's a sin to go away
Oh, it's a sin to go away
Maybe I'll return
I will

Then I took the bread
She cooked for me
She said, “My son come back to me
Take my picture and remember this”
Those times are gone
Don't cry for me

Oh it's a sin to go away
Oh, it's a sin to go away
Oh, it's a sin to go away
Maybe I'll return
I will

Oh, it's a sin to go away
Oh, it's a sin to go away
Oh, it's a sin to go away
Maybe I'll return
I will

Santana - Samba Pa Ti (1970)

Based around the Mexican guitar legend Carlos Santana, this group found popularity at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, playing to a crowd of thousands. Their first album resulted in the hit, “Evil Ways,” while their second album featured “Black Magic Woman,” “Oyo Como Va,” and the song heard below. The group’s third album was the original Woodstock lineups’ last before the band members began to switch. There is still an incarnation of the group that continues today.

This instrumental hit comes from the group’s second album, Abraxas, released in 1970 off of the popularity-wave created at Woodstock. Translated into English, “Samba For You” was written by the group’s percussionist, Mike Carabello.



Santana - Samba Pa Ti (1970)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)

The Champs - Tequila (1958)

When Dave Burgess (known professionally as Dave Dupree) needed a B-side for his single “Train to Nowhere,” the executives at Gene Autry’s Challenge Records made him put together a band for the purpose of filling the empty side. This band was the result.

The band recorded this song, written and sung by their saxophonist Danny Flores. It quickly reached the number one spot in three weeks and vastly outshone its A-side counterpart. But because it was the group’s only success, it labeled them as a one-hit wonder.



The Champs - Tequila (1958)

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Lyrics:

Tequila

Tequila

Tequila!

? and the Mysterians - 96 Tears (1966)

Only known as “?,” the front-man of this group claims to be a Martian who, in a past life, lived with dinosaurs. He also claims to have been to the future and to have visited other planets. This might seem like a funny gimmick… except he’s been keeping it up for fifty years. He and his group were the first to be called “punk rock” in print (May 1971), and are also credited as the first Latino rock group to have a mainstream hit album in the U.S.

Originally called “Too Many Teardrops,” this song was renamed to “69 Tears” when the band decided they wanted a title with more appeal. Fearing the new title might restrict their airplay, they inverted the digits and the title was finalized. It reached the top of the charts in 1966, sold over one million copies, and John Lennon (who was probably under the influence of something) called it “…the best rock 'n’ roll song ever."



? and the Mysterians - 96 Tears (1966)

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Lyrics:

Too many teardrops for one heart to be cryin'
Too many teardrops for one heart to carry on
You're way on top now since you left me
You're always laughin' way down at me
But watch out now, I'm gonna get there
We'll be together for just a little while
And then I'm gonna put you way down here
And you'll start cryin' ninety-six tears
Cry cry

And when the sun comes up, I'll be on top
You'll be right down there lookin' up
And I might wave, “Come up here”
But I don't see you wavin' now
I'm way down here wonderin' how
I'm gonna get you
But I know now
I'll just cry- cry- I'll just cry

Too many teardrops for one heart to be cryin'
Too many teardrops for one heart to carry on
You're gonna cry ninety-six tears
You're gonna cry ninety-six tears
You're gonna cry; cry, cry, cry now
You're gonna cry; cry, cry, cry ninety-six tears
Come on, let me hear you cry, now
Ninety-six tears; I wanna hear you cry
Night and day, yeah, all night long
Ninety-six tears; cry, cry, cry
C'mon baby, let me hear you cry now, all night long
Ninety-six tears; yeah, c'mon now
Ninety-six tears