Tom Jones 1966 / 67: FUN - FAM - FOR - FEE

SYLVIE 1967

Édition Originale en LP RCA 730 016 (1967)

Sixième album français de Sylvie, c'était le premier a être composé par titres entièrement originaux; il aurait été enregistré en une nuit à Londres.

(un petit cadeau pour Gustavo Pino, qui m'a demandé ce poste)

DID THE TIMES REALLY CHANGED?

25 years ago, the British Phonographic Industry placed advertisements in the press claiming that "home taping was wiping out music".

The Boomtown Rats, 10cc, Elton John and Cliff Richard all backed the campaign.

IN ROCK

ORIGINAL RELEASED ON LP HARVEST SHVL 777 (1970/06)
A stunningly good album from a group that proves several things on it:

1. That rock, given a fresh stab and alert material, is still one of the most rewarding areas of contemporary music.

2. That it need not all be frenzy, but can also reach out and project a message when it's cool and wistful.

3. That Ritchie Blackmore is not merely a fast guitarist, but one with immense style and presence.

The recording quality here is so good that perhaps for the first time, the textures of some fine instrumentalists, and let's not forget a powerful singer, are given the correct emphasis. On "Child in Time," Ian Gillan's blistering vocal, moralising in too-general terms about the State Of Things, is matched only in style by Blackmore's masterly guitar work which is completely in context. His sympathy with the mood of each work throughout this album is quite remarkable. Jon Lord's exciting work at the organ is another strength and as a unit they are perfectly integrated.

A magnificent album, which no enthusiast of today's music dare miss.
(R.C. - contemporary press review)

RATO'S NOSTALGIA COLLECTION 28

WALK, DON'T RUN...

ORIGINAL RELEASED ON LP DOLTON LBY 1002 (1960/11)

This debut album by the Ventures is surprisingly good, considering that it was recorded in a huge rush, during an era when all concerned couldn't help but know that rock & roll albums (apart from those by Elvis Presley) generally didn't sell very well — indeed, the fact that it is so good speaks volumes about the class and talent of the group at this early point in their history. With a sudden and totally unexpected number two national hit in "Walk, Don't Run" and a burgeoning demand for live performances, the quartet went in and recorded the best 11 tracks they knew to get a long-player together, all done in such a hurry that the members themselves couldn't stay around long enough to be photographed for the cover (those are stand-ins). The result is surprisingly sophisticated in its use of stereo (then still relatively unusual in rock & roll, stereo LPs having only debuted three years earlier, and largely confined to classical), dividing the sound of the band quite neatly on two sides, thus giving LP purchasers a treat that owners of the single "Walk, Don't Run" would miss — not only the sound separation that was so prized by audiophiles of the era, but crisp presentation of each instrument, dividing the two guitars very neatly. Thus, the casual listener could play with the speaker settings and balances, and the serious fans could get in close on the actual playing. The material is a mix of originals and hits drawn from every category, including earlier rock & roll instrumentals (&"Raunchy"), R&B "Night Train," and even film music ("My Own True Love [Tara's Theme]") — one can just make out the familiar Max Steiner Gone With the Wind motif on the latter, and it is a fairly inventive approach to an old musical chestnut, rebuilding it from the ground up. The material all has a lean jauntiness, most unexpectedly "Night Train," which sounds closer in spirit to Chet Atkins here than to Buddy Morrow or King Curtis. The originals were no filler, either, "The McCoy" being a hot piece of surf guitar showcasing all concerned.

(Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

LOVE MEANS BEATLES

Precisely 38 years after the White Album came out, I’ve received today my copy of Love, the last album, until now, with the name Beatles on its cover. The little difference is that on the first case I was just a fifteen years old kid. But the greatness of the music is the same, with more or less mixes. And, of course, my love for the band didn’t changed either.

In just eight years, those four guys have created the foundations of pop music, broke many frontiers and invented a lot of patterns. After four decades they are still everywhere, sounding even better than in the old days. There’s no possible escape from them. One day John Lennon schocked the purists saying that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus. Today, in the beginnings of the XXI Century, is there any doubt that God has four faces? John, Paul, George and Ringo?

Today there’s no link, because you must buy this fabulous “new” Beatles album: there’s no mp3 quality that can give you the pleasure of listening to this journey, back in time. And if by chance you have a good equipment with a DVD player, don’t hesitate and get the 5.1 version: like Paul McCartney said some days ago, this is pure magic…!

CALOIROS DA CANÇÃO 2

Children of the Godess

The story of Aphrodite's Child starts in Greece during the early sixties, in the time that the local music scene is quickly developing a new movement, usually referred to as beat or garage music. Many young musicians and groups emerge in search of a new sound, breaking away from tradional Greek bouzouki and taking inspiration from similar movements in Western pop-scenes.

Early in 1968 Vangelis (Papathanassiou), Demis (Roussos) and Lucas (Sideras) travel from Greece to England in search for a better creative environment. Back in Greece a military regime has taken over the government, and just as many other Greek artists they decide to leave their country. Although aiming to travel to England, they first get in trouble as they are not allowed to enter the UK due to their work-permits, and then get stuck in Paris due to a transportation strike. By that time they decide to stay in Paris, and sign up with the Mercury record label as the band Aphrodite's Child, with the help of Philips producer Pierre Sberro.

Their first single "Rain and tears", based on a Canon by Pachelbel and released in May 1968, immediately strikes gold and becomes a huge hit. The song plays in France during the student riots, and is an instant success in France and other countries in Europe.

To support their concerts and appearances in Italy, in January 69 the band releases the songs "Lontano dagli occhi" and "Quando l'amore diventa poesia" as a single. Both songs are sung in Italian and recorded on occasion of the Italian San Remo music festival.

Their success will last until 1972. During these five years they recorded 3 albums ("End of the World" - October 68, "It's Five O'Clock" - November 1969 and an experimental double last "666" - October 1972) and released some hit singles.

The 20 tracks of this compilation reunites the best of their recordings throught that period (in Rato's perspective, of course...)

LE CANZONI DI PEPPINO

Peppino di Capri (born Giuseppe Faiella in Naples, Italy on July 27, 1939) is an Italian popular music singer, songwriter and pianist.
Peppino began singing and playing the piano at age 4, entertaining the American army troops stationed on the island of Capri with a repertoire of American standards. After 6 years of classical studies and playing at nightclubs around Capri, Peppino and his group The Rockers released their first single, with the songs "Malatia" ("Illness") and "Nun è peccato" ("It's not a sin"), sung in Napoletano in 1958. The single was an instant hit, and Peppino spent most of the following year touring. A string of hit singles soon followed, usually alternating between Italian versions of American rock'n'roll and twist songs (with some verses sung in English), and originals in Italian and Napoletano, and Peppino became one of the top acts in the country.
After performing as the opening act for The Beatles in their 1965 tour of Italy, Peppino and his group attempted, with moderate success, to break out of the Italian market. Their work was very well-received particularly in Brazil, thanks to the large Italian immigrant community in the country (in Wikipédia)

SURFARIS. THE FIRST 2 ALBUMS

Back in the fall of 1962, a band of teenagers got together in a modest recording studio in Cucamonga, California, to record a song based on a dream their drummer had, “Surfer Joe.” They pressed up 500 45 rpm copies and sold them at school to raise money for guitar amps. The B-side, “Wipe Out,” was composed on the spot and recorded in less than an hour. By August of 1963, “Wipe Out” had become a million seller, charting at #2 on Billboard. “Surfer Joe” reached #62, and their later follow-up, “Point Panic,” reached #49.

Ron Wilson's energetic drum solo made "Wipe Out" the best-remembered instrumental song of the period. A "wipe out" is a misfortune that can occur in surfing, that is, the surfer falling off the board with physical danger, and/or interrupting the ride prematurely. The song is generally regarded as being the surfing anthem.

They went on to tour internationally and recorded numerous singles and albums. In 1965 they had a #2 hit in Japan called “Karen.” But by 1967, music trends and other careers moved the original band separate ways.

DANIEL BACELAR

Hoje o vosso amigo roedor não vos dá música, até porque passou o dia um pouco adoentado. Mas felizmente chegou um email muito especial de agradecimento assinado por um dos ídolos da meninice do Rato: o Daniel Bacelar, ele próprio! Assim, é com muito orgulho que aqui vos deixo algumas das palavras recebidas:

«Chamo-me Daniel Bacelar, mão amiga encaminhou-me para o seu blog, e foi com imenso prazer e alguma emoção que descobri uma página dedicada à minha pessoa.
Queria-lhe agradecer a simpatia de me ter incluido no seu blog, pois as coisas valem o que valem simplesmente é triste que a maior parte das pessoas que se têm debruçado a escrever sobre o rock português, quase nada saibam do que se passou antes dos Sheiks, ou então pôem-se a adivinhar.
É pena, pois apesar de haver muita gente que já morreu, ainda existem alguns sobreviventes que poderiam repôr a verdade sobre si e os seus companheiros já desaparecidos.
Realmente é de louvar que o meu amigo não tenha entrado em fantasias (tipo Hermano Saraiva) e tenha tido a honestidade de só colocar no seu blog como as coisas realmente se passaram .
Pelo menos no meu caso, foi mesmo assim!.
Uma vez mais, muito obrigado, e alguma coisa que seja necessária , não hesite em contactar-me.»

THE BEAT OF THE POPS 7

SEE SOME SELECTED VIDEOCLIPS:
- "Telstar"
- "The End of the World", by Skeeter Davis
- "Teras On My Pillow", by Kylie Minogue
- "Pajama Party", by Annette Funicello
- "I'm Into Something Good", by Peter Noon

MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS IN A HEAT WAVE

Original Released on LP Gordy 907 (1963/09)

Martha & the Vandellas began making their first noise on the pop and soul charts with this 1963 album. The title song was a classic (one of the first songs to exemplify the style of music later termed as being the Motown Sound), while there were also decent remakes of such vintage tunes as "Mocking Bird" and "My Boyfriend's Back." These proved that the group was a singles rather than an album act, and that a little more effort needed to be extended toward finding more material (they even put "Danke Schoen" on this album). But no one really cared, since "Heat Wave" was such a triumph (Ron Wynn in AllMusic)

30 SONGS FROM ANNETTE

The most popular of the Mouseketeers on the '50s TV program The Mickey Mouse Club, Annette Funicello was herded into the studio at the age of 16 to become the first female teen idol rock & roll star. Billed simply as Annette on most of her records, she hit the Top 20 five times in 1959 and 1960, and continued to record constantly in the early '60s as she moved into film stardom in a variety of California beach-culture vehicles. With her thin voice double-tracked and reverbed to achieve the necessary volume, the material was largely saccharine pop clap-trap flavored with elements of rock & roll. Kitschy overtones of Italian and Hawaiian popular music also figured strongly, and she even took stabs at surf and ska. She retired from recording in the mid-'60s to raise her family.

Richie Unterberger in AllMusic

PP&M - The 1st Album

Original Released on LP Warner Bros WS-1449 (1962)

Featuring two of the biggest folk hits of all time - "Lemon Tree" and "If I had A Hammer" - along such classics as "500 Miles" and "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", Peter, Paul and Mary's self-titled 1962 debut album introduced one of the most popular, innovative and enduring groups in the entire folk music spectrum.

Mary Travers, Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow first joined forces in 1961 under the guidance of Bob Dylan's manager, Albert Grossman. Travers had sung in various school choruses and folk groups, as well as on Broadway before joining the trio. Yarrow had enjoyed some success as a solo folk artist, appearing on the CBS TV special Folk Sound U.S.A., while Stookey had served stints in both a high school rock & roll band and as a Greenwich Village comedian.

The trio rehearsed together for nearly a year, working closely with arranger Milt Okum, before making their debut appearance at New York's Bitter End. Peter, Paul and Mary were subsequently signed to Warner Bros Records in early 1962 and began work immediately on this first album. "If I Had A Hammer", the trio's first Top 10 hit, helped to bring modern folk stylings to a mass audience for the first time.

The debut album by Peter, Paul & Mary is still one of the best albums to come out of the 1960s folk music revival, a beautifully harmonized collection of the best songs that the group knew, stirring in its sensibilities and its haunting melodies, crossing between folk, children's songs, and even gospel ("If I Had My Way"), and light-hearted just where it needed to be, with the song "Lemon Tree," which became their first hit single, and earnest where it had to be, particularly on "If I Had a Hammer." Ironically, the trio's version of the latter song, which Pete Seeger and Lee Hayes had written in the early days of the Weavers' history, helped push popular folk music in a more political direction at the time, but it was another song in their repertory, Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," that also helped indirectly jump start that movement. The group had performed it in Boston at a concert attended by the Kingston Trio, who immediately returned to New York and cut their own version, which charted as a single early in 1962. Other highlights include "It's Raining" and "500 Miles." Peter, Paul & Mary, which hit the top spot on the album charts as part of a 185-week run, is the purest of the trio's albums, laced with innocent good spirits and an optimism that remains infectious even 40 years later.

(Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

THE BEACH BOYS: A DOUBLE ANTHOLOGY

This great collection from The Beach Boys was assembled by Paulo Faria: 60 tracks (!) in 2 cd's, covering all the hits. Enjoy them and keep surfing...!

BABY ROCK!

EDIÇÃO ORIGINAL EM LP ODEON MOFB 3164 (1960/06)

Tony Campello (Sérgio Beneli Campello), cantor e produtor, nasceu em São Paulo em 24 de Fevereiro de 1936. Interessou-se por música desde os nove anos, passando a estudar sozinho violão e piano. De 1953 a 1958, integrou o conjunto Ritmos OK, em Taubaté SP, tendo também atuado, de 1956 a 1958, no Mário Genari Filho e Conjunto. Fez sua primeira apresentação em televisão na antiga TV Paulista e exibiu-se no programa Galera do Nelson, da Rádio Nacional, de São Paulo. Gravou o primeiro disco em 1958, "Forgive me" (Odeon); no verso do disco, sua irmã Celly Campelo cantava "Handsome Boy" (ambas de Mário Genari Filho e Celeste Novais).
Nos dois anos seguintes, apresentou com a irmã o programa Celly e Tony em Hi-Fi, na TV Record, de São Paulo, participando ainda de shows e programas de televisão nas principais cidades do país. Gravou seis LPs pela Odeon, fazendo sucesso com as músicas "Boogie do bebê" , "Pertinho do mar" e "Canário", gravada em dupla com Celly.
Trabalhou nos filmes Jeca Tatu, dirigido por Milton Amaral (1959) e Zé do Periquito, dirigido por Mazzaropi e Ismar Porto, em 1960. Em 1961 e 1962, recebeu o troféu Chico Viola, sendo que o segundo foi em conjunto com sua irmã. Viajou nos dois anos seguintes para o Paraguai e Peru. Produziu para a RCA Victor discos dos artistas Celly Campelo, Os Incríveis, Carlos Gonzaga e Chris McClayton e lançou em disco, entre outros, a dupla Deny e Dino, Sérgio Reis, Silvinha e Luís Fabiano.
Em 1974 ganhou o prêmio Rock 74 pela produção do disco Rock das quebradas. Apresentou-se em 1975 na boate Igrejinha, de São Paulo, onde foram organizados os shows Cuba-libre em Hi-Fi, promovendo a volta de cantores de sucesso do final da década de 1950 e início da de 1960 - Celly Campelo, Carlos Gonzaga, Ronnie Cord, George Friedman, Baby Santiago e Dan Rockabilly. Como produtor e pesquisador de música sertaneja, produziu quase todos os discos de Sérgio Reis desde 1967, além da série de coletâneas Luar do Sertão da BMG Ariola (nome da RCA Victor desde 1985). Continua a se apresentar em shows pelo interior de São Paulo.

(VER ENTREVISTA AQUI)

Brenda Sings in German, French and Italian

Reflecting back on her early recordings in German, French and Italian, Brenda sums up their effect: «Those ties and roots that I worked on and nurtured in those early years of my career have really helped me now. I'm thankful that I was allowed to work over there and go over there and meld with those audiences.»

Brenda recalls that the results were clearly worthwhile: «I think the idea to do those things was a good thing. It certainly helped in those markets. ... I did enjoy singing in the languages, It was a lot of fun.»

As she toured in the countries in whose languages she had recorded, she made a point of singing the songs in their languages and recalls the audience reaction to them was good. Judging from the records, her remarkably flexible voice successfully added depth to the recordings, just as it did with her recordings in English.

BRENDA LEE: ANTHOLOGY II

And once again Rato has done a nice selection from four albums of Miss Brenda: this time covering the years 1961 to 1963. Here's the second volume for your delight.

TWIST WITH THE CLEVERS!

Original released on LP Continental PPL 12.083
(1963/10)

CALOIROS DA CANÇÃO 1

Esta coleção agora iniciada é como se fosse..., uma Jovem Guarda à portuguesa: à semelhança do que aconteceu no Brasil nos idos de sessenta, também neste meu país a juventude pegou nas guitarras e desatou a cantar e a dançar o rock and roll que chegava lá de fora.

Portugal, um país tradicionalmente fatalista, ainda por cima a viver uma ditadura que parecia eterna, não tinha quaisquer tradições de música anglo-americana. Fazer rock aqui, nesses anos politicamente turbulentos, era uma moda, uma autêntica aventura numa terra de marinheiros, do fado e do futebol.

É pois para lembrar esses pioneiros do rock e da música pop que esta nova coleção do Rato aparece. Chamada de "Caloiros da Canção" em homenagem ao programa homónimo da Rádio Renascença que logo no início da década promoveu o aparecimento da nova música jovem, através da realização de concursos que tinham como prémios a gravação de discos e a sua respectiva divulgação.

Alguns dos temas que aqui irão aparecer são autênticas raridades, retiradas de discos de vinil da época, pois infelizmente as editoras portuguesas continuam fazendo o jogo da avestruz, com o pescoço bem enfiadinho em areias estagnadas...

FEVERS: A JUVENTUDE MANDA (VOL. 1)

E aqui está o primeirissimo album dos Fevers, de 1966, tão bom ou melhor do que os outros dois anteriormente partilhados. Dos anos 60 fica a faltar apenas o 2º album do grupo, de 1967, que no entanto tem um valor muito desigual, razão pela qual não será aqui apresentado na íntegra. Apesar disso, os melhores temas desse album serão incluídos numa compilação, juntamente com temas apenas editados em compactos, que Rato Records irá reunir muito em breve.

FEVERS: A JUVENTUDE MANDA (VOL. 3)

Mais um óptimo album original dos Fevers, este o terceiro, de 1968. E mais uma vez obrigado ao Paulo Faria por esta preciosidade!

TRIO MELODIA INTEGRAL

O Paulo Faria (obrigado amigão!) enviou-me este CD com os dois únicos albuns (1965 e 1966) gravados por este trio vocal brasileiro, incluindo ainda o compacto (muito raro) de 1962. Atenção ao título da última faixa, "O Rock do Rato"...