FantasticRetroSounds #33 60s-70s Spanish Beats vol. 1, From ye-yé/beat to garage/hard rock

 

  This is the first volume in a series devoted to Spanish bands and solo artists from the 1960s and early 1970s.

  One of the biggest misconceptions about music produced in Franco's Spain is that it consisted entirely of lightweight ye-yé pop and pale imitations of British and American records. Nothing could be further from the truth. Some of these recordings are undeniably eccentric, and a few may even sound unintentionally amusing today, but in the world of FantasticRetroSounds, that's part of their charm rather than a flaw.

  Naturally, every artistic expression during the dictatorship had to navigate the strict censorship of the Franco regime. Singles and EPs often featured safe, radio-friendly songs or fashionable cover versions on the A-side, only to unleash powerful original rockers on the flip. As a result, many artists' catalogues are filled with forgettable tracks sitting alongside genuine hidden gems worthy of any Nuggets-style compilation.

  By the early seventies, as censorship gradually relaxed and Spain became more open to outside influences, the music began to change. Lyrics increasingly reflected themes of self-assertion, personal freedom and the desire to escape a grey, restrictive world. Others introduced subtle social criticism, often disguised beneath irony or metaphor, in ways that may surprise listeners unfamiliar with the period.

  Spanish rock also retained strong traces of the country's own musical traditions. Rather than being a weakness, this blending of local folk influences with modern rock often produced distinctive and highly original results. The same process was happening throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, as musicians everywhere adapted international sounds to their own cultural identities.

  The modest rock 'n' roll and instrumental scene of the fifties was transformed during the sixties by Beatlemania, the British Invasion and the French ye-yé movement. By the end of the decade those influences had expanded to embrace soul, groovy rhythms, funk, progressive rock and, as you'll hear towards the end of this session, even the first stirrings of hard rock.

  Throughout this series you'll discover both familiar names, though rarely with their best-known recordings, and a wealth of forgotten treasures. Think Juan Pardo or Camilo Sesto had nothing to do with rock? In their early years they were making records that were far rockier than most people imagine.

  Anyone who believes Spanish rock truly began in the 1980s is missing an important part of the story.

  There were pioneers long before then.

  In these sessions, you'll meet many of them.

Tracklist
01 Marta Baizán - Ven con nosotros
02 Los Brincos (voc. Juan Pardo) - Dance 'the pulga'
03 Los Pekeniques (voc. Juan Pardo) - Vete ya
04 Los Botines (voc. Camilo Sesto) - Eres un vago
05 Los Go-Go - ¡Eh! Tú, loca Marabú
06 Los Go-Go - Tú lo tienes, mi amor
07 Los Go-Go - ¿Qué puedo hacer yo?
08 Bruno Lomas - Vendrás conmigo
09 Nino Bravo - Te amaré
10 Juan Muro - Vuestro mundo
11 Ritmo Pilé - Pilé 43 (commercial for Licor 43, unknown composers and musicians)
12 Los Pekeniques - Polución
13 Los Pekeniques - Tabasco
14 Márquez (Juan Márquez) - Barahunda
15 Sola - Tabú, tabú
16 Els 4 Gats - El miner
17 Los Sirex - Acto de fuerza número 10
18 La Llave - La bruja
19 Época - No estoy bien
20 Albert Band - Ella tiene el cabello rubio
21 Storm - I don't know

Selected by Rafa "Igor" Murillo