We stay in the warm flow and visit the Iberian Peninsula and meet excellent music by Toreros After Olé, a three piece from Madrid that worked in the early 1980s, created around the figure of Manolo Malou (vocals/guitar), accompanied with Enrique (bass) & Jorge (drums). While having little impact at the time, is their legacy: a 12Inch which was released 1983, a brilliant slab and since circa the mid-1990s, they are considered as pioneers of hc/punk in Spain. This rare 12Inch was posthumous via Radikal 1977/Rumble Records released and was recorded in 1984 at Spanish Public Radio (Radio Nacional De España) and 500 copies were pressed, 300 black vinyl, 200 in red. Well, these two records and fourteen songs, that's unfortunately all what this short-lived band managed to create.
Info: Little is known about the activity of this group. Their name already appeared, as Toreros, in 1982 within a list of various groups promoted by the Pancoca distributor that appeared in magazines of the time, but there seems to be no record of concerts and other activities of the group, which is why, when their only album was published, in a fanzine they called the group, probably unfairly, a "prefabricated and rotten product". The only certain data known is the date of the recording of the only slab, which took place in Amsterdam in May 1983. The EP, untitled, although sometimes named after the first song, Porom Pom Pero, was released by the label Nuevos Medios at the end of summer or early autumn of the same year, containing seven powerful songs. In this, as in the rest of the songs, the influence, unusual in the national punk of the moment, of American hardcore punk groups, and in particular Circle Jerks, is perceived. The songs are very elaborate in its composition, and executed with great professionalism, something also unusual in the Iberian punk of 1983 and in 1984 the band split up. This is just a small excerpt and more of the three on compilations, two of them on the blog. Solid Stuff, Enjoy!
Hi again WDM (I just left another comment in the Even Worse post).
ReplyDeleteBig thanks for this one too! I had a couple of tracks already but not the whole thing. That's great!
Funny note - that second paragraph that starts "Little is known..." is, at least in a big part, a translation of the Spanish wikipedia article that was written by, er, yours truly haha Must have been like 12 years ago. I wonder who translated it to English but he/she made a good job indeed.
In the foresaid article, we informed (me & other guy) that members Manolo and Jorge were and are brothers, with a fascinating story that started with them as a flamenco-rumba teenage duo in 1976 - they had a big hit under the name LOS GOLFOS with the "¿Qué pasa contigo tío?" song (the title translates roughly as "What's up with you mate?"). In 78-79 they tried to get into the Eurovision contest with their new name, MANOLO Y JORGE, as a pop duo with violins and orch., and the song "E-e-ella". But enter the Movida Madrileña scene, 1980, and Manolo started playing with PLASTICO, and recorded their only single (Plástico used to be a punk band in a previous line up, but their single is more pop-oriented). Meanwhile, young brother Jorge played drums with ZOMBIES (another NW band) circa 1981. According to Manolo Malou, when the time arrived that he had to do the military service (it was obligatory back then, as in other European countries, y'know), he went angry with the world and that's where he acquired the punk rage he expressed with TOREROS in 1983. Jorge was the drummer (and a good one!) and the other guy came from SISSI (a pop band from the early movida). In 1984 they went to France (they appeared on an international comp, "1984 the first" if memory serves) but somehow the band disappeared. After that, I know Manolo Malou kept working in France, returning to his rhumba/flamenco roots, and apparently he stayed there for good.
Interesting story, innit? ;)
Thanks for this post and... I gotta write another comment! See you in a while, saludos :)
thx four your info and it's nice to see, you're still alive in Blogland.
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