Departamento B formed in Pamplona as a psychobilly instrumental trio in 1987 with Pablo Oroz (guitar), Kike Crespo (bass), and Alfonso Carlos López (drums).
Later, they became a sextet, with Alfonso Carlos remaining as original member. The other musicians were Iñaki Fuente (vocals), Alvaro “Teddy” Cuartero (bass), Francisco “Paco” Aguilera (guitar), Jorge Pascual (organ and guitar), and Kike Arizaleta (vocals and backing vocals). Josecho Balda was their road manager.
In this way, they made recordings and demos and participated in several compilations, starting with the song “The Crusher” included in 'The Munster Dance Hall Favorites. Vol. II' (Munster Records, 1988) and their appearance in the fanzine Mamorro compilation 'Mamorro. The Soundtrack 1st. Auth. European Comp' with “Rockaway Beach,” which also featured Cancer Moon, Los Clavos, Los Dins, and El Desván del Macho as national bands.
In 1991, they recorded a four-song EP that they self-released under the management of Munster Records and produced by Dany Ulacia (OK Korral). They included also a track, "El Pequeño Tamborilero", for the compilation released by the German psychobilly label Jungle Noise, ‘Wreckin’. By this point, they had already made a name for themselves on the Spanish alternative scene: all the fanzines related to the genre wrote about them, they had appeared on Tele-Navarra, and even a record label (Max Mix Music) had offered them a deal, which they turned down because it involved a change in style (eliminating distortion, slowing down the rhythm, etc., in short, opening up to the commercial market).
After all this “success", work, military service, and other aspects of daily life led to the dissolution of the band.
In 1995, they reunited and released the compilation cassette 'Memories of a Psychotic Band...', which included various songs recorded at Arion Studios between 1987 and 1991, some of them previously unreleased. It was distributed in Spain by Slap Club and Disco Billy, and internationally by Mental Disorder Records and Raucous Records. With this, they achieved great success once again on the alternative scene, and encouraged by the positive reception of the tape, they decided to get back together in 1996, performing just one show before scheduling conflicts and personal obligations forced them to call it quits once again.
They participated in the soundtracks of the films “Más Carnaza” (1996) and “Mundo Basura” (1998), by Valencian director Sergio Blasco, which premiered at horror film festivals, making them the only Spanish Psychobilly group to participate in gore and horror cinema.
After collaborating with Los Refugiados, in 1998 Alfonso Carlos formed the band Iberia Trash, also psychobilly, together with N. Psycho-Trash fromLos Motosierras.
In addition to the aforementioned, they also participated in other compilations: ‘Spanish Bombs Vol 1’ (Ruta 66, 1991) and ‘Spanish Cats’ (Burning Crew Producciones, 1996). [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVAOLA80]
Los Nada formed around 1987 in the Cantabrian municipality of Muriedas, with the lineup of Juanjo “Mr. Snoid” (vocals and guitar), Hendrik Roever ‘Dedu’ (vocals, guitar, and harmonica), Raúl Castañera “Anacleto” (vocals and bass), and Iñaki García “Pajares” (drums and tambourine).
That same year, they recorded their only album, an EP of the same name, at Ibioson Studios in Santander for the Ojo Discos/Rocco Records label. It included the songs “Cariño,” “No Es Mi Estilo,” “Soy Un Camaleón,” and “Hacérmelo Decir.” All the songs were composed by Raúl, except "Cariño", written by Juanjo.
Mon Castellanos is only credited on this album because he had a motorcycle accident shortly before the recording and was replaced by Iñaki, who was then the drummer for Melopea.
The group continued playing until 1988, when Juanjo had to move to the province of Córdoba. The rest of the band then decided to disband Los Nada.
After they broke up, Hendrik continued with his other band, Los Del Tonos. In 1989, Mon Castellanos joined Los Del Tonos, and years later, in the mid-1990s, Iñaki García took over as the band's drummer. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVAOLA80]
Los Negativos is a Spanish rock-pop band formed in Barcelona in 1984 by Alfredo Calonge (vocals and guitar), Carles Estrada (vocals and bass), Roberto Grima (guitar), and Valentín Morato (drums). Their music was rooted in the psychedelic pop of the 1960s, with influences such as The Byrds, The Beatles -'Rubber Soul' era-, and other classic American and British psychedelic bands. Although they had fairly modest success, their first LP, 'Piknik Caleidoscópico', became a legendary reference point for fans of this type of music and for mods, until it was reissued by the Mushroom Pillow label on CD (2005) and vinyl (2008). It included 14 tracks ranging from precious pop, with harpsichord, vibraphone, and twelve-string guitar arrangements, to more energetic songs such as “Viaje Al Norte” and “Moscas y Arañas”; the lyrics are full of references to pop culture and psychedelia. Later, in 1987, they released a second album, '18º Sábado Amarillo', more commercially oriented, and a compilation of demos and unreleased live recordings, entitled 'Las Cintas de Thule'.
In 1996, two of the original members, Carles Estrada and Valentín Morato, together with Albert Ramírez, reunited to record a new album as Los Negativos, entitled 'Puzzle'.
In 2009, a new album, 'Dandies Entre Basura', was released with the band's classic lineup. After its release, Raúl Costafreda, who had already collaborated as a musician and producer on 'Dandies Entre Basura', joined the group as a new member.
In February 2014, the single from what would be their sixth LP, 'A Tumba Abierta / Turmix', was released.
Sadly, on May 14, 2014, Alfredo Calonge died of a heart attack, just one week after finishing 'Duplexin', a posthumous album that would be released months later, in January 2015. On December 4, 2014, a tribute concert to Alfredo Calonge was held at the Apolo venue in Barcelona, featuring musicians with whom he had collaborated on musical projects and friends from the sixties-mod scene, such as Sex Museum, Brighton 64, Los Bisontes, Bondage, The Canary Sect, Dr. Explosion, The Excitements, Miqui Puig, The Pinkertones, Los Selenitas, and, of course, Los Negativos, who performed songs from the LP 'Piknik Caleidoscópico'.
Currently, the band continues to shape all kinds of projects related to their music under the direction of Geyser, the production company they created in 2014, and they seem ready to continue performing their songs live.
Valentín Morato, their drummer, passed away in the early hours of July 6, 2024. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
The Nativos emerged in the mid-1980s as a supergroup committed to rock and guitar revivalism. Members included Esteban Hirschfeld (Nacha Pop, Gabinete Caligari, Los Rápidos), L.M. García Villalpando "Jimmy" (vocals), Antonio Fidel (Los Rápidos), Santi Agudo (Ciudad Jardín), and Alfonso Lantero (Pistones). Even Josele Santiago (Los Enemigos) ended up playing with them.
They only recorded one EP, 'She Belongs To Me' (Producciones Twins, 1986), with four tracks -three of which are covers- that smacks of sixties guitars from the start, produced by Paul Collins and recorded at the legendary Track studios in Madrid under the supervision of Paco Martín.
They included some tracks on various compilations -“She Belongs to Me” on '¿Dónde Estabas tú en el... 86?' (DRO, 1993) and 'Maxi Pop 7' (Contraseña, 2004)- and the Rockdelux magazine released in June 1986 a flexi disc shared with Johnny Thunders.
With hardly any promotion, the band ended up splitting up shortly afterwards. They left us with a recommended short album, but the important thing was their commitment to rock. At a time when the new wave and pop of the Movida were beginning to show signs of exhaustion, The Nativos were a breath of fresh air and one of the first attempts at a rock revival on the Spanish scene. [SOURCE: LA FONOTECA]
Garage revival from Alagón (Zaragoza) formed by José Antonio Bernal (vocals), Miguel Ángel Bernal (guitar), Óscar Carriedo (guitar), Esteban Manresa (bass), and Miguel Ángel Barceló (drums), Los Furtivos recorded two singles.
The first was in 1988, on the Grabaciones Interferencias imprint -"Dr. Extraño / No Me Puedo Aguantar Mas"-, in a limited edition of 400 copies, which was later expanded to a reissue of 500 more copies. The single was recorded at Kiko's studio in Zaragoza, produced by Jesús López.
The second single appeared in 1989 for Kiko's Records: "Solo Quiero Rock'n'Roll / Bajo Control".
In 2008, Grabaciones en el Mar released a compilation of the group's work entitled "Discos De Oro, Jets Privados & Chicas En Bikini" featuring recordings between 1986 and 1990, including the two singles mentioned above, demo recordings and other tracks from various compilations. The album was presented in Zaragoza at the La Lata de Bombillas venue in December of that same year. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVAOLA80]
The Vipers were an obscure '80s band that was transfixed with '60s garage/proto-punk, often drawing comparisons to such similarly styled outfits as The Chesterfield Kings, The Cynics, and The Lyres. Although the band received some favorable press and reviews during their tenure together, The Vipers failed to break through to a larger audience. Over a nine year period (between 1984 and 1993), The Vipers issued such albums as 'Outta the Nest', 'How About Somemore?'and 'Not So Pretty...Not So New, Nest in Peace'. The Vipers' debut was reissued in 2000 via the Cavestomp label, which added several previously unreleased bonus tracks to the mix. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Primates formed in 1984 and cut their teeth in Los Angeles venues such as the Cavern Club, as part of an emerging scene of obsessive fans of the 'Nuggets' / 'Pebbles' compilations, fascinated by 60s garage punk classics. The core of the band consisted of Brett Miller and Ted Edlefsen, sporting brand new Vox guitars, and Erik Bluhm on vocals, accompanied by various drummers, mainly Brian Corrigan but also Eric from Threw the Looking Glass and Gene from The Miracle Workers.
'We Are The Primates' (1986) remains the only released recording by these four fans of 60s R&B and garage rock. Originally released on Greg Shaw's Voxx label (a division of Bomp! focused on garage and psychedelia) and produced by Shaw himself, this valuable musical document captures the essence of the garage revival scene in the 1980s. [SOURCE: MUNSTER RECORDS]
The New York neo psych-rock band The Headless Horsemen, known for their garage revival sound, emerged in the late 1980s with members of The Fuzztones and The Tryfles. The core members of the band included Elan Portnoy on guitar and vocals, Chris Such (or Chris Cush) on guitar and maracas, David "Ari" Turetsky on drums, and Peter Stuart on bass. The band live shows included a performance in Madrid, Spain, in 1989, which was broadcast on local TV.
The Richies play straight ahead pop-punk with a delicious German flavour. Their music is characterized by uncompromising fast, loud and distorted guitar and correspondingly bass and drums, combined with ear worm catchy melodies. They came together probably in 1987 or 1988, they do not know themselves exactly. Based on their preference for bands like the Ramones and The Beach Boys, they had to find each other and probably did so at Duisburg's legendary chip shop, Peter Pomm, in the beautiful Duisburg-Marxloh. With their characteristic humour they produce unique songs with ear worm catchy melodies with a warm fuzzy edge. With sweet love ballads, surf and summer sensibilities and always ready to put the foot on the accelerator. They are smooth in the studio and crazy as fuck on stage.
After a few concerts, they released their first single "Fish Licence" in 1989 , followed by four albums (LPs / CDs) on We Bite Records and various sampler contributions and split singles until 1996. With numerous tours with famous bands in renowned countries worldwide, they captured the hearts of a worldwide audience. The band was put on hold in 1996 or 1997, then only because the Richies just got tired of all the bullshit. A few years later, 2012, they had been sorted out again.
The Richies do not care do go down in history as great instrumentalists, but as a great band. Their songs are sometimes playful, sometimes a little sick, sometimes peculiar, and sometimes hard to understand but always with a certain twinkle in the eye. With their unique way, the Richies created a vital branch on the proud family tree of Rock’n’Roll. [SOURCE: RICHIES.EU]
Robert Gordon was among the first of the rockabilly revivalists to emerge in the 1970s, and one of the only ones singing the praises of Elvis Presley's primal early work while the King was still alive. Gordon went on to a long career championing the first rock & roll era with a strong, flexible voice that was ideal for the vocal dramatics of rockabilly, and a sense of style that suited the mood as well as the sound of vintage rock. He teamed up with a number of gifted guitarists who helped him make his music sound as authentic as his singing, among them Link Wray, Chris Spedding, and Danny Gatton. Gordon's early work captured him at his most passionate and energetic, especially 1978's 'Fresh Fish Special' and 1979's 'Rock Billy Boogie', while 1981's 'Are You Gonna Be the One' found him embracing a more mature and diverse approach and 2007's 'It's Now or Never', a tribute to Presley, was a latter-day triumph. Gordon returned in 2020 with 'Rockabilly for Life', whose many guests included members of The Blasters, The Stooges, and The Go-Go's.
Robert Gordon was born in Bethesda, Maryland on March 29, 1947. When Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" became a smash hit in 1956, it made a tremendous impression on young Gordon, and he became a passionate fan of Presley, Gene Vincent, Jack Scott, Eddie Cochran, and other heroes of the first salvo of rock. As the '50s gave way to the '60s, Gordon developed a taste for soul and R&B as well as rock, but he made no secret of the fact the British Invasion didn't impress him much. He discovered he liked to sing, and made his first appearance on stage when he was 15, performing at a summer camp talent show with his brother. He sang in a number of local bands, including The Confidentials and The Newports, but neither went much further than playing school dances and teen clubs. Later in the decade, he joined the National Guard to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam, and he got married when he was 19, fathering two children.
In 1970, Gordon relocated to New York City, where he opened a clothing store but had little time for music. A few years later, that changed when Gordon and his wife divorced and he began checking out a new rock & roll scene that was incubating at a Bowery club called CBGB. Gordon appreciated the energy of bands like the Ramones and Blondie, and he became a figure on the early N.Y.C. punk scene, joining a band called Tuff Darts. As punk attracted attention in the music press, Tuff Darts became rising stars, and three songs by the band would appear on 1976's 'Live at CBGB', a sampler of bands who played the club. However, Gordon would leave Tuff Darts before they could make an album when producer Richard Gottehrer heard them do a cover of Presley's "One Night" and suggested Gordon make a rock & roll album.
Gordon and Gottehrer approached legendary guitarist Link Wray about joining them for the recording sessions, and Wray, impressed with his authentic rockabilly sound, signed on. Private Stock Records, who had signed just Blondie, struck a deal with Gordon, and his first album, 'Robert Gordon with Link Wray', appeared in 1977. Gordon's retro sound and style generated a buzz, and when Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, the interest in his early hits gave the public a greater taste for the sort of music Gordon championed, and "Red Hot" from the album picked up some radio play. Private Stock brought out Gordon and Wray's second LP, 'Fresh Fish Special' (named for the unflattering prison haircut inflicted on Elvis in "Jailhouse Rock") in 1978, which included a version of Bruce Springsteen's then-unrecorded "Fire." It generated enough attention that RCA Victor Records, Elvis' label, added Gordon to their roster after Private Stock went bankrupt.
After reissuing his first two albums, RCA brought out 'Rock Billy Boogie' in early 1979; by this time, Wray had dropped out of the band, and British sessionman Chris Spedding took over lead guitar duties. The album fared better than his Private Stock releases, but was something short of a hit, and his second RCA LP, 1980's 'Bad Boy', generated more press than sales. Midway through recording his next LP, the label pressured Gordon to scrap the material and start over with a different producer and backing band, and 1981's 'Are You Gonna Be the One' was a more diverse set with R&B and country flavors along with the expected rockabilly, and was produced by Gordon, Lance Quinn, and Scott Litt, with Danny Gatton playing lead guitar. It became Gordon's best-selling album, and Gatton's stellar instrumental work made him an underground guitar hero; a live recording of Gatton backing Gordon on the "Are You Gonna Be the One" tour circulated among fans and pickers before it was released publicly under the title 'The Humbler'. Not long after the release of the album, Gordon was approached to contribute music to the soundtrack of a low-budget movie about a biker gang set in the '50s, "The Loveless". He ended up also playing a supporting role in the film, which starred a young Willem Dafoe and was the first directorial effort from Kathryn Bigelow, who went on to helm "The Hurt Locker" and "Zero Dark Thirty".
While 'Are You Gonna Be the One' boosted Gordon's audience, he and RCA had a falling out over the budget for his next album, and on the advice of his manager, he cut ties with the label; they closed out his contract with a best-of album, 1982's 'Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die'. A new record deal was not forthcoming, and Gordon stuck to live work for over a decade. In 1989, a concert album, 'Live at Lone Star', was issued by the French New Rose label. The album was released without Gordon's participation or consent, and he responded by working with New Rose to assemble and bring out 1991's 'Greetings from New York', featuring live tracks from his years with Chris Spedding. (These were the first two of a long series of live albums that would appear regularly over the next three decades.) 1994's 'All for the Love of Rock 'N' Roll' featured new songs along with material that dated back to his days with Tuff Darts, and featured their guitarist, Jeff Salen, alongside Spedding and Gatton. The German Bear Family label delivered the 1995 collection 'Red Hot 1977-1981', an overview of his Private Stock/RCA era, and in 1998 they brought out 'Lost Album Plus', a set of rarities including the sessions that were scrapped in favor of 'Are You Gonna Be the One'. 1997's 'Robert Gordon' was a studio set focused on early rock and country material, and 2004's 'Satisfied Mind' was a similar effort that featured Eddie Angel on guitar. 2007's 'It's Now or Never' saw Gordon reunite with Chris Spedding to record 15 songs originally made famous by his hero Elvis Presley. After a recording layoff of 13 years, Gordon came back in 2020 with 'Rockabilly for Life', which included guest appearances from Chris Spedding, Dave Alvin, James Williamson (of Iggy and the Stooges), Clem Burke (of Blondie), Kathy Valentine (of The Go-Go's), and many more. Robert Gordon had been in treatment for acute myeloid leukemia in the last years of his life; he died on October 18, 2022 at the age of 75. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
