Los Flechazos

It is very likely that Los Flechazos are the main exponent of the mod movement in Spain, although they arrived late even for the mod revival, which had been going on for a few years before their formation. They are also the most popular of the scene. At their front, Alejandro Díez, a lover of the culture of the 60's who had previously been part of Ópera Prima, with whom he only recorded a demo.

 
The group was formed in León in 1986 with Elena Iglesias, Pedro Javier Alonso, Héctor Escobar and José Berrot. After some time playing shows and their participation in the collective album 'Teloneros' (DRO, 1987), they released their first solo album, 'Viviendo en la Era Pop' (DRO, 1988). Nothing else was needed to place them in the front line of the movement in Spain, together with other more experienced bands such as Brighton 64 or Los Elegantes.

Their debut was the only LP they recorded as a quintet. In 'En el Club' (DRO, 1989) José Berrot no longer plays; the band is reduced to a quartet until the end of their career. After this album, Héctor Escobar left the band, playing Ramón Díez bass for the recording of 'Preparados, Listos, Ya!' (DRO, 1991), although he would only remain in Los Flechazos for a short time; in the middle of 1992 Héctor returned to his bass duties.

 
'Preparados, Listos, Ya!', was, in a way, the album that consecrated them beyond the mod scene; however, as years before happened with bands like Brighton 64, the take-off did not reach an audience at the level expected by the record company. For 'En Acción' (DRO, 1992) the band continues with its well-defined line. That year DRO becomes part of the multinational company Warner and things change. Their next project was not approved by the company and they decide to take the leap, after releasing the live album 'El Sorprendente Sonido de los Flechazos' (DRO, 1993), the last album recorded by Héctor Escobar and Pedro Javier Alonso, who left definitively the following year.

 

In 1994 the band's biography "Haciendo Astillas el Reloj" (written by Ezequiel Ríos) is published, a title that will also serve for a future compilation of the band in their period with DRO. Also that year they released their first reference for the British label Detour, the single 'Try It / You Drove Me Crazy', which will be followed a couple of years later by the EP 'One More Try' (Detour, 1996), both sang in English and receiving a positive praise in the UK. 

Before the release of the latter, Los Flechazos became part of the Elefant label. As Álex commented in interviews at the time, it was a natural step, since with the change of era and the new tendencies, their public had expanded to the one that was fundamentally interested in pop; even they themselves echoed the emergence of Britpop. In any case, the landing in the new label is ratified with the release of 'Alta Fidelidad' (Elefant, 1995), with the rhythm section of the band completed with Francisco Vila and Miguel Manero. 

The following year the mini-album 'Días Grises' (Elefant, 1996) is released, in which the group oriented its sound decidedly to pop. A new live album, 'Pussycat' (Fourtune, 1996), recorded at the Beat-O-Mania in Munich that same year, is also released. Meanwhile, Alex and Elena went on to organize the Purple Weekend in León, whose first edition was held in 1997 and which they were in charge of for a while. 

It was precisely there, in the 1998 edition of the Leonese festival, when Los Flechazos announced their split. After ten years leading the bands, Álex had become tired of all the paraphernalia that surrounded the music and that hindered something as simple as making music to entertain people. He and Elena went on to open a clothing and record store in León called Chelsea, which would be a reference until its closure in 2001. Alex returned with his new project, Cooper, which he conceived in a freer and more personal way than Los Flechazos and which continues to this day. His debut was in 2000 with 'Fonorama' (Elefant, 2000), the same year in which a tribute to Los Flechazos, 'Tu Voz en Color. Un Sincero Homenaje a Los Flechazos' (Bip bip, 2000). [SOURCE: LA FONOTECA]