LOS LOBOS

(The Wolves)

I loved Los Lobos thanks largely I think to Ry Cooder introducing me to Mexican style music with his work with Flaco Jimenez and such and I bought 'How Will the Wolf Survive' when it came out over here (still love that album) and then they did the music for this, the biopic on Ritchie Valens one of the stars who died in the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly terrible aircrash. 
I was obsessed with collecting early prints and books on the wolf back then for reasons best known to someone else. 

We tried to learn the Mexican Spanish to understand what on earth was being sung about (it didn't help much) and my dear friend Leo could sing all the songs and, guitarist eatrxaordinaiore, he could play pretty much everything anyhoo. We laughed and laughed at 'I am not a sailor, I am the Captain!" WTF was he singing about?
We didn't care, it ROCKED! 
Los Lobos still do!

On this day in music history: July 24, 1987 - “La Bamba”, the biopic of Mexican-American Rock & Roll pioneer Ritchie Valens is released in US theaters. Directed by Luis Valdez (“Zoot Suit”) and produced by Taylor Hackford (“An Officer And A Gentleman”, “Against All Odds”, “Ray”) and Bill Borden, the film stars Lou Diamond Phillips (as Valens), Esai Morales, Rosana DeSoto, Joe Pantoliano, and Elizabeth Peña. The soundtrack is performed by Los Lobos (scored by Carlos Santana and Miles Goodman) who hit number one with both the title song and album.  Released through Columbia Pictures and made for only $5.6 million, the modestly budgeted film is a huge success grossing over $52 million in domestic box office.

thanks as ever to Jeff Harris at his wondrous Behind The Grooves 

Check the vocals on this and don't they remind you of Stevie Winwood wonderful voice!

a favourite song . . . . . TURN IT UP!