Locomotiv GT

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Locomotiv GT
Origin Budapest, Hungary
Genre(s) Hard rock
Years active 1971–1992, 1997–present
Label(s) MHV, Hungaroton, BMG
Website www.lgt.hu
Members
Presser Gábor
Somló Tamás
Karácsony János
Solti János
Former members
Frenreisz Károly
Barta Tamás
Laux József

Locomotiv GT (often abbreviated LGT) is a Hungarian rock band formed in 1971. It is one of the most influential bands in the history of Hungarian rock music.

Contents

[edit] History

The band was founded in Budapest on April 6, 1971. The founders were already well-known musicians – Gábor Presser (songwriter, keyboardist, singer) had been member of the famous group Omega, just like the drummer József Laux. Károly Frenreisz bass guitarist was formerly a member of the band Metro, while the solo guitarist Tamás Bartha came from the band Hungária. Laux's wife, lyrics writer Anna Adamis was the "unofficial fifth member" of the band, often collaborating with Presser when writing the songs.

Their first concert was held on the Park Stage in Buda in July. It was followed by the first single, with the songs Boldog vagyok ("I'm Happy") and Ha volna szíved ("If You Had A Heart") in August. In October they opened a club together with the Tolcsvay Trió. In November they were invited to the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo because of their success with Ezüst nyár (also recorded in English with the title "Silver Summer"). At the festival they performed an English version of their song Érints meg ("Touch Me") under the title "Touch Me, Love Me, Rock Me". A new single was released with the two English language songs.

In December 1971 they released their self-titled debut, but in the Hungarian music scene its style still counted as experimental, and they didn't have as much success as they did abroad. In Western countries they were more popular, especially after an article that mentioned them in New Musical Express (“The new rock sensation could come from the East!”). In May 1972 they were invited to the Great Western Express Festival in Lincoln, England, where they performed alongside bands and artists like Genesis, the Beach Boys, Joe Cocker and the Faces.

In Autumn 1972 they released their second album, Ringasd el magad ("Rock Yourself"), which was recorded in London. They also released a single Szeress nagyon ("Love Me Much") (with the B-side Csak egy szóra – "Just For A Word"). They also produced an album (titled Álmodj velem – "Dream with Me") and three singles for singer Sarolta Zalatnay.

The group was asked to write a musical based on Tibor Déry's An Imaginary Report on an American Pop Festival. Frenreisz, who didn't want to work on the musical, left the group and founded his own band, the Skorpió. He was replaced in LGT by Tamás Somló, formerly a member of Omega. The musical was a great success, it was performed in five countries.

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After Jack Bruce played harmonica on their album Locomotiv GT and the band started touring Northern America and Europe in 1974, they became more well known internationally.

[edit] Discography

[edit] LPs in Hungarian

[edit] Abroad

  • Locomotiv GT (Argentina, 1973)
  • Ringasd el magad (under the title Locomotiv GT; Czechoslovakia, 1973)
  • Mindig magasabbra (West Germany, 1976)
  • Mindenki (Czechoslovakia, 1979)
  • Todos (Spain, 1980)

[edit] LPs in English

  1. Locomotiv GT (made in 1973 with songs of the three first LPs; was released in 1974 in the UK and the US)
  2. All Aboard (follow-up to the previous album; shelved upon release, never released in the UK or the US, released remixed and omitting two of the original tracks in 1988 in Hungary only under the title 'Locomotiv GT '74 USA.)
  3. Motor City Rock (recorded in Prague and released in 1976, without a title. It was re-released in 1978 with a title and was exported to many Eastern bloc countries.)
  4. Locomotiv GT (recorded in Hungary in 1980, without a title. Was exported to West Germany and Sweden.)
  5. Too Long (English version of their tenth Hungarian LP Locomotiv GT X. It was recorded in Budapest and London in 1982-83 and was released in London in 1983.)
  6. Boxing (made of songs on their 1984 maxi single Első magyar óriás kislemez and the album Ellenfél nélkül in 1985; was banned.)
  7. Locomotiv GT '74 USA (remixed and edited version of All Aboard, compiled by Laux in Budapest in 1987 and released in 1988.)
  8. Locomotiv GT in Warsaw (recorded in Poland in 1975).

[edit] Singles in Hungary

  1. Boldog vagyok / Ha volna szíved (1971)
  2. Érints meg / Kenyéren és vízen (1971)
  3. Szeress nagyon / Csak egy szóra (1972)
  4. Hej, gyere velem / Csavargók angyala (1973)
  5. Segíts elaludni / Mindig csak ott várok rád (1973)
  6. Belépés nemcsak tornacipőben! - Mindenki másképp csinálja / Mozdulnod kell (1978)
  7. Annyi mindent nem szerettem / Pokolba már a szép szavakkal / Miénk ez a cirkusz / Veled, csak veled (double single, 1979)
  8. Első magyar óriás kislemez (1984)

[edit] Singles abroad

  1. Touch Me, Love Me, Rock Me / Silver Summer (1971. The existence of this single is not proven, but it is mentioned in the Lexicon of Rock Music by Péter Tardos. "Touch Me" was later released on a compilation.)
  2. Serenade / Give Me Your Love (The Netherlands, 1972.)
  3. Hilf mir einzuschlafen / Ich wart' auf dich irgendwo (East Germany, 1973.)
  4. Rock Yourself / Serenade (To My Love If I Had One) (U.S., 1974. First single off the first English LP released in the same year. Includes an edited version of "Rock Yourself", both in mono and stereo version.)
  5. She's Just 14 / Free Me (USA, 1974. Second single of the LP. Includes an edited version of "She's Just 14".)
  6. Ringasd el magad / The World Watchmaker (Poland, 1973/1974 (?). Includes a live version of Ringasd el magad ("Rock Yourself"), probably from the festival in Sopot, 1973. The other song was written by Polish songwriters.)
  7. Higher And Higher / Lady of the Night (Live versions of the songs Mindig magasabbra and Álomarcú lány, performed in Hungarian, only the single has an English title. Released around 1975/76, probably when the LP Locomotiv GT in Warsaw was released.)

[edit] References

[edit] External links