Los Lobos
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Los Lobos | |
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 Los Lobos performing in 2005.
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| Background information | |
| Origin | East Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genre(s) | Tex-Mex, Chicano rock, rock |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Website | http://www.loslobos.org/ |
| Members | |
| Steve Berlin Louie Pérez Conrad Lozano David Hidalgo Cesar Rosas |
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Los Lobos ("The Wolves") are an American rock band, heavily influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country music, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as boleros and norteños.
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[edit] History
Los Lobos released an independent LP in the late 1970s, and an EP in 1983. Their first major-label, critically acclaimed release was 1984's T-Bone Burnett-produced How Will the Wolf Survive? They released a follow up album entitled By the Light of the Moon in 1987. In the same year they recorded some Ritchie Valens covers for the soundtrack to the film La Bamba, including the title track which became a number one single for the band. In 1988 they followed with another album, La Pistola y El Corazón featuring original and traditional Mexican songs. Seen as akin to commercial suicide, the album sold poorly.
The band's first noteworthy public appearance occurred in 1980 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles when they were hired by David Ferguson and CD Presents to open for Public Image Ltd. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the band toured extensively throughout the world, opening for such acts as Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead.
Los Lobos returned with The Neighborhood in 1990, and the creative and wildly experimental Kiko (produced by Mitchell Froom) in 1992. In 1991, the band contributed a lively cover of Bertha, a song which they often performed live, to the Grateful Dead tribute/rain forest benefit album Deadicated. In 1994 they also contributed a track, Down Where the Drunkards Roll, to the Richard Thompson tribute album Beat the Retreat.
On the band's twenty-year anniversary they released a two-CD collection of singles, out-takes, live recordings and hits entitled Just Another Band from East L.A.
In 1995, Los Lobos released the prestigious and bestselling record Papa's Dream on Music for Little People Records along with a young vocal group called Guerro. The band also scored the film Desperado and contributed tracks to several other soundtracks and tribute albums. In 1996 they released Colossal Head. In spite of the fact that the album was critically acclaimed, Warner Brothers decided to drop the band from their roster. Los Lobos spent the next few years on side projects.
Los Lobos signed to Hollywood Records in 1999, and released This Time. Hollywood also reissued 1977's Del Este de Los Angeles. In 2000, Rhino/Warner Archives released the Cancionero: Mas y Mas boxed set.
On the night of October 23, 1999, while the band was on tour, Sandra Rosas, wife of Cesar Rosas, was kidnapped from her house. She was found dead on November 22, 2000. Her half-brother Gabriel Gomez was convicted of her kidnapping and murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
In 2002, the band released their Mammoth Records debut, Good Morning Aztlan; they released The Ride in 2004. The Ride featured artists such as Tom Waits, Mavis Staples, Bobby Womack and Elvis Costello covering Los Lobos music along with the band.
Los Lobos released its first full-length live-show DVD Live at¨the Fillmore in 2004. The DVD captures the band's act over a two-day period in July at the famed San Francisco venue.
In September 2006, Los Lobos released The Town and the City to much critical acclaim. The album's lyrics deal with Louis Perez's childhood in East Los Angeles while the music portrays complex and original soundscapes reminiscent of their previous release Kiko. Jaime Hernandez did the artwork for the album.[1]
In 2007 the group performed the song Billy 1, Bob Dylan's cover from Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid album, recorded in I'm Not There soundtrack.
[edit] Members
- David Hidalgo -Vocals, Guitar, Accordion, Fiddle, Requinto Jarocho
- Louie Pérez -Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Jarana
- Cesar Rosas -Vocals, Guitar, Bajo Sexto
- Conrad Lozano -Vocals, Bass, Guitarron
- Steve Berlin -Keyboards, Horns
Unofficial member:
- Cougar Estrada -Tour drummer, Percussionist
[edit] Discography
- Si Se Puede!, 1976
- Los Lobos Del Este De Los Angeles, 1978 (LP), reissued on CD in 2000
- ...And a Time to Dance, 1983
- How Will the Wolf Survive?, 1984
- La Bamba [Original Soundtrack], 1987, US 2xPlatinum
- By the Light of the Moon, 1987
- La Pistola y El Corazón, 1988
- The Neighborhood, 1990
- Kiko, 1992
- Just Another Band From East L.A. - A Collection, 1993
- Music for Papa's Dream, 1995
- Colossal Head, 1996
- This Time, 1999
- El Cancionero Mas y Mas, 2000 (boxed set)
- Good Morning Aztlán, 2002
- The Ride, 2004
- Ride This - The Covers EP, 2004
- Live at the Fillmore, 2005
- Acoustic En Vivo, 2005
- Wolf Tracks - Best of Los Lobos, 2006
- The Town and The City, 2006
[edit] Compilation albums
- Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films, 1988 (one of Various Artists)
- Desperado: The Soundtrack, 1995 (primary score composer and performer)
[edit] DVD
- Live at the Fillmore, 2004
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album |
| US Modern Rock | |||
| 1981 | "Under The Boardwalk"/"Volver, Volver" | -- | -- |
| 1981 | "Farmer John"/"Anselma" | -- | -- |
| 1983 | "Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio" | -- | ...and a Time to Dance |
| 1984 | "Let's Say Goodnight"/"Come On Let's Go" | -- | ...and a Time to Dance |
| 1984 | "Will The Wolf Survive?"/"The Breakdown" | -- | How Will The Wolf Survive? |
| 1987 | "Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)"/"Tears of God" | -- | By The Light Of The Moon |
| 1987 | "One Time, One Night"/"All I Wanted To Do Was Dance" | -- | By The Light Of The Moon |
| 1987 | "Come On, Let's Go"/"Ooh! My Head" | -- | La Bamba (soundtrack) |
| 1987 | "La Bamba"/"Charlena" | 1 | La Bamba (soundtrack) |
| 1990 | "Down on the Riverbed" | 16 | The Neighborhood |
| 1991 | "Bertha" | 24 | Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead |
| 1992 | "Kiko and the Lavender Moon"/"That Train Don't Stop Here " | -- | Kiko |
"La Bamba" went to #1 on the Hot 100 singles chart in 1987. It is one of only a few non-English songs to top the charts in the US.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Gale, Dan (2005). Los Lobos LP/DVD Discography. Retrieved February 24, 2006.
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