Chuco Got Soul
..... that sweet soul music,
enunciated by the disciples of James Brown, powered by horns sections
that washed away the gloom. Beautiful friend, this is the end.... of
a six part series covering the El Paso/Las Cruces, borderlands music
scene in the 1960s. I feel like a time traveler, having been deeply
immersed in 60s culture for weeks on end.... Farfisa organs rattling
'round my brain. I thought that I knew 60s rock and soul music, but
I knew nothing. “Can't see a thing till you open your eyes... clear
my eyes, make me wise” and a tip-of-the hat to YouTube, our great,
infinite smorgasbord of musical gluttony. Nothing expands your
musical knowledge like knowing where music has been. “The end of
all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the
place for the first time”
For reasons lost to time, El Paso Mayor
Judson Williams declared July 9th 1967 “Steve Crosno
Day” A high honor for a young man at the very pinnacle of a career
that would span six decades. Indisputable evidence that Steve ruled
the local airwaves, broadcasting on KELP, El Chuco's Top 40
juggernaut. Local entrepreneur, Bernard Tanchester, perhaps sensing
an opportunity to make a quick buck, lured 4,000 loyal Crosno fans
and “the seven hottest R&B bands in the area together under one
roof” to a steamy El Paso Coliseum for the landmark event. The
evening's proceedings were recorded for posterity and resulted in an
iconic album “Steve Crosno Day, July 9th 1967” a
veritable time capsule of a time and place, long ago, but not so far
away. “The best thing I can do is shut up and play music”
That a disc jockey was being recognized
in this extraordinary manner was rare indeed. Djs, often lumped together with lowlifes such as robbers, muggers and
thieves, were making a comeback. Following the Payola Scandal and
subsequent congressional hearings of 1960, radio stations set out to
rebuild the reputation of platter spinners. The broadcast industry
wanted to drive home the fact that disc jockeys weren't all miscreants,
pimps and deviates. This gave rise to the slick, clean cut,
interchangeable disc jockeys of the “The Good Guys” and “Boss
Radio” era. These exuberant bastards were groomed to be a cut above
the corrupt jocks of 1950s. Steve Crosno was a good guy, but
he played by his own rules and KELP, at least while the going was
good, let him roll with it.
Bobby Rosales and The Premiers,
introduced by Bernard Tanchester as “One of the greatest bands in
the El Paso area, for that matter in any area” took center stage.
Bernie was in the moment and working the crowd. Though in the vacuum left by
the death of Bobby Fuller, Bobby & The Premiers did work their
way to the upper echelon of the El Paso scene. Their first single,
credited to The El Paso Premiers “This is The Beginning” b/w “Let
Me Call You Darling” (which features James Patterson not Bobby
Rosales on lead vocal) was released on Crosno's own Frogdeath Record
label. They signed with C.L. Milburn's Souled Out Records and
released two more singles as Bobby & The Premiers “Mess Up My
Mind b/w What About One More Time” and “Man About Town b/w Gotta
Have a Reason”
Gene Willis & The Aggregation
recorded one single on Coronado Records “We Got It b/w
Shing-a-Ling's The Thing” which combined with the three tracks on
“Steve Crosno Day” make up their entire recorded output. Haven't
been able to find any biographical info on them either. But,
Goddamnit! they were good. “Old Red” shows that Long John Hunter
could work a soul groove when the notion hit him. Lou Pride, is
easily the most celebrated of all El Paso based soul singers. He's
represented by his best known song “I'm Com'un Home in the
Morn'un” though anyone of his Suemi Records tracks would have been
just fine. The Groove Merchants, a group of Ft. Bliss soldiers, were
Lou Pride's back-up band. They recorded one single for Suemi “There's
Got To Be Someone For Me” was the a-side.
Across the American Southwest, a
definitive style of music incorporating R&B, Soul with Mexican
musical influences emerged..... brown eyed soul. As expected, El Paso
was well represented. Bobby Rosales & The Premiers, of course...
Sonny Powell & The Nightdreamers, who's claim to fame was their
brown eyed soul version of Otis Redding's “Mr. Pitiful” Donald
Ray & The El Paso Chessmen and The El Paso Drifters with or
without Martha Sifuentes, a Rosie Hamlin sound-a-like vocalist of
which little is known. Not to be left out, Las Cruces had The
Starliners and The Majestics. What they all had in common was the
horns. Hypnotic brass, red hot and in your face. Automatic,
systematic, captivating, stimulating... tuned and channeled to your
vibes. Press play for full effect.
We Got It- Gene Willis & The
Aggregation
I'm Com'un Home in the Morn'un- Lou
Pride
There's Got To Be Someone For Me- The
Groove Merchants
I'm A Practical Guy- Bobby & The
Premiers
Old Red- Long John Hunter
I Wanna Know- Lloyd Nash & The
Cavaliers
The One That's Hurting Is You- The
Starliners
Guess Who- Bobby & The Premiers
All In My Mind- The El Paso Drifters w/
Martha Sifuentes
Mr. Pitiful- Sonny Powell & The
Night Dreamers
Can't You See- Donald Ray_The El Paso
Chessmen
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag- The
Majestics
Steve Crosno Day Theme pt. 1- The
Majestics
Steve Crosno Day Theme pt. 2- The
Starliners
What About One More Time- Bobby &
The Premiers
Shing-a-Ling's The Thing- Gene Willis &
The Aggregation
Your Love is Fading- Lou Pride
Why Did You Leave Me- The Ravons
This Is The Beginning- Bobby & The
Premiers
Close Your Eyes- The El Paso Drifters
w/ Martha Sifuentes
Tramp- The Starliners
Instrumental Intro- Gene Willis &
The Aggregation
I Dig Girls- Bobby & The Premiers
