Chaquito - The Great Chaquito Revolution (1970) / Latin Colours (1972) (2010 compilation)

Couldn't resist posting some more 'ersatz Latin' from John Gregory aka Chaqutio, mainly because this twofer reissue from Vocalion just sounds so good.  All the superbly arranged brass and organ, funky percussion & bass guitar and odd vocal effects make for a particularly satisfying pair of top-flight fauxotica LPs from the early 70s.

By this time, as in the wider easy listening industry, the pop and rock hits of the day had started to appear in an effort to maintain wide appeal.  So here we have a stab at Light My Fire, not quite up there with Jose Feliciano's original (kidding, I'm just not a big Doors fan), and a great rendering of Aquarius from Hair.  The Great Chaquito Revolution also includes a couple of trips to the movies, in an ear-bendingly bizarre version of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly and a nicely produced take on The Big Country with its trippy-sounding brass introduction. (anyone else always expect Chris Squire to come thundering in after they hear that theme?)  Latin Colours is a similar mix of classic tunes and more contemporary covers, all superbly arranged and great fun to listen to.

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Previously posted at SGTG: Latin Classics Vol. 1

The Great Chaquito Big Band - Latin Classics Vol. 1 (1990 compilation)

From the late 1950s to mid '70s, a series of budget LPs appeared first on the Fontana label then on Philips, marketed as "the authentic sound of Latin America" and credited to bandleader Chaquito.  What wasn't widely known outside the easy listening industry (and I didn't know this until about 20 years ago, having grown up with this stuff around the house as long as I can remember) was that "Chaquito" was actually the London-born John Gregory (1924-2020), and the players responsible for this "authentic" Latin sound were all British session musicians.

Regardless of lack of authenticity, this music has stuck with me all my life as it's so much fun to listen to, and really well played and arranged.  Picked up this compilation because it included the Chaquito version of Guantanamera, one of my earliest musical memories from a various artists tape.  It's a great arrangement of the tune, really atmospheric in the intro and coda and in the way it builds then falls away again.  Other Latin classics given the "Great Chaquito Big Band" treatment are Brazil, One Note Samba, Desafinado, Frenesi and lots lots more.  All have superb playing and arrangements, with intricate percussion and occasional fun little vocalisations.  More next week.

 

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