The Champs
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The Champs | |
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Challenge |
The Champs are an American
History
Success with their 1958 song "Tequila"
"Tequila" was written by the
Latino rock".[4] Flores' "dirty sax" and his low-voiced "Tequila" are the hallmarks of the song.[7] Flores signed away the US rights to the song but retained worldwide rights until his death.[8]
There are many
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
. The Champs also recorded a sequel to "Tequila" entitled "Too Much Tequila".
2020 band reunion
In 2020, group leader Burgess resurrected The Champs for a new album, Tequila Party, scheduled for November release. The LP contains 12 newly recorded tracks including a "party" rendition of their signature hit plus seven new compositions.
Band members
- Chuck Rio – saxophone, vocals (born Daniel Flores on July 11, 1929, Santa Paula, California, died September 19, 2006, Huntington Beach, California)
- Dave Burgess – rhythm guitar (a.k.a. "Dave Dupree", born December 13, 1934, Beverly Hills, California)
- Dale Norris – lead guitar (born Springfield, Missouri)
- Buddy Bruce – lead guitar (born 1930, Missouri , died 2014, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
- Bob Morris – bass guitar (born Hasty, Arkansas)
- Benjamin Van Norman – bass (born July 19, 1928, Ann Arbor, Michigan, died November 3, 1958 Buena Park, California in a car accident)
- Cliff Hills – bass (born 1918, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Joe Burnas – bass (born 1923, Chicago, died April 12, 1999)
- Gene Alden – drums (born 1930, South Dakota)
- Dean Beard – piano (born August 31, 1935, Santa Anna, Texas, died April 4, 1989, in Coleman, Texas)
- Seals and Crofts
Dave "Snuffy" Smith played bass from late 1959 to 1960. Other members around this time were Jimmy Seals, Dash Crofts, with Johnny Meeks (originally of Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps) on lead guitar.[9] Later band members included
Dash Crofts
, Maurice Marshall, bassist Curtis Paul and Seals' replacement, Keith MacKendrick (who later stayed on saxophone when Seals returned.)
Singles
Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated |
Chart positions | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US R&B | UK | |||
1958 | "Tequila" b/w "Train To Nowhere" |
1 | 1 | 5 | Go, Champs, Go! |
"El Rancho Rock" / | 30 | 10 | — | ||
"Midnighter" | 94 | — | — | ||
"Chariot Rock" b/w "Subway" |
59 | — | — | Everybody's Rockin' | |
"Turnpike" b/w "Rockin' Mary" |
— | — | — | ||
"Beatnik" b/w "Gone Train" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
1959 | "Caramba" b/w "Moonlight Bay" |
— | — | — | |
"Night Train" b/w "The Rattler" |
— | — | — | ||
"Sky High" b/w "Double Eagle Rock" |
— | — | — | ||
1960 | "Too Much Tequila" b/w "Twenty Thousand Leagues" (Non-album track) |
30 | — | 49 | Great Dance Hits |
"The Little Matador" b/w "Red Eye" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
"Alley Cat" b/w "Cocoanut Grove" |
— | — | — | ||
"Tough Train" b/w "The Face" |
— | — | — | ||
1961 | "Sombrero" b/w "The Shoddy Shoddy" (from Great Dance Hits) |
— | — | — | |
"Hokey Pokey" b/w "Jumping Bean" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | Great Dance Hits | |
1962 | "Tequila Twist" / | 99 | — | — | |
"Limbo Rock" | 40 | — | — | ||
"Experiment In Terror" b/w "La Cucaracha" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
"I've Just Seen Her" b/w "What A Country" |
— | — | — | The Champs Play All-American | |
"Limbo Dance" b/w "Latin Limbo" |
97 | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
"That Did It" b/w "Varsity Rock" |
— | — | — | ||
1963 | "Nik Nak" b/w "Shades" |
— | — | — | |
"Mr. Cool" b/w "3/4 Mash" |
— | — | — | ||
"Cactus Juice" b/w "Roots" |
— | — | — | ||
"San Juan" b/w "Jalisco" |
— | — | — | ||
1964 | "Only The Young" b/w "Switzerland" |
— | — | — | |
"Kahlua" b/w "Fraternity Waltz" |
— | — | — | ||
1965 | "Bright Lights, Big City" b/w "French 75" |
— | — | — | |
1966 | "Anna" b/w "Buckaroo" |
— | — | — | |
1987 | "Tequila" b/w "Pee Wee's Dance" (by Joseki Love) |
— | — | 82 | Pee Wee's Big Adventure (Soundtrack) |
See also
References
- ^ McGuinness, Paul (February 9, 2022). "Best Surf Rock: Sunshine-Drenched Music To Catch A Wave To". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
- ^ ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
- ^ "THE CHAMPS (1958-1965)". Sealsandcrofts.com. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b [1] [dead link]
- ^ "1st Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy.com. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ Pete Larsen. "Danny Flores, 'Tequila' songwriter, dies at 77". Ocregister.com. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ Dave Smith Oct 1999
- ISBN 0-679-41999-3.
External links
- The Champs at AllMusic
- The Champs discography at Discogs
- "The Champs" on the History of Rock website
- Website: http://www.TheChampsOfficial.com
- The Champs at IMDb