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Los Bravos were a Spanish beat group, formed in 1965 and based in Madrid. They are most well known for their debut single "Black Is Black" which reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom in July 1966 and No. 4 in the United States (the first Spanish group to do so), selling over a million records worldwide.

Biography

The band was an amalgamation of two pop groups, Los Sonor from Madrid and The Runaways from Mallorca. Los Bravos' lead singer, Mike Kogel (aliases: Mike Kennedy, Mike Keller), is from Germany. His vocal styling was sometimes likened to Gene Pitney's. "Black is Black" reached No. 1 in Canada,[1] No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1966,[2] No. 4 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and has sold over one million copies worldwide.[3]

"Black is Black" was written by Michelle Grainger, Tony Hayes, and Steve Wadey in their recording studio for cutting demo discs in Hoo St Werburgh, near Rochester, Kent, England.[3] The song was later covered by Johnny Hallyday and then by French-based outfit Belle Epoque, whose disco version coincidentally also reached No. 2 in the UK in 1977.

Los Bravos' follow-up single, "I Don't Care", reached No. 16 in the UK in October 1966.[2] In 1967, the band participated in the San Remo Music Festival, failing to qualify for the final with the song "Uno come noi" in Italian.[4] The band was the subject of two Spanish comedic movies: in 1967 Los chicos con las chicas (The Boys With the Girls), directed by Javier Aguirre and in 1968, ¡Dame un poco de amooor...! (Give Me a Little Looove!), directed by José María Forqué and Francisco Macián. Their song "Going Nowhere" from the soundtrack to Los chicos con las chicas was re-issued as a part of the Rhino Records series, Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969. The song had reached No. 55 in Canada.[5]

Their single release of the Harry Vanda/George Young penned song, "Bring A Little Lovin'", reached No. 22 in Canada on 13 July 1968.[6]

One of Los Bravos' founding members, Manuel Fernández, committed suicide on 20 May 1968, at the age of 23,[7] after the death of his bride, Lottie Rey, in an auto accident. Also that year, Kogel left the group to develop a solo career under the name Mike Kennedy. He was replaced as singer by Bob Wright and then Anthony (Tony) Anderson.[8] Anderson sang with The Warriors, with his brother Jon Anderson, before joining Los Bravos.

In 1975 and 1976, Kogel rejoined the group.

in 1990, guitarist Antonio Martinez died in a motorcycle accident en route to his recording studio.[9][10]

Miguel Vicens died of pneumonia in Palma on 12 February 2022, at age 78.[11]

Reunions

In 2004, the group reformed with Pablo Sanllehí, Miguel Vicens Danus and Mike Kogel/Kennedy.

In 2015, Mike Kennedy reunited with Miguel Vicens Danus under the name Los Bravos, to record a new studio version of "Black Is Black."[12] The new recording was officially released on iTunes and edited to create a music video.[13]

In 2019, Miguel Vicens Danus and Pablo Sanllehi inducted Bruce Game as the new lead singer to record a new album. They released two singles in 2020 followed by four more singles in 2021 on iTunes and Spotify under the name Los Bravos. These include "Gotta Be Strong"[14] and "Chariot".[15]

Legacy

On 20 March 2019, "Bring a Little Lovin'" by Los Bravos was featured on the soundtrack and first teaser trailer for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.[16]

Band members

  • Michael 'Mike' Kennedy (born Michael Volker Kogel, 25 April 1944, Berlin, Germany) — vocals
  • Anthony 'Tony' Anderson (born 1941, Accrington, Lancashire, United Kingdom) — vocals, harmonica
  • Antonio Martinez Salas (3 October 1945, Madrid – 19 June 1990, Colmenar Viejo, Spain) — guitar.
  • Manuel Fernández Aparicio (29 September 1943, Seville, Spain – 20 May 1968) — organ
  • Miguel Vicens Danus (21 June 1943, Ferrol, Galicia – 12 February 2022) — bass guitar
  • Pablo Sanllehí Gomez (born 5 November 1943, Barcelona, Spain) — drums
  • Jesús Glück (born Jesús Glück Sarasibar, 1941, Valencia, Spain – 24 January 2018, Madrid)[17] — organ (from 1967)
  • Ari Leeonx (born, Paris, France) — (1974-75) — vocals
  • Bruce Game (born Behrouz Ghaemi, 9 March 1980, Qazvin, Iran) — vocals

Discography

Main article: Los Bravos discography

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - October 10, 1966" (PDF).
  2. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 329. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Disc (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 206/207. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  4. ^ Marcello Giannotti, L'enciclopedia di Sanremo: 55 anni di storia del festival dalla A alla Z, Gremese, 2005 [1]
  5. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - December 26, 1966" (PDF).
  6. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - July 13, 1968" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Los Bravos Interview", Billboard, 5 August 2019, retrieved 12 November 2019
  8. ^ "The history of LOS BRAVOS". Los-bravos.com.
  9. ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1990 – 1991". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  10. ^ Ignacio Saenz de Tejada (1990). "Muere Toni Martínez, guitarrista de Los Bravos, en accidente de moto" (in Spanish). El Pais. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  11. ^ "Los Bravos bassist dies aged 78". Majorca Daily Bulletin. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Los Bravos – Black is Black (Videoclip Oficial) (2015)". 12 May 2015. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ "Mike Kennedy: "Soy un hijo del amor" (2015)". El Diario Vasco. 8 February 2015.
  14. ^ "Los Bravos – Gotta Be Strong (Videoclip Oficial) (2015)". 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ "Los Bravos – Chariot (music) (2015)". 18 December 2020 – via Spotify.
  16. ^ Singer, Matt (20 March 2019). "What Are the Songs in the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Trailer?". ScreenCrush.com. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  17. ^ "Jesús Glück". Musicalics.com. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.

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