Los Bravos: Black is Black (1966)

 |   |  <1 min read

Los Bravos: Black is Black (1966)

People speak casually about the global village as if it had been invented by the internet, but how is this for an implosion of cultures?

This song was written by a couple of British guys, was recorded by a Spanish group who had hooked in a German singer, the song was sung in English and went into the charts in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand -- as well as various European countries.

And the reason it has appeared here now is because I heard the other day in my supermarket.

Written and sung in the Beat group style of the era, it was a minor classic and -- rather surprisingly -- not the last we heard of Los Bravos who could have been a one-hit wonder as so many were.

They were a two-and-a-bit hit wonder with their follow-up I Don't Care, then reaching the lower rungs of attention with Bring A Little Lovin' (which, with horns, sounded more like Edison Lighthouse than their original guitar/organ-based sound).

They didn't last long -- although two years was a long time in the Sixties for some bands -- and the reason they make it out of the vaults is this deserves to be better than the background noise while you are buying veggies.

For more oddities, one-offs or songs with an interesting backstory check the massive back-catalogue at From the Vaults.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   From the Vaults articles index

The Fortunes: Laughing Fit to Cry (1965)

The Fortunes: Laughing Fit to Cry (1965)

Britain's Fortunes cracked two exceptional singles in the Beat-pop era, You've Got Your Troubles and Here It Comes Again, both in 1965 and both featuring a natty spoken-word or double-lead vocal... > Read more

Daniel Hart: Three Day Bank (2018)

Daniel Hart: Three Day Bank (2018)

In August 2018, Robert Redford announced the film The Old Man and the Gun would be his last. He was 82 and went out with a very low-key and wry story about the real life recidivist... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

THE RAMONES END OF THE CENTURY. METALLICA SOME KIND OF MONSTER DVDS REVIEWED (2007)

THE RAMONES END OF THE CENTURY. METALLICA SOME KIND OF MONSTER DVDS REVIEWED (2007)

The best thing about being in a band? You get to stay up late and make a lot of noise, maybe make some money and become famous. If you want people to notice your group it's a good tip to all dress... > Read more

SOUND THINKING #4: The podcast for music people

SOUND THINKING #4: The podcast for music people

The fourth episode of the podcast in which Marty Duda of 13th Floor hosts some reviewers who discuss new albums. This week Marty, Jeff Neems, Veronika Bell and Andra Jenkin review... > Read more