Black Is Black: The Anthology 1966-1969

Spanish Beat band LOS BRAVOS shot to fame in 1966 with the Motown-styled blue-eyed soul classic ‘Black Is Black’, which was a huge hit across the world (No. 2 in the UK and No. 4 in the States), selling over a million copies.

This success prompted a prolific output of singles and albums from the Madrid-based band, some of them issued on Decca in the UK but many more restricted to domestic release in their native Spain on Columbia. Follow-up single ‘I Don’t Care’ reached No. 16 in the UK charts. Additionally, ‘Going Nowhere’ and ‘Bring A Little Lovin’’ were minor hits in the US and Australia.

The band were formed out of the ashes of two other Spanish bands, Los Sonor and The Runaways, and were fronted by a German singer, Mike Kogel (alias Mike Kennedy).

A sixty-track double CD, BLACK IS BLACK is the first comprehensive retrospective of LOS BRAVOS, mopping up the lion’s share of their recordings from 1966-1969, including all their singles A’s and B’s, key album tracks and rarities.

All their albums are featured: Los Bravos (recorded in London with Ivor Raymonde, 1966), reworked outside Spain as Black Is Black, the film soundtrack Los Chicos Con Las Chicas (1967), Las Canciones De La Película Dame Un Poco De Amor (alias Bring A Little Lovin’) (1968) and Ilustrisimos (1969).

In 1967, the band participated in the San Remo Music Festival with the song ‘Uno Come Noi’. In their home country, they were huge stars, prompting two films based around them.

The package also boasts exhaustive sleeve-notes and a host of photos and rare images, offering a long-overdue reappraisal of Los Bravos’ prolific output during the second half of the Sixties.

Includes the original version of Harry Vanda and George Young’s ‘Bring A Little Lovin’’, given to Los Bravos by the two members of The Easybeats prior to their band recording the track.

Track List:

DISC ONE:
1. BLACK IS BLACK (NEGRO ES NEGRO)
2. NO SE MI NOMBRE (I WANT A NAME)
3. WILL YOU ALWAYS LOVE ME (HAS DE AMARME SIEMPRE)
4. QUIERO GRITAR
5. UNA FLOR CORTE
6. RECOPILACION
7. I WANT A NAME
8. TRAPPED (PRISIONERO) 9. BABY, BABY (VIVE)
10. MAKE IT EASY FOR ME (DON FELIPÓN)
11. SHE BELIEVES IN ME (ME ESPERA)
12. STOP THAT GIRL (LA PARADA DEL AUTOBÚS)
13. GIVE ME A CHANCE (DAME UNA OPORTUNIDAD)
14. I'M CUTTIN' OUT (SE ACABÓ)
15. TWO KINDS OF LOVERS (DOS CLASES DE ENAMORADOS)
16. YOU WON'T GET FAR (LA PRIMERA AMISTAD)
17. BABY, BELIEVE ME (LA MOTO)
18. I DON’T CARE
19. DON'T BE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD
20. UNO COME NOI
21. GOING NOWHERE
22. BRAND NEW BABY
23. I'M ALL EARS (SOY TODO OIDOS)
24. YOU'LL NEVER THE CHANCE AGAIN (NO VOLVERÁS A TENER SUERTE)
25. LIKE NOBODY ELSE (COMO NADIE MAS)
26. I'M WEARING A SMILE (LLÉVALA UNA SONRISA)
27. TE QUIERO ASÍ (LIKE SHE FEELS TONIGHT)
28. BYE BYE BABY
29. DON'T GET IN MY WAY (SIGUE TU CAMINO)
30. COME WHEN I CALL (VEN CUANDO TE LLAME)

DISC TWO:
1. SHOW ME (ENSÉÑAME)
2. SYMPATHY (SIMPATÍA)
3. I’VE BEEN HEARING THINGS
4. THEN THE SUN GOES DOWN
5. GET OUT OF MY LIFE
6. THIS WAY, THAT WAY (DONDE ESTES)
7. DOWN DOWN
8. BRING A LITTLE LOVIN'
9. MAKE IT LAST
10. PLAY WITH FIRE AND YOU'LL GET BURNED
11. YOU GOT UNTIL THE MORNING
12. I'LL SEE YOU THROUGH
13. DEEPER ROOTS
14. YAKIPO
15. SHE'S MY GIRL
16. DIME DONDE ESTOY
17. IF I WERE A RIVER
18. JUST HOLDING ON
19. WE ́LL MAKE IT TOGETHER
20. SAVE ME, SAVE ME
21. BABY I LOVE YOU
22. COOL IT
23. INDIVIDUALITY
24. VIVA LA VIDA
25. AMOR Y SIMPATIA (LOVE AND SYMPATHY)
26. DIRTY STREET
27. LIVE GIRL
28. WAIT A MINUTE
29. COMO SUPERMAN
30. TWO PEOPLE IN ME