Billy Bond y La Pesada - Volumen 1 (Argentina 1971)

Born in Italy, Juliano Canterini began as singer of the new argentine beat music generation during the 60s. Backed up by musicians like the Fattoruso brothers (ex-Los Shakers), he released several singles both on his own and with his group Los Guantes Negros, along with two LPs: Yo, Billy Bond (Music Hall 719) in 1968 and Las dos caras de Billy Bond (Music Hall 2039) in 1969. All featuring straight beat ballads.

Also, he was one of the owners of the mythical club La Cueva at Pueyrredón Avenue, cradle of the Argentine rock, that later moved to Rivadavia Avenue. There, he met most of the musicians who formed the Argentine rock movement by the end of the decade.

At this time his will was to form an "open" outfit; that is, a band which everybody could join and leave whenever wanted. La Pesada (The Heavy Guys), thus, seemed to be in a state of anarchy -but Billy was there to keep the order.

By the end of 1970, Billy Bond y La Pesada released their first album, on Music Hall label, comprising rock’n’roll, blues and hard-rock songs with psycho touches and humorous ironic lyrics. Featured musicians included Pappo, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Javier Martínez, David Lebón, Vitico, Pomo, Black Amaya, Poli Martínez, Luis Gambolini, Nacho Smilari and Cacho Lafalce.

This great debut includes tracks like: "Salgan al sol" -written by Martínez with a brilliant Pappo wah-wah guitar solo-; "Divertido, Reventado" -credited to Pappo and Mandioca founder Pedro Pujó, which was actually a rip-off of Hendrix’s "You got me floatin’"; "El parque" -an excellent piece written by Spinetta as a preview of Pescado Rabioso, featuring himself on bass and Pappo on guitar; "Cada día somos más" -a song with a steady beat; and my personal favourite: "Verdes prados". The later had been released on the compilation LP Pidamos Peras a Mandioca (Mandioca MLP 335) credited to Billy Bond alone. In this song Bond was backed up by a beat-oriented combo: Daniel Hoomer on guitar, Carlos Ávalos on bass, Alejandro Baró on organ and Cacho Arce on drums. Ávalos, Baró and Arce were all ex-Los Bichos.

Pretty soon, Jorge Alvarez and Pedro Pujó (owners of the then defunct pioneer independent label Mandioca) joined Bond to form a working team to produce other groups. Alvarez went to the executive desk, Bond to the mixing console, and the La Pesada musicians to the recording studios. This way, they took the almost exclusive control of the argentine rock with Music Hall and Microfón labels as headquarters. (In 1973, the Microfón subsidiary label Talent -managed by Álvarez- would gather the progressive groups). Consequently, La Pesada was the main backing band for the likes of Raúl Porchetto, Sui Generis, Claudio Gabis, Maximiliano, Kubero Díaz, Jorge Pinchevsky, Alejandro Medina and Pappo’s Blues, among others, during 1972 and 1973. (via The Magic Land) (BUY IT!)

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