Customer Reviews

King of Mambo

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As a college student in the early 70s, I was disenchanted with contemporary music, so I started to listen to the popular music of the 50s and 60s.

One day, at a flea market, I bought an RCA Living Stereo Sampler, released in 1961, featuring songs by mostly easy listening artists under contract to the label at that time.

Never will I forget my reaction at hearing the selection by Perez Prado, with whom I was not familiar then. The Ames Brothers had just finished crooning "Harbor Lights" when, all of a sudden, this pulsating Latin rhythm bursted from my speakers.

Immediately, I stopped whatever I was doing, and started snapping my fingers, moving my feet, and clapping my hands. Alone in the room! And I didn't even know how to dance.

Well, I grabbed the LP jacket to find out the name of the song and the artist. It was "Mambo Jambo" by Perez Prado, taken from the RCA Victor LP "Big Hits By Prado." I quickly headed to a local record store that stocked out of print LPs, but the only one that he had by Prado was his collaboration with Rosemary Clooney. Without hesitation, I bought it, and, that too remains one of my favorites today.

But, "Big Hits By Prado", which I eventually found, is simply his best work. I'm hooked on every song. How wonderful to have it finally on CD. It's a German import under a diferent title, but with additonal tracks, retaining the same glorious "living stereo" sound of the original album.

I have since collected many of Perez Prado's other RCA records. The cha-cha LP, the twist LP, the pachanga LP, and his cuban jazz LP with Shorty Rogers. "Pops and Prado" is my second favorite.

Yet, "King of Mambo", that is, "Big Hits By Prado" is absolutely the greatest.

Originally released on Lp/vinyl in 1960, under the title of "BIG HITS BY PRADO", this was one of Perez Prado's best sellers throughout the 60's and even the 70's. With the arrival of "stereo" or "LIVING STEREO" as RCA Victor chose to call its new sound, Perez Prado, then under this label's exclusive recording contract,requested to record many of his best selling, previously recorded hits in the new stereo version. RCA agreed and the result was this best selling blockbuster Lp album, which sold and sold for over a decade. Even though the rhythm of some of the newly recorded old hits like "Mambo Jambo/Que Rico el Mambo"and "Mambo No.5" was changed to a fusion of mambo and rock beat, this album became a favorite among Prado and latin music fans everywhere. Prado also included some brand new hits like "My Roberta" and "Paris" and to "put the frosting on the cake" a brand new version of his 1953 RCA hit "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White", which many consider the best one out of the 1953,1955 and 1960 "trilogy". When RCA during the present BMG administration decided to re-issue this classic on CD format under the new title of "PEREZ PREZ PRADO-THE KING OF MAMBO", they added five bonus tracks which greatly improves the collectable value of this CD. However they failed to include the original Lp cover which in my opinion would've tremendously boosted its sales, especially among collectors who remember the original Lp release. If you like the one and only genuine "MAMBO KING",Perez Prado, don't miss this one.

I love Perez Prado, he was a true original and one of a kind, a Mexian genius. These recordings are from the 60's so the recordings are better and cleaner than a lot of his earlier stuff. However, for my money, his best album is STILL and always will be Havana, 3AM, a classic.

My mom had this on LP when I was a mere babe. She called him "PREZ" Prado and that is how he was known. Once and for all Mr. Prado was CUBAN. Born in Matanzas, Cuban not Mexico or Puerto Rico as reported by those who don't know! If you want to know more about the man who preceeded Celia, Ricardo and other Cuban artists. Start here with this one!!!

I love music from this time period. What a wonderful collection of songs by this legendary bandleader.

He has a style of his own creation, that acclaim people of all ages and cultures. His music is an inspiration to us all. C. Abeita is my father who brought this magical music of Perez Prado to my broad expansion of music.