Latinos in Living Stereo: "The Dancing Beat of the Latin Bands"

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THE DANCING BEAT OF THE LATIN BANDS
PRADO / CUGAT / PUENTE
ESQUIVEL / ARCARAZ / GARCIA
RCA VICTOR LSP-2087

Here's a rare one, though I don't know why. An internet search turned up exactly three copies. Certainly it has star power, what with contributions from Perez Prado, Xavier Cugat and Tito Puente, three of the biggest latin musical stars of the times. Why there is even a couple of killer cuts from Esquivel!! The fun starts off with Tito Puente's classic cha cha cha, "Tampico". The sound here is Living Stereo at it's finest. Next off is Cugat, and I have to say, I'm not a big fan of his recordings for RCA. This one has strings and chorus - it's a bit too sweet for my taste but I know it has it's admirers. This is followed by "Guaglione", a great Perez Prado number from his "Pops and Prado" lp, which features "the right beat" for the "in" crowd. Unusual is his use of the Hammond organ, giving this a off beat sound. Speaking of off-beat ("out of this world" might be more appropriate), next is everyone's favorite genius, Esquivel, in a zany version of the classic "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", complete with the wordless chorus ("zu-zu-zu-zu zu-zu-zu") and the bizarre orchestration we've come to expect from this source. Some other highlights are Prado's "You're Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do?)", the best track from "Pops and Prado" which I reviewed earlier in this survey, Tito Puente's "Sand In My Shoes" and Esquivel's "Adios". Also included are several excellent tracks from Luis Arcaraz and Russ Garcia and their orchestras. Overall, the sound quality is consistent, and up to the high standards of the best popular Living Stereo albums. A winner all-around - top recommendation!