The Challenger's - The Challenger's (1969)

Artista: The Challenger's
Álbum: The Challenger's
Año: 1969
Género: Rock psicodélico latino
Duración: 35:43
Nacionalidad: Puerto Rico

Lista de Temas:
1. Emily
2. Martha Does
3. You Can't Mess With Joe
4. Blowin' In The Wind
5. Letting You Know
6. It's For You (Lennon, McCartney)
7. GotToTellYou
8. Needles And Pins
9. Little Big Man

Alineación:
- Rafael Marquez / Guitarra
- Alex Rodriguez / Voz, guitarras y congas
- Jose Guzman / Teclados
- Luis Velez / Bajo y voz
- Jose Luis-Kerkado / Bateria
- Reno Habiff Moreno / Voz y percusiones

Y el viaje de Sandy sigue y llega a Puerto Rico, donde nos trae al disco de The Challenger's, disco pedido por nuestro público y que se hizo rogar hasta ahora. Psicodelia latina para una mañana de miércoles.

A esto no puedo catalogarlo como progresivo, pero sí es una buena expresión de rock bien latino, aún en sus canciones cantadas en inglés. Pero el estilo latino que desempolvan es muy interesante, ese rock psicodélico mezclado con rock bien latino, algo así como Santana. Este fue su único álbum y es una verdadera rareza, y por ello decidí publicarlo aquí... perdón, me corrijo, en el 2007 sacaron un segundo álbum con algunos de los miembros originales, dejo un video que atestigua esto, y parece que los músicos continúan con mucho talento en lo suyo.

Cuenta la leyenda que alguna vez Puerto Rico tambien tuvo rock y las pocas bandas que grabaron dejaron discos que hoy son verdaderas joyas de coleccion. The Challenger´s fue una de estas bandas, los que evidentemente estaban influenciados por el sonido chicano del sur de California. Claro que The Challenger´s tienen un estilo mas clasico y entre los temas de este disco hay una version muy bizarra de Blowin in the wind de Bob Dylan. El cover de The Beatles It`s for you fue exito radial de la banda en los setenta. Este disco se grabo el año 1969 y fue editado el año 1970. La banda la encabezaban los guitarristas Rafael Marquez y Alex Rodriguez. Una rareza que vale la pena escuchar.

En Busca del Tiempo Perdido

Los Stokes (mi banda) competía (¡amigablemente!) más con los Challengers que con cualquier otro grupo. Pero para 1969 fue claro que ellos (los Challengers) tomaron la ventaja no solo por que nuestro cantante principal Raymond Files se fue al ejército y bien poco despues a Viet Nam dejándonos sin voz, pero por que los Challengers grabaron un LP muy bueno cuyo éxito mayor fué la cancion "It's For You" escrita por Lennon y McCartney pero hecha famosa por "Three Dog Night". Estuvo pegada #1 en Puerto Rico por cinco semanas

Tony Alicea

The Challengers were one of the pioneers of the Rock music scene in Puerto Rico in the 1960's. As for the musicians that were ever a part of the band...once a Challenger always a Challenger! Listen to their songs below.
"It's For You" was originally written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for Cilla Black, for whom it was a Top Ten hit in 1964 in the U.K., but it was not heard of in the U.S. until much later. If "It's For You" sounds familiar, it's because Three Dog Night recorded it years later in 1969.
"It's For You" and "Emily" were very big hits and signature tunes for The Challengers, and when you heard the guitar at 0:31 on "Letting You Know", you just KNEW The Challengers were rockin' in the house!!

rockinpr.net

The Challenger's came from Puerto Rico. I've seen the band name also listed as The Challengers without the apostrophe.
I know very little about the group, but members included Reno Haliff (aka Moreno Habif - lead vocals), Alex Rodriguez (rhythm guitar and vocals) and Jorge Casas (aka George Casas - bass) as well as a few I only know by anglicized first names: Eric, Joe, Kenny and Jose.
For this release (Mariel 5012) I prefer the b-side, "Emily" written by Reno Haliff. It's an interesting mix of psychedelic, soul and latin influences, and dates to either 1968 or 1969.
The softer A-side "Martha Does" was written by Alex Rodriguez.
They had at least one earlier 45 (Mariel 5009): a version of Lennon-McCartney's "It's For You" that sounds nothing like the original, along with a more pedestrian version of "Needles and Pins". Like "Martha Does" / "Emily", both sides are also on their LP. Their album has other good songs with a similar jamming style as these, along with an excruciatingly long version of "Blowing in the Wind"!
Some additional info on the band is available at Tony Alicea's site, which includes the photo of the band seen here.

Garagehangover

Yes, I mention again that I'm Puerto Rican, in case anyone forgot. But I know just a little bit more than you do about Los Challenger's. They weren't as big as Los Sonsets who were The Young Rascals/Rolling Stones/ Beatles of Puerto Rico.
The Challenger's most likely recorded in 1970 since their obvious Afro-Cuban touch would remind anybody of Santana (Carlos was a Mexican, though). Contrary to general opinion, most Puerto Rican rock groups (and Latin American groups generally)were not trying to display any obvious non-Anglo touches as their bag was basically being just like the American and British groups. If they were progressive rock or folk rock then maybe yes, but if they were beat or hard rock, then no.
The Challenger's and quite a few others (complete with longish hair and mod suits and an ability to be just like the mainland (U.S.) groups) were relegated to a second tier.

Lewis

As i remember, Santana and his band came to P.R. on 1970/1971, just before his third album. His concert was at the Hiram Bithorn baseball park and was kind of violent. There were lots of rock bands during late sixties and early seventies. The most memorable were Los Sonset and Los Challengers. Most of Los Challengers first L.P. songs were hits and had a very distinctive sound. Most garage bands had what it takes to be famous indeed, each with its own sound. I think that the lack of bussiness savy played against them. I think radio stations here in P.R. should play those records for the new generations. Hey, i think Alberto Carrion was in some way related to Los Challengers.
The discotheque movement from the 70's included Othello, El Circo, Rashids, El Boquete, Jezebel, Warehouse, El Inodoro, Mirage, and in San German, La Cueva de Luis Candela. For me, the best were Othello, Mirage and La Cueva de Luis Candela.

Jesus hernandez

Y el link fue sacado de aquí, donde fue publicado por dimetal el 21-06-2012.

http://loschallengers.com/

Y en el siguiente video tenemos a la banda en versión moderna, al parecer con algunos miebros originales, pero desconozco mucho más así que prefiero no escribir pavadas.

Re-make of Good Lovin' in 2007 with a very cool Latin twist featuring Reno Habif and Jorge Casas of The Challengers, Alberto Carrion, Clay Ostwald & Tommy Anthony.