Favorite Albums Volume 7-The Texas Tornados by Peter Reum

If there was to be a Latino Supergroup, these guys and Los Lobos would get my vote. Both groups have musicians who have integrity, longevity, and proven musicianship. I have several favorite Los Lobos albums, but today I would like to express my admiration of the Texas Chicano Supergroup The Texas Tornados. The lineup of this group reads like a who's who of Texas/Tejano music. Regrettably, the group's longevity was cut short by the untimely deaths of Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. With Augie Meyers and Santiago "Flaco" Jimenez, these guys could play anything remotely approaching Tex-Mex music.

I will spend a little time talking about the various members' histories. If you have remotely listened to Tejano music from the Sixties forward, you have heard these guys on their own, or in the Sir Douglas Quintet. Freddy Fender's work has been on the Mexican Music Charts, Country Western Charts, and probably some others of which I am not aware. Augie Meyer and Doug Sahm shared a history of playing together for over thirty years, dating from the mid-Sixties up through Doug's untimely passing in 1999 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The history of any of these guys would parallel any of the rockers from the Sixties and Seventies. Doug Sahm's history in music dates from 1952 when he began singing. He eventually migrated to Texas in the early Sixties. The Sir Douglas Quintet formed in Texas, uniting Sahm with Vox Organ Master Augie Meyer. Their music was unique, and was noticed by Bob Dylan. Their first album, which is simply titled "Texas Tornados," begins right out of the starting block with Augie Meyer's Vox Organ, and Doug Sahm's vocal is immediately recognizable to any who has listened to Tejano music the last 50 years.

The Texas Tornados 1990 - Their First Album

Who Were You Thinkin' Of is a tune that follows the inner thoughts of a couple that have been together for awhile. Apparently their love life has fallen stale, and when his wife suddenly becomes reengaged in lovemaking, the first question that comes to the husband is "Who were you thinkin', of when we were makin' love last night?" It is unclear as to whether this an internal conversation in the husband's mind, or whether the confrontation is directed at the wife. Many men have had this experience, whether married or in a long-term relationship.

Doug Sahm in His Trademark Hat

A Young Doug Sahm With Hank Williams Sr. December 1952

Doug with Bob Dylan in the Early Seventies.

Hey Baby Que Paso follows, a tune that features Flaco Jimenez prominently. Like the previous tune, the singer focuses on a troubled relationship, asking his female friend not to leave him brokenhearted. The song has the feel of perhaps the singer (Doug Sham sings lead) getting drunk the previous night and pleading with his main squeeze, who knows what's up, not to leave him. Doug enjoyed life immensely, and was known to mood alter with some regularity during his life. Freddy Fender contributes several excellent guitar solos on this first album, including this one. Doug Sahm was an early performer, even playing with Hank Williams Sr. in late 1952, some 18 days before Mr. Williams untimely passing.

A Younger Flaco Jimenez

Flaco Jimenez in Concert Wearing Traditional Tejano Performance Regalia

Flaco Jimenez with the Grammy Awards He Has Won Through the Years

Laredo Rose, is a tune that reaches out to a woman of the night for whom the singer has feelings. The lead vocal is a Doug Sahm led group vocal, and Flaco Jimenez contributes fine accordian throughout the tune, including the song's bridge. The lyrics asks in "mancode" why a woman that lovely leads a life involving prostitution, asking "The Sun Is a Stranger to You, How's a Rose Supposed to Bloom?" The overall feeling is that the tune's protagonist views Laredo Rose as a golden hearted woman, slowly losing her own self-respect and inner and outer beauty.

A Man Can Cry, written by Freddy Fender (Born Baldemar Garza Huerta) and Wayne Duncan, is a lament from a man who has given up on any sort of intimate love.  The song is a form of blues, or as close to blues as Tejano Music gets. The narrative is a monologue with the singer explaining that he cannot abide another failed relationship. Freddy's life story reflects some of the emotions expressed in A Man Can Cry. Like Doug Sahm, he was a childhood performer, beginning at age 10 in Texas. Freddy's life reflected hard work, serving prison time for a pot possession charge. Freddy had a distinguished solo career, and finally reached the recognition as an artist he so richly deserved.

An Early Freddie Fender Album Recorded in 1959

Freddy Describing the Feelings in A Man Can Cry

Freddy Fender and Doug Sahm Texas Tornados

Soy de San Luis is a tune presented initially in Spanish, then changes to English on the second and fourth verses. The song's melody is carried nicely by Flaco's accordion, with a simple drum beat behind it. The song's narrator describes what sounds like a whirlwind courtship which morphs into marriage. Somehow, the new wife runs to places away from her new husband, probably meeting up with new pigeons to con. In the end, the narrator laments the stupidity of his impulsive marriage, saying his former wife "belongs to the devil, I don't want her any more." It seems that her "wave bait, catch naïve man, fool him with short term false adoration, run to another pigeon, and get the old pigeon to send money" scam is as old as creation itself.

Adios Mexico, which on the old album began side 2 of this record, is the tune on this album that can be considered the track that most closely resembles some of the mid and late Sixties Sir Douglas Quintet. The song is a straight ahead mid-tempo boogie number with Augie Meyer's organ playing a part that would probably be played by a rhythm guitarist. The tune is not complicated lyrically, and it appears to be a tribute to the lead vocalist's family home in Mexico.

The Sir Douglas Quintet-Augie Meyer top left

Augie Meyer Early Nineties

Sunset, Lake Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico

If That's What You're Thinking is a very appropriate tune for Freddy Fender to sing, as he is the most prominent of several Tejano musicians who sing songs about heartbreak in a way that cannot be duplicated. In this case, Freddy is not the author of this tune, but owns it in this performance. The mood that this fine interpreter put forth is something similar to the old  sawhorse "once burned, twice cautious." There is a dignified quiet power in Freddy's delivery of a cowboy lamentation that is unique and heartfelt.

She Never Spoke Spanish to Me is a song about unrequited love, as are many of the great songs of Tejano Music. In this case, a young customer has fallen in love with a prostitute who lives in a small room presumably attached to a larger house of ill repute. Although this woman seems to have a personal interest in Doug's character in this song, what the john perceives as genuine attraction is simply part of the woman's mood setting for her job. Doug's character overhears her speaking Spanish to a few customers, and interprets this action as her being intimate. Of course, this action is again part of the mood setting for her job. Doug's character seems to think that if this woman spoke Spanish to him, that the feelings between them would be the intimacy he so badly craves.

Young Woman in Business for Herself-Mexico

Dinero-The final two tracks on this fine example of Tejano music reflect the two aspects of this supergroup of the Tejano style. Dinero, track nine, is an all out rocker that features excellent examples of the mixture of Spanish and English words to form Spanglish. Doug rips a fine guitar part and lead vocal for Dinero, which was a staple of the Tornados' live set for their entire time together.

Baby! Heaven Sent Me You- This tune goes back to the early days of Freddy Fender's career, to New Orleans and songwriter/producer Huey P. Meaux. This song is a beautiful love song, and is a fitting close to the album, which brought The Texas Tornados international sales and acclaim. Freddy's vocals are always sincere and highly emotional, which explains why so many women fell for him at his concerts throughout his distinguished career.

Text Copyright 2017 by Peter N. Reum - All Rights Reserved