Texas tornadoes
The Texas Tornados are an American Tex-Mex band with Doug Sahm ( guitar , vocals ), Freddy Fender (guitar, vocals), Augie Meyers ( keyboard , accordion , vocals) and Flaco Jiménez (accordion, vocals). Today the band members are Augie Meyers, Flaco Jimenez, Shawn Sahm , Louie Ortega , Ernie Durawa , Speedy Sparks and Nunie Rubio .
Foundation and successes
The Texas Tornados emerged in 1989 from the idea of founding a similar supergroup in the Tex-Mex style as part of the success of the Traveling Wilburys . Both Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers from Sir Douglas Quintet as well as country singer Freddy Fender and accordion legend Flaco Jiménez could look back on decades of careers when the band was founded. As a result, the Texas Tornadoes had a broad repertoire of hits from rock , blues , country and conjunto . Their first appearance took place under the name "Tex-Mex Revue".
On stage and in the studio, the Texas Tornados were accompanied by musicians from Doug Sahm's environment. Mostly Louis Ortega (guitar), Speedy Sparks ( bass ), Ernie Durawa ( drums ) and Oscar Tellez ( Bajo Sexto ) were part of the party. Occasionally the West Side Horns around the saxophonist Rocky Morales were added.
The Texas Tornadoes sang their songs in English and Spanish, often changing languages within a song. Her debut album was also released for the Spanish-speaking market as a purely Spanish version.
For the song Soy De San Luis , a composition by Santiago Jimenez Sr., father of Flaco Jimenez, from their debut album, the Texas Tornados were awarded a Grammy in the category Best Mexican-American Performance . Further nominations followed for the albums Zone of Our Own (1991) and Hangin 'on by a Thread (1993) and the song A Little Bit Is Better than Nada (1997), which was also used as the theme song for the comedy film Tin Cup (with Kevin Costner ) has been used.
Resolution and comebacks
Although the solo careers of the musicians involved also got a new boost through the collaboration, the Texas Tornados separated in 1993 because the great commercial success they had hoped for did not materialize. In 1996, however, they came back together and recorded another studio record with Four Aces . This time the singing of Freddy Fender moved into the center. 1999 followed with Live from the Limo Vol. 1 a live album. A second part did not come about, however, because the untimely death of Doug Sahm in November 1999 ended the chapter on Texas tornadoes prematurely. A last song together appeared in 2000 as part of the soundtrack to the film Price of Glory , a Spanish version of the Johnny Cash hit Ring of Fire , sung by Freddy Fender.
In 2005, the New West Records label released a series of archive recordings from the Austin City Limits TV show entitled Live from Austin, Texas, a 1990 concert recording of the Texas Tornados on CD and DVD.
In November 2005 the remaining Texas tornadoes Fender, Meyers and Jimenez were together in the studio again to record twelve new titles. The planned comeback album was not released because of Freddy Fender's poor health. Fender died of lung cancer in October 2006.
In April 2010 the remaining band members Augie Meyers and Flaco Jiménez released the album Esta Bueno! Together with Sahm's son Shawn ! . It contains some of Freddy Fender's last recordings. The title song is about the consequences of overeating jalapeños .
Discography
- Texas Tornadoes (reprise 1990)
- Los Texas Tornadoes (reprise 1990)
- Zone of Our Own (reprise 1991)
- Hangin 'On by y Thread (Reprise 1992)
- The Best of the Texas Tornados (Reprise 1993)
- 4 aces (reprise 1996)
- Live from the Limo, Vol. 1 (Virgin 1999)
- Live from Austin, TX (New West 2005)
- Esta Bueno! (Bismeaux 2010)