[Dixielandjazz] Danny Flores, who shouted "tequila!" on hit record, dies at 77

[David Richoux]

A bit more trivia on this (slightly OT) thread - it has been rumored  
that Glen Campbell played the guitar for that recording, but it is  
not true:
=================================
http://www.huelynduvall.com/champs.htm  (there is more on this site  
about the Champs)

Memories of the "Tequila" Recording Session by Huelyn Duvall

I have been asked many times about the recording session that  
produced the big instrumental hit  “Tequila”.  Here are my memories  
about that session.

In January 1958 I went to Hollywood to do my second recording session  
for Challenge Records, a new company owned by the "Singing Cowboy"  
Gene Autry.  My first session had been at the Owen Bradley Studios in  
Nashville and the Challenge producers wanted to try a session at Gold  
Star where Eddie Cochran had gotten some good sounds.

While I was there, Challenge was doing an instrumental recording  
session.  They had a song called “Train To Nowhere”  and asked me if  
I would play lead guitar on the recording.  Not being a studio  
musician I declined, but agreed to do some background harmony  
vocals.  They picked up a lead guitarist and a few other studio  
musicians and we recorded the song.  Well, it takes two songs for a  
45 rpm record so one of the musicians had an idea for another  
instrumental.  Quickly the song was recorded and called "Tequila".   
We were all sitting in the recording studio and at the end of the  
song decided to yell "TEQUILA" in unison.  I finished my own  
recording session and returned to Texas.   "Train To Nowhere" was  
later released as the "A" side of the record.  Nothing happened until  
a DJ in Cleveland played the "B" side.  The rest is history - a true  
million seller in 1958!  It turned out to be one of the most famous  
instrumental recording sessions in history.

Many people think that Glen Campbell was the lead guitar player who  
took my place at the recording session.  It would make a better  
story, but Glen did not join the group until much later.  Actually, I  
do not know the name of the guitarist who played on the recording.   
The saxophone player, writer, and deep “Tequila” voice was that of  
Chuck Rio (Danny Flores).  Glen Alden played drums and Dave Burgess  
played the two chord riff and wrote "Train To Nowhere" as I  
remember.  There was not a group called The Champs until after the  
recording session.

Maybe I should have taken guitar lessons!

Huelyn Duvall

===========================

Dave Richoux


On Sep 22, 2006, at 5:41 PM, Don Robertson wrote:

> I remember hanging out in early 1957 in a little hole in the wall  
> bar in
> downtown Long Beach where Danny Flores' band was playing.  Me and my
> buddies had just gotten through college and were working at our first
> jobs.  Danny used to play a song by Clarence "Frog Man" Henry called
> "I'm a Lonely Frog" or something like that.  I don't remember hearing
> Tequila.
>
> Don Robertson
>
>
> David Richoux wrote:
>>   A pop-jazz? classic... we (the California Repercussions) do this
>> one a lot (part of our ever expanding drink song set.
>> Dave Richoux
>>
>>
>
>
>
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