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Later on I was invited to join a true rock band which was giving its first steps. A rock combo, 2 guitars, bass, drums and a male singer. Awesome musicians, muscle music, good vibe, great rhythm section, but for somewhat overwhelmed punkish attitude of the rhythm guit, they never repeated a song twice, so it was hard to get things right at the first try, although it was lots 'a fun – fortunately we were able to overcome that and we started writing some great songs together – soon we got a record deal, did lots of concerts, small gigs all over the country, went up the radios charts, won several nr 1.
After 2 EP’s and the first album, the band was getting the eye of major labels. Heavy touring took place and success was there to grab – until the band founder started to get uncomfortable with some exaggerated attention I was getting from the media, and the vibe soon started to deteriorate until it was unbearable to me - I left the band a couple of years later - today they’re still one of the most important bands in this country – the name - Xutos & Pontapés.
During my Xutos era, I was also writing down instrumental stuff of a more ethereal mood. Although always rocky, I started pinning down what I like to call “instrumental songsâ€, because the singer’s role is there, but taken over by the instruments, mainly by the guits. After I quitted the band, I was able to give more time to these instrumental writings I was having so much fun on doing, and I put on tape a few instrumental songs, overdubbing tracks with 2 cassette recorders. Duhh! That was the available gear at the time ;)
Besides the electric and acoustic guitars, I played all sorts of percussion, and started to fiddle with the keyboards and everything else I could get my hands on, harmonicas, flutes, bass guitars… Sent a tape to a major Lisbon radio station and I was invited for a few radio shows that played my demos, recorded home, still in cassette tape. Sounded awful but they seemed to like it.
Soon I was invited to a record deal with EMI, to tape what was going to be my first all instrumental album – Stilleto. A couple of years later, still with EMI, I recorded my 2nd album, “Rota dos Ventos†(Winds Course).
Meanwhile I was joining Jorge Palma on studio to the recording of “O Lado Errado da Noiteâ€. I learned much with this incredible musician, and got back to studio with him for his next 3 albums. Gave him a hand with the executive production of “O Bairro do Amorâ€, and got to produce “SÓâ€, an album of some of the most brilliant songs of Jorge’s, recorded only with vocals and himself on the piano – and we recorded it “liveâ€, i.e., piano and vocals at the same time – to catch the real spirit of the songs and the musician Jorge really is. “SÓ†was, and probably still is, the best selling album of Jorge Palma.
I also co-produced along with Ricardo Camacho, Diva’s 1st album, “Ecos de Outono†(Autumn Echoes), a Portuguese band close to the Cocteau Twins ambiences – an album that is still played on radio today.
Also I got invited to play live and in the studio with Sétima Legião, a cult Portuguese alternative rock music band that comprehended, besides keyboardist and producer Ricardo Camacho, Rodrigo Leão, band’s bass player that today has an outstanding solo career after leaving Madredeus, and percussionist Paulo Abelho, among others.
Not long after my second instrumental album, the musical scenario was to go over some great changes, record labels trying to maximize profits, not taking so many risks, and going to what was to become the main course of every major record label – commercial music, the more instantaneous and cheaper, the better – and of course, being Portugal such a small market, things were much more difficult to workaround.
So I took all the time in the world to write some new instrumental songs, and meanwhile I formed a pop rock band, along with an all time friend, keyboardist Luis Simas.
The band was to be called “Ravel†(that’s a long story, ok!). We invited a female singer – Maria Leon - whom I used to see performing in a night rock club near my place, and had a superb voice. The band sounded just fine and we were the first ever to mix the sound of electric guitars with Portuguese acoustic Fado guitar (a six double string Portuguese acoustic guitar, used to play “Fadoâ€, that so characteristically Portuguese mellow traditional music) – and it worked fine. “Ravel†got a record deal with PolyGram/Universal, to the Vertigo label, and went to studio to record “Quimerasâ€. The band did well on the charts, did a huge amount of TV shows (we looked and sounded nice ;), played a few gigs and… soon success again started to make its victims... and I was to leave the band short after.
I continued to put down some instrumental songs, showed some of them to the 2 majors I used to work with, but got the old line “nice sound – won’t sellâ€, so being a musician not an commercial agent, I didn’t make much of an effort, nor did I change the kind of music I enjoy playing, just to get it released. I guess you’ll understand that...
Maybe in the near future I’ll do an author’s edition of “The Last Prophecyâ€, the album from which I took some songs out just to put them here and show them to you. Meanwhile I’ll keep on getting all the fun in the world toying along with sound, timbres and textures, putting down some more tracks to my, if not for your pleasure.
Peace