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I took three years of Spanish in high school \u2013 seemingly a thousand years ago, more like thirty \u2013 and to this day I can correctly pronounce the items on a Mexican restaurant menu and\/or say things that will get my face slapped (though hopefully not at the same time). That’s about my skill level. So screening a DVD that’s completely in Spanish, I can’t expect to follow the dialogue too well. But that didn’t detract a single bit from the near-rapturous joy I experienced watching Escala Musical TV 1966-67<\/em><\/a>. A collection of mid-sixties Argentine TV programs \u2013 sort of their answer to Shindig<\/em>, but with an important difference \u2013 this DVD features two hours’ worth of black-and-white video transfers. The quality isn’t pristine by any standard, but neither is it distractingly inferior. And the sound is better than one might expect for a dub of a live music program from nearly fifty years ago.<\/p>\n That’s right: live<\/em>. Unlike so many of the lip-sync programs of the era (American Bandstand<\/em>, Where the Action Is<\/em>) or even the ones where the lead singer would perform live while the rest of the band mimed to a prerecorded tape (Smothers Brothers<\/em>), on Escala<\/em><\/a>, the groups actually played and sang. And there was little or no editing; these shows might have even been broadcast live (though they probably were taped ahead of time).<\/p>\n The show’s format will be quite familiar to anyone who’s watched any of the American or British 60s music shows: a studio audience of youngsters, an appealing host, a \u201cteen idol\u201d sort of musical guest, and some bands. The whole thing is fast-paced, high-energy, and low-budget. What’s fascinating about Escala<\/em><\/a> \u2013 and what sets it apart from most of its Anglophone counterparts \u2013 is the selection of material. While a few of the acts sing and play their original compositions, most of them rely on translated (often rewritten) versions of songs that were released in the USA or UK.<\/p>\n But not just any songs; the numbers chosen tend toward the, well, interesting. I was quite surprised to hear credible covers of tunes originally recorded by The Move<\/strong> and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich<\/strong>. Even the idol guy (in this case, one Billy Bond<\/strong>) is pretty cool; an Italian singer who relocated to Argentina, he was a popular star there until he left for Brazil amidst Argentina’s political unrest (and military dictatorship) of the 1970s.<\/p>\n In addition to two full episodes of Escala<\/em> (and a Coca-Cola commercial) the DVD features bonus material in the form of a light comedy TV program that features South American rock legends Los Mockers<\/strong> for most of its run time. The group plays in the background during the dialogue (set at a wedding party) and performs a number of songs in English.<\/p>\n A second bonus feature is a fifteen-minute compilation of various (often unnamed) acts singing and playing. Most of these are of the more common lip-sync variety (some even in color!), but they serve to remind modern-day rock fans that the rock ‘n’ roll phenomenon of the 1960s extended well beyond the English-speaking world, and that other countries and cultures added their own local\/native color and character to the music, often to very pleasing effect. Los IN<\/strong>‘s version of Nancy Sinatra<\/strong>‘s \u201cThese Boots Are Made for Walking\u201d (in English!) must be seen to be believed. Escala Musical TV 1966-67<\/em><\/a> is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in 1960s pop music in a global context. [Order Escala Musical TV 1966-67<\/em>, only available HERE<\/a>.]<\/p>\n
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