Rosendo Mercado
Encyclopedia
Rosendo Mercado Ruiz is a Spanish
rock
singer and songwriter. He was part of the groups Ñu
and Leño
, and is a prominent exponent of the so-called urban rock in Spain.
, where he still resides (as of 2005). After giving up his studies in the ICAI engineering school, he joined the group Fresa, as a guitarist, in 1972. Fresa played covers of hits of the time, and sometimes accompanied other singers. After some changes, including introducing singer José Carlos Molina, the band changed its name to Ñu
. In 1974 Rosendo discovered Rory Gallagher
's music, who became one of his main influences, together with groups like Jethro Tull
, Canned Heat
, Cream
, Deep Purple
and Black Sabbath
.
They made their debut in 1978, as supporting band in a concert of Asfalto. They had been hired by Vicente Romero (producer), who was setting up Chapa Discos ("Chapa Records"), and published the collective disc Viva el Rollo, Vol. II. Rock del Manzanares, including two songs of the band: Este Madrid and Aprendiendo a escuchar.
In 1979 they published their first disc, by the title Leño. The album, produced by Teddy Bautista, contains songs with long instrumental sections, among which El tren and Este Madrid are remarkable. During the recording Mariscal left the group, and was substituted by Tony Urbano, as portrayed in the disc cover.
In 1980 they published their second album, Más madera. Teddy Bautista's influence can be seen in that the songs are shorter and have a lighter style.
In 1981 they recorded in the Carolina club the En directo live disc. The disc was very well sold, even though the recording quality was not very good. This disc includes one of Rosendo's best-known songs, Maneras de vivir. Luz Casal
(chorus) and Teddy Bautista (keyboards) play with them.
The last official disc of Leño, ¡Corre, corre!, was made with more resources, thanks to the success of their previous one. It was recorded in London
, with the production of Carlos Narea. Notable songs include Sorprendente and ¡Qué desilusión!.
In 1983 they took part in Rock de una noche de verano, a tour organized by Miguel Ríos
that would become a milestone in the Spanish rock history, by organizing a long series of concerts all around Spain, with big sound and light resources. In the 1983 fall, in their best success moment, they decided to break up.
, and produced by Carlos Narea. It marked the moment of greatest commercial success in his career, thanks to songs like Agradecido, Pan de higo or Loco por incordiar.
However, his next album, Fuera de lugar, edited next year, was negatively criticized. His last disc for RCA, ... a las lombrices, was published in 1987, and was received coldly. Jo Dworniak was the producer, and Rafael J. Vegas joined as a bass player.
After leaving RCA, Rosendo started recording with Twins. The first album with this label was Jugar al gua (1988), which features songs with a different style (e.g., the Del pulmón reggae
), but also one of his key songs Flojos de pantalón. The second record for Twins was Directo (1989), a live disc including two songs by Leño.
Later Twins joined DRO
, with whom Rosendo has kept on recording up to present (2005). The first album for DRO, Deja que les diga que no, appeared in 1991. Eugenio Muñoz took part in the production, as he did in later discs. Next year Rosendo published the disc La tortuga, containing a song that became quite popular: Majete.
With Para mal o para bien (1994), he recorded for the first time in the El Cortijo del Aire studio, in the Cabo de Gata. Some outstanding songs are ¿De qué vas? and Hasta de perfil. The latter criticizes the power, and three members of Celtas Cortos
collaborate.
His next album, Listos para la reconversión was published in 1996. After that disc two of his musicians left, namely the keyboard player Gustavo Di Nóbile and the drummer Miguel Ángel Jiménez. Next year he recorded the soundtrack
of Hector Carré's movie Dame algo, and in 1998 he changed the setup of the band to a trio (bass, drums and guitar, giving up the keyboard), and changed his lifelong Fender Stratocaster
guitar for a Gibson
, allegedly for its looks. The first disc of this stage is A tientas y barrancas (1998), followed in 1999 by Siempre hay una historia... en directo, which he recorded live in the yard of the Carabanchel prison.
In 2001 Canciones para normales y mero dementes was published. This disc features a harder sound, that was also present in Veo, veo... mamoneo (2002). In 2005 Lo malo es... ni darse cuenta was released.
In 2006 he was awarded the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes
His latest album, El endémico embustero y el incauto pertinaz, released in 2007, was recorded in the PKO (Madrid) and El Cortijo (Almería) studios.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer and songwriter. He was part of the groups Ñu
Nu
Nu or NU may refer to:* Nu , a letter in the Greek alphabet: lowercase ν, uppercase Ν* Nu , the Japanese characters ぬ and ヌ* Nu , the male form of the Egyptian goddess Naunet...
and Leño
Leno
Leno is the surname of Jay Leno, comedian and talk show host.Leno may also refer to:* Leno, Italy* Leno * Leno, a stock character in theatre of ancient Rome who is a slave dealer or pimpPeople with the surname Leno...
, and is a prominent exponent of the so-called urban rock in Spain.
First steps
He was raised in CarabanchelCarabanchel
Carabanchel is a district in the south western suburbs of Madrid, Spain.-Overview:The area was the scene of fierce fighting during the Spanish Civil War -especially in November 1936, during the Battle of Madrid, when Nationalist troops tried to fight their way into the area. Unacustomed to street...
, where he still resides (as of 2005). After giving up his studies in the ICAI engineering school, he joined the group Fresa, as a guitarist, in 1972. Fresa played covers of hits of the time, and sometimes accompanied other singers. After some changes, including introducing singer José Carlos Molina, the band changed its name to Ñu
Nu
Nu or NU may refer to:* Nu , a letter in the Greek alphabet: lowercase ν, uppercase Ν* Nu , the Japanese characters ぬ and ヌ* Nu , the male form of the Egyptian goddess Naunet...
. In 1974 Rosendo discovered Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher, ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995, was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste...
's music, who became one of his main influences, together with groups like Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, Canned Heat
Canned Heat
Canned Heat is a blues-rock/boogie rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The group has been noted for its own interpretations of blues material as well as for efforts to promote the interest in this type of music and its original artists...
, Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
.
Leño period
After finishing the compulsory military service in 1975, he took part in the recording of the first album of Ñu. Molina and he were not in very good terms, so Rosendo left the group in 1977, and formed Leño, playing the guitar and singing. Chiqui Mariscal (bass player) and Ramiro Penas (drums) also left Ñu to join him in Leño.They made their debut in 1978, as supporting band in a concert of Asfalto. They had been hired by Vicente Romero (producer), who was setting up Chapa Discos ("Chapa Records"), and published the collective disc Viva el Rollo, Vol. II. Rock del Manzanares, including two songs of the band: Este Madrid and Aprendiendo a escuchar.
In 1979 they published their first disc, by the title Leño. The album, produced by Teddy Bautista, contains songs with long instrumental sections, among which El tren and Este Madrid are remarkable. During the recording Mariscal left the group, and was substituted by Tony Urbano, as portrayed in the disc cover.
In 1980 they published their second album, Más madera. Teddy Bautista's influence can be seen in that the songs are shorter and have a lighter style.
In 1981 they recorded in the Carolina club the En directo live disc. The disc was very well sold, even though the recording quality was not very good. This disc includes one of Rosendo's best-known songs, Maneras de vivir. Luz Casal
Luz Casal
Luz Casal, born November 11, 1958 at Boimorto, is a Spanish pop singer. She grew up in neighbouring Asturias, took singing, piano and ballet classes, and moved to Madrid to pursue a career as a musician....
(chorus) and Teddy Bautista (keyboards) play with them.
The last official disc of Leño, ¡Corre, corre!, was made with more resources, thanks to the success of their previous one. It was recorded in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with the production of Carlos Narea. Notable songs include Sorprendente and ¡Qué desilusión!.
In 1983 they took part in Rock de una noche de verano, a tour organized by Miguel Ríos
Miguel Ríos
Miguel Ríos is a Spanish singer, composer, actor. He is one of the pioneers of rock and roll in Spain.-Biography:...
that would become a milestone in the Spanish rock history, by organizing a long series of concerts all around Spain, with big sound and light resources. In the 1983 fall, in their best success moment, they decided to break up.
Solo period
Rosendo's first solo disc (Loco por incordiar) was pushed back until 1985, due to problems with his former label, Zafiro (to which Chapa Discos belonged). The disc was edited by RCARCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
, and produced by Carlos Narea. It marked the moment of greatest commercial success in his career, thanks to songs like Agradecido, Pan de higo or Loco por incordiar.
However, his next album, Fuera de lugar, edited next year, was negatively criticized. His last disc for RCA, ... a las lombrices, was published in 1987, and was received coldly. Jo Dworniak was the producer, and Rafael J. Vegas joined as a bass player.
After leaving RCA, Rosendo started recording with Twins. The first album with this label was Jugar al gua (1988), which features songs with a different style (e.g., the Del pulmón reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
), but also one of his key songs Flojos de pantalón. The second record for Twins was Directo (1989), a live disc including two songs by Leño.
Later Twins joined DRO
Dro Records
Dro Records is a Spanish record label founded in 1982 by the band Aviador Dro. During the 80s Dro became the most important independent record label from Spain publishing artists that would define the decade....
, with whom Rosendo has kept on recording up to present (2005). The first album for DRO, Deja que les diga que no, appeared in 1991. Eugenio Muñoz took part in the production, as he did in later discs. Next year Rosendo published the disc La tortuga, containing a song that became quite popular: Majete.
With Para mal o para bien (1994), he recorded for the first time in the El Cortijo del Aire studio, in the Cabo de Gata. Some outstanding songs are ¿De qué vas? and Hasta de perfil. The latter criticizes the power, and three members of Celtas Cortos
Celtas Cortos
Celtas Cortos is a Spanish music group of celtic rock.It was formed in Valladolid in 1986. Eight friends, four of which played in the group Almenara decided to participate in a music contest under the name "Colectivo Eurofolk"...
collaborate.
His next album, Listos para la reconversión was published in 1996. After that disc two of his musicians left, namely the keyboard player Gustavo Di Nóbile and the drummer Miguel Ángel Jiménez. Next year he recorded the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of Hector Carré's movie Dame algo, and in 1998 he changed the setup of the band to a trio (bass, drums and guitar, giving up the keyboard), and changed his lifelong Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
guitar for a Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
, allegedly for its looks. The first disc of this stage is A tientas y barrancas (1998), followed in 1999 by Siempre hay una historia... en directo, which he recorded live in the yard of the Carabanchel prison.
In 2001 Canciones para normales y mero dementes was published. This disc features a harder sound, that was also present in Veo, veo... mamoneo (2002). In 2005 Lo malo es... ni darse cuenta was released.
In 2006 he was awarded the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes
His latest album, El endémico embustero y el incauto pertinaz, released in 2007, was recorded in the PKO (Madrid) and El Cortijo (Almería) studios.
Members
- Rosendo Mercado - ComposerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, singer, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Rafa J. Vegas - BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Mariano Montero - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Miguel A. Jiménez - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Gustavo Di Nobile - KeyboardMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
, programmerProgrammerA programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
Albums
- Loco por Incordiar - 1985
- Fuera de Lugar - 1986
- ... A las Lombrices - 1987
- Jugar al gua - 1988
- Directo - 1990
- Deja que les diga que No! - 1991
- La Tortuga - 1992
- Para mal o para bien - 1994
- Listos para la reconversión - 1996
- Dame algo B.S.O - 1997
- A tientas y Barrancas - 1998
- Siempre Hay una Historia …en Directo - 1999
- Canciones para Normales y Mero Dementes - 2001
- Veo, Veo ... Mamoneo!! - 2002
- Salud y Buenos Alimentos - 2004
- Lo malo es... ni darse cuenta - 2005
- El endémico embustero y el incauto pertinaz - 2007
- A veces cuesto llegar al estribillo - 09/2010
Other
- Agradecidos...Rosendo - 1997 Tribute by other Spanish rock groups.
- Salud y Buenos Alimentos - 2004 Boxed set of greatest hits compilation CD, oddity CD, DVD with a concert in MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and biography.
External links
- Official web page (Spanish)
- Page about Rosendo (Spanish)
- News about Rosendo (Spanish)