The Matadors
Encyclopedia
The Matadors were a beat band from Czechoslovakia
. The members were Otto Bezloja (bass guitar, leader), Radim Hladík (lead guitar), Jan "Farmer" Obermayer (organ), Miroslav "Tony Black" Schwarz (drums) as well as Karel Kahovec (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Vladimír Mišík (vocals, bluesharp). The latter two have been replaced in late 1966 by ex-Flamengo Viktor Sodoma jr. (vocals).
The Matadors formed in early 1965 from Fontana (The Fontanas), with members from Pra-Be and Komety (The Comets). Fontana's manager (and until early 1965 also their drummer) Wilfried Jelinek secured a promotional deal with an East German manufacturer of sound equipment and music instruments. Since the group began to use an electronic organ named Matador, they changed their name accordingly to promote it. The Matadors performed exclusively in East Germany until April 1966, their live repertoire consisted mostly of cover versions from popular beat groups like The Who
, The Kinks
or The Small Faces
.
Between 1966 and 1968 Supraphon
released two Matadors singles and two EP
s, another two tracks appeared on an album compilation. The earlier original compositions were sung by Kahovec ("Sing A Song Of Sixpence", "Snad jednou ti dám") or Mišík ("Malej zvon co mám", "Don't Bother Me", "Old Mother Hubbard"). With lead singer Sodoma they recorded their only album in May and June 1968. The Matadors has been released as Supraphon 0130493 (mono)/1130493 (stereo), an export edition with a different sleeve has been released as Supraphon/Artia SUA ST 53992 (stereo) and SUA 13992 (mono). The material on the album includes instrumentals as well as vocal tracks sung in English. They recorded their own songs and covered R&B standards like "I Think It’s Gonna Work Out Fine" or Junior Walker's "Shotgun". The Matadors also covered Smokey Robinson
’s "My Girl" and Bob Dylan
’s "It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue" in Them
's soulful arrangement. Original material includes "Hate Everything Except Of Hatter" [sic], "Indolence" and "Get Down From The Tree", which is featured on Rhino Records’ Nuggets II compilation. Hladík, the most inventive Czechoslovak rock guitarist of that time, was hailed as the "Czech Eric Clapton
".
The most successful Matadors line-up broke up in summer 1968. Radim Hladík then established Blue Effect (later also known as Modrý Efekt or M Efekt) with the original Matadors lead singer Vladimír Mišík. Jan Obermayer joined Petr Novák
's George & Beatovens. Viktor Sodoma jr. pursued a solo career as a pop singer, backed by various groups and orchestras. Best remembered was his 1971-1973 collaboration with Shut Up, later known as the František Ringo Čech Group, with whom he recorded numerous "bubble-gum" singles and one side of his only solo album.
Otto Bezloja and Tony Black briefly reformed the Matadors, joined by ex-Komety lead singer Miloš "Reddy" Vokurka, Jiří Matoušek on organ and Petr Netopil on guitar. In fall 1968 they left to Munich
, West Germany
where they worked as the house band of a German edition of the Hair musical
. In the early seventies the nucleus of that band evolved to the Germany-based progressive rock group Emergency.
The Matadors reunited in 1991 and made rare public appearances until 2008. Otto Bezloja died in 2001.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. The members were Otto Bezloja (bass guitar, leader), Radim Hladík (lead guitar), Jan "Farmer" Obermayer (organ), Miroslav "Tony Black" Schwarz (drums) as well as Karel Kahovec (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Vladimír Mišík (vocals, bluesharp). The latter two have been replaced in late 1966 by ex-Flamengo Viktor Sodoma jr. (vocals).
The Matadors formed in early 1965 from Fontana (The Fontanas), with members from Pra-Be and Komety (The Comets). Fontana's manager (and until early 1965 also their drummer) Wilfried Jelinek secured a promotional deal with an East German manufacturer of sound equipment and music instruments. Since the group began to use an electronic organ named Matador, they changed their name accordingly to promote it. The Matadors performed exclusively in East Germany until April 1966, their live repertoire consisted mostly of cover versions from popular beat groups like The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
or The Small Faces
The Small Faces
The Small Faces were an English rock and roll band from East London, heavily influenced by American rhythm and blues. The group was founded in 1965 by members Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston, although by 1966 Winston was replaced by Ian McLagan as the band's...
.
Supraphon
Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, it is oriented mainly towards publishing classical music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.- History :...
released two Matadors singles and two EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s, another two tracks appeared on an album compilation. The earlier original compositions were sung by Kahovec ("Sing A Song Of Sixpence", "Snad jednou ti dám") or Mišík ("Malej zvon co mám", "Don't Bother Me", "Old Mother Hubbard"). With lead singer Sodoma they recorded their only album in May and June 1968. The Matadors has been released as Supraphon 0130493 (mono)/1130493 (stereo), an export edition with a different sleeve has been released as Supraphon/Artia SUA ST 53992 (stereo) and SUA 13992 (mono). The material on the album includes instrumentals as well as vocal tracks sung in English. They recorded their own songs and covered R&B standards like "I Think It’s Gonna Work Out Fine" or Junior Walker's "Shotgun". The Matadors also covered Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
’s "My Girl" and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
’s "It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue" in Them
Them (band)
Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career...
's soulful arrangement. Original material includes "Hate Everything Except Of Hatter" [sic], "Indolence" and "Get Down From The Tree", which is featured on Rhino Records’ Nuggets II compilation. Hladík, the most inventive Czechoslovak rock guitarist of that time, was hailed as the "Czech Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
".
The most successful Matadors line-up broke up in summer 1968. Radim Hladík then established Blue Effect (later also known as Modrý Efekt or M Efekt) with the original Matadors lead singer Vladimír Mišík. Jan Obermayer joined Petr Novák
Petr Novák
Petr Novák , was a Czech rock musician. He's best known for his romantic Beatles inspired pop songs with his bands George and Beatovens and Flamengo in the late 60s.-Biography:...
's George & Beatovens. Viktor Sodoma jr. pursued a solo career as a pop singer, backed by various groups and orchestras. Best remembered was his 1971-1973 collaboration with Shut Up, later known as the František Ringo Čech Group, with whom he recorded numerous "bubble-gum" singles and one side of his only solo album.
Otto Bezloja and Tony Black briefly reformed the Matadors, joined by ex-Komety lead singer Miloš "Reddy" Vokurka, Jiří Matoušek on organ and Petr Netopil on guitar. In fall 1968 they left to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
where they worked as the house band of a German edition of the Hair musical
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
. In the early seventies the nucleus of that band evolved to the Germany-based progressive rock group Emergency.
The Matadors reunited in 1991 and made rare public appearances until 2008. Otto Bezloja died in 2001.
External links
- musicologica.cz, about The Matadors, in Czech
- ostbeat.de, about The Matadors, in German
- eastrock.alfaspace.net, about The Matadors, in English
- forcedexposure.com about The Matadors album, in English
- Blue Effect/Radim Hladík, official web site, in Czech
- Vladimír Mišík, official web site, in Czech
- Jan F. Obermeyer, official web site, in German