There is no doubt that the most popular band in Puerto Rico and South America during the 1970s was Roberto Roena’s Apollo Sound.

“Lucky 7” was Roena’s seventh effort with Fania International Records, following his discreet debut as the co-leader of Los Megatones, and a fruitful career as the bongo player for Rafael Cortijo’s Combo and later, Rafael Ithier’s Gran Combo.

With “Lucky 7,” Roena cemented his popularity at the continental level, thanks to the arrangement of an innovative song that broke the mold of the irresistible salsa sound institutionalized in New York during the 70s: “Mi desengaño," by Julio Merced and Pucho Soufront.

In 1976, the Apollo Sound and its new vocalist, Papo Sánchez, a proud native of Hatillo, Puerto Rico, rose to the top of the charts with this nostalgic song of unrequited love. In the arrangement, trombonist Julio Merced himself incorporated the rhythm of the samba into this son infused with bossanova, jazz, and bomba.
The success of “Mi desengaño” inspired many to reinvent their salsa sound and formula, producing more elaborate, harmonically sophisticated arrangements, such as those Marty Sheller created for Willie Colón in New York.

In addition to being the foundation for Papo Sánchez’s spectacular debut, “Lucky 7" boasted the arrangements and compositions of such veteran musicians as trombonists Luis “Perico” Ortiz and Elías Lopés, pianists Papo Lucca and Jorgito Millet, and the King of Bass, Bobby Valentín. The album starts out with the guaguancó number “Que me castigue Dios,” sung by Sammy “El Rolo” González, a star vocalist of the Apollo Sound until “La 8va maravilla," the band's next album. On "Que me castigue Dios," we hear then-newcomer Rubén Blades reciting verses at the end that would earn him the repudiation of feminist organizations today, but that in 1976 were applauded by the machista culture of the industry:
Que se me seque la boca/si yo te vuelvo a besar/Y si te vuelvo a mirar/que se me nuble la vista/me cansó tu mal aliento/que nunca te reproché/también te huelen los pies/y sé que ni los gusanos/contigo meterían mano en ese día que te mueras/Tú una vaca cualquiera y yo un caballo con clase/ojalá un truck te pase por encima la cabeza/ pa’ que salga la sucieza con que tú a mi me trataste.

“Lucky 7” also satisfied the demands of the dancing community. Although many may have crossed paths dancing to the samba number “Mi desengaño” and the fusion of “Que me castigue Dios,” the meringue hit “La mala maña” (arranged by the band’s pianist, Quisquey Chokie Acosta), the pachanga/cumbia number “Estás equivocada,” Arsenio Rodríguez’s composition “A bailar mi bomba,” and the guaguancó hits “Me le fugué a la candela,” “La hija de la vecina,” and “Fea” gratified the couples overflowing out of dance clubs such as Rancho Luna, El Moroco, and El Carretero.

There is no doubt that the best incarnation of the Apollo Sound’s orchestra was the one that played on “Lucky 7:” flutist Miguel Rodríguez, trumpet player Mario Cora, timbal player Cuqui Santos, congo player Papo Clemente, and trombonist Julio Merced, who would later abandon the band along with Papo Sánchez to form Salsa Fever. Three decades after its release, the album is a true classic.

Credits

Mario Alvarez – Trumpet
Darío Morales – Trumpet
Fernando Marcano – Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Miguel Rodríguez – Tenor Saxophone and Flute
Julio Merced – Trombone
Carlos Rodríguez – Piano
Papo Clemente – Congas
Pucho Soufront – Bass
Cuqui Santos – Timbales
Roberto Roena – Bongos

Vocals - Sammy González and Papo Sánchez
Chorus - Justo Betancourt, Paquito Guzmán, and Mario Alvarez

Engineers - Jon Fausty and Jonatan Castro
Original Photos - Lee Marshall
Original Cover Design - Ron Levine
Original Concept - Roberto Roena
Produced by Roberto Roena
Recorded at Good Vibration Sound Studios in N.Y.C. and at Echo Sound Corp in P.R


Written by Jaime Torres-Torres
LESS >