THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,373) Marisol — “Corazón Contento”/“Happy Heart”
I’ve already featured what I called “surely the greatest of all pre-MTV videos” — all by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity (see #1,031-33). Well, here is a challenger worthy of the title. At the very least, Spain’s iconic actress and singer Marisol gives us the “Addicted to Love” of the 60’s — an utterly enthralling, mesmerizing, and alluring scene from the movie El taxi de los conflictos/The problem cab with her singing the effervescent “Corazón Contento”/“Happy Heart”. The song “features a driving, stomping arrangement where strings sweep and swirl and Marisol delivers a vocal that is a mixture of power and emotion” and is “a potent and heady brew”. (Derek, https://dereksmusicblog.com/2018/02/10/beat-girls-espanol-1960s-she-pop-from-spain/) It was written by Argentinian “singer, producer, businessman, politician, and actor” (https://www.discogs.com/artist/202563-Palito-Ortega?superFilter=Releases&subFilter=Singles+%26+EPs&page=3) Palito Ortega, and he and Marisol released it separately as A-sides in ’68. They also joined together for a delicious TV mash-up of their two versions.
What was El taxi about? Ma-cortes writes:
Throughout the day Taxi driver Tadeo . . . meets heterogeneous roles get into his taxi. In the morning a couple of ¨Paletos¨ or Rednecks . . . gets in the cab and he drives them all aroung Madrid. Shortly after, a suspicious and allegedly wealthy man . . . getting in car, but Tadeo’s eventually robbed and naked. Things go wrong when when he arrives in the Police Station to denounce and is interrogated by the cops. Later on , a person leaves a baby in the taxi and Tadeo must find out where the little one belongs. Finally, Tadeo has an appointment with a strange woman . . . who apparently needs to tell him something very fundamental. [It is a f]unny and amusing comedy . . . . [t]he hilarious happenings are continuous, ridiculous and sometimes extremely silly, but in some moments here and there, they are also bold and risible. This film is made to entertain . . . . Bemusing story with enjoyable but also absurd moments and attractive acting by likable comedians, a real Spanish star-studded. . . . Special mention for the famous songs sungs by popular performers, such as: ¨Será el amor¨ . . . [p]erformed by Carmen Sevilla; ¨Corazón contento¨ . . . [p]erformed by Marisol; ¨Que me coma el tigre¨ . . . [p]erformed by Lola Flores and Antonio González ‘El Pescaílla’ and ¨Pleitos tengas¨ . . . [p]erformed by Peret.
As to Marisol, Last FM tells us:
Marisol also known as Pepa Flores, was born Maria Josefa Flores . . . in Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. From early on, she demonstrated a great love of singing and traditional flamenco dance. In 1959, she was discovered by the film producer, Manuel J. Goyanes, who saw one of her appearances on television. She became an international sensation, from Spain to Japan. The film director, Luis Lucia Mingarro, propelled her to national stardom in the film trilogy Un rayo de luz (Ray of Light), Ha llegado un ángel (An Angel Has Arrived) and Tómbola (Lottery). The films featured Marisol singing one of her best-known songs: “La vida es una tómbola” (Life is a Lottery), among others like “Corre, corre, caballito” (Run, run, little pony), “Bambina”, “Ola, ola, ola”, “Estando contigo” (Being With You), “Chiquitina” (Little girl) or “Nueva melodía” (A New Melody). In 1963 she also starred the funny Marisol Rumbo a Río (Marisol Is Bound For Rio), where she played both twins like Hailey Mills in “The Parent Trap” and sang “Bossanova junto a ti” (Bossanova close to you), “Muchachita” (Little Woman), “¡Oh, Tony!” and “Guajiras”. Besides she co-starred with Robert Conrad in 1964’s movie called La Nueva Cenicienta (The New Cinderella). In that movie movie she sang another of her best-known songs: “Me conformo” (I Don’t Need Much). Mel Ferrer directed her in Cabriola (Everyday Is A Holiday) in 1965 where she sang one of her most beautiful songs: “Cabriola”. During that movie Audrey Hepburn herself went shopping with Marisol to Paris. . . . In 1967 she starred as adult film star in the comedy Las cuatro bodas de Marisol (The Four Weddings of Marisol) . . . . She also played Solo los dos (Just We Both), where she featured “La nieve” — Marisol’s most popular song in South America . . . . In 1969 she appeared in the choral comedy El taxi de los conflictos (The problem cab), where she sang the popular “Corazón contento”, composed by the famous Argentinian singer Palito Ortega. She was a familiar children’s icon during the 1960s, and entertained many high-ranking dignitaries, including Francisco Franco. As an adult, she was awarded the Best Actress prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for her role in Los Días del Pasado (Days Gone By). A few years before she also played La corrupción de Chris Miller (The corruption of Chris Miller), directed by Juan Antonio Bardem, the uncle of awarded Spanish actor Javier Bardem; La chica del Molino Rojo (The Girl from the Red Cabaret) . . ; and El poder del deseo (The Power of Desire) . . . . As an adult she replaced her stage name with her given name, Pepa Flores. . . . She has three daughters from her relationship with the late dancer Antonio Gades . . . . Pepa Flores is retired and lives with her husband in Málaga, where she works for charitable causes. She was a sympathizer but never a member of the Spanish Communist Party. . . . The Spanish press calls her “un mito”, a living myth.
As to Palito, Drago Bonacich writes:
Argentinian Palito Ortega’s career began in the late ’50s, nicknamed Palito [“stick”] due to his thinness. . . . After RCA signed him, his songs frequently climbed local charts, which allowed him to start an acting career. While singing his smash “Yo Tengo Fé” and playing a main role in the musical Un Muchacho Como Yo, Palito Ortega consolidated his popularity throughout Latin America. . . . In 1991, [he] joined the Argentinian politic fraction Partido Justicialista, formed a group called Frente de la Esperanza, and was elected Tucumán’s Governor . . . . [and i]n . . . 1995 . . . [he] was elected senator. His Justicialist Party nominated him for the Vice-Presidency in 1999, but his party lost the general elections that year and he retired from civil service.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/palito-ortega-mn0000009408#biography
'68 at Galas del Sábado:
Here is Palito Ortega:
Here are Marisol and Palito mashing it up:
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