THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,814) Juan and Junior — “Anduriña”
Warning — If you are from Spain, read no further, because songs don’t get more famous than this beguiling and mysterious ballad with a melody for the ages. Baladas Inolvidables De Siempre/Unforgettable Ballads of All Time writes (courtesy of Google Translate):
“Anduriña” was a popular summer song recorded by the Spanish duo Juan y Junior in 1968. Composed by Juan Pardo, the song is set in Galicia and tells the story of a young woman affectionately nicknamed Anduriña who has disappeared, although one of the oldest residents of the village is confident of her eventual return. The back cover of the record features an original drawing by Pablo Picasso, the only one he ever created for an album cover.
As to Picasso, Rubén Ventureira writes (courtesy of Google Translate):
On the back cover was an original drawing by Picasso, dated January 23, 1968. A shrewd executive at the record company didn’t want it on the front cover, as the musicians had hoped, because he considered it uncommercial. It was the only time the artist from Málaga illustrated a record. The Galician journalist and writer Antonio D. Olano acted as the go-between for the painter and the singers. In 1968, he took a demo of the song to the artist in France, shortly before its release. Picasso loved the song so much that it inspired a drawing. “If you don’t like these doodles, tear them up. I’ll do something more serious for you,” the Andalusian artist said.
As to Juan and Junior, JM Moratinos tells the tale (courtesy of Google Translate):
They were perhaps the most important duo in the history of Spanish pop . . . . Despite their ephemeral artistic career of less than three years, they were considered by many to be the best, as they lived through the period of greatest boom and splendor in Spanish music. Furthermore, never has such a short discography been so fruitful and triumphant: with only 12 (official) recorded songs on 6 singles, all of them hugely successful. . . . Juan Ignacio Pardo Suárez was born . . . in Palma de Mallorca, although both his family and his upbringing were Galician: his father was an admiral in the Navy . . . . Juan was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps . . . . [going] to Madrid in 1960 to enter the Naval Academy. Music fever soon gripped him in the capital. At first, he combined his studies with performing as a singer and guitarist in several bands: first Los Vándalos, and in 1962 Los Teleko . . . . He was about to enter the Naval Academy, but was diagnosed with color blindness, which ultimately prevented his enrollment. . . . In 1963, he recorded his first solo record with Philips (Fontana), an EP . . . . open[ing] with . . . “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On,” and includes his first composition, the melancholic ballad “Nila.” Just a few months later, he was called upon to be the lead singer of Los Pekenikes, replacing Junior, who would become his duo partner almost four years later. During his brief year with Los Pekenikes, he recorded 12 songs before being recruited in late 1964 to co-found Los Brincos, along with Fernando Arbex, Manolo González, and Antonio Morales (Junior). Antonio Morales Barretto was born in Manila . . . . [t]he son of a Spanish father and a Filipino mother . . . . In 1953 the Morales family emigrated to Spain . . . . [W]ith the first guitar he received as a gift, he began performing at school parties . . . . His refined air and Asian features quickly attracted attention, and these, along with his perfect command of English . . . as well as Spanish, and his melodious voice singing popular songs, began to open many doors for him. In 1962, he joined Los Pekenikes as lead vocalist . . . . He combined this role with playing guitar and singing backing vocals on recordings by Los Jumps . . . . With Los Pekenikes, he recorded 12 songs (three EPs) before leaving the group in early 1964 (interestingly, Juan Pardo would be his vocal replacement in the Madrid-based band). That same year, 1964, Philips launched him as a solo singer, recording an EP of Spanish versions of British beat songs by the Beatles, the Searchers, and . . . Cliff Richard[] . . . with whose voice his voice began to be compared. But the potential commercial success of this record was overshadowed when, at the end of that year, Luis Sartorius recruited him to co-found Los Brincos, where he would play alongside Juan Pardo. . . . After two years of spectacular success . . . a schism emerged within the group . . . . [A]poarently, disagreements arose over their live sound. Criticism intensified after their performance at the Benidorm festival that summer, leading Juan Pardo and Junior to decide to take back the reins of the group behind the back of its leader, Fernando Arbex. The maneuver failed, as Arbex had registered the Brincos trademark, prompting them to consider disbanding the group; this too proved impossible . . . . As a result, the two dissidents had no choice but to leave the group. . . . [T]he duo Juan and Junior was born. Under the same record label as Los Brincos (Novola) and with the same producer . . . Juan and Junior embarked on an adventure that was as successful as, or even more successful than, their previous work. . . . [They] prepared their debut. For backing tracks and recordings, they enlisted the band Cocktail . . . . Juan and Junior maintain a classic pop style, with their signature bright voices so recognizable from the original Brincos sound, and . . . instrumental arrangements that are considerably denser and more intricate than in their previous incarnation. . . . In March 1967, Juan and Junior released their first single, “La caza” . . . . an immediate success, reaching number one on the charts within weeks . . . . The music press of the time took notice, fueling the rivalry between the duo and their former group. . . . Frequent live and television performances followed. In July 1967, the second single was released: “Bajo el sol”/“Nos falta fe” . . . . [B]oth songs climbed to the top of the charts again . . . . After the summer, Juan and Junior and their band went to London to record their new songs, this time under the direction of producer Mike Smith. . . . In November 1967, as a result of these recording sessions, they released their third single: “A dos niñas” . . . . another chart hit . . . . In March 1968, Juan and Junior released their most acclaimed song, “Anduriña,” as their fourth single . . . . For the first time, they told a story in their lyrics, about a girl who runs away from a Galician village—a text that resonates with Juan’s upbringing in his adopted homeland. “Anduriña” adds a gentle folk touch that, far from diverting the duo from their established style, lends a unique charm that will further connect with a wider audience . . . . By mid-1968, Juan and Junior were at the height of their popularity. They performed extensively both in Spain and abroad. . . . In the lead-up to the summer of 1968, Juan and Junior released their fifth single: “Tiempo de amor” . . . . [which] climbed to the top of the charts . . . . [T]hey composed the songs for the film Solos los dos (Just the Two of Us) . . . . The year 1969 began with the release . . . [of their] sixth single: “Gone with the Wind” . . . . their last, because . . . the bombshell dropped: the duo split up. . . . [S]peculation about the separation of Juan and Junior proliferated . . . . Juan Pardo embarked on a long and successful career as a performer and as a producer or promoter of many artists . . . composing for many of them, as well as for commercials and television series, which has made him the highest-earning Spanish songwriter . . . . Junior embarked on an uneven solo career with some noteworthy but little-known albums . . . . In 1979, he returned to his native Philippines, where he recorded several albums and filmed movies in Tagalog . . . .
https://pionerosmadriddelpop.com/museo-virtual/sala-de-duos-trios/prueba-2/
TV (’68):
In color, ’68:
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