Saturday, July 2, 2011

CHICANO ROCKER - BOBBY REY



In the 1950's Chicanos wanted to play R&B and to them R&B meant saxophone & no Chicano played it better than Bobby Rey.

  Bobby Rey (Reyes) from Los Angeles, California started playing the clarinet at age twelve. By age 14 he was taking saxophone lessions from the great saxophonist, Earl Bostic. Rey became a regular member of the Masked Phantoms Band, a group put together by promoter Hal Zeiger to play every week at the El Monte Legion Stadium shows.

  In 1960 Bobby would record ""Corrido De Auld Lang Syne" amd "Rockin' J Bells" for Art Laboe's Original Sound label. Later in 1960 he was hired by Hal Zeiger to work as a talent scout for Eldo Records. There he discovered the group, the Safaris & help record their smash hit "Image Of A Girl" with his Masked Phantoms Band.

 As a result of having played in the Masked Phantoms, Rey was hired as band leader for a hastily assembled group called the Hollywood Argyles. In July 1960, while Rey was still working for Zeiger & Eldo Records, the Hollywood Argyles released a song called "Alley-Oop" which became a national smash hit although in the novelty genre.

 




You may listen to Little Bobby Rey & The Masked Phantom Bans "Corrido De Auld Lang Syne" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyXSszKmR24



You may listen to Little Bobby Rey & The Masked Phantom Band "Rockin' J Bells" here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_knsHDRvJk0


  Bobby Rey would also record "Night Beat" and "Night Theme" for Original Sound and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself A Letter" and "Such A Fool" for the Indigo label.









NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!!

Solely for historical, educational & listening pleasure.

11 comments:

  1. BOBBY WE MET AT THE BOOM BOOM ROOM IN BELLFLOUR,CA JIMMY HOLIDAY WAS YOUR LEAD SINGER ALSO AFTER HOURS AT CLUB SIVILLE IN HUNTINGTON PARK CA I WAS THERE WHEN YOU DELIVERD ROBIN MORALES SHE WAS YOUR FIRST WHAT HAPPENED TO ANDY MORALES? YOUR STILL THE BEST SAX I EVER HEARD KENT DAVIS

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  2. I made a big pot of chicken and dumplings for Bobby Roy back in 1968 while I was living in Los Angeles.

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  3. Sorry that was supposed to be Bobby Rey not Roy, stupid Autocorrect.

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  4. We were classmates at Roosevelt High and I have always remembered you as a kind and generous person. Congratulations on having a successful musical career. I still like to hear "Alley Oop"!

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  5. We were classmates at Roosevelt High and I have always remembered you as a kind and generous person. Congratulations on having a successful musical career. I still like to hear "Alley Oop"!

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  6. Great horn player. I worked with him on jobs playing bass with bar bands in the Norwalk,Lakewood, Downey area 1958- 1962. Bill Destro, Frank Andrade and Jim Balcom were a couple of players whose bands we were in. I did the after hours gig with Doug Salma and a saxplayer named Roland, who played an alto and a tenor sax at the same time at the Seville in Huntington Park, the Den, the Rusty Rooster, Hank & Stan's, the Go Room were places I played with Bobby. In 1958, while walking with Red Gilson and Jim Rector from the front door to the stage of the El Monte Legion Stadium, I suggested we wear masks, like the Phantom in the funny papers, so we could change players without the audience knowing. Bill Destro & the Destinys had just lost the job and we were scrambling for a band. The first group was Bud Deal, tenor sax, then Andy Gaydos, tenor, and then Bobby Rey. Ben Benay was replaced by Don Preston,guitarist. Andy and I left the group to go on the road and start a band called the Ramrods. Bobby replaced Andy. The Safaris, Image of a Girl, had a singer named Robin Paul. We went to Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra. He graduated. I did my senior year playing in Las Vegas.

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  7. My Sister and I sang with the Phantoms as the Petites with Jim Rector. We were on the same bill with all the Greats of that time including Ray Charles the Everly Brothers. Big Bopper,Buddy Holly the Medallions, Tony Allen the penguins and many more greats of that time.

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  8. Bobby I have pictures of us singing at El Monte with the Phantoms but don't know how to post them here.

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    1. This is his Son and I would love to have copies of those pictures. Please respond to
      rraazz@cox.net
      My name is also Robert Reyes

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  9. Bobby Rey passed away over a year ago in Los Angeles, having lived the last 6 years with his son Robert. Around 15 yrs ago, he told me that he brought a promo copy of his record "I'm Going to Sit Right Down..." to a party in LA to show it to several people, including Fabian. Fabian liked it & recorded same! Bobby told me yrs later ( with a chuckle) that "I couldn't compete with Fabian", even though Fabian really couldn't sing, had had voice instruction to overcome this, etc. But Fabian was a movie star, etc. Fabian was always insecure about this. If you listen to some of his recordings, you will understand!

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