Lovin’ Tex Mex Style

http://www.renaud-bray.com

http://www.renaud-bray.com

*** Résumé en anglais seulement ***In 1974, record producer Huey P Meaux approached Freddy Fender about overdubbing vocals for an instrumental track. Fender agreed, performing the song bilingual style, singing the first verse in English, then repeating the verse in Spanish, something he repeated over the course of his career. That first track was the #1 crossover hit Before the Next Teardrop Falls. The recording only took a few minutes, Fender once told an interviewer. I was glad to get it over with and I thought that would be the last of it. Before the Next Teardrop Falls immediately took off in popularity when released to country radio in January 1975 on Dot Records, a division of ABC Records. The song rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in March, spending two weeks atop the chart. Amazingly, the song caught on just as strongly at Top 40 radio stations and it was not long before Fender had a #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit as well. Billboard ranked Before the Next Teardrop Falls as the No. 4 song for 1975, beating out massive hits including Fame by David Bowie, One of These Nights by The Eagles and Lady Marmalade by Labelle. The song is about a man's undaunted determination to save his heart for the just-departed object of his deep (but unrequited) love, and sincere hope that should the woman's new relationship not work out, she will remember his love and return to him. Wasted Days and Wasted Nights, another track released by Fender in 1975 came in at #26, ahead of hits from Ohio Players, Elton John, Barry Manilow and other hit makers. His success was even more amazing, coming during the heyday of disco. Beyond his solo career, Fender performed with groups including Los Super Seven (a Latino 'Super Group' that included Doug Sahm, Joe Ely, David Hidalgo, Flaco Jimenez and others) and the Texas Tornados (Doug Sahm,. Flaco Jiminez and Augie Meyers). While notable for his genre-crossing appeal, several of Fender's hits featured verses or choruses in Spanish. Bilingual songs rarely hit the pop charts, often perceived as novelty hits, but Fender developed a track record of bi-lingual hits, expanding the rich culture of Tex-Mex music.