Carmen -

Carmen was an English-American flamenco-rock band, formed in Los Angeles by guitarist–keyboardist David Allen. They relocated to London and released the 1973–74 albums Fandangos in Space and Dancing on a Cold Wind on Regal Zonophone. After opening the 1975 US Jethro Tull tour, Carmen recorded The Gypsies for Mercury.

Members: David Allen (vocals, guitar, piano, Mellotron, synthesizer), Angela Allen (vocals, piano, Mellotron, synthesizer), Dennis Trerotola (vocals, 1970-71), Marc Anthony (guitar, 1970-72), Brian Glascock (drums, 1970-73), Adam Moody (guitar, 1970-71), Mark Moody (bass, 1970-71), Vicente (1970-71), Rick Chavez (guitar, 1971-72), Nigel Griggs (bass, 1971-72), Roberto Amaral (vocals, vibraphone, chimes, castanets, percussion, 1971-75), John Glascock (bass, vocals, synthesizer, 1972-75), Paul Fenton (drums, percussion, vocals, 1973-75), Mary Hopkin (vocals, 1974), Chris Karan (percussion, 1974), David Katz (violin, 1974)

Background

Carmen formed in Los Angeles, where teenage music veteran David Allen conceived a flamenco-rock act with his younger sister, Angela.

Their parents, Clark Allen (1925–2008) and Margarita Cordova (b. 193?), owned and operated the El Cid flamenco club at 4212 Sunset Blvd in East Hollywood. Clark was an accomplished flamenco guitarist and modernist painter who exhibited locally and sold multiple works to actor Vincent Price. Margarita was a flamenco dancer and actress who appears in 1960 episodes of The Twilight Zone (“A Thing About Machines”) and Peter Gunn (“Cry Love, Cry Murder”) and plays a dancer in the 1961 Western film One-Eyed Jacks, starring Marlon Brando.

Earlier Bands

Dave Allen got his showbiz start at age four as a member of his parent’s nightclub act, Sabicas. At thirteen, he formed the Offbeats, a Beatles-inspired band with bassist Dennis Trerotola, guitarist Paul Dobies, and drummer Ricky Cameron. They performed three songs on the September 1, 1965, broadcast of the ABC music program Shindig. After the 1966 Tower single “Mary” (b/w “You Tell Me”), Angela joined and they became Somebody’s Chyldren, which released one single on Uptown Records (“Shadows”) and two on Dagonet as The Chyldren (“This Sporting Life,” “Cut Your Lawn”).

The Chyldren’s producer, Dave Mallet, linked the teenage band with pre-code film siren Mae West (1893–1980). They provide backing on her 1966 rock album Way Out West, which contains covers of The Beatles (“Day Tripper”), the Isley Brothers (“Twist and Shout”), and Johnny Kid & The Pirates (“Shakin’ All Over”).

Allen then formed The Mariane, a psychedelic rock band with Trerotola, Cameron, and vocalist Samra. They recorded multiple sides, including the 1968 single “Like a See Saw” (b/w “You Had Better Change Your Evil Ways”) on EMI Columbia. After two years, Allen and Trerotola formed the spinoff duo Brave Butter, which cut the 1970 single “Calendar” (b/w “The Sound of It”) on Happy Tiger Records.

Carmen Forms

As Allen talent-searched for his flamenco-rock concept, his visited the Viper Room on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, where patrons linked him with bassist Mark Moody and English drummer Brian Glascock, a recent transplant who played in a sequence of Gods precursors (The Juniors, The Hi Numbers, The Favorite Sons) with his bassist brother John. The Glascocks recently played on the second album by blues rockers Toe Fat.

The next arrival was flamenco dancer Roberto Amaral, the son of composer Nestor Amaral, the onetime musical director for Brazilian showbiz legend Carmen Miranda. Roberto started flamenco at age fifteen and danced professionally at El Cid between stints in Madrid, where Margarita contacted him about her son’s band. He flew back in December 1971 and joined the Allen siblings.

Moody cleared for English bassist Nigel Griggs, the onetime Octopus member who recently played in an abortive lineup of Khan. After Green’s short tenure (he later surfaced in Split Enz), Brian summoned John Glascock, who departed Chicken Shack to join Carmen, which secured management in Byron Griffith, the representative of actress Donna Douglas (The Beverly Hillbillies) and the nephew of silent film director D.W. Griffith.

Allen spent his college reserve fund on Carmen’s relocation to England. However, Brian Glascock opted to remain in LA (where he later surfaced in The Motels). In London, Allen went to a Kensington Market snakeskin apparel shop, where staff informed him of drummer Paul Fenton, a recent touring member of pop-rockers Christie. Upon his return from a South American tour, Fenton joined Carmen just weeks before their first sessions. He linked the band with Christie’s manager, Brian Longley.

Carmen signed with Regal Zonophone and enlisted producer Tony Visconti, a soundman for David Bowie and T. Rex. Bowie booked them for the 1980 Floor Show, a three-night event (October 18–20, 1973) at London’s Marquee Club with sets by Marianne Faithfull and The Troggs. In November, the NBC music program The Midnight Special aired 39 minutes of the event, including the Carmen number “Bulerias.”

Fandangos in Space

Carmen released their debut album, Fandangos in Space, in November 1973 on Regal Zonophone (UK, Australia) and EMI Electrola (Germany). The album contains nine proper songs (duration: 46:45).

Dave Allen composed “Sailor Song,” “Lonely House,” “Tales of Spain,” and “Bulerias,” a three-part suite. He co-wrote the second suite, “Looking Outside (My Window),” with Roberto Amaral, who contributed “Bullfight,” “Stepping Stone” and the album’s title track. Side B contains one group-written piece (“Retirando”) and the prelude “Por Tarantos,” an Allen-arranged traditional.

Dave plays electric and flamenco guitar on Fandangos, which features Angela on mellotron and synthesizer and Roberto on vibraphone and castanets. The latter two also performed “footwork” (tape-dance sounds).

A1. “Bulerias” (5:24)
— a) “Cante”
— b) “Baile”
— c) “Reprise”
A2. “Bullfight” (4:28)
A3. “Stepping Stone” (2:52)
A4. “Sailor Song” (5:13)
A5. “Lonely House” (4:07)

B1. “Por Tarantos” (1:44)
B2. “Looking Outside (My Window)” (7:20)
— a) “Theme”
— b) “Zorongo”
— c) “Finale”
B3. “Tales of Spain” (5:17)
B4. “Retirando” (2:14)
B5. “Fandangos in Space” (4:33)
B6. “Reprise Finale” (3:00)

Sessions occurred in London at Air Studios and EMI Studios with Tony Visconti, who produced Fandangos in Space in sequence with albums by T. Rex (Tanx) and Gas Works, a Regal Zonophone folk-comedy act.

Fandangos credits four engineers, including EMI’s John Kurlander (Fusion Orchestra, Kevin Ayers, Mandingo, Roy Wood) and AIR’s Alan Harris, who worked concurrently with Mott the Hoople, Shoot, Silverhead, and Thin Lizzy. Additional work occurred at John Kongos Studio, owned and operated by the former singer/songwriter and onetime bandleader (G-Men, Floribunda Rose/Scrugg).

Fandangos appeared in a gatefold with Flamenco-dance-sequence photos of Angela and Roberto on the inner-gate. The photographer, Peter Howe, also snapped 1973/74 cover images for Badfinger, Laurie Styvers, Linda Lewis, and the Tony Ashton/Jon Lord collaborative album First of the Big Bands. This was the inaugural LP for Visconti’s Good Earth Productions, the firm behind prior singles for his then-wife, Welsh singer Mary Hopkin.

Regal Zonophone lifted an edited “Bulerias” as a single (b/w “Stepping Stone”). In April 1974, “Lonely House” appeared on the b-side of “Flameco Fever,” a non-album Amaral number.

A. “Flameco Fever” (3:24)

In September 1974, Fandangos in Space appeared in the US on Dunhill with new cover art. Carmen supported the album on opening dates with Blue Oyster Cult, Santana, and Electric Light Orchestra.

Dancing on a Cold Wind

Carmen released their second album, Dancing on a Cold Wind, in January 1975 on Regal Zonophone (UK, Netherlands), EMI (Japan, Argentina), and Harvest (Venezuela). The album contains five individual songs and a side-long suite (total duration: 49:04).

Side A contains two songs by David Allen (“I’ve Been Crying,” “She Flew Across the Room”) and one (“Drifting Along”) by Roberto Amaral, who co-wrote “Purple Flowers” with bassist John Glascock. Carmen group-wrote “Viva Mi Sevilla” and “Remembrances (Recuerdos de Espana),” a 24-minute suite in nine parts.

Amaral, Glascock, drummer Paul Fenton, and the Allen siblings retain their instrumental roles on Cold Wind, augmented by veteran jazz percussionist Chris Karan and classical violinist David Katz, who conducts the Pop Arts String Quintet, arranged by Tony Visconti, whose wife provides backing vocals.

A1. “Viva Mi Sevilla” (6:03)
A2. “I’ve Been Crying” (5:08)
A3. “Drifting Along” (3:19)
A4. “She Flew Across the Room” (3:57)
A5. “Purple Flowers” (6:47)

“Remembrances (Recuerdos de Espana)”
B1. “Table Two For One (Zambra)” (2:15)
B2. “She’s Changed” (2:57)
B3. “Gypsy Girl (Caravan)” (3:15)
B4. “The City” (1:36)
B5. “Time (She’s No Lady)” (1:24)
B6. “People Dressed in Black” (4:05)
B7. “Dancing on a Cold Wind” (2:11)
B8. “The Horseman” (4:01)
B9. “Conclusion (She Changed)” (1:54)

Sessions occurred in London with Visconti, who produced Dancing on a Cold Wind in sequence with 1975 albums by David Bowie (Young Americans), Sparks (Indiscreet), and Argent (Counterpoints). He used one of Hopkin’s prior backing musicians, contrabassist Danny Thompson (ex-Pentangle), as an auxiliary player.

Katz conducted strings on 1974/75 albums by Jimmy Webb and Rick Wakeman. Karan (a Sixties-era Roy Budd sideman) played on concurrent titles by Babe Ruth and the Walker Brothers. Thompson also played on the 1975 Island release Sunday’s Child, the sixth solo studio album by John Martyn.

House of Wizzard artist Ken Hilton designed the Dancing on a Cold Wind cover as a spoof of the Gitanes cigarette logo.

In January 1975, Carmen supported Jethro Tull on their 13-week North America tour behind War Child. After the final date in Boston, Carmen decamped to Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, to record the next album.

The Gypsies

Carmen released their third album, The Gypsies, in 1975 on Mercury. The album contains five David Allen compositions and one song each credited to Roberto Amaral (“Joy”), John Glascock (“High Time”), and Angela Allen (“Dedicated to Lydia”). Side B wraps with “Margarita,” a group-credited number.

Roberto plays vibes, castanets, chimes, and percussive sundries on The Gypsies, which has David multi-tasked on guitar, piano, synthesizer, and mellotron; the last three split with Angela, whose then-partner, John, doubles as bassist and third synthesist.

A1. “Daybreak” (5:10)
A2. “Shady Lady” (4:02)
A3. “High Time” (3:21)
A4. “Dedicated to Lydia” (2:52)
A5. “Joy” (3:47)

B1. “The Gypsies” (7:32)
B2. “Siren of the Sea” (3:53)
B3. “Come Back” (3:52)
B4. “Margarita” (3:15)

Sessions occurred at Long View Farm Studios with Steve Elson, a prior Christie soundman. Paul Fenton summoned Elson after band manager Brian Longley triangulated Carmen’s working relationship with Tony Visconti. Long View’s Gil Markle engineered The Gypsies ahead of titles by Stuff, Larry Coryell, and Gladys Knight & The Pips.

The Gypsies appeared in a single sleeve designed by Joe Kotleba of the AGI graphics firm (Ohio Players, LeRoy Hutson, The Notations). Longley wrote the white-on-rust liner notes, which appear amid photos of an unidentified flamenco lady by Dennis Scott, whose suggestive imagery marks later releases by Billy Butler and Spunk. His Gypsie appears from below the neck (front) with an arm straddling a bedside littered with cigarettes and booze. The album’s ‘flamenco floozie’ theme mirrors the cover imagery of Last Tango, the 1975 third album by Esperanto, a multi-nation flamenco rock band.

Breakup

Despite Carmen’s high spirits when they arrived at Long View Farm, they unraveled as The Gypsies sessions commenced due to Longley’s mismanagement. Purportedly, his heavy-handedness cost Carmen a spot on the Rolling Stones‘ 1975 North American tour. Meanwhile, Fenton sustained a horseback injury that further dampened their time in North Brookfield.

As members dispersed, Glascock remained at Long View and worked as a potato farmer. After six months, he received an offer from Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson. John made his Tull debut on their 1976 album Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die, which also features backing vocals by Angela on the track “Crazed Institution.” Glascock played on their 1977/78 classics Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses and their 1978 live double-album Bursting Out. After recording three songs for their 1979 album Stormwatch, he died at age 28 from a congenital heart valve defect.

Fenton joined T. Rex for their 1976/77 albums Futuristic Dragon and Dandy In the Underworld. David Allen surfaced on 1978 disco titles by Charisma, Leroy Gomez, and Romance.

Discography: