Toro -

Toro was an American Latin-rock band that released a 1975 self-titled album on Coco Records.

Members: Andy Sanchez (vocals), Larry Harlow (keyboards), Steve Napoleoni Monge (guitar), Eddie Perez (guitar), Felix Tollinchi (rhythm guitar), Paul Alicea (timbales), John Headsley Down (drums), Frankie Mallabe (congas)

Background

Toro (Spanish for “bull”) was an offshoot of the Harvey Averne Barrio Band, a New York cha-cha funk band that released a 1971 album on the self-run Heavy Duty Records. The Barrio Band included keyboardist Larry Harlow, conguero Frankie Mallabe, and guitarists Felix Tollinchi and Steve Napoleoni Monge.

Larry, the brother of Miami salsa artist Andy Harlow, headed twelve prior albums with Orchestra Harlow. He also played in the Fania All Stars, a revolving-door salsa dura ensemble that included veteran Puerto Rican cuatro player Yomo Toro. In 1970, Harlow cut an album with Ambergris, a Blood, Sweat & Tears spinoff. As Toro got underway, he played on the 1974 Fania Records debut by Bronx Latin rockers Seguida.

The Toro octet lineup solidified with singer Andy Sanchez, guitarist Eddie Perez, timbalist Paul Alicea, and drummer John Headsley-Down. Alicea played on prior albums by Eddie Palmieri, George Benson, and the La Playa Sextet & Orchestra. Headsley-Down (aka John Siomos, a Chicago native) played on the 1966 Chicago Loop hit “(When She Wants Good Lovin’) My Baby Comes to Me,” a Bob Crewe production with Mike Bloomfield. His rock credits included early Seventies titles by Buzz Linhart, Carly Simon, Moogy Klingman, Todd Rundgren (Something / Anything?, A Wizard, a True Star), and mid-decade albums by Derringer and Peter Frampton.

Toro recorded under the auspices of Barrio Band leader Harvey Averne, a Brooklyn salsa mogul with multiple production credits behind Ray Barretto and Ralfi Pagan. Their first single, “Falling In Love” backed with “Cabo Rojo” [“Red Cape”], appeared in 1973 on Averne’s Coco label.

Toro (album)

Toro released their self-titled album in August 1975 on Coco Records (US, Benelux, France, Venezuela).

The album interweaves Latin percussion with electric rock instrumentation, synthesizer textures, and rhythm-section drive. Tracks vary between uptempo numbers with extended percussion interplay and slower songs with soulful phrasing.

Keyboardist Larry Harlow plays Moog, Mellotron, clavinet, and multiple pianos. Guitarist Eddie Perez plays bass throughout, while Vinnie De Paola contributes piano and Moog programming on “Nena,” his sole track appearance. Toro arranged the album as a group and share collective coro credits. The final track, “Going to Borinquen,” features dog effects by Scottie.

A1. “Ramona” (4:04)
A2. “Small Folk Reservation” (3:03)
A3. “Fields of Laughter” (4:42)
A4. “Falling in Love” (3:13) – paced rock-funk track with horn-style accents, compared to P-Funk’s “Red Hot Mama”
A5. “Like the Sun (N.Y.C.)” (5:48)

B1. “Michaela” (4:24)
B2. “Cabo Rojo” (3:01)
B3. “Nena” (3:58)
B4. “Going to Borinquen” (7:49)

Sessions occurred at Good Vibrations studio with engineer Alan Manger. Dave Palmer remixed the album at Electric Lady Studios. Al Brown handled mastering. Harvey Averne produced the album under his Heavy Duty production arm. The LP labels feature the lime concentric Coco icon and open coconut image.

Toro features artwork by illustrator Walter Velez. The red cover presents a minimal bull head graphic with an embedded black band logo. Select copies sported a white sticker stating “Latin Hustle with TORO.”

A second single pairing “Like the Sun” with “Michaela” appeared on Scepter in 1975.

In 1976, Philips issued Toro in Japan with a blue obi strip. In 1977, the album reappeared in Europe as Banana Split on the Dutch label Scrabble, housed in a new sleeve with an illustrated pin-up style image. Scrabble lifted “Ramona” as a 12″ single in a yellow die-cut sleeve (b/w “Going to Borinquen”)