Omega are a Hungarian rock band from Budapest that formed in 1962 and built one of Central Europe’s longest album runs. Their first phase paired singer János Kóbor, keyboardist László Benkő, drummer József Laux, bassist Tamás Mihály, guitarist György Molnár, and keyboardist-songwriter Gábor Presser across the late-1960s beat period, which produced Trombitás Frédi és a […]
BB Gabor — aka Gabor Hegedus (1948 — Jan. 17, 1990) — was a Hungarian-born/Canada-based singer, guitarist, and songwriter who released two albums in 1980/81 on Anthem. Background BB Gabor was born Gabor Hegedus in 1948 in Hungary. The Hegedus family fled Hungary during the Soviet suppression of the 1956 uprising and settled in London. […]
Syrius was a Hungarian jazz-rock band that was active through numerous lineups for 16 years, starting in 1962. The band appeared as Syrius Együttes on a string of split-singles released by Qualiton during the late 1960s. Between 1972 and 1976, the band released two albums on Pepita. Keyboardist Jackie Orszáczky departed for Australia after the […]
Mini was a Hungarian rock band that made three singles as Mini Együttes. Between 1978 and 1983, they released four albums on Pepita, including the Eastern jazz-funk artifact Vissza a Városba. Members: Ádám Török (vocals, flute), Zoltán Kiss (bass, 1968), Sándor Dobos (drums, 1968-70), Tibor Czipó (bass, guitar, 1968-71), János Závodi (guitar, 1968-71, 1980), Péter […]
Piramis was a Hungarian hard-rock band from Budapest, formed in 1974. The band released six albums and a live recording between 1977 and 1982 on Pepita. Members: Lajos Som (bass guitar, 1974-82), Miklós Köves (drums, 1974-present), János Závodi (lead guitar, 1974-present), Péter Gallai (keyboards, vocals, 1974-present), Tibor Lévay (vocals, keyboards, 1975), Sándor Révész (vocals, rhythm […]
Rudolf Tomsits (May 22, 1946 — June 11, 2003) was a Hungarian trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who appeared on numerous jazz-anthology albums issued by Qualiton during the 1960s. In 1978, he headed his own surnamesake Jazz Group for the Pepita release Álom és Valóság. Discography: Álom és Valóság (1978)
Supergroup was a Hungarian jazz-rock project comprised of prolific players from the ’70s/’80s Budapest music scene. The project yielded a live album on Pepita in 1982. Members: László Dés (saxophone), István Lerch (synthesizer, piano), János Másik (synthesizer, piano), Tibor Tátrai (guitar), János Karácsony (guitar), Tamás Tóth (bass), János Solti (drums), Gábor Szende (drums) Discography: Live […]
Solaris are a Hungarian symphonic-rock band from Budapest, formed in 1980. The band released their popular first album, Marsbéli Krónikák, in 1984 on the Start label, followed at lengthy intervals by two further studio sets over the next 15 year. Three decades after their debut, the band recorded a sequel disc. Members: Róbert Erdész (keyboards), […]
Skorpio was a Hungarian rock band whose 1974 debut A rohanás paired organ-led hard rock and spawned the setlist staples “Szevasz, haver” and “Így szólt hozzám a dédapám.” They embraced funk-rock on their 1976–78 albums Ünnepnap, Kelj fel!, and Gyere velem! Their next lineup carried three albums through the 1985 release Azt beszéli már az […]
Panta Rhei were a Hungarian symphonic-rock band from Debrecen, formed in 1974. The band released a pair of shortplayers on Pepita circa 1978/79, followed by an album on that label in 1981. Recordings from the 1976/77 era would later surface on the digital bootleg Bartok. The band evolved into P.R. Computer, which released an electronic […]
P.R. Computer were a Hungarian electronic trio that released a self-titled album on the Start label in 1983. Two years earlier, the band released an eponymous album under the name Panta Rhei. Members: Kálmán Matolcsy (synthesizer), András Szalay (bass, synthesizer), Sándor Szalay [aka Alex Szalay] (guitar, synthesizer) Discography: P.R. Computer (1983)
Peter Ogi is a Hungarian-born musician and composer who released a New Wave/art-pop album under the moniker O.G.I. on the French Pathé label in 1980. Discography: O.G.I. (1980)
Locomotiv GT was a Hungarian rock band from Budapest. Ringasd el magad and Bummm! established the early blues-rock format and yielded standards such as “Ringasd el magad,” “Kék asszony,” and “Miénk itt a tér”; Mindig magasabbra embraced funk, soul, and jazz elements on “Neked írom a dalt” and “Álomarcú lány,” followed by the broader pop-rock […]
Kormorán is a Hungarian folk-rock ensemble from Budapest, started in 1976. The band debuted with the popular Folk & Roll album on Pepita in 1984 and released seven further albums on assorted labels through the remainder of the decade. Members: Gergely Koltay ([Turkish] pipe, flute, recorder), György Bártfai (drums), Miklós Borhi (guitar), Tibor Czipó (bass), […]
Korál are a Hungarian hard-rock band from Budapest, formed in 1974. The band released multiple singles on Pepita during the second half of the 1970s, followed by three albums for the label between 1980 and 1984. Members: Ferenc Balázs [aka Fecó Balázs], (vocals, keyboards), Pál Makrai (guitar, 1974-76), András Kozma (bass, 1974-76), Győző Brunner (drums, […]
Kaszakő were a Hungarian jazz-rock band that was active for 10 years, starting in 1975. The band appeared on a 1977 split-single on Pepita and a 1981 various-artists live album on Krém. The latter label released the band’s singular album, Édenkert, in 1983. Members: Attila László (guitar), Kornél Horváth (flute, percussion), Endre Juhász (oboe, 1975-79), […]
Jackie Orszáczky (June 8, 1948 — Feb. 3, 2008) was a Hungarian bassist and composer who first emerged in the band Syrius, which he played in from 1968 to 1973. In 1975, he released his jazz-rock solo album Beramiada on Australian small-press Real Records. Discography: Beramiada (1975)
János Gonda (born Jan. 13, 1932) is a Hungarian pianist who played on various jazz anthology albums for Qualiton/Hungaroton during the 1960s. In 1976, his surnamesake sextet released the album Sámánének on Pepita. A solo album followed in 1980. Discography: Sámánének (1976 • Gonda Sextet) Vonzások és választások (1980 • Gonda János) Keyboard Music (1986 […]
George Jinda (June 4, 1941 — Jan. 11, 2001) was a Hungarian drummer, composer, and producer who played with the French jazz-rock supergroup Speed Limit on two albums during the mid-1970s. Concurrently, the band backed him on his singular headlining album from the era, The Wheel of Love, released in 1975 on Motors Thanks for […]
Generál were a Hungarian pop/rock-funk band that released five albums on Pepita between 1973 and 1979. Members: Gábor Novai (bass, vocals), Sándor Révész (vocals, 1971-75), István Ákos (vocals, guitar, 1971-74), János Karácsony (guitar, vocals, 1971-74), Lajos Reck (drums, 1971-74), Annamária Herczku (vocals, 1972-76), Éva Várszegi (vocals, 1972-76), Hédi Selényi (vocals, 1972-73), Mátyás Várkonyi (keyboards, vocals, […]
Fonográf were a Hungarian pop/rock band that released six albums between 1974 and 1980 on Pepita. Members: János Bródy (guitar, steel guitar), Levente Szörényi (vocals, guitar), Szabolcs Szörényi (bass, vocals), László Tolcsvay (vocals, keyboards, guitar, banjo), Mihály Móricz (guitar, vocals), Oszkár Németh (drums, percussion) Discography: Fonográf (1974) Gyerekjátékok (1975) FG-4 (1976) Edison Fonográf album (1977) […]
BRIGHT SUN were Hungarian jazz-rock band that released the album Fényes Nap on Magyar Records in 1977. Members: Mihály Ráduly, Erzsébet Szalay, Robert Casél Discography: Fényes Nap (1977)
Color were a Hungarian art-rock band that released three split-singles and two albums on Pepita between 1977 and 1982. Members: Gyula Bokor (keyboards, vocals, 1975-84), Tibor Bokor (bass, vocals, 1975-84), Attila Bokor (drums, vocals, 1975-81), Emil Lámer (guitar, 1975-80), László Pólya (violoncello, vocals, 1975-80), Miklós “F.F. Miki” Felkai (guitar, keyboards, 1980-86), Tamás Király (1982, drums), […]
Csík Gusztáv (born Feb. 6, 1943) is a Hungarian jazz-rock keyboardist who first emerged in the Swiss brass-rock band Roundhouse, which issued two albums on Harvest circa 1972/73. In 1977, he released a self-titled album on Pepita with his backing combo Együttese. Discography: Csík Gusztáv és Együttese (1977)
Csaba Deseö (born Feb. 13, 1939) is a Hungarian jazz-rock violinist who released two albums between 1975 and 1977 on the MPS and Pepita labels. A third album followed on Krém in 1984. Discography: Four String Tschaba (1975) Ultraviola (1977 • Csaba Deseö Jazz Quintet & Friends) Blue String (1984) Magic Violin (1995)
East were a Hungarian symphonic/hard-rock band from Szeged, formed in 1975. Between 1981 and 1986, the band released five albums on the Start and Krém labels. Members: Péter Móczán (bass), István Király (drums, 1975-85), János Varga (guitar, 1975-88), Géza Pálvölgyi (keyboards, 1979-83), István Németh (keyboards), József Tisza (vocals, 1983), Péter Dorozsmai (drums, 1985-95), Sándor Homonyik […]
Bergendy was a Hungarian rock and jazz band from Budapest. During the 1960s, the band released numerous singles and EPs on Quatilion. Between 1971 and 1976, the band issued six albums on Pepita. Subsequent decades witnessed sporadic activity under the nameplate. Members: István Bergendy (saxophone, bandleader), Péter Bergendy (saxophone, flute, backing vocals, manager), Gábor Tánczos […]
