Willie Pastrana

The Summits (1) (Bronx, New York)

Personnel :

Willie Pastrana

Benny Píes Plano "Flat Feet"

Big Lip Bobby

Yugo

Tony

Discography :

1961 - Go Back Where You Came From / Times Square Stomp (inst.) (Times Square 422)

Biography :

Willie Pastrana was born on August 24, 1944 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He started in the music business when he was a teenager. With the neighborhood friends they form a vocal group. The group consisted of five teenagers, there were Benny "Flat Feet" (Benny Píes Plano), Yugo, Tony, Bobby "Big Lip" and Willie Pastrana. Benny "Flat Feet" had written and arranged a wide variety of songs. The boys called Willie Pastrana "Budda Rica" because he was the only Puerto Rican and everyone was black or brown.They used to sing rock and roll and doo wop music. They sang in the "Washington Hall". Washington Hall was any space they found on Washington Avenue, they searched among all those spaces for the ones that resonated. The more the space echoed, the better the sound of the group.

 
                                                                                                       Willie Pastrana (right) with his brother Bobby

Soon after, they discovered a show that was produced by a talent scout who worked for the "Times Square" radio station. They went to the "downtown" of the city and there they played With their new material, 200 bands participated, but they picked them and in the late summer of 1961 they recorded the song "Go back Where You Came From" ("Come back from where you come from ") for" Times Square "radio. The studio had a side where they played instruments and another where they sang. They recorded the song to start the presentation. The recording was also broadcast on radio station 1010 WINS, listeners chose a name for the band, they chose "The Summits".
Bobby & Willie Pastrana


Songs :

  
Go Back Where You Came From                Times Square Stomp         


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