Dig Deep: Pete Rodriguez – Ay, Que Bueno!/Oh, That’s Nice! – Alegre (1967)

Pete Rodriguez – Oh That’s Nice
Pete Rodriguez – Fango
Pete Rodriguez – Asi Asi

Still mired in grading with my academic work, but here’s a brilliant no brainer of a latin LP. Joe Cuba’s “Bang Bang” might have been the first big Boogaloo song, but in my opinion, Pete Rodriguez’s “I Like It Like That” is one of the biggest latin crossover tracks of all time. Rodriguez and his band followed up that success with this LP, released later in 1967, and featuring one of my favorite all-time dance floor numbers, the title track “Oh That’s Nice.”

I’m a well known sucker for a soul clap, and I don’t think there’s another song that is soul clapperific as “Oh That’s Nice.” Right from the start the rhythm hits hard, those hand claps hit even harder and all together it makes it impossible to sit still. It’s a can’t miss and can’t fail track for just about any soul party. For me there’s nothing cooler than seeing a dance floor packed with people lift there hands up to sky during the breakdown in the middle and start clap along Pete Rodriguez and his band…pure magic.

Though “Nice” has been comped several times, this is definitely an LP worth tracking down, for a couple other nice Boogaloo tracks, including a rare all in spanish boogaloo “Asi, Asi” which breaks down just what the Boogaloo is all about (I’m pretty sure they say it’s like a crazy Guajira, no?), and the upbeat proto-Salsa tracks, “Que Mania” and “Fango.”

Quite nice indeed…

Cheers,

Michael