{"id":7130,"date":"2017-05-13T11:12:59","date_gmt":"2017-05-13T15:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/latinomusiccafe.com\/?p=7130"},"modified":"2022-05-26T16:00:58","modified_gmt":"2022-05-26T20:00:58","slug":"history-el-gran-combo-1970s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinomusiccafe.com\/2017\/05\/13\/history-el-gran-combo-1970s\/","title":{"rendered":"History of El Gran Combo: the 1970’s"},"content":{"rendered":"

El Gran Combo<\/a> of the early ’70s is very different than that of the ’60s, and by the late 70s it would look totally different again. However, they kept going as if nothing had happened and exited the 70’s a stronger combo.<\/p>\n

New Decade, New Record Label<\/h3>\n

The 70’s started for El Gran Combo<\/a> with immediate changes. GEMA, their record label through the ’60s, decided not to renew their contract. Rafael Ithier began negotiations with various record labels, including the prestigious Motown, which had amassed 110 top 10 hits from 1961 to 1971, with recording artists like The Jackson 5, The Supremes, and Stevie Wonder among many others.<\/p>\n

\"El
“Estamos Primeros” was the 1st LP under the new EGC Records label (see the logo on the top right side). Its biggest hit was “Sube Nene Sube” a theme for the Luis Vigoreaux (father) TV Show contest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

None of the negotiations barred fruit, and El Gran Combo opted for forming its own record label. In order to do that they needed some capital to get off the ground. Andy Monta\u00f1ez took the initiative and the risk to mortgage his house in order to get the label off the ground.<\/p>\n

“Estamos Primeros<\/em>” (We’re First) was the first album under their new record label “EGC Records”, which towards the end of the decade would change names to Combo Records in association with Ralph Cartagena.<\/p>\n

The video clip below is a bit out of sequence in this blog as the song “Julia<\/em>” was part of the third album of the ’70s titled “Por El Libro<\/em>” (1973). It was the last album in which Pell\u00edn Rodriguez would participate. By the time El Gran Combo performed the song in 1973 at the Yankee Stadium, Charlie Aponte had replaced Pell\u00edn in the combo. The clip was part of the movie “Salsa<\/em>“.<\/p>\n