Joey Pastrana and His Orchestra - Joey (1967)

One of Joey Pastrana's earliest albums led off with a song that had gained traction on Latin radio during 1966-1967, "That's How Rumors Start." Pastrana had reportedly offered it to Johnny Colon, who didn't want it, and the song ended up being recorded by Pastrana himself with his orchestra. A boogaloo that was long, winding, and dark was odd compared to the driving tracks that many artists were putting out, but audiences were interested in the heavy groove and Pastrana's eccentric, almost aimless lyrics, which sounded improvised. The rest of the album is a grab-bag of Latin forms, most of which reveal that Pastrana had a pretty cooking band even at this early date (his most-compiled tracks come from the early '70s). "Riki Chi" is closest to the "Rumors" track, although it's almost jaunty. "Dance Donna" is the best of the uptempo tracks.~John Bush