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7"
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MR 7350EP
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In the mid-sixties, Colombian label Codiscos placed its bet on some of the emerging figures of Colombian pop and two exciting wild bands: Los Flippers and Los Streaks. After the fleeting brilliance of the so-called "new wave", the four-song EPs released by the label -- mainly for promotional use -- lay forgotten on the shelves of radio stations or stored in the musty trunks of the fans who managed to buy the few copies that were distributed by the record label. Today it's incredibly difficult to find any of these EPs released by Codiscos between 1965 and 1967 in mint condition, with the original sleeve. Los Streaks didn't just come out of nowhere, it was the brainchild of the radio DJ, manager and promoter Édgar Restrepo Caro. Towards the end of 1966, while working as the manager of Los Flippers, Caro became fascinated with the idea of creating a group made up of some of the most talented musicians on the Bogota rock circuit. On January 20, 1967, Los Streaks made their debut at the discotheque El Diábolo as a warm-up act. They then appeared on national television, starred at matinee sessions at two major venues in Bogota, and headlined at the concert organized by the music magazine Juventud a Go 67. During this short period, they established a powerful stage presence, combining exquisite musicianship and a sharp sense of humor. Their repertoire was also bold, encompassing Giuseppe Verdi, The Beatles, Pérez Prado, The Ventures, or Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels. The band's solid sound was perfectly aligned to Codiscos' interests. They signed a contract to release two LPs. In mid-1967 they traveled to Medellín and recorded eleven tracks that would shape the first of these albums. One of these songs was kept back for "El Disco De Oro A Go-Go", while the rest were included in OPERAción A Go-Go. It included four songs that the label had released on an EP, which decades later has become the holy grail of Colombian garage music. The stunning Reacción Sicótica EP includes the stellar "Cosmos 901" composed by Manuel Jiménez, the sparkling "Escápate Mi Amor" (cover of "Get Away" by Georgie Fame, probably heard by the band in the version by Spanish band Los Ángeles) and two wonderful covers of the Californian garage band Count Five: "Psychotic Reaction" and "They're Gonna Get You".
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