The Beatmen
| The Beatmen | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) |
| Genres | Rock, Big Beat |
| Years active | 1964–1966 |
| Labels | Supraphon |
| Associated acts | Dežo Ursiny, The Soulmen |
The Beatmen were a Slovak rock band singing predominantly in English, that existed from 1964 to 1966. Although they released only 4 songs, they remain one of the most significant bands in the history of the Czechoslovak popular music. They were one of the first widely popular Big Beat bands in Czechoslovakia and they were one of the first bands from behind the iron curtain to play in the western Europe, in Munich. The band was the first bigger success for the singer and guitarist Dežo Ursiny, who later became a legend of the Czechoslovak music.
Music and sound of the Beatmen is mightily influenced especially by The Beatles, as is obvious from the listening. Their song Let's Make A Summer has been highly critically acclaimed and remains one of the best Czechoslovak pop songs ever written.
The origins of The Beatmen can be found in the early sixties' Bratislava bands Fontána and Jolana, where the future Beatmen were members. The Beatmen were founded at the end of 1964 by Peter Petro, Miroslav Bedrik and Marián Bednár. They took on lead guitarist Stano Herko, who left subsequently, due to his conservatory duties. His replacement was Dežo Ursiny. Throughout the 1965 they gained wide success. They released their two SPs. They played several successful shows in Prague, including that at Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre. In May they played at Rokoko theatre, and later they performed at the premiere of the movie Nylonový mesiac (Nylon Moon). Little of this success could have been achieved without the effort of their manager Peter Tuchscher, who was an important person on the Bratislava rock scene those days, managing a number of bands and bringing many of them into spotlight. The Beatmen were his most successful band.
In spring 1966 they performed at Kunstmuseum in Munich, and as a support at the two Manfred Mann shows in Bratislava on October 7, 1965 and October 8, 1965. Manfred Mann were so amazed by them that they wanted to take them as their support for their UK tour, but the negotiations failed. It has been rumoured that The Beatmen were not allowed to go unless Olympic, by then the most successful Czechoslovak rock 'n' roll band from Prague, was to go too. It was not usual that a Slovak act overshadowed a big and stable Czech one and many people were not happy about this fact. This was going to happen several times in the future, e.g. when Slovak Miroslav Žbirka was voted the best male singer of the country instead of the by-then annual winner Karel Gott in 1982. Manfred Mann's management didn't agree on Olympic and so The Beatmen were not allowed to go.
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