Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

Among the musicians involved with the Champs over the years, either in studio or on the road, were founders Dave Burgess and Danny Flores a.k.a. Chuck Rio, Dashiel Corfts and Jimmy Seals (Seals and Crofts), Dean Beard (ZZ Top), and Glen Campbell.

Picks: Tequila, Chariot Rock, El Rancho Rock, Midnighter, Rockin' Mary, Turnpike, Beatnik, Gone Train, Sky High, Robot Walk, Caramba, Moonlight Bay, Double Eagle Rock, Night Train, The Rattler, Train To Nowhere, Tequila Twist, La Cucaracha, Experiment In Terror, Limbo Rock, I'll Be There, Lollipop, Just Walkin' In The Rain, Too Much Tequila, 20,000 Leagues, Little Matador, Alley Cat, Kahlua Kahlua, TNT, Percolator, Wing Ding, Go Champs, What's Up Buttercup, Night Beat

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

This is their BIG HIT!. It is a sax based number that was probably the frat house standard, long before "Louie Louie" was. The spoken "Tequila" at the end of the lines has become a standard of Latin party rock. Very infectious.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Saucy sax, choked guitar, nifty percussion, and a melody line that speaks in whispers of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" while sportin' fifties jammin' rock sensibilities. There are several musical reference to "Tequila."

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

"El Rancho Grande" saxed up like "Tequila" with lotsa fun damped guitar rhythm work, and a honkin' good sax performance.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Raw sax R&B based rock, pumpin' a party jam, drivin' the poodle dress crowd nuts. Fine jammin' dance tune from Champs.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Mary Had A Little Lamb chumped into the Champs camp... it's cuter than you think. Hand claps and plinky piano. They even sing the "Mary had a crazy lamb" chorus. Yikes!

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Dave Burgess' suave little number grooves very slowly, with great drums from Gene Alden (credited to Dashiel Crofts). The chords are unusual for rock 'n' roll of the day, and the production crisp and real. Not melodic, but quite catchy nonetheless.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Echoed guitar delicato and saucy sax make nice together over a catchy rhythm track. Raw, sensual, and very cool.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

The Champs' took the classic fifties train theme and jammed on it. A catchy riff and plinky piano, plus great drums and a male chorus singin' "ooh..." here and there. This is not really far from the Monarchs' "Friday Night."

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Bouncy post "Tequila" variation on the traditional Mexican tune "Little Linda." It's fun, but doesn't exactly capture the soul.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

This song features a coy little hook and a catchy Latin beat. Pure Mexican party fun, with roots in mariachi. Great drums as usual.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

This is scary... it's very close to the MOR hit, sports bad chorus "wha-wha's" and an indiscreet fifties beat.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Fast and fun, "Double Eagle Rock" sports charges this Dave Burgess tune. It's more energy than substance, and it's a lot like a sped up "Moonlight Bay" with extra cool bridges and hand claps.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

James Brown's monster becomes a tribal strip joint runway romp. The worst part is the model train whistle. Very fifties.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Soft peddled Mexican rock, with acoustic guitar and great drums. It's better than that sounds, but still not what you'd call great. Sax and cool piano.

Rock (Instrumental)

Plinky piano groovin' with fifties "wooooo-wop-wop" chorus. It's fun enough, but not particularly interesting. No melody, just a riff.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Yet another rearranging of their hit. It's almost as if a big band would do it, with the exception of Chuck Rio's wailing sax work. Infectious, yet not enduring.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Cool Latin percussion and the Champs formula hand claps and sax squonks turn this classic Mexican folk song into a party platter. Lots of coolness.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Henry Mancini's masterpiece gets the mean edge from the Champs. Very suave for sure!

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Billy Strange's "Second Line Limbo" is one infectious tune. It is incarnated via the Latin frill of the Champs for this entirely infectious 1962 hit. Except for the "la la la" chorus, this is delightful.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Soft sax sock hop swill, with a bit of a rasp and edge, as if the band wants to rock, but is held back.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

What female singer hit with this? Was it Anita Bryant? It was someone of that ilk. Anyway, this is almost as credible...

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

A slow saxy wander through the fields of classic popular music. Very fifties sounding.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

This is one of several follow ups to their "Tequila." It is a sax based number, slower than it's inspiration, and with more of an "El Rancho Grande" sound to it. The guitar break is acoustic and quite nice.

Surf (Instrumental)

Challenge single 59049 featured this low down surf sound with the sad and ominous sax wailing in the background. The guitar shines with vibrato. A simple and pleasurable song.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

The Mexican sound of the Champs suavely permeates this cool track. It sneaks right into your subconscious. The narrated matador stuff is kinda funny. A catchy little single.

Latin R&B Rock (Vocal)

This is alley cat in the fifties sense, and it's a vocal of strange proportions.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Very much in the "Too Much Tequila" vein, "Kahlua Kahlua" is a way fun jaunty little number with lots of Latin soul and saxy groove. Infectious to the max.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

This is a bumpy sax honker with Latin rhythms and a catchy riff. A little on the contrived side, but not out of line.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Fifties sax and piano rock of no real consequence. Not melody, but sporting a little of that Champs edge. This is not the Billy Joe and the Checkmates tune.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Sax and roll of the late fifties variety, set apart only by the great drums.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

The riff here is the source of the "Church Key" riff. Piano rollin' and pumpin' bass. The go champs go chorus is at best annoying. The track without it is OK.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Squonky sax in a fifties vein. Not very interesting, and punctuated by a falsetto "what's up buttercup." Dismissible.

Latin R&B Rock (Instrumental)

Cool for cats cymbals and a fifties beat-gen groove. The piano is the high spot.