LOS SHAKERS Conferencia Secreta RARE 1969 psych LP HEAR

$

86

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS…

Los Shakers "LA CONFERENCIA SECRETA DEL TOTO'S BAR"

Original 1969 LP on the Uruguayan Odeon EMI label, URL 20560

Cover:  VG, tears at opening, staining on the back

Vinyl:  plays Good/VG minus, check sound clips please!  Hideously RARE album in any shape, this one's used - lotsa marks, scuffs, nothing deep but there IS surface noise

Everyone remembers the British Invasion.  But do you remember the URUGUAYAN invasion?  Okay, seriously, when you stop laughing, let me remind you that one of the world’s most respectable sources of information today – and by that I mean Wikipedia – drops the term “Uruguayan Invasion” like it was as commonplace as mentioning the Fab Four.  And maybe if you were living in Montevideo in 1966, it just might’ve been.  But silly me, stuck here in a quiet suburb of Southeast Pennsylvania, news of the Uruguayan Invasion has yet to hit the local music section of the city paper.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t yet reap its benefits.  I mean, that’s why we’re here searching for elusive gems on Ebay, right?  And let me tell you, if the rest of the Uruguayan Invasion was as incredible as this little 1968 masterpiece from Los Shakers, then boy, do I feel stupid for missing it.  Why was I wasting time with the Buckinghams when I could’ve been spinning this amazing album, La Conferencia Secreta del Toto’s Bar?  This is the very DEFINITION of buried gem – a wonderful trip through Beatlesque popsike, sunshine pop and groovy go-go sounds of the Swinging Sixties, infused with that special south-of-the-equator kind of magic that could only have come during the nova-like flash of the mighty Uruguayan Invasion.  I tell ya, kids, you just HAD to be there.

Imagine if John, Paul, George and Ringo had been born in Montevideo and raised on a steady diet of tortas fritas instead of fish and finger pies, and listened as much to what Gal Costa and Os Mutantes were doing as was Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys.  Come 1968, instead of Magical Mystery Tour, they would’ve unleashed this spellbinding little black vinyl baby on the world.  Then they would’ve broken up, because that’s what Los Shakers did after La Conferencia came out because, let’s face it, there’s better looking women in South America.  If John had been sidetracked by, say, Adriana Lima instead of Yoko Ono, do you REALLY think he would’ve ever recorded another NOTE?

La Conferencia Secreta del Toto’s Bar has long been one of my favorite albums from South America, and it’s easy to get swept up in its carefree, sunshine pop charms.  I may not understand a word of its broken English, but that’s okay – the beautiful swinging jazzy mid-60’s Rubber Soul sounds of “Siempre Tu” come through perfectly, as does the killer hook and sumptuous harmonies on “Oh Mi Amigo.”  And when the boys toke up on that special Uruguayan gold, things get even more interesting – the stoned popsike of “Yo Recuerdo Mi Mundo” comes off like a heaven-sent collaboration between the Beatles and the Beach Boys – John’s lazy trippy vocals on the chorus, and Brian’s intricate harmonies on the chorus.  And then they go and stick an accordion solo in the break.  I’m sure that was Ringo’s doing.

I gotta hand it to ‘em – while the rest of South America was either mimicking the heavy guitar jams of Jimi Hendrix, or still banging away on garage beat versions of “Gloria” and “Eight Miles High,” these Los Shakers kids were trying to create their own special Uruguayan vision of Sergeant Pepper.  And they did.  It’s just that the Uruguayan Invasion only stretched out to…I don’t know, Paraguay, so the rest of the world never found out about this amazing little album.  But now you know.  Now just WAIT to hear what Bolivia was up to in 1969…

 TO HEAR SOUNDCLIPS FROM THIS ALBUM, PLEASE VISIT MY HOMEPAGE AT WWW.KATHLEENTURNEROVERDRIVE.WIKISPACES.COM - YOU CAN ALSO HEAR SOUND CLIPS FROM ALL THE ALBUMS I HAVE UP FOR AUCTION ON THIS PAGE TOO.

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $5.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Air mail shipping to Canada starts at $10 US, each additional record $2 shipping.  Air mail shipping everywhere else in the world starts at $16 US, with each additional record only $3 shipping.  I accept payments through Paypal, or you can send checks and money orders made out in US dollars.  Items paid by check are held 14 days for the check to clear.

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

And finally, I include delivery confirmation on all shipments inside the US.  This is my proof of shipment, and also helps us to track your package if it doesn’t arrive when it should.  I will email you within 2 days of shipment and give you the confirmation number at that time.  Insurance is always optional, but for larger orders, it’s highly recommended.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.  Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.