Lorain, Ohio. Who knew this Lake Charles-size town 30 miles west of Cleveland produced such a microcosm of America in the ‘60s? In the post-war era of the early ‘50s, large numbers of Puerto Rican immigrants flocked to “Ohio’s ‘International City’” (yes, Ohio has one) for jobs making steel pipes with the National Tube Company. They contributed to the baby boom, and when their fully American children hit high school, the teenagers formed garage bands like the rest of their generational peers.
One group of Latino Lorain friends found local success by mixing together Motown from nearby Detroit, soul from Cleveland’s surprisingly fertile R&B scene, and rock from their Protestant Midwestern neighbors, all filtered through the black magic of their hero, Santana. Los Nombres, as they were called, would remain popular at dances along Lake Erie into the late ‘80s, but their scarce records barely left Ohio until the vinyl archaeologists at Numero Group reissued their early recordings in December.
Like with most garage bands, the songs on the compilation contain flashes of brilliance and flashes of never-making-it-out- of-Lorain. The opening track “Loving You”, a sweet slice of Joe Bataan-style soul, could have become a low-rider hit in the hands of the right Los Angeles or New York radio jock. “Full of Love” finds a catchy middle ground between “Express Yourself” and “Sunshine of Your Love”, and most of the tracks feature the hard-cracking, lo-fi drums popular again today. From barrio harmonies to wailing organ jams, there’s a lot to like.
The best track, though, “Todos”, is the only one sung in Spanish. This is America: sons of Latino immigrants combining European and African influences on a driving beat along the shores of the Great Lakes, chasing dreams of fame before the belt surrounding them would rust.
