1982 private press Lozano Featuring Bobby Archuleta “Lozano”

Man, I dunno why you never see this slick chicano badboy out of Utah even posted, let alone (good luck) on a wall somewhere, because it SMOKES! There’s also little or nothing that surfaces when you give it a Goog, just the usual links with the name but no info, although, sure, the tracks were indeed recorded at Donny & Marie’s “Osmond Studios”. Well, here’s one thing: it’s Latin/Boogaloo/Possibly Mormon (definitely in my estimation) ultra funky gospel, which is a very specific niche indeed. It also apparently is tight with the cops of Salt Lake, because the cover itself, unlike, say, “Straight Outta Compton”, is fully endorsed by the Utah Peace Officer’s Association. The lyrics are God-ish, yet still mostly about love and loss and chicks and a young’s man’s perpetual, inexpressible longing for everything he doesn’t have, and will probably never get. But also how a chick in the right tight sweater might just save the day for everyone.

​There is a very large drawing of hippie Jesus on the back cover, looking down at the band with a healthy measure of benevolence, which may help explain why PopSike says this record sold for $846 (wasn’t me) in 2017! To the band’s credit, they cover the mighty Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love”, and I know for sure Bobby C was not talking about the kind of love you find kneeling in a pew at Sunday Mass next to your grandma. But no joke, if you can find a more banging cover of that song, anywhere, I want to hear it. My understanding is that those of the Mormon faith believe there is a planet called Kolub where God resides on his celestial throne, and on the cover of Lozano there is indeed a planet that does not quite look like Earth, and if you were, by chance, to buy the cassette of Donny & Marie’s “Goin’ Coconuts” you would find that it is on their label, Kolub Records. So, okay, mystery solved. But all any of us really need to know is that this record is pretty damn great, ultra-tight heavily percussive uptown funky jams with killer almost-falsetto vocals from Mr. Bobby Archuleta. Top Unexpected Action!