TS 1.27 - Pugliese & Belusi 1960-62
Tags: Osvaldo Pugliese, SingerCategory: AlbumSamples
Osvaldo Pugliese and his orquesta maintained long-term collaborations with many great tango singers such as Chanel, Morán, Maciel and Córdoba. Yet some exceptional voices worked with the Maestro only briefly, leaving behind a small but decisive body of recordings - we are talking about Jorge Vidal and Alfredo Belusi. In many respects, Belusi was the most genuinely tough-guy singer in the history of tango. Néstor Pinsón wrote:
“Even though his was a peculiar case, only tango forced him to deeds. And he was the most violent of them all, because the numbers that belonged to his songbook were challenges he faced until bleeding, all chosen for that reason… If we have to name tough singers, there was no one like him. To his look we have to add his low voice, really hoarse, his stress on the r’s as if he were angry and his habit of shaking his fists at the most dramatic moments. He always became the character of the story undergoing his sufferings. So deep was his impersonation that many a time people saw him with his eyes on the verge of bursting into tears.”
Although Belusi spent a longer period with José Basso’s orquesta, his two years with Pugliese represent the absolute peak of his artistic power. There is hardly any need to over-list the masterpieces from this period: the fierce social indictment of Bronca, Corrientes Bajo Cero, and Con Voz Rebelde; the violence and memorial worlds of Amigazo and Sueño Malevo; together with three classic milongas sung in duet with Maciel.
Perhaps it was history itself that forged this star. Belusi’s presence filled, with raw force, the void left by Maciel’s more refined lyricism, transforming Pugliese’s orquesta into a true orquesta heroica.
TS 1.27 bears witness to this moment. These irreplaceable recordings are presented here in their finest possible sound, with the hope that Belusi’s heroic voice may once again resound across dance floors around the world.
Un Tropezón, recorded in 1961, is the earliest surviving stereo recording by the Pugliese orquesta. Its recording date has been questioned, some suggesting 1962, but the absence of a cello in the band conclusively rules out this possibility. The version included in this release is the original mono mix, not a folded stereo version, ensuring full consistency with this mono album.
Among existing releases, Belusi’s recordings in Stentor are notorious for their extremely poor sound quality. Our restoration elevates these tracks to a level comparable with the ones in Philips.
Philips pressings, by contrast, show far greater consistency. After extensive comparison among multiple versions, we selected the most balanced and truthful sources, presenting these recordings in what we believe to be their definitive sonic form.
One cannot help but regret how few recordings Belusi left behind. After his departure, Pugliese’s orquesta never again featured a true tough-guy singer. For admirers of Pugliese and devoted Belusi listeners alike, TS 1.27, with its unmatched sound quality, is simply indispensable.
Frank Jin
| Date | Track | Genre | Singer | Label | Pitch | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-10-20 | Amigazo | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Stentor | 442 | 03:40 |
| 1960-10-20 | Con Voz Rebelde | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Stentor | 442 | 03:09 |
| 1960-11-28 | Baldosa Floja | Milonga | Maciel y Belusi | Stentor | 442 | 03:05 |
| 1960-11-30 | No Tengo La Culpa | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Stentor | 442 | 02:34 |
| 1960-12-12 | Sueño Malevo | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Stentor | 442 | 02:50 |
| 1961-06 | Corrientes Bajo Cero | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Philips | 442 | 02:54 |
| 1961-07 | Milonga Del Soldado | Milonga | Maciel y Belusi | Philips | 442 | 03:03 |
| 1961-09 | Bronca | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Philips | 442 | 03:14 |
| 1961-11 | Un Tropezón | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Philips | 442 | 02:42 |
| 1961-12 | Candombe Blanco | Milonga | Maciel y Belusi | Philips | 442 | 02:20 |
| 1962-04 | No Me Pregunten Por Qué | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Philips | 442 | 03:00 |
| 1962-05 | El Vino Triste | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Philips | 442 | 03:04 |
| 1962-06 | El Pescante | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Philips | 442 | 02:52 |
| 1962-08 | Desencuentro | Tango | Alfredo Belusi | Philips | 442 | 03:04 |
