"The Latinaires,
La Familia, Little Joe y Mas" As Told to Ramon Hernandez
HIspanic Entertainment Archives Publishing (2020)
A detailed and well-researched book about the life and music of
Tejano music legend Little Joe Hernandez. Ramon Hernandez
is a major archivist and historian of Tejano music, who spent
ten years writing this 535 page book. For more information
or to order the book, write to Ramon at ramon.photog.hernandez@gmail.com.
"Confessions
of a Radical Chicano Doo-Wop Singer" by Rubén Funkahuatl Guevara
Univesity of California Press (2018)
Below is the description of the book on amazon.com:
"A pioneer of
Chicano rock,
Ruben Funkahuatl Guevara performed with Frank
Zappa, Johnny Otis, Bo Diddley, Tina Turner, and Celia Cruz,
though he is best known as the front man of the 1970s
experimental rock band Ruben and The Jets. Here he
recounts how his youthful experiences in the barrio La Veinte of
Santa Monica in the 1940s prepared him for early success in
music and how his triumphs and seductive brushes with stardom
were met with tragedy and crushing disappointments.
Brutally honest and open, Confessions of a Radical Chicano
Doo-Wop Singer is an often hilarious and self-critical look
inside the struggle of becoming an artist and a man.
Recognizing racial identity as composite, contested, and
complex, Guevara--an American artist of Mexican
descent--embraces a Chicano identity of his own design, calling
himself a Chicano "culture sculptor" who has worked to transform
the aspirations, alienations, and indignities of the Mexican
American people into an aesthetic experience that could point
the way to liberation."
Although the book
is mainly about the Latin rock boom of the late 60s and early
70s in San Francisco, it also covers East L.A. and Chicano bands
with some detail on El Chicano. Other East L.A. bands
mentioned include Thee Midniters featuring
Little Willie G., Cannibal & the Headhunters, Macondo,
Tierra, Redbone, Yaqui, The Village Callers, and my 70s band, Tango. It also
mentions the Eastside bands that followed in the late 70s/early
80s; Cruzados, Los Illegals,
and Los Lobos.
"Chuy de Cabra" by Max Uballez and Alexander Uballez
Chuy de Cabra Books, a division of Xela-Co Media, LLC (2014)
This work of fiction
takes you on a trip to other worlds and realities and the City
of Angels while sharing
bits of social commentary. Chuy de Cabra's personal quest
for identity entangles him in a clash with the supernatural
demons of his ancestors and the everyday demons on the streets
of East Los Angeles. Is he an alien? Is he a
monster? Will his search for identity save him from his
nightmares of will it destroy his future? Created and
co-written by Max Uballez, who was leader and founding member of
the seminal "Eastside Sound" band The Romancers.
"My Search for
'Niki Hoeky' Grandaddy of Swamp Rock: a Scholarly Analysis" by Jim Hoffmann & Pat "Redbone" Vegas
Susquehanna Road Publishing (2020)
An analysis of Redbone's 1966 song and recording, "Niki Hoeky,"
Jim Hoffman believes and in this book goes on a scholarly
journey to prove the song is the original swamp rock song.
Mark Guerrero contributed to the book by being interviewed by
Hoffman regarding his opinions on the song and it's place in
rock history. The written interview is on pages 142-147.
The book is available at this link at
amazon.com.
"My Search for
'Shock Me': Ace Frehley's Signature Song: A Scholarly Analysis" by Jim Hoffman
Susquehanna Road Publishing (2020)
An analysis of Ace Frehley's song "Shock Me" recorded by Kiss.
Ace was a founding member of Kiss and was it's lead guitar
player for many years. Jim Hoffman studies the song's
lyrics, rhythm, meter, meaning, and melody for some 165
pages. "Shock Me" is a song that Hoffman loved and became
obsessed with when he first heard it at around age 13.
Mark Guerrero wrote the forward to the book. The book is
available at this link at
amazon.com.
"In the
Spirit of a New People: The Cultural Politics of the Chicano
Movement"
by Randy J. ONtiveros
New York University Press (2014)
A scholarly reexamination of the Chicano civil rights movement of the 1960s and
1970s, "In
the Spirit of a New People" brings
to light new insights about social activism in the
twentieth-century and new lessons for progressive politics in
the
twenty-first.
Randy J. Ontiveros explores the ways in which Chicano/a artists
and activists used fiction, poetry, visual arts, theater, and
other expressive forms to forge a common purpose and to
challenge inequality in America. Mark Guerrero is
mentioned as one of the movement artists that were able to make
a career out of their creativity. Also mentioned in this
regard are artists such as Jesus Treviño in film, Gronk in art,
and Luis Valdez in theater.
Includes a chapter which focuses on two major Chicano/Latin
dance and show venues,
Rainbow Gardens in Pomona and the El Monte Legion Stadium.
The Mixtures, Thee Midniters,
Ronnie & the Casuals, and Rosie & the Originals, among
others are featured or mentioned.
Includes
a chapter about East L.A. Chicano rock band of the 60s and
beyond, Thee Midniters.
"The Old Barrio Guide
To Low Rider Music, 1950 - 1975"
by Ruben Molina
Mictlan Publishing, in its third edition
with more to come.
Included are many
Chicano and "Eastside Sound" bands and vocalists related to this
website.
"Chicano Soul-
Recordings & History of An American Culture"
by Ruben Molina
Mictlan Publishing (2007)
Includes many
Chicano and "Eastside Sound" bands and vocalists related to this
website. It also has photos of many of the artists and
scans of their records.
As the title
implies, there's a lot of information on Ritchie Valens.
Also mentioned are other Chicano and East L.A. musical artists
that worked with Bob Keane, including Little Ray Jimenez,
Ronnie & the Casuals, and The Sisters.
"Famous
Guitarists I Have Met Who Influenced Me" by Robert Lee Balderrama
(2019)
The original and current guitarist of Question Mark & the
Mysterians writes about all the famous guitarists who had an
influence on his playing. He also lists and writes about
other guitarists he met or played with along the way. Mark
Guerrero is one of those. Mark met Robert in Pittsburgh,
PA in 2010 when he was playing with the Cannibal & the
Headhunters Band at the Benedum Auditorium during the taping of
a PBS pledge drive special called "'60s Rock, Pop & Soul" that
also featured Question Mark & the Mysterians. Balderrama
also writes, records, and plays smooth jazz with his own band,
the Robert Lee Revue. The book is available on the
Facebook page
RLB Publishing.
"My Father and
the Mexican Revolution" by Carmencristina Moreno
Tulee Books (2013)
An account of the
lives and careers of the author's parents, who were a
traditional Mexican country music vocal duo, El Dueto de Los
Moreno. Their lives are told along with the 1910 Mexican
revolution as it affected them. Two CDs of songs of the
revolution are included in the book performed by Carmencristina
Moreno. Disk One is in Spanish. The same songs are
on Disc Two are in Spanish with spoken English translation.
To order the book, send $35 check or money order to: Tulee
Books, P.O. Box 1022, Fresno, CA 93714
"Mexican
Americans In Los Angeles" by Alex Moreno Areyan
Arcadia Publishing (2010)
Includes photos
and information on Lalo Guerrero, Mark Guerrero, Don Tosti,
Chico Sesma, Ritchie Valens, Chan Romero, El Chicano, and Geri "Geree"
Gonzalez.
"Mariachi For
Gringos" by Gil Sperry
Amigo Del Mar Press (2006)
This is a very helpful guide to the history of
mariachi music from Mexico. The book also includes the lyrics
and music of 50 well known mariachi songs, Spanish and English
lyrics, Sheet music. Plus history, FAQs, Playlist This book is a
nice introduction to Mariachi music. It's available at
amazon.com.
Includes a chapter
on Chicano music on the west coast, which has information on
Lalo Guerrero, Ritchie Valens, Cannibal & the Headhunters, Thee
Midniters, Ruben & the Jets, Los Lobos, and some of the Chicano
punk bands of the late 70s and early 80s.
"Ritchie Valens: The First Latino Rocker" by Beverly Mendheim
Bilingual Review Press,
AZ (1987)
"Fathers- The Journey to the Grammy's"
by Bobby Avila
Author House (2008)
The true story of an East L.A. musician of the 60s whose sons,
with the help and guidance of their father, went on to win
Grammys as artists in the music industry. Avila also
mentions Mark Guerrero, Little Ray Jimenez and others he grew up
with in the 60s.
"Mexican
and Chicano Music"
by José "Pepe" Villarino
The McGraw Hill Publishing
Companies, Inc.- Primus Custom Publishing (1996), second edition
(1999)
Has part of a
chapter devoted to the life and career of Lalo Guerrero.
