Fandango! is the fourth album by the American blues rock band ZZ Top,
released in 1975. Half the tracks are selections from live shows, the rest are
new songs from the studio. A remastered and expanded edition of this album was
released on February 28, 2006. Fandango, from which the album gets its
name, is a type of dance similar to flamenco.
In the late 1980s a digitally remixed version of the recording was released on
CD and the original 1975 mix version was discontinued. The remix version created
controversy among fans because it significantly changed the sound of the
instruments, especially drums. The remix version was used on all early CD copies
and was the only version available for over 20 years. A remastered and expanded
edition of the album was released on February 28, 2006, containing three
bonus live tracks. The 2006 edition is the first CD version to use Terry
Manning's original 1975 mix. The album was re-released in 2009 on 180 gram
vinyl using the original master tapes. It appears exactly the same except that
it had a 180 gram vinyl LP sticker, by Back to Vinyl records.
Singles The only single released from the album
was "Tush". The single peaked at #20 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the
band's first top 40 single. Track listing
All songs by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard except where noted.
= Side A= "Thunderbird" – 4:08
"Jailhouse Rock" – 1:57 "Backdoor Medley" – 9:25
"Backdoor Love Affair" – 1:10 "Mellow Down Easy" – 3:39
"Backdoor Love Affair No. 2" – 2:05 "Long Distance Boogie" – 2:32
= Side B= "Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings" – 2:42
"Blue Jean Blues" – 4:43 "Balinese" – 2:39
"Mexican Blackbird" – 3:07 "Heard it on the X" – 2:24
"Tush" – 2:15 = 2006 remastered version bonus tracks=
"Heard it on the X" "Jailhouse Rock"
"Tush" Tracks 1-3 were recorded live at The
Warehouse in New Orleans, "captured as it came down-hot, spontaneous and
presented to you honestly, without the assistance of studio gimmicks". Tracks
4-9 were new studio recordings. "Thunderbird"
"Thunderbird" was originally written and performed by the Nightcaps, a band
formed in the 1950s when the members were teenagers. The Nightcaps performed
the song and distributed it on their album Wine, Wine, Wine but never applied
for copyright. ZZ Top began performing its version of the song in 1975, and has
conceded that its version is lyrically and musically identical to the
Nightcaps' song. The Nightcaps sued ZZ Top for, among other things, copyright
infringement, but their claims were dismissed because, in part, ZZ Top had
registered a copyright on the song in 1975.
Personnel Billy Gibbons – guitar, vocals
Dusty Hill – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on
"Jailhouse Rock", "Balinese", and "Tush", co-lead vocals on "Backdoor
Medley" and "Heard It on the X" Frank Beard – drums, percussion
Production Producer – Bill Ham
Engineers – Jim Reeves, Robin Brians, Terry Kane, Bob Ludwig, Terry Manning
Album concept – Bill Ham Design – Bill Narum
Photography – John Dekalb Charts
Album – Billboard Singles – Billboard
References ^ Fandango! at AllMusic
rollingstone.comzztopalbumreviewfandango ^ a b Dabou/sb v. Gibbons, 42 F.3d 285,
287. ^ Dabou/sb v. Gibbons at 287 and 287
n.1. ^ Dabou/sb v. Gibbons at 291.