Pop Tops

Rock band formed in Madrid, Spain in 1967 by local musicians Ignacio Pérez (piano, organ), Julián Luis Angulo (guitar, vocals), Enrique Gómez (bass, trumpet), Ray Gómez (guitar), Alberto Vega (saxophone, clarinet, vocals), José Lipiani (drums), and Phil Trim (lead vocalist born in Trinidad-Tobago). They started out calling themselves Los Tifones but, since they were trying to win an international audience, they decided to change the name to the more commercial sounding Los Pop Tops. At the beginning, they were greatly influenced by successful bands like Procol Harum and The Left Blanket. They even had a mild hit in 1967 with their recording of "Con su blanca palidez" which was a Spanish version of Procol Harum's mega hit "A whiter shade of pale". Phil Trim, who did not speak Spanish, had to learn the language in a hurry for those record sessions. The group was pleasing the crowds wherever they performed but after releasing several recordings that went nowhere, they began experimenting with their sound leaning towards a more pop oriented approach. In 1971 the band achieved the biggest hit of their career with a French tune titled "Mammy Blue", for which Phil Trim wrote English lyrics. "Mammy Blue" had finally placed Los Pop Tops in the international music map and they enjoyed a couple of years of great popularity, touring the world and appearing on television shows. However the follow-up recordings never matched the impact of "Mammy Blue". There was dissension in the group and, it is not clear if José Lipani and Ignacio Pérez walked out of the band or were fired and replaced with Francisco Urbano Romero in drums and Rafael Guillermo Gertrudis in keyboards. Pop Tops continued recording until 1973 when their record label decided not to renew their contract and instead they signed Phil Trim as a solo artist. The band dissolved shortly after but, through the years, they have reunited several times for concerts, with and without Trim. It is clear the band has acquired a certain legendary status and maintains many followers especially in Europe.