King of Kings: The Very Best of Tito Puente

by Tito Puente

Overview

Tito Puente was never one for half measures, and even in death there's no modesty involved, as the label calls him King of Kings. It might be an exaggeration, but only a slight one, and it gets the attention. Still, as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and there's a hearty meal here, albeit one missing one or two choice dishes, like Puente's original version of "Oye Como Va," a song that indirectly brought him a whole new audience. However, "Honk Kong Mambo" is here, "Dance Mania," and "Dance of the Headhunters," so it's hard to find too much fault with the disc's 21-track selection. While the man wasn't shy about having his timbales, or himself, front and center, he truly was a driving force in his music -- and, as this CD shows, he knew how to write more than his share of good tunes, too. Some of it has a slight novelty aspect, like "3 D Mambo," and he definitely worked the whole mambo craze of the '50s for all it was worth. Still, he did have more strings to his bow, as tracks like "Saca Tu Mujer" prove, and he was a world-class percussionist, and an able bandleader, with a flair for popular jazz. He worked hard -- exceptionally hard -- and deserved his success. This collection might not be the ultimate Puente compilation -- that's yet to be put together -- but it's still worth it for the wealth of dance music inside. ~ Chris Nickson

Product Details

Release Date:	08/20/2002
Label:	Bmg Heritage / Buddha Records
UPC:	0744659900129

Tracks

1. Dance Mania
2. Oye Mi Guaguanc¿¿ (Listen to the Guaguanc¿¿)
3. El Cayuco
4. Caonao
5. Ti Mon Bo
6. Dance of the Headhunters
7. Hong Kong Mambo
8. Cuando Te Vea
9. Baila Como Es
10. Saca Tu Mujer
11. Guancona
12. Mambo Goz¿¿n
13. Mi Chiquita Quiere Bemb¿¿
14. El¿¿quana
15. A Gozar Timbero
16. Cual Es la Idea (What's the Idea)
17. 3-D Mambo
18. Son de la Loma
19. Llego Mijan
20. Yambeque
21. Night Ritual

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tito Puente   Primary Artist
Willie Bobo   Guest Artist
Mongo Santamaria   Guest Artist
Rob Santos   Vocals
Yayo   Vocals

Technical Credits

Dennis Drake   Audio Restoration
Rob Santos   Compilation Producer
Marty Gold   Producer
John Hudson   Product Manager
Johnnie Camacho   Producer
Jeremy Holiday   Project Coordinator
Fred Reynolds   Producer
Michael Hill   Liner Notes
Laura Dorson   Project Coordinator
Neil Carfora   Project Coordinator
Mike Hartry   Digital Transfers
Paul Williams   Compilation Producer
Jeff Smith   Art Direction,Design
Stephanie Kika   Project Coordinator
Betty Ann Rizzo   Project Coordinator
Victoria Sarro   Project Coordinator
Ray Santos   Composer
Osvaldo Estivill   Composer
Miguel Matamoros   Composer
Mongo Santamaria   Composer
Tito Puente   Composer
Sue Raffman   Project Coordinator