After over two decades on the rockin’ scene Charlie Hightone unveils Haunted Rhythm, his new album project, and looks back on a varied career with Vintage Rock.
Words by Craig Brackenridge
Carlos Iván Vela, aka Charlie Hightone, has had a long and fruitful career, but embracing a rock’n’roll lifestyle in his early years was not easy in the small city of Segovia. In the pre-internet era access to music was a challenge and pursuing a specific genre was even harder – particularly on the outskirts of Madrid. He stuck with it, though, and after stints in other bands he finally got the sound he was striving for when Charlie Hightone & The Rock-It’s formed early in 2003.
They have not always travelled a smooth road but their prominence has grown in Spain and across the globe with appearances at the Rockabilly Rave, Viva Las Vegas, the Get Rhythm Weekender in Italy, as well as gigs in Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Australia and numerous festivals across Europe.
Hooked For Life
For many people there is often a single musical act that is responsible for their introduction to rock’n’roll and for Charlie it was, indirectly, Ritchie Valens. “When I was about nine years old, my mother brought home the movie La Bamba for us to watch,” he explains. “I was mesmerised. I became fascinated by the songs and everything about the 50s – the cars, the fashion, the music… The next day, I got hold of a mix cassette that included music from Louis Jordan and Joe Turner to Buddy Holly, Bobby Darin, The Marcels, Elvis and some Spanish bands.
“It was a curious mixture, with everything all jumbled together. Even though I could hear the differences between each artist, I knew that they were all connected by the same essence and since then, I’ve been hooked for life.”
Musical Epiphany
However, even after his musical epiphany there was still some way to go. Charlie says: “When I started to get into the rock’n’roll world I was still too young to go to record hops or clubs. In my hometown there wasn’t a big scene or many rock’n’roll fans. There were only two record stores, both pretty basic, where you might find something interesting. The first record that I purchased was an Eddie Cochran album.”
It was after a visit to a record store that Charlie took his next step towards a rockin’ lifestyle. “I passed a guy on the street who looked at me with a knowing smile. He was dressed the same way that I was trying to dress and had a similar hairstyle. He said, ‘Hey, rocker’ and stopped to introduce himself, asked me my name and if I liked rock’n’roll.
“I showed him what I had just purchased, which I think was a Ricky Nelson record and another one by Gene Vincent. The guy seemed surprised and invited me to join him and his friends who would occasionally gather in a bar to play records and listen to music. That’s where I met a group of six or seven rockers – about all there were in the city. I was amazed because I didn’t realise there were others with the same interests. It was all new to me.”
Spanish Scene
Although the scene in Segovia was fairly small, Spain has a rich history of rockin’ with bands such as Los Mílos, Los Sírex, and Dúo Dinámico and Los Pantalones Azules performing since the late 1950s and into the following decade. As Charlie was becoming involved, the scene was booming once more: “In the late 70s and 80s, thanks to the English revival, numerous bands arose in Spain, such as Los Tornados. They were pioneers in our country, being the first to revive an authentic 50s sound and recording it as faithfully as possible, completely different from what people were used to hearing. Other bands included Los Rebeldes, Lucas Y Los Patosos, Bulldog, Montana, Rock ‘N’ Bordes, and many others.
“By the time I arrived on the scene, several colleagues and friends were performing at a national level and some bands, like The Nu Niles, were already touring European festivals outside of Spain.”
There was little chance of Charlie embracing a wider rock’n’roll lifestyle in his hometown, though, so an hour-long road trip was the only way forward. “If I wanted to find records, clothes or concerts I had to go to Madrid and most of the time, I had to find my own way,” he sighs. “In Madrid, I got to see acts like The Playboys, Wildfire Willie, Sleepy LaBeef, Red Hot & Blue, and some others.” One act in particular left a big impression. “Without a doubt, the one who really marked me for life was Carl Perkins,” Charlie recalls warmly.
Miles Ahead
After a stint on drums, keyboards and vocals with a local band in the early 2000s, Charlie was ready to rock and The Rollin’ Miles was to be his first step towards creating the type of sound that he was aiming for.
“Anabel & The Rock-A-Bells was a project started with the idea of bringing back Anabel Moreno from Los Tornados who had been retired from the scene for many years,” he says. “We wanted to revive that classic sound, and so we set up The Rollin’ Miles as the backing band. This was the first band I assembled in Madrid. Although we had a more contemporary sound, I was keen on creating something closer to what I truly wanted to do.”
The Rollin’ Miles were also the backing band for Sandy Ford when he visited Spain in 2003 and recorded their own album Hot Rock! that same year, but there was something new on the horizon. Charlie was striving for a more authentic 1950s sound and a new, as yet unnamed, band was formed in fairly unusual circumstances.
“One day I received a call from Ricardo Cuenca who became the band’s guitarist for over 10 years and one of my great friends. We didn’t have a close relationship at the time but I remember his words perfectly when I picked up the phone: ‘Hello Ivan, you don’t know me well, but I’m calling you to form the best rockabilly band in Spain and all of Europe!’ I was quite taken aback, but we arranged to meet.
Rock It, Man!
“Together with the rhythm section of a recently separated band and another guitarist we started rehearsing. Our first setlist included songs by Luke McDaniel, Jackie Lee Cochran, Curtis Gordon, Benny Joy and Roy Orbison, among others. After a few shows to get the band rolling and achieve the sound we wanted, we landed our first gigs outside of Spain. Our first international show was at the Bedrock Weekend in Denmark, and from there, we went on to perform at the Green Bay Fest in the United States.”
As soon as their first demo was recorded it caught the attention of Sleazy Records and the result was the 2006 album Rock-It, Man, Rock-It!, an 11-track collection of unrestrained rockabilly that showcased Charlie’s very individual vocal style. It remains a solid debut and with the majority of tracks being original compositions it announced the band as something of a new force on the scene in terms of individuality and sheer excitement. Not only was this a new venture for Carlos Iván Vela but also a new identity.
“When we started with the first rehearsals and were close to our first show, we still didn’t have a name that felt right,” remembers Charlie. “Nothing we had come up with was convincing. Then, during a break, one of the guitarists suggested, ‘Why don’t we call ourselves Charlie Hightone & The Rock-It’s?’ None of us knew exactly why at first, but he explained, ‘Your name is Carlos and you have a very high voice. So, I think Charlie Hightone suits you pretty well.’ It made sense. ‘Rock-It’ was used in the 50s to mean something was cool.”
Keeping It Real
The band’s first album certainly kept them busy on stage but the follow-up long-player Small But Loud took another eight years to arrive. Things kept ticking over, though, with 7″ releases in between – including collectable variations of the Sleazy Records Presents… EP which featured the rockabilly smash Booze, Booze, Booze.
The double 7″ package Made It Ma, Top Of The World from 2009 was also a mini-album of sorts with a total of eight new tracks presented across a pair of 45s. However, the gaps in between album releases has to be addressed. Is this just the way Charlie works or does ‘real life’ get in the way of creating new songs?
“Well, it’s a bit of both,” he admits candidly. “Mostly, it’s because I wait until I have songs that truly fill me and convince me 100%. If they don’t fully convince me, they get stored away. I’m not aiming to be a factory of records or songs. When I record something, you can be sure it’s what has come from deep inside – it’s real.”
Once In A Blue Moon
The band’s last recording was 2019’s Once In A Blue Moon EP whose title slyly referenced their idiosyncratic record release patterns. Compared to Rock-It, Man, Rock-It! both that single and the Small But Loud album have a more solid, mature depth but Charlie is not convinced and believes the band’s sound has only evolved slightly but naturally. “Technically, they may sound quite different from Rock-It, Man, Rock-It! because the recording conditions and our experience level have improved significantly since then but in essence, I think they still retain the same spirit,” he argues.
It helps that Charlie has always had a crack team of musicians alongside him and that is certainly something he appreciates. “I am very fortunate as over the life of the band, there have been several lineup changes due to various circumstances but now I have people beside me who are practically family – more than just friends. They offer me the type of support, friendship, trust, help, and involvement that anyone would want.”
Haunted Trilogy
His current partners in crime are guitar wiz Juan ‘Legacaster’ Lega, Pepe Lee on double bass and drummer Javier Sarmentero and it is this lineup that feature on the new album which is being issued in a unique format.
Rather than a straight release, Haunted Rhythm is set to appear across a trilogy of vinyl EPs. Volume one is out now.
Regardless of how this idea will be received, he has high hopes for these first new offerings in five years: “We started recording it this past April, and it comprises four tracks, each complementing our back catalogue. The songs range from a stroll I composed for my wife, Macarena, to a jiver in Spanish, while still including the rockabilly boppers that everyone expects.”
Three Chords & The Truth
Charlie’s focus remains on promoting the band’s new release and bringing out the first recordings of the Hightone Rhythm Ramblers. But next year is shaping up nicely, too. A global tour in 2025 is booked with shows in Europe, the US and South America – and Haunted Rhythm Vol.2 will also appear.
After a quarter of a century in the music business and an accomplished back catalogue of releases, the question remains – where would Charlie have been without that first viewing of La Bamba and his introduction or rock’n’roll? “Who knows?” he reflects. “My life is so intimately linked to rock’n’roll that I honestly can’t imagine myself in an environment, routine, or circle of people not connected to it. It’s not just romantic; it’s the truth. Just like they say, ‘Three chords and the truth.’”
To order Haunted Rhythm Vol.1 visit Sleazy Records here
Read more: The Vintage Rock Top 101 Rockabilly Tracks
