THEE MIDNITERS, EAST L.A.'S R & B/ROCK LEGENDS AND GARAGE ROCKERS,ASSEMBLE '60s HITS ON GREATEST CD ON THUMP RECORDS

Re-mastered Collection, Scheduled for January 28, 2003 Release Contains "Whittier Blvd.", "Land of A Thousand Dances" and more

December 1, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Re-mastered Collection, Scheduled for January 28, 2003 Release Contains "Whittier Blvd.", "Land of A Thousand Dances" and more

EAST L.A., Calif. -- Thee Midniters, widely regarded as the best Latino rock band during the '60s, have assembled their hits to comprise Greatest (Thump Records, distributed through Universal Music and Video Distribution.) Greatest, due to hit the streets on January 28, 2003, marks the CD debut of the bands original recordings.

Formed some 40 years ago at East Los Angeles Salesian High School, Thee Midniters scored national hits with songs like "Land Of A Thousand Dances" (which hit #67 on Billboards singles chart in 1965); the cruising anthem "Whittier Blvd." (#127 Billboard); ballads "Thats All" and "Dreaming Casually"; barrio favorites "Sad Girl," "The Town I Live In" and "Itll Never Be Over For Me"; and garage rock classics "Love Special Delivery" and "Jump, Jive And Harmonize." Re-mastered versions of all appear on Greatest.

Through their tenure, Thee Midniters shifted effortlessly between soul/R&B, garage rock, pop ballads, Latin jazz and psychedelia. They are widely hailed as pioneers of L.A.s eclectic Mexican-American rock heritage -- a direct link to future East L.A. heroes Los Lobos.

A key ingredient to Thee Midniters ' sound was the vocal work of Little Willie G., whose powerful and soulful delivery made him what Latin Style magazine called "the best vocalist to come out of East L.A." In 2000, Little Willie G. received much notice in the critical community for his solo album on Hightone Records, Make Up for the Lost Time, produced by David Hidalgo of Los Lobos.

Keeping the bands musical legacy alive for the past 20 years has been bass player Jimmy Espinoza, who served as Executive Producer of Greatest. In addition to Espinoza and Willie G., the present lineup includes founding members Romeo Prado (trombone) and Larry Rendon (saxophone.) Thee Midniters were one of the first bands to integrate horns into a rock rhythm section, predating the emergence of bands like Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Thee Midniters recorded four vinyl albums between 1965-67, including Whittier Blvd. Featuring Land Of A Thousand Dances (1965), Bring You Love Special Delivery (1966), Unlimited (1966) and Giants (1967.) The albums, originally released on the long-defunct Chattahoochee and Whittier labels, have been out-of-print and sought after for years.

Thee Midniters stood for a level of professionalism and excitement that put them at the forefront of the Chicano music scene in Southern California. They have played the stages of the Hollywood Bowl, Rose Bowl and Hollywood Palladium, as well as dance halls from El Monte to Sacramento to El Paso. Legendary DJ Casey Kasem remains one of their biggest fans.

Thump Records, best known for its Old School and Lowrider oldies releases, is primarily a compilation/re-issue record company (not unlike Rhino Records) catering to the Hispanic community through its national distributor Universal and Lowrider Magazine.

Thee Midniters will commemorate the release of Greatest with live dates to be announced shortly.

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For additional information on Thee Midniters, contact The Baker/Northrop Media Group:
Cary Baker (818) 986-5200 x 222    cary@bakernorthrop.com
http://www.bakernorthrop.com