The Champs’ 1958 hit “Tequila” is one of the most popular instrumental pop songs of all time, and for good reason. For decades, the fun, upbeat tune has been a staple at parties, wedding receptions, and sporting events, with crowds knowing exactly when to shout out the song’s single lyric, “Tequila!”
But when it was recorded, no one thought it would go anywhere. In fact, no one gave the song much thought at all—not even the band itself.
The recording the band didn’t even listen to
The story begins in 1957 with an entirely different instrumental song called “Train to Nowhere,” written and recorded by David Burgess. The Flores Trio, led by saxophonist Danny Flores (who later went by Chuck Rio), joined Burgess as studio musicians in the recording.
But the single needed a B-side, and there was a little recording time left in the studio. Flores had a little ditty he liked to use on breaks during club dates, so he started playing it. The other musicians joined in with their own instruments.
It was basically an impromptu jam session. In a matter of minutes, they had a full song. At some point, his fellow musicians suggested Flores yell “Tequila!”—a shout-out to his affinity for the drink. They recorded the song in just three takes, then left the studio. None of them even stuck around to listen to the recording.
When the B-side outplays the A-side
At this point, the band wasn’t known as The Champs. In fact, they weren’t even an official band yet at all. And “Tequila” was an afterthought, a hastily thrown together recording simply to fill the need for a B-side.
Side note for the younger set: a B-side was the song recorded on the flip side of a single. Singles were released as small albums called 45s, with one song on each side of the record. A single being released and marketed was the A-side. B-sides often went unknown to all but die-hard fans.
Not so with “Tequila.” While “Train to Nowhere” didn’t exactly go nowhere, it definitely didn’t go where its B-side went. Thanks initially to a Cleveland DJ who decided to flip the record over and play it, “Tequila” found an enthusiastic audience. The fun, upbeat tune with Latin roots and a beach party vibe became a smash hit climbing to the top spot on the charts in just three weeks. It even won a Grammy award in 1959 for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance.
Since then, its popularity has continued. Pee-wee Herman famously danced to “Tequila” on a bar table in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, and it’s been used in many films and TV shows. The tune is catchy enough that anyone can “sing” along to it, even if there’s only one lyric to remember.
Flores never tired of playing The Champs’ greatest hit
In another bit of odd music trivia, The Champs got their name from a horse. Gene Autry owned the record label and studio where the song was recorded, and his horse, Champion, inspired the name of the retroactively formed band.
Unfortunately, The Champs had a bit of a rocky run. They toured and recorded together for seven or eight years, but the relationship between Burgess and Flores was fraught with conflict. Various band members came and went, including Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts, who later became the 70s duo Seals & Crofts.
But Danny Flores continued to play “Tequila” every chance he got for 40 years. “I can honestly tell you he never got tired of playing that song,” his wife of 33 years, Sharee, shared.
Not too shabby for a song that was never meant to go anywhere in the first place.
