Album Notes

Jimmy Torres was the lead guitar player for the 1960s rock group, The String-A-Longs. The String-A-Longs was one of the rock 'n' roll groups to come out of Plainview, Texas in the early days of rock 'n' roll. Their unique instrumental style, Torres' lead guitar, his Magnatone amp and Torres' original songwriting produced several huge hits, including "Wheels," "Mynah Bird," and "Twist Watch."

The original group toured and performed extensively with such groups as the Everly Brothers, Marty Robbins, Roy Orbison, Rex Allen, Sr., Del Shannon, the Shirrels and many others . The original group disbanded in 1964.

Jimmy Torres continued to play, perform and compose individually in Canada and later in Texas with the Strings of Fortune and The Jimmy Torres Trio.

After suffering severe injuries in an automobile wreck in the mid-1970s, Torres continued to compose while he worked to recover from the injuries he sustained. He eventually began to appear in Texas with the Jimmy Torres Trio, composed of himself and his two brothers. In 1989, he put together a country album of original songs, which was never released because he was assaulted, gravely injured, and left for dead. After his lengthy recovery, Torres left Texas and the entertainment world to become a hermit in the high desert of Oregon. In 1997, Nokie Edwards of the Ventures persuaded Torres to come out of hermitage to do two benefit concerts in Eugene, Oregon. Thereafter, Torres returned to his hermitage until now.

Music and composition are in Torres' blood. He has tunes that need to be released and played. Torres recently released his CD, "Uncommon Man," a country album of Torres' original songs produced by the late Bob Millsap. He will also be re-releasing "The String-A-Longs."