Breakout (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1 February 1968 |
| Headquarters | Poland |
| Products | Blues rock music |
Breakout was a Polish blues rock ensemble established on 1 February 1968.
History
Initially known as Blackout, the group made their first appearance at the Musicorama festival in February 1968. Bassist Michał Muzolf became a member in April. By June, the band embarked on a tour throughout the Benelux region. Upon their return to Poland, they emerged as one of the leading rock acts in the country, pioneering blues rock and utilizing a newly acquired sound system imported from western Europe.
In November 1968, Breakout performed multiple concerts across Poland. Early in 1969, their track "Gdybyś kochał, hej!" reached the top position on radio charts.
Their debut album, Na drugim brzegu tęczy (1969), included contributions from Włodzimierz Nahorny on saxophone and flute. The bass position saw changes: Piotr Nowak joined in August 1969 but was succeeded by Józef Skrzek in early 1970. That same year, manager Franciszek Walicki departed.
Due to their Western-oriented image and long hairstyles, Polish media criticized the band, leading to a ban of their music on radio and television.
In 1971, Breakout released what is often considered their finest album, Blues, featuring Tadeusz Nalepa (vocals, lead guitar), Dariusz Kozakiewicz (guitar), Tadeusz Trzciński (harmonica), Jerzy Goleniewski (bass), and Józef Hajdasz (drums).
Their fourth album, Karate (1972), became their highest-selling record. After its completion, Jan Izbiński briefly joined as vocalist. Nahorny left the band in 1973; during this period, they also participated in Mira Kubasińska's solo project Ogień.
Between 1973 and 1975, Breakout toured extensively across the USSR, England, and the Netherlands.
The fifth album, Kamienie (1974), featured Nalepa (lead guitar, harmonica, vocals), Winicjusz Chróst (guitar), Zdzisław Zawadzki (bass), and Wojciech Morawski (drums). On 21 November 1974, they were awarded the Golden Plate for Karate. By 1976, the lineup stabilized with Mira Kubasińska (vocals), Nalepa (guitar), Zbigniew Wypych (bass), Bogdan Lewandowski (keyboards), and Andrzej Tylec (drums), producing the album NOL.
Following a hiatus, 1979 saw the release of Żagiel ziemi, recorded alongside Roman "Pazur" Wojciechowski as part of the Olympian Triptych for the 1980 Moscow Olympics; concurrently, they recorded ZOL.
Breakout dissolved in 1982 when leader Tadeusz Nalepa embarked on a solo career. Since then, the band has occasionally reunited for special performances.
On 19 June 2007, Rzeszów hosted the Breakout Festival in tribute to Mira Kubasińska and Tadeusz Nalepa.
Band members
- Tadeusz Nalepa (1943–2007) – guitar, harmonica, vocal
- Mira Kubasińska (1944–2005) – vocal
- Janusz Zieliński – bass
- Krzysztof Dłutowski – keyboards
- Józef Hajdasz – drums
Studio albums
- Blackout (1968)
- Na drugim brzegu tęczy (1969)
- 70a (1970)
- Blues (1971)
- Mira (1971)
- Karate (1972)
- Ogień (1973)
- Kamienie (1974)
- NOL (1976)
- ZOL (1979)
- Żagiel ziemi (1980)
Compilations
- Blackout (2) (1994)
- Breakout 1969/70 (1996)
- Ballady (1995)