Gruppo Sportivo - 10 Mistakes

When I first posted this page in 2004 I wrote:

"This isn't the exact record I played back then [meaning back in the late 70s]. 10 Mistakes is a compilation that has most of the songs from the original Mistakes record."

As it turns out, it was my "mistake." In 2007 I received a letter from Gruppo Sportivo founder Hans Vanderburg, who politely corrected me:

Funny mistake, it's exactly the other way "round. It's the same Mistake people make when they tell me Frank Zappa covered one of my songs, "Take your clothes of when you dance" just because Gruppo put it on record as an intro for "Superman" and they've never heard the original. The same funny turnaround conclusion happened to our Wall of Voodoo cover "Mexican Radio" "Hey Hans, wow, Wall of Voodoo's playing your song!" Well, Puffy Ami Yumi does ("Tokyo"), arranged by Dexter Holland (the Offspring) but that's a complete different story.

Don't dream on, greetz,

Hans Vandenburg, Gruppo Sportivo

So - it was my "mistake" about the album origin but it's no mistake that I dig my Americanized version of this album on Sire Records. It's out of print but you can still get the songs on various Gruppo Sportivo collections.

I checked out Gruppo Sportivo's video of "Mexican Radio," which has a Fender Mustang in it (I have a red 1968 Mustang). I wrote Hans back asking for permission to print his letter and told him Stan Ridgway (from Wall of Voodoo) is a friend of mine. Here's his reply (6 May 2007):

DD, there are so many things people don't know about Sportivo. That we still make albums and tour Europe (zum Beispiel). That I'm writing new songs for a new album on which we'll try to keep the humor out for a change (we released about 13 happy flops 'til now, serious stuff sells better!). That we would love to play the US once in our lives! So let's gather all the fans and raise some money to get us over there! :-) Tell Stan we're a big fan of his!

-- Updated 24 June 2008 (DD)

Album Tracks