‘The Cisco Kid’ by War Golden Oldies

Each War member contributed to “The Cisco Kid,” which featured an irresistible, chugging instrumental engine that drove a story line that defied analysis—or logic.

played blues constantly. We were trying to imitate what we heard, but it came out being something else.”

Blues and mariachi weren’t their only musical genres. Influenced by the young musicians’ racial diversity, elements of soul, jazz, reggae and mainstream rock ‘n’ roll were also combined to create an aural stew that defined War’s distinctive sound.

They went by a series of names—the Creators, the Romeos, Nightshift. In 1969, while playing a small Hollywood club, a record producer caught their act and soon burning hot.

Their biggest winner—#2 on Billboard’s chart—was “The Cisco Kid,” which was based on a favorite children’s TV show of theirs called— surprise!—The Cisco Kid. “Up until that point, the cowboy heroes were people like John Wayne,” Jordan explained. “When the TV series came around, the band discovered their first non-white hero—a Mexican cowboy.”

The Cisco Kid was a popular half-hour Western that ran from 1950 to 1956, with Cisco (Duncan Renaldo) and his partner Pancho (Leo Carillo) spending

The Cisco Kid was a friend of mine/He drink whiskey, Pancho drink the wine

We met down on the fort of Rio Grande/Eat the salted peanuts out of can

The outlaws had us pinned down at the fort/Cisco came in blastin’, drinkin’ port

The musicians met Duncan Renaldo, TV’s Cisco Kid. War’s guitarist Howard Scott said, “It was an honor to meet that guy. He was this old, elegant Spanish gentleman with white hair, lighthearted and very likable.”

As to their best-selling single ever?

“He thought our song was funny.”