Omega (band)

Biography

Omega was formed in Budapest in September 1962 by core members' keyboardist/flutist/trumpeter/vocalist László Benkő and vocalist János Kóbor; along with trombonist Győző Bánkúti, drummer/percussionist Tamás Künsztler, saxophonist Péter Láng, guitarist Ferenc Tornóczky, and bassist István Varsányi. The band's initial line-up did not last long, with co-founders Bánkúti and Tornóczky opting to leave within a couple of months of the band's formation; the latter being replaced by András Kovacsics whilst the former was not replaced. More changes ensued over the following couple of years; with Láng departing in 1963 to be replaced by László Harmat, who subsequently departed the following year along with Künsztler; leading to drummer József Laux, saxophonist Tamás Somló, and vocalist Mária Wittek being recruited to the band. This new septet provided the band with its first stable line-up, one which would last until 1967.

In 1967, Omega's line-up was augmented by keyboardist/vocalist Gábor Presser, and thus the band started taking steps towards writing and recording their first album; however this had not come about without creating further instability in the band's line-up. Within a few months of Presser's recruitment, both Varsányi (who was by this point the only founding member in the band other than Benkő and Kóbor) and Wittek departed; the role of bassist falling to Tamás Mihály at this point. Later in the year, longstanding guitarist Kovacsics also opted to leave the band, and was replaced by György Molnár. The following year Somló departed the band, and the remaining sextet (Benkő-Kóbor-Laux-Mihály-Molnár-Presser) ultimately proved to be the line-up that ultimately ended up releasing the band's debut album (1968's Trombitás Frédi és a rettenetes emberek), as well as the following two (1969's 10 000 lépés and 1970's Éjszakai országút). These first albums were heavily influenced by the music of The Beatles and psychedelic rock, but they also looked forward to the band's future more hard rock, then progressive and space rock styles.

Following the acrimonious departure of Laux and Presser in Spring 1971 to form Locomotiv GT (of which former Omega saxophonist Tamás Somló would also later be a member); the remaining members of Omega recruited drummer/percussionist Ferenc Debreczeni, who had previously performed with Neoton Família, in August 1971, to create the current line-up, which has remained unchanged ever since - János "Mecky" Kóbor on lead and backing vocals; László "Laci" Benkő on keyboards, flute, trumpet, and lead and backing vocals; Tamás "Misi" Mihály on bass and lead and backing vocals; György "Elefánt" Molnár on guitars; and Ferenc "Ciki" Debreczeni on drums.

This band released ten more albums between 1972 and 1987. Many of these were released both in Hungarian and in English, in the hopes of generating wider interest in their music. However, the contents of the English albums often differed from their Hungarian counterparts, sometimes assembling tracks from several different albums and nearly always changing the song order. The band dissolved in 1987, but reformed again in 1994, with former member Gábor Presser joining them, following a thawing in relations between Omega and Locomotive GT, at concerts and contributing several tracks to 1995's Trans And Dance. Since the band's reformation the line-up has often been augmented by guitarist Tamás Szekeres, bassist Miklós Küronya, and keyboardist Zsolt Gömöry, as substitutes for Molnár, Mihály, and Benkő, respectively, on occasions where the official band members have been unable to commit to the band for personal reasons. The involvement of these musicians' has been principally for live purposes, but has sometimes extended to recording sessions; regardless of this, Benkő, Mihály, and Molnár all remain official members' of Omega.

Omega has achieved great international success through releases in multiple languages, and tours in England and Germany in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Their 1969 song "Gyöngyhajú lány" became an international hit, and was later covered by Griva on their 1987 self-titled album, with the title "Devojka biserne kose", and by Scorpions on a 1995 live release, with new lyrics and the title "White Dove" (the Hungarian title officially was translated as "Pearls in Her Hair"), In 2013 Kanye West used the song in a sample for his track "New Slaves".

Omega’s 16th Hungarian studio release is 2006’s Égi jel: Omega ("Divine Sign: Omega"), and their latest English release is 1996’s Transcendent. In spring and summer of 2006, they performed their "EurOmega 2006" tour, including concerts in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Berlin and Basel.

As the first part of a trilogy the band released in autumn 2010 Omega Rhapsody.

On July 19, 2016, former Omega saxophonist and LGT bassist Tamás Somló died, aged 68, of cancer; and the following month, on August 6, 2016, former drummer József Laux also died, aged 73.

Timeline