EARLY YEARS
Alejadro Serna Lora was born on December 2, 1952 in Puebla, Puebla. His parents Eloisa Serna de Lora and Alejandro Lora Cruz got divorced when Alex was 2 years old. His mother took him to his grandmother's house in Mexico City. There she got married once again, now with a publicist Eulelio Sanchez Rivero, who took the roll of a second father to Alex.
THE FIRST CONTACT WITH ROCK MUSIC
LOS HOOLLIGANS
When he was going to elementary school, Alex had his first contact with rock music when he found out that his cousin Chela was the girlfriend of Humberto Cisneros, guitarist from a group called Los Hoolligans, which would practice near his house. He would go with his cousin, but they would not let him in, so he had to listen from outside. Nevertheless he started listening to records, first in his cousin's house then in his own house, he would not only listen to records from Los Hoolligans, but from Teen Tops, Locos del Ritmo, Rebeldes del Rock, Sinners, etc. With time he started learning how to play guitar with the notes that a music teacher would leave for his mother, he learned to play some popular songs, and also some boleros, (slow piece).
ZUMARRAGA INSTITUTE
LOS AVENGERS
Toward 1964, Alex registered in the "Instituto Zumarraga" to complete his junior high there. Knowing something about guitars he joins the school's "Estudiantina" where Carlos Hauptvogel and Bernardo Alonso were part of too. From there the idea of forming a group started, and when Alex was about to form it with Carlos Acerrega, Charlie invited him to "Los Avengers", name inspired by an English Television series. He accepts and the group is formed as follows: Alex (guitar), Bernardo (guitar), Charlie (drums), and Miguel (base).
HIS FIRST GUITAR AND AMPLIFIER
Since the group did not have any instruments, they are joined by two singers: Oscar, who knew how to sing (although he would sing with an inunderstandible english), and Jorge, who would just make believe that he was singing but he wasn't, both him and his brother provided the instruments and a garage for them to practice. At that time they played songs from The Beattles, Rolling Stones, Them and even The Doors. By 1966 his father, Alejandro Lora Cruz, who traveled often to the border with the United States, buys Alex a Striker amplifier that had lights that turned on and off with the rythm of the music, and a Rickenbaker guitar. That was a great surprise for Alex.
PISTA DE HIELO INSURGENTES
Due to differences in many things, Alex, Charlie, and Bernardo argue with the rest of group "Los Avengers" and form their own group which they called Music Bottled Company. They did not lasted very long with that name. After some time they changed their name to Middle Age, where Alex, besides playing the guitar, also was the singer. They were a much better group since their repretoire in 1967, included songs from Who, Kinks, Cream, and Animals. Every song was in english, by that time Alex was going to Pista de Hielo Insurgentes in San Angel where he would listen to play groups like Dug Dug's, Esclavos, Profetas, who would also play American and English group's hits. Eventually Alex would play there too.
THREE SOULS IN MY MIND IS BORN
Middle Age although living in a hippie style age, their look was what they called "out" because they did not have long hair and did not dressed like all the other bands. At the beginning of 1968, the group decides to change its name to Three Souls in My Mind, due to the fact that they were three and they played soul, the mind thing was just to make it sound better, a little bit after that, they would add Rock and Roll Band Mexico City to complete the name. Bernardo leaves and shortly after that Jose Pampin joins the group. They played at a party for The Cherokees Fotball team, they were alternating with Pop Music Team, a group from the Universidad Iveroamericana.
FROM ACID ROCK TO RYTHM AND BLUES
Eventually, Guillermo Berea joins the group playing the base, and would start playing in schools, parties and even came out in a popular magazine called Pop. As time passed, Guillermo and Jose leave the group, Miguel Flores (base) and Ernesto de Leon (guitar) join the group. This change, with time would be a turningpoint for the group, shortly after that, they meet Permanides Garcia Saldaņa, a song writter and Fito de la Parra who little by little convinced the group to leave their acid rock style for rythm and blues and to let their hair grow.
THEY SIGN WITH CISNE RAFF;
STAR FUCKING STAR
At that time Lalo Toral, who used to play for Los Locos del Ritmo and was also their neghboor was working as a producer for a small record company called Cisne Raff, he convinces the group to sign a deal with them. As a test recording they record a single in two channel console, two songs were included, Abuelo and Me la he pasado Divagando. During that 1970, they would go back to the studio with Ernesto de la Cruz and record their first album. When they were half way through the recording, Miguel Flores leaves to Europe and Ernesto recomends Toņo Limon from Los Ovnis, who had just finished recording three songs in Spanish. By 1971 they record their second album with songs in English, in which they include three songs from the first one: Lenon Blues, Let me Swim, and Don't Ask Me, written by Lora, who dominated the language, at the time Roberto Melchoreno joins the group and appears on the cover.
AVANDARO;
TO LIVE IN MEXICO IS THE WORST
During 1971, the so called "Rock Chicano" (because they used to sing it in spanish and english), was getting stronger, some of the local radio stations such as 590, Radio Exitos, and XEDF were starting to play it often. When all this is happening there is an announcement for September 11, "El Festival de Rock y Ruedas" in Avandaro, Valle de Bravo, which was originally a motorcycle race. Luis de Llano Macedo from Telesistemas Mexicanos (today Televisa), receives the proposition from Armado Molina to take rock groups. De Llano accepts providing a generous amount of money. Molina tells all the groups to participate only with the condition that they had to play their own songs in spanish. Many groups were schedule to participate in that event, in a raffle that they has, El THREE was scheduled to close the festival with their performance. When the festival was over, there was a big scandal, the press turned against rock music; A generation that was already condemned in '68 was condemned once again this time. Even the media could not say or write the word Avandaro. Radio host Felix Ruano got his license revocked and Governor Hank Gonzales was removed from his position for giving permission for the event.
ON THE ROAD TO EL SALVADOR
ROCK SOBRE RUEDAS
Avandaro would be the beginning of the phohibition of every rock activity. Places such as Los Globos, Terraza Casino and Champaņa a Go Go, did not have permission to organize dances. Desperation got to the point where all the groups and many other people got together in Cine Versalles to unify themselves and work something out. A solution was not found, El Three, then went on tour to El Salvador with Peace and Love. When they came back they found out that Lic. Humberto Ruvalcaba creates the phenomenon Rock Sobre Ruedas, which consisted in going to the streets to play rock music on top of a truck and pass a hat for the people to give them some coins. This was due to the fact that negotiations with the STUM and other authorities did not have a good outcome. Alex gets sick from hepatitis, el Oso leaves the group to go play with Hermanos Carreon, and El Three signs a deal with Producciones Arte.
THEY SING IN SPANISH
All these experiences inspire Alex, who in 1973 comes out with their third album, which is all in spanish. From there classics such as Oye Cantinero, Que Viva el Rock and Roll and La Encuerada de Avandaro would come out, these songs were popular in places like Salon Chicago, El Herradero, 5 de Mayo, El Siempre lo Mismo and many others. By that time el "Palomazo" was being performed at dances by Arturo Labastida (El Papaito) and Lalo Toral. By 1975, Chavos de Onda, a fourth album would be out. In this record Alex would interpret songs such as Abuso de Autoridad, Viejas de D.F. and the most popular Chavo de Onda, which had popular lirics.
CRONISTA ROCKERO;
ERNIE LEAVES THE GROUP
Toward 1966, El Three comes out with its first album recorded in 16 channels: Es Lo Mejor. On the cover was their classic logo which was kind of psychodelic, it lasted for some years. In this production, songs such as Es Lo Mejor, A.D.O. , Masturbado and Nuestros Impuestos would stand out, this last one would reafirm Alex as "Cronista rockero de la ciudad". At that time Ernie invites Sergio Mancera (El Condor), to play with them. The following year (77) the album, La Devaluacion, would make its appearance, in this album El Papaito and El Condor who was Charlie's cousin played with El Three. There were two covers for this album. During that same year Pepe Rodriguez (Maquina del Sonido) arrives as their representative when they cancel the deal with Producciones Arte de Molina y Manuel Acosta. Months later on a trip to Veracruz, Ernie leaves El Three, nothing they can do.
THEIR FIRST ALBUM RECORDED LIVE
By 1978, Alex goes to Reclusorio Oriente ( a mexican jail) where a concert was being recorded. This was something that was happening for the first time in Mexico with rock music. In a portable console with two channels their most popular songs were recorded plus four new songs: Reclusorio Oriente, No me Regaņes, Manish Boy and How Blue can You Get. In 1979, el Papaito was oficially part of the group three albums were produced during that year. First, Que Rico Diablo arrived, two cuban musicians were invited to play in that recording Silvestre Mendez and Luis Rojas. Most outstanding songs were Presta and La Droga mas Violenta ( this one originally named La Droga mas Cabrona). Then came Bellas de Noche, which gives El Three its first great hit Pobres de los Niņos, due to its quality of sound, they get more in touch with its followers. Also the album El Blues del Eje Vial would be recorded, where Alex includes his song Abuelo, also No Puedo Dejar de Tomar and El Blues del Eje Vial, in this last one continuing with his role as a "cronista".
D'MENTES AND THE CHANGE
Cisne Raff, the group would record their last album with the company in 1980. D'Mentes was recorded in studios Salty Dog in Los Angeles, California. This was the third group to record out of the country, after Batiz and Mr. Loco. Following that event, the album, 15 Grandes Exitos, gave the welcome the the 80s. The album Viejas Rolas, had the song Renuncio, which had to do with their brake with Cisne Raff because the publicity was none, the interests were low and other things were wrong. This would lead the group to record an album in 1981, it was called Renovacion Moral, inspired by the famous slogan the government was using as publicity at the time. This album was under RCM with approximately two thousand pieces ( LPs and cassettes).
CHARLIE LEAVES AND 'EL TRI' IS BORN
They kept playing, but little things between Charlie and Alex were starting to come out. Discussions, problems, and other things were going on until 1984, Charlie leaves taking with him the name Three Souls in My Mind. This did not brought Alex down, who spread the word that they were going to be called El Tri, since most of their fans knew them by that name. They were going to keep playing (groups such as Peace and Love, Bandido, Tequila, Nahuatl, Ritual, and other groups that started at the same time as El Tri, had already desintegrated). This is when Mariano Soto appears to joint the group, they had known him before because he played a couple of time when Charlie could not play. A few weeks later Ricardo Ochoa (at that time with Kenny y Los Electricos) arrives to persuade the group to sign a deal with independent record company called COM-ROCK, which was founded by Juan Navarro, Spanish negotiator living in Mexico.
