Breakout

Breakout is a Polish blues rock group from Warsaw, active from 1968 to 1982. It forms after an earlier period as Blackout, and the name changes to Breakout in 1968. The band is closely associated with the guitar and vocals of Tadeusz Nalepa and the vocals of Mira Kubasińska, which are central to its sound.

History

The group first performs as Breakout at the Musicorama festival in February 1968. In April, bassist Michał Muzolf joins, and in June the band tours Benelux. After returning to Poland, Breakout becomes one of the best-known Polish rock acts, helped by a new sound system from western Europe and by being among the first bands to play blues rock in Poland. In November 1968 it plays concerts around Poland.

In early 1969, the song “Gdybyś kochał, hej!” reaches the top of the radio chart. The first album, Na drugim brzegu tęczy, follows in 1969 and is recorded without K. Dłutowski but with Włodzimierz Nahorny on saxophone and flute. In 1970 Piotr Nowak briefly joins on bass, then Józef Skrzek replaces him. That year, manager Franciszek Walicki leaves the group, and Polish radio and television stop playing its songs because of criticism of the band’s Western-influenced image and long hair.

Breakout releases Blues in 1971, with Tadeusz Nalepa, Dariusz Kozakiewicz, Tadeusz Trzciński, Jerzy Goleniewski and Józef Hajdasz. In 1972 it records Karate, which becomes its best-selling release to that point; Jan Izbiński joins briefly after the recording. In 1973 Włodzimierz Nahorny leaves, and the group helps record Mira Kubasińska’s solo album Ogień.

Between 1973 and 1975, the band tours the USSR, East Germany and Holland. In 1974 it records Kamienie with Winicjusz Chróst, Zdzisław Zawadzki and Wojciech Morawski, and receives a Golden Plate for Karate. After further line-up changes, the group settles in early 1976 as Mira Kubasińska, Tadeusz Nalepa, Zbigniew Wypych, Bogdan Lewandowski and Andrzej Tylec, and records NOL.

The next album does not appear until 1979, when Żagiel is recorded with Roman “Pazur” Wojciechowski as part of the Olympian Triptych for the Moscow Olympics. The band also records SOL. Breakout ends in 1982 when Nalepa begins a solo career. The group is later reactivated for various events and concerts, and a Breakout Festival takes place in Rzeszów in 2007 in memory of Mira Kubasińska and Tadeusz Nalepa.

Style and discography

Breakout’s music is defined by blues rock, hard rock and psychedelic rock, with a strong emphasis on Nalepa’s guitar and voice and Kubasińska’s vocals. Key releases include Na drugim brzegu tęczy, Blues, Karate, Kamienie, NOL, Żagiel and SOL.