Omega

The most successful Hungarian rock band in history, Omega was formed in 1962 in Budapest by a group of friends. The lineup changed several times during Omega's early years and there was no consistent music style to speak of. Like with many other rock groups of the early '60s, the band's repertory largely consisted of songs by popular British bands of the period. Only in 1967, when they were joined by Gábor Presser (keyboards, vocals), did they began recording their own songs and issue a few singles. Presser's mixture of rock with elements of jazz and folk proved to be a winning formula. In 1968, John Martin, the manager of the Spencer Davis Group, invited them for a tour in Great Britain, where they recorded the album Omega: Red Star From Hungary for the Decca label. Later that year, they issued their first Hungarian LP Trombitás Frédi és a Rettenetes Emberek (Trumpeter Freddy and the Terrible People) that became their first golden album. The band sealed their success with two subsequent LPs: 10,000 Lépés (10,000 Steps) (1969) and Éjszakai Országút (On the Highway at Night) (1970). Their 1969 song "Gyöngyhajú lány" (The Girl With Pearls in Her Hair) became their first international hit and it was reworked by the Scorpions into "White Dove" in the mid-'90s.