Karate

1) Overview
Karate is Breakout’s fourth studio album, released in 1972 on Polskie Nagrania Muza (SXL 0858). It followed the acclaimed Blues (1971) and is widely regarded as a cornerstone of Polish blues-rock, eventually earning a Gold Record in 1974 for roughly 150,000 copies sold. It is also cited as the group’s best-selling release to date. ([allnightflightrecords.com](https://allnightflightrecords.com/products/breakout-karate))

2) Recording History
- Recording director: Janusz Urbański; sound engineer: Krystyna Urbańska; credits also list design by Marek Karewicz. Music is credited to Tadeusz Nalepa with Polish lyrics by Bogdan Loebl. ([breakoutdays.pl](https://www.breakoutdays.pl/tworczosc-nalepy/karate%2Cart16/?utm_source=openai))
- The band lineup on Karate featured Nalepa (guitar/vocals), Trzciński (harmonica), Jerzy Goleniewski (bass), Józef Hajdasz (drums), with Mira Kubasińska contributing percussion on some tracks. ([breakoutdays.pl](https://www.breakoutdays.pl/tworczosc-nalepy/karate%2Cart16/?utm_source=openai))
- Notably, Nalepa recalled that the album was recorded on a four-track tape, an environment often praised for its tactile, punchy blues sound. The exact recording location is not widely documented in public sources. ([breakoutdays.pl](https://www.breakoutdays.pl/tworczosc-nalepy/karate%2Cart16/?utm_source=openai))
- The LP’s track listing runs Daję Ci Próg through Karate, with the booklet credits confirming the recording team and design. ([allnightflightrecords.com](https://allnightflightrecords.com/products/breakout-karate))

3) Chart Performance & Recognition
- Karate earned a Gold Record in 1974 for approximately 150,000 copies sold. ([breakoutdays.pl](https://www.breakoutdays.pl/tworczosc-nalepy/karate%2Cart16/?utm_source=openai))
- The album is regarded as Breakout’s best-selling work to date and a high-water mark of Polish blues-rock. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakout_%28band%29?utm_source=openai))
- It has seen lasting recognition, including CD reissues (e.g., PNCD 084 in 1991; later SACD-style releases) and continued catalog activity. ([polskirock.eu](https://polskirock.eu/plyta/breakout-karate-pncd084/?utm_source=openai))
- Reception at release framed Karate as a defining moment in Polish rock, reinforcing Breakout’s status in the national blues-rock lineage. ([blues.pl](https://www.blues.pl/Tadeusz_Nalepa/karate.htm?utm_source=openai))

4) Cultural Impact & Legacy
- Karate helped cement Breakout’s influence on Polish rock, blues, and fusion scenes; it is frequently cited in retrospectives of the era. ([muzeumjazzu.pl](https://www.muzeumjazzu.pl/tadeusz-nalepa/?utm_source=openai))
- Tracks such as Nocą puka ktoś have entered the Polish-rock repertoire and have been covered or reinterpreted by other artists (e.g., Krzysztof Cugowski; Rita Pax), as tracked by cover databases. ([whosampled.com](https://www.whosampled.com/Breakout/covered/?utm_source=openai))
- The album remains a touchstone of early 1970s Polish blues-rock, celebrated in modern reissues and scholarship. Jan Izbiński briefly joined Breakout after Karate, a small but notable postscript in the band’s evolving story. ([breakoutdays.pl](https://www.breakoutdays.pl/tworczosc-nalepy/karate%2Cart16/?utm_source=openai))