“Soogie” (1969) was Willie Rodríguez’s first album for Mary Lou Records. Mary Lou Records, at that time, was also one of the labels in the right place at the right time, just before Fania smashed almost all the competition. The album is mostly comprised of guaguancós, boleros, and improvised-space-filling descargas (jam sessions). This is remarkable, as it hardly includes boogaloo, which was still prevalent during those years, yet already on the way out.

According to Bobby Marín, its musical director “we didn't call it  salsa at the time; it had no name. It was mambo or música movida, they used to call it on the radio.” The first tune, ‘My Dog Soogie,’ which provides the title for the recording, is a playful guaracha about a dog. The following track is the wildly popular ‘La Puerta del Dolor.’ ‘El Chivo’ (the goat) is a spicy guaracha, which changes into a son montuno-guajira. ‘Grande’ is a guaguancó, followed by ‘Los Callos de Dolores,’ also a delightful guaguancó. Then comes the ballad ‘Porque yo te Amo,’ a monster hit of the sixties by popular Argentine singer Sandro. Next we have ‘Al Compás del Güiro,’ a guaguancó, with the delicious chorus that goes “cómo va, cómo va, cómo va, mi güiro cómo va.” ‘Paul's Thing’ is an instrumental guaguancó, with engrossing sax solos. Finally, we have the smashing, extended descarga ‘Salsa con Willie Rodríguez.’