Contenidos
Maquillaje - Mecano (1982)
Spanish synth-pop anthem from the Movida Madrilena movement. Mecano's first international hit, number 1 on Los 40 Principales.
Historical Context
"Maquillaje" (Make-up) was released on June 21, 1982 as the fourth single by Spanish trio Mecano, formed by brothers Nacho and Jose Maria Cano with vocalist Ana Torroja. Composed by Ignacio "Nacho" Cano. Spain was experiencing a cultural boom: the Movida Madrilena was at its peak, an explosion of artistic creativity and freedom after decades of Franco's dictatorship.
The sound drew directly from British techno-pop and synthpop by groups like Depeche Mode, OMD and Soft Cell. The song became an instant hit, reaching number 1 on Los 40 Principales, becoming "the song of summer" 1982.
Musical Characteristics
The song is in B minor (Bm) with a tempo of approximately 110-118 BPM and a compact duration of just 2 minutes and 31 seconds. Instrumentation includes drums, percussion, electric bass, electric guitar, piano, Rhodes electric piano, organ and saxophone.
Although Mecano was a trio, the instruments on the single were played by professional session musicians: Manolo Aguilar on bass, Javier de Juan on drums, Carlos Garcia-Vaso on guitars, and Luis Cobos on keyboards and saxophone.
Trivia
- Hidden meaning and LGBTQ+ connection. Although the song apparently deals with vanity of make-up, the lyrics were embraced by the LGBTQ+ community as a message directed at them, at a time when their visibility was very limited in Spain.
- Session musicians, not Mecano. Despite presenting themselves as a complete group, none of the Cano brothers played instruments on the recording. All were performed by professional studio musicians.
- The promotional t-shirt. To boost sales of the 12-inch maxi single, CBS included a band t-shirt as a gift. The colorful cover became an iconic image of 1980s Spanish pop aesthetics.