THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
2,116) Los Pasos/The Steps — “Yo Fui El Mejor”/”I Was the Best”
Here is magnifica Spanish pop-psicodelia, Los Pasos’ “best single, the most psychedelic. . . . [s]uperb Spanish pop from the sixties” (gerardop9633 (courtesy of Google Translate) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9riZEMWAiE), “advanced and personal baroque pop with a great production (reverb and tape effects, backward guitars, etc.)”. (liner notes the the CD comp Fading Yellow: Vol. 14: Spanish Popsike and other Delights 1967-1973)
Wikipedia tells us (courtesy of Google Translate) that “The band was the brainchild of French producer Alain Milhaud, who aimed to create a group capable of competing with Los Brincos [see #1,172, 1,570], the most successful [Spanish] band of the time. To this end, he recruited five young men from Madrid.” (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Pasos) Andrés Arévalo continues the story (courtesy of Google Translate):
[A]ll its members [José Luis González, Luis Enrique Baizán, Joaquín Torres, Álvaro Nieto, and Martín Careaga] came from other bands . . . . Manolo Díaz . . . offered them a song for their debut: “La Moto.” Moreover, the producer was none other than Alain Millhaud. However, the Frenchman had recently discovered his future protégé, Los Bravos [see #1,538, 1,686], and pressured Díaz to veto the release of the single by Los Pasos. . . . Los Bravos reached number one with it. . . . [which] would forever haunt Los Pasos and contribute to their distinctive image of resilience in the face of adversity. Given the situation, they signed with Hispavox . . . . From 1966 to 1969 they released around a dozen singles on that label—in addition to an LP [ — ] some truly brilliant, but all with a common denominator: excellence in vocal harmonies. In 1968, they starred in the grotesque film Long-Play . . . and contributed several songs to its soundtrack. This proved to be a minor setback, leading to a shift away from commercialism in their subsequent work. However, the results were never entirely satisfactory; their record label began to sideline them, sparking a conflict that ultimately led to a dead end. At that time, Los Pekenikes were in a similar situation, and two of their members [joined José Luis González, Luis Baizán from Ceuta , and Joaquín Torres to form . . . Taranto’s. Success was also elusive, but time has granted this project a unique place in the history of Spanish rock. Meanwhile, Álvaro Nieto would go on to join La Compañía, performing pop-folk versions of well-known zarzuela pieces. In any case, the group reunited after switching record labels. However, this new phase produced some entirely forgettable moments, intensified internal conflicts within the band, and marked a sad and understated end to such a remarkable career. . . . Their early work will, in any case, remain one of the most splendid vocal moments of the era.
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