Editing Mecano

{{short description|Spanish pop band}}
{{About|the Spanish pop band|the construction toy|Meccano|other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name                = Mecano
| image               = Logomecano.jpg
| caption             = 
| image_size          = 220px
| background          = group_or_band
| alias               = 
| origin              = [[Madrid]], Spain 
| genre               = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]|[[synth-pop]]|[[New wave music|new wave]]|[[pop rock]]}}
| years_active        = {{hlist|1981–1992|1998}}
| label               = {{hlist|[[Columbia Records|CBS]]|[[Sony BMG]]}}
| associated_acts     = {{unbulleted list|[[Genesis (band)|Genesis]]|[[Amaia Montero]]|[[La Oreja De Van Gogh]]|[[Alaska y Dinarama]]|[[Presuntos Implicados]]|[[Ultravox]]|[[Nacha Pop]]|[[La Union]]|[[Elisa Rego]]}}
| website             = 
| past_members        = {{unbulleted list|[[Ana Torroja]]|[[Nacho Cano]]|[[José María Cano]]}}
}}

'''Mecano''' was a Spanish [[Pop music|pop]] band formed in 1981 and active until 1992. Mecano became one of the most successful Spanish pop bands of all time. The band is still the best-selling Spanish band, with over 20 million records worldwide.<ref name="Mecano20">{{cite web|url=https://www.revistavanityfair.es/la-revista/articulos/la-historia-secreta-de-mecano-biografia-regreso/22808|title=EL BLUES DEL ESCLAVO: LA HISTORIA SECRETA DE MECANO|date=September 7, 2016|access-date=June 17, 2020|first=Guillermo|last=Alonso|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|location=Spain|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717062827/https://www.revistavanityfair.es/la-revista/articulos/la-historia-secreta-de-mecano-biografia-regreso/22808|archive-date=2019-07-17|language=es}}</ref> They were considered by some to be [[avant-garde]] for their time<ref>{{cite web|title=Billboard|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=mecano|bio=true}}|access-date=15 May 2012}}</ref> and part of la [[La Movida Madrileña|Movida Madrileña]] countercultural movement. They had a brief comeback in 1998.

The band's line-up consisted of singer [[Ana Torroja]] and brothers [[Nacho Cano|Nacho]] and [[José María Cano]], who worked alongside session musicians such as Arturo Terriza, Manolo Aguilar, Nacho Mañó, Javier Quílez, Ángel Celada and Óscar Astruga. The trio's musical career spanned two distinct stages. The first, up to 1985, was essentially as a [[synthpop]] band, while in the second stage Mecano followed a more acoustic [[pop rock]] direction, with elements of [[Sentimental ballad|ballad]], [[dance music|dance]], [[flamenco]], [[bossa nova]], [[tango music|tango]], [[salsa music|salsa]], [[rumba flamenca]], [[bolero]], [[pasodoble]], and even [[reggae]].

The unprecedented success also hit [[Hispanic America]]. Also, thanks to adaptations to other languages of several of their songs, they influenced non-Spanish speaking countries such as Italy and France, as with their song "[[Une femme avec une femme]]". In 2005, Mecano's music was adapted into the successful musical ''[[Hoy no me puedo levantar]]'', which opened productions in Spain and [[Mexico]]. After two years, it was announced that the musical had been seen by more than 1,500,000 spectators in both countries, making it the most successful original production in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] of all time.

Some of their biggest number one singles include ''"Me cuesta tanto olvidarte"'', ''"La fuerza del destino"'', ''"[[Hijo de la luna]]"'', ''"Cruz de navajas"'', ''"[[Une femme avec une femme]]"'' (''"Mujer contra mujer"'', a worldwide number one hit), and ''"El 7 de septiembre"''.

==History==
The band started as a [[synthpop]] ensemble (''tecno pop'' in Spanish) by brothers [[Nacho Cano|Nacho]] and [[José María Cano]], along with singer [[Ana Torroja]], in 1981 in [[Madrid]] influenced by English [[new wave music|new wave]] band [[Spandau Ballet]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KHRBAgAAQBAJ&q=mecano+spandau+ballet&pg=PA151|title=Toward a Cultural Archive of la Movida: Back to the Future|first1=William J.|last1=Nichols|first2=H. Rosi|last2=Song|date=November 26, 2013|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9781611476316|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.revistavanityfair.es/sociedad/celebrities/articulos/lista-singles-de-mecano-ana-torroja-jose-maria-cano-nacho-cano-hoy-no-me-puedo-levantar/21111|title=Todos los singles de Mecano ordenados de peor a mejor|date=July 10, 2015|website=vf}}</ref> In a period of cultural experimentation in the newly [[Modern Spain|democratic Spain]], Mecano achieved its initial popularity with its debut single, "Hoy no me puedo levantar" ("I Can't Get Up Today"), a song about youth boredom and [[hangover]]s. Their first, self-titled [[Mecano (album)|album]] became a collection of classics that would later represent Spanish 1980s pop music.

At the same time, Nacho Cano branched out into producing other bands, and both brothers started writing songs for other pop up-and-comers. Although those secondary acts wouldn't achieve the level of success Mecano gained, they turned out to be new testing grounds for Mecano.

After switching recording labels, passing from then CBS-Columbia (later Sony Music) to the Ariola label (later acquired by BMG music group) and having achieved another huge hit in 1986 with "Me cuesta tanto olvidarte" ("It's So Hard to Forget You"), the band reformed its musical approach with the album ''Entre el cielo y el suelo'' (''Between the Sky and the Ground''). Their new style emphasised pop over techno. It also facilitated the export of their music to Latin America. This new versatility was evidenced by "[[Hijo de la Luna]]" ("Son of the Moon"). This song was also submitted by the band as a potential contestant for [[Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1986]], but [[Televisión Española|TVE]] selected another band, [[Cadillac (band)|Cadillac]].

Their follow-up album, ''[[Descanso Dominical]]'' (''Sunday Rest''), produced two of their most popular singles. One was, "La fuerza del destino," ("The force of fate") in which actress [[Penélope Cruz]] debuted in the video clip for it. She later had a relationship with Nacho Cano for several years.  The other single "Mujer contra mujer" ("Woman against woman"), is about a [[lesbian]] relationship, seen through the eyes of a friend, who only later realises what is going on. It was recorded in [[French language|French]] ("[[Une femme avec une femme]]"), [[English language|English]] and [[Italian language|Italian]], giving Mecano their first global hit. The single which was released in [[Latin America]] in 1989, became a number one hit, it also remained seven consecutive weeks on the French number one position from 10 November to 22 December 1990; the song became one of the greatest hits of all time in that country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chartsinfrance.net/charts/9046/singles.php|title=Meilleures ventes de Singles en France le 09 novembre 1990 1990 (Top Singles)|website=www.chartsinfrance.net}}</ref>

''Aidalai'' ([[nonsense word]] meaning, "Oh [[14th Dalai Lama|Dalai]]"), their following album, was published in 1991 and was as successful as their previous two works.

"El 7 de septiembre" ("7 September") was dedicated to Coloma Fernández Armero, who was Nacho Cano's girlfriend for several years. "El 7 de septiembre", which was released in the summer of 1992, was the last Ibero-American number one hit for the band, a music video was released for the song and it was inspired by the 1927 German silent film ''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]''. It was the last original album of the band.

In 1993, the band announced a temporary hiatus.

In 1998, the band released the album ''Ana, Jose, Nacho'', which mixed new songs with greatest hits. The band separated later that year and all three members went on to have solo careers, though only Ana found success as a singer. In 2005 keyboardist Nacho Cano wrote a musical based on 32 Mecano songs, named after their first single.

In 2005, the members of Mecano released a double-CD/DVD package commemorating the 25th anniversary of the creation of the band. The new CD/DVD, ''Mecanografia'' (Mecano-graphy), includes a compilation of all their singles, never-before released songs, and a [[DVD]] with videos and early concert appearances.

The Cano brothers were innovative musicians in the use of technology, and Nacho was one of the first Spanish musicians to own a [[Fairlight CMI|Fairlight keyboard]]. (Its screen can be seen in the back cover of their only live album). José María also commented that he often locked himself in a room with a dictionary and books to write his songs, while Nacho has said that to compose he started off with a rhythm machine, then added the melody, and the lyrics came in last.

In November 2009, the band reunited with a new song to be released later that month.

On 25 November 2011, the journalist José Antonio Abellán announced their reunion in ABC Punto Radio for a world tour in 2012. This was later denied.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.es/cultura/musica/abci-vuelve-mecano-201111240000_noticia.html|title=Vuelve Mecano|date=November 24, 2011|website=abc}}</ref> Other media such as the newspaper [[El País]], confirmed the news and the world tour.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mecano regresa con una gira mundial la próxima primavera|url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/Mecano/regresa/gira/mundial/proxima/primavera/elpepucul/20111125elpepucul_1/Tes|access-date=25 November 2011|author=www.elpais.com|newspaper=El País|date=25 November 2011}}</ref>

==Band members==

* [[Ana Torroja]] – lead vocals
* [[Nacho Cano]] – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals
* [[Jose Maria Cano]] – guitars, backing vocals 

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" 
|-
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Nominee(s)
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
! scope="row"|[[Lo Nuestro Awards]]
| [[Premio Lo Nuestro 1993|1993]]
| "Una Rosa Es Una Rosa"
| [[Lo Nuestro Award for Video of the Year|Video of the Year]]
| {{won}}
| <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0w8EAAAAMBAJ&q=no+se+tu+luis+miguel&pg=PA10|title = Billboard|date = 13 March 1993}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" rowspan=2|[[MTV Video Music Awards]]
| [[1992 MTV Video Music Awards|1992]]
| "El 7 de septiembre"
| rowspan=2|Viewer's Choice
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[1993 MTV Video Music Awards|1993]]
| "Una Rosa Es Una Rosa"
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

==Discography==
{{Main|Mecano discography}}

===Studio albums===
*''[[Mecano (album)|Mecano]]'' (1982)
*''[[¿Dónde está el país de las hadas?]]'' (1983)
*''[[Ya viene el Sol]]'' (1984)
*''[[Entre el cielo y el suelo]]'' (1986)
*''[[Descanso Dominical]]'' (1988)
*''[[Aidalai]]'' (1991)

===Other releases===
* ''Mecano: Obras Completas'' – 2005 (collection, released in a limited and numbered edition. The [[CD]]s inside the box are in [[digipack]] format. The box contains 8 original-CDs of their official [[discography]] in Spanish, yet it doesn't include [[albums]] in Italian or French. The box contains: 6 studio-albums + 1 live-album + 1 "CD Bonus" with previously unreleased songs)
* Tripack: ''Mecano: Grandes Éxitos'' – 2005 (a pack in the shape of 3-[[gatefold]] that contains 2 audio-CDs (15 songs each one, [[Single (music)|single]]s and non-singles) + 1 [[DVD]] with 20 official videoclips)
* Digipack: ''Mecanografía (La Historia En Imágenes)'' – 2006 (Luxury digipack with 4 DVDs, it contains presentations of Mecano in [[Televisión Española]] (TVE) + extra unpublished songs)
* Mecano contributed the song "Canción Cortita Para Antes que Nos Abandone el Mar" to the compilation album "Greenpeace, Salvemos al Mediterráneo" (1985).

===Foreign-language recordings===
Mecano recorded some of their songs in English, one of which was released as a single: "The Uninvited Guest", which is the English version of "[[Me Colé en Una Fiesta]]" ("I crashed a party"). Other songs recorded in English by Mecano are: ''Hawaii-Bombay'' and ''You'', but these were never released officially.

;Italian
Mecano also recorded many of their songs in Italian, such as: 
*''Figlio Della Luna'' (Hijo De La Luna)
*''Croce Di Lame'' [Cruz de Navajas ("Cross of Knives")]
*''Un Anno Di Più'' [Un Año Más ("Another Year")]
*''Uno Di Quegli Amanti'' [Los Amantes ("The Lovers")]
*''Per Lei Contro Di Lei'' [Mujer Contra Mujer]
*''Il Cinema'' [El Cine ("The Movie Theatre")]
*''Vado A Nuova York'' [No Hay Marcha En Nueva York ("Nothing Happens in New York")]
*''Fermati A Madrid'' [Quédate En Madrid ("Stay in Madrid")]
*''Mi Costa Tanto di Scordarti'' [Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte]
*''Responso Positivo'' [El Fallo Positivo ("Positive Sentence")]
*''Anna e Miguel'' [Naturaleza Muerta ("Still Life")]
*''Una Rosa e Una Rosa'' [Una Rosa es Una Rosa ("A Rose is a Rose")]
*''Tu'' ("You") (Italian version)
*"Dalai Lama" (Italian version)
*''Il 7 Di Settembre'' [El 7 De Septiembre]
*"La Forza Del Destino" [La Fuerza del Destino].

;French
Mecano recorded some songs in French including: 
*''Une Femme Avec Une Femme'' [Mujer Contra Mujer]
*''Dis-Moi Lune D'Argent'' [Hijo De La Luna]
*"Une Histoire À Trois" [El Uno, El Dos, El Tres ("The One, The Two, and The Three")]
*''Nature Morte'' [Naturaleza Muerta]
*''Le Paradis Artificiel'' [El Lago Artificial ("The Artificial Lake")]
*''Toi'' [Tú]
*"J.C." (French version)
*"Le 7 Septembre" [El 7 de Septiembre]

===Unreleased songs===
Some unreleased Mecano songs are ''Me Non Parle Vous Français'' ("I Don't Speak French"), ''Me he declarado en guerra'' ("I've Declared Myself At War"), ''Cristóbal Colón'' ("Christopher Columbus"), ''El Caballo de Espartero'' ("Espartero's Horse"), ''Solo'' ("Alone"), ''Lía'' ("Tie"), ''El Pez'' ("The Fish"), ''El Romance de la Niña María Luz'' ("The Romance of the Girl María Luz"), ''Arlequín'' ("Harlequin"), ''Al Alba'' ("At Dawn"), ''¿Qué Haces Tú en el Mundo?'' ("What Do you Do in the World?"), among others.

===Covers by other artists===
Due to the popularity of their songs, Mecano has been covered by other artists in the Spanish-speaking as well as in the non-Spanish-speaking world. Songs from ''Entre el cielo y el suelo'' have been covered by [[Montserrat Caballé]] and [[Celia Cruz]]. Also, the unpublished song ''Lía'' was sung by [[Ana Belén]]. The Eurodance band [[Loona (singer)|Loona]] covered the song "Hijo de la luna" in 1998 and achieved a major hit with it. [[Laura Branigan]] recorded a version of "Mujer Contra Mujer" on her 1993 album ''[[Over My Heart]]''. In 2008, Mexican singer [[Daniela Romo]] included the song in her album, ''Sueños de Cabaret.'' ''Cruz de Navajas'' was covered in a [[Salsa (music)|salsa]] style by [[Dominican Republic|Dominican]] singer [[Raulin Rosendo]].

In 2004, [[Mexican people|Mexican]] pop singer [[Fey (singer)|Fey]] recorded the album ''[[La Fuerza Del Destino]]'', an album consisting of 12 Mecano covers. This album was nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards in 2005. [[Costa Rica]]n Latin grammy winners, [[Editus]] covered the song "Hijo De La Luna" in their album ''Siempre...''.

Non-Spanish covers include [[Sarah Brightman]], who sang the songs "Tú", "Hijo de la luna", "Naturaleza Muerta". [[Mario Frangoulis]] covered "Hijo de la luna" and "Naturaleza Muerta." The Belgian-Spanish [[Belle Perez]] did the same. Greek singer [[Eleni Dimou]] covered "Hijo de la luna" translating it in Greek ("Πέφτει το φεγγάρι" - "Moon is falling").

The Spanish heavy metal band [[Stravaganzza]] covered the song "Hijo de la luna" in their most recent studio work: an EP called ''Hijo del Miedo'' (Son of Fear).

Recently the crossover soprano Geraldine Larrosa covered a French/Spanish version of "Naturaleza Muerta".

A Portuguese-language cover of "Hawaii–Bombay" was performed by Brazilian [[New wave music|new wave]] band [[Metrô (band)|Metrô]] on their 1985 album ''[[Olhar]]''. [[Portugal|Portuguese]] singer [[José Cid]] also sung a version of his own.

In their 2008 album, ''[[Tales of Ithiria]]'', the [[Germany|German]] [[symphonic metal]] band [[Haggard (band)|Haggard]] made a cover for "Hijo de la Luna".

A [[Finland|Finnish]] pop-folk artist [[Tuula Amberla]] released  a cover in Finnish of "Hijo de la Luna" called "Kuun poika" in 1992, later a [[symphonic metal]] band [[Katra (band)|Katra]] made the same cover in their 2008 album ''[[Beast Within]]''.

In 2009, the Mexican singer [[Gloria Trevi]] sang a live cover of the song "''Hijo de la Luna''" on the Mexican television show, ''El Show de los Sueños''. Also that same year the Brazilian-Venezuelan singer, [[Elisa Rego]], did an electronic version of "''Aire''" song (Air) included in her fifth studio album titled "''Temperamental''". It is noteworthy that also in her beginnings (1982) Rego was the lead singer of ES-3, an underground rock band who specialized in performing Mecano covers in Caracas city night clubs long before this Spanish trio visited [[Venezuela]] for the first time in 1984 during the Promotional Tour of the "''Ya Viene El Sol''"-album (The Sun is Coming). Then their second visit to Venezuela was in 1986 in the promotional tour of "''Entre el cielo y el suelo''".

The [[Italy|Italian]] [[Extreme metal|extreme]] [[gothic metal]] band [[Theatres des Vampires]] made an Italian-language cover of "Hijo de la Luna" in their 2011 album ''[[Moonlight Waltz]]''.

== Bibliography of Mecano==
# Book: "''[[Mecano: La explosión del pop español (book)|Mecano: La Explosión Del Pop Español]]''", Author: [[Joan Singla]], editions: "Martínez Roca", 144 pages, 20 × 13&nbsp;cm., {{ISBN|84-270-0871-6}}.
# Book: "''[[Mecano, el libro (book)|Mecano (El Libro)]]''", several authors, editions:  "Luca", 128 pages, 24 × 20&nbsp;cm., {{ISBN|84-87491-05-7}}. Includes a [[CD]]-PROMO with two [[Sound recording and reproduction|Audio]]-tracks, "track 1" sung in Italian; "track 2" sung in French. Date of publication: August 1, 1992.
# Book: "''[[Mecano: La fuerza del destino (book)|Mecano: La Fuerza Del Destino]]''", authors: Carlos Del Amo and Javier Adrados [http://www.popadrados.com/ PopAdrados], publishing house(editorial): "La Esfera De Los Libros", edition: 1st: 436 pages, {{ISBN|84-9734-177-5}}. Date of publication: April 20, 2004.

==See also==
* [[List of best-selling Latin music artists]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{IMDb name|nm0575284}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|Latin music|Pop music|Spain}}
{{Mecano|state=autocollapse}} 
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[[Category:Spanish pop music groups]]
[[Category:Spanish new wave musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Madrid]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1981]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1998]]
[[Category:1981 establishments in Spain]]
[[Category:1998 disestablishments in Spain]]
[[Category:Latin pop music groups]]
[[Category:French-language musical groups from Spain]]
[[Category:Italian-language musical groups from Spain]]