December 1990 marks a peak moment for Tam Tam Go!, a band led by Nacho and Javier Campillo with Rafael Callejo. That year saw the release of their third album, following an earlier EMI Spanish romance (1989) and a debut Spanish mixed (1988) issued through Twins Productions. Both the LP and the lead single of the same name, wet ridges, represented the commercial high point for the group. Like many artists of that era, they faced a publishing rights dispute when they signed a contract that effectively locked in those rights with a magazine publisher. wet ridges.
Song
“I left my home / They are persecuting me and I don’t know what happened to me / I’m going without a passport and without a visa / I’m sailing against the current and the wind…” The source of the song, as explained by Nacho Campillo, is grounded in an authentic, personal experience. wet ridges originates from a journey taken between 1980 and 1981, when he accompanied a friend named actress Patricia Adriani, who would later appear in the video for the track. The idea of filming in the United States came up, and Campillo joined as her manager since his English was stronger and he had just arrived from London. He wore a suit for a trip to Los Angeles, and the experience was described as a full engagement with a movie project titled Good King Harry, produced by Brian Grazer and associated with Ken Kwapis.
Patricia auditioned successfully, but the film never materialized. Campillo recalls that they stayed in Beverly Hills, were treated to a limousine, and encountered staff from the Beverly Hills Hotel, which has Mexican roots. One conversation shared the life story of a man who crossed the Rio Grande seeking opportunity, with little legal paperwork. On the return flight, Nacho began sketching some lyrics; years later, around 1986, with the formation of Tam Tam Go!, the complete lyrics came together. Nacho wrote the melodies and words, while his brother Javier contributed the chorus and Rafael Callejo the iconic riff, and the group completed the composition collaboratively.
In discussions about the origins of wet ridges, Javier Campillo, Nacho’s brother and a Tam Tam Go! member, mentions the image of smugglers crossing the Caya River to move coffee from Portugal to Badajoz. The writing process was unconventional, reflecting a shared fixation with social issues such as sexuality, clothing norms, unemployment, and aging. The brothers envisioned an immigration-themed song and, while Los Angeles inspired one strand, Portugal influenced another. They note that borders are part of their DNA, having grown up near Portugal and occasionally watching smugglers cross the river with coffee on their backs. The subconscious landscape of that borderland then fed the song’s motivation.
Forever
Although wet ridges was conceived in the early 1980s, it did not appear on an album of the same name until 1990. The album touches on topics including crime of passion, personal loss, and intimate vows, with some English lines slipping in alongside passages in the artists’ native Spanish. The group explains that English-language tracks had initially dominated, but they eventually shifted to Spanish lyrics near 1990. Spanish romance sold more poorly than Spanish mixed, with around 200,000 copies moved in the latter. Some estimates placed second installments at far lower figures, and a gold record appeared largely empty in hindsight. EMI’s team, including Javier Lozano in A&R and marketing director Ricardo Ortiz, pressed for a Spanish-language direction. The push to sing in Spanish was reinforced by Cadena SER’s emphasis on Spanish-language groups, which led to a strategic pivot. Consequently, no single from the Spanish romance record reached the top, prompting the band to pursue another project, which became wet ridges, according to Javier Campillo.
They forced us to sign with their publisher
Tam Tam Go! moved to EMI and continued with the project Elizabeth is married, a representative from the Twins era. The relationship sparked tension when a producer pushed for another album under the same terms as the first. A contract extension was offered, but the band refused to accept unfavorable terms. A lawsuit followed, which the band ultimately won. EMI then proposed a more favorable deal, leading Tam Tam Go! to sign for three albums: Spanish romance, wet ridges, and life and color. The band recalls receiving a sizable advance and a standard royalty arrangement, yet the signing included a life-long copyright transfer to the publisher, securing a significant portion of rights for the publisher. The band observed that such long-term rights could be challenged, but achieving renegotiation was difficult. Nacho himself acknowledges the risk of losing control over licensing and publishing, a concern they hoped to recover later through legal actions, though reclaims are rarely straightforward.
On April 12, 1996, a key legal change altered the landscape: artists gained enhanced leverage to challenge publishers and redefine ownership. The group reflects that they have pursued several legal battles over the years, with some successes and ongoing disputes. The new framework allowed authors to receive a larger share—about 60% for the creator and 40% for the publisher—though this arrangement remains subject to customary practices in the industry. The brothers note that the law is a baseline, with disparities still present in practice.