The Mexican-based Los Checkmates, had a more organic, innate predilection to Western rock than most contemporaries in the South American garage scene. That’s because it wasn’t exactly a homegrown entity, but instead was a patchwork of locals and expatriates both, some of whom originated north of the Rio Grande in Canada and America. Canadian Dave Atherton started up Los Checkmates in 1966, enlisting the musical services of fellow students Joe Aleo, Kippy Albert, and Carlene Kern, while also picking up local musicians from other area universities, including Javier Batiz, who later played with Santana, and Fito de la Parra, later a member of Canned Heat. They made what became Los Checkmates’ sole album, The best… Con ¡Los Checkmates! over a month-long period on a four-track machine. The versatility and different approaches of the young musicians, no doubt due to their varied nationalities, plus the perfect combination of their two lead singers, it all joined to make their sound something unique.