The Beatles Go Latin
26/10/2014
I was wondering how many of The Beatles' songs were Latin influenced.
I have come up with thirteen.
I have come up with thirteen.
People younger than the generation who came of age with The Beatles' music may not realise that The Beatles were very influenced by Latin music. They had heard a lot of popular music from the United States; Latin had already been a big influence there since at least the Thirties, and was still going strong in the late Fifties and early Sixties when The Beatles were listening.
There are a few more than those below that I could have included but omitted because they didn't seem that obviously Latin to me. I have found out, for instance, that "Twist and Shout", written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns, as done by The Isley Brothers has been variously described, from having "a huge influence from Cuban Mambo" to only "Latin-tinged". You can hear a sort of Latin rhythm in the instrumental break with the trumpets just before the bridge with the ascending "Ahhhs, although to me the Isley Brothers' version sounds almost proto-Reggae. (Update 15/09/23 - I have realised the Latin story may come from the original release of ths song, a Phil Spector production of The Top Notes, which was covered by the Isleys and definitely has a Latin beat.)
Paul McCartney's "I Will" from The White Album is also supposed to be Latin-influenced, but your average listener would probably miss that too.
So, relax and enjoy the qualifiers for my playlist, "The Beatles Go Latin".
There are a few more than those below that I could have included but omitted because they didn't seem that obviously Latin to me. I have found out, for instance, that "Twist and Shout", written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns, as done by The Isley Brothers has been variously described, from having "a huge influence from Cuban Mambo" to only "Latin-tinged". You can hear a sort of Latin rhythm in the instrumental break with the trumpets just before the bridge with the ascending "Ahhhs, although to me the Isley Brothers' version sounds almost proto-Reggae. (Update 15/09/23 - I have realised the Latin story may come from the original release of ths song, a Phil Spector production of The Top Notes, which was covered by the Isleys and definitely has a Latin beat.)
Paul McCartney's "I Will" from The White Album is also supposed to be Latin-influenced, but your average listener would probably miss that too.
So, relax and enjoy the qualifiers for my playlist, "The Beatles Go Latin".
The Playlist below is (naturally!) in the same chronological order of Albums,
then Side & Track number within albums.
then Side & Track number within albums.