Tarantino's Death Proof Soundtrack - The Coasters' "Down in Mexico"?

Aaron · #1 09-21-2007, 01:31 AM

I just rented and watched Tarantino's Death Proof (great movie), and I'm curious about what is credited as The Coasters' "Down in Mexico". According to wikipedia the Coasters' had a hit on "Down in Mexico" in 1956. There is no way in hell that tune in Death Proof was recorded that early. Did some version of the Coasters re-record the tune with a funk/r&b group in the early 70s? Did Tarantino credit the wrong group?

middlebit · #2 09-21-2007, 01:42 AM

I agree there's no way that's the original track from '56. I have no real info on when the track from the movie was recorded, but it was not uncommon to re-record your old hits for the new market back then.

**Josh Ryan** · #3 09-22-2007, 09:03 AM

Usually I see the group/producer who did the new version getting credit and none for the original. Interesting though, I wonder is your right about the Coasters, or some version of doing it.

middlebit · #4 09-24-2007, 08:09 AM

Hmm...I can't make sense of that, but just browsing the iTunes store turns up about a dozen different versions of that song - by The Coasters. So they had a hit with it in '56, made numerous versions of it later. I guess Tarantino just picked the one that best suited the mood of the scene.