What's the name of this latin rhythm???

Wademeister63 · #1 08-29-2009, 12:37 PM

David Bowie's Man Who Sold the World, specifically the bass line from 0:25 to 0:51 from the youtube vid below.

I've tried googling samba, bossa nova, rhumba and whetever else I've run across from those searches but can't nail it down and it's bugging me.

Somebody help clear this up please!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSH--...eature=related

Yvon · #2 08-29-2009, 12:47 PM

If I had to put a name on it, I would say a Tango.
But I'm no pro in latin rhythm!

VroomVroom · #3 08-30-2009, 04:13 PM

I wouldn't classify it as being authentic...I'd label it as a cross between a cha and a mambo, but that's speaking more to the percussion than the bass.

**bassybill** · #4 08-31-2009, 05:26 AM

The bass line doesn't seem to be any of those mentioned so far - at least, not in a traditional way.

Most of what gives that section a Latin feel is a fairly standard guiro (scraper) pattern and it's often heard as just one element in clave, cha-cha, bossa... but the Bowie track doesn't really fit any of those descriptions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9qVuCIMTag (counting 1 on the short stroke and 2 on the long)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDwG-Cywljw (reversed)

Can anybody else elaborate further? I'm no expert on Latin styles.

sbassface · #5 08-31-2009, 05:41 AM

If you're trying to play it, I think if you tried playing a basic rock line (behind the beat) on every note, you'll get it. For classification purposes I think it's a hybrid. David Bowie fans chime in.

Jazz Ad · #6 08-31-2009, 05:51 AM

I see it as a slowed down merengue.

Wademeister63 · #7 08-31-2009, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbassface

If you're trying to play it, I think if you tried playing a basic rock line (behind the beat) on every note, you'll get it. For classification purposes I think it's a hybrid. David Bowie fans chime in.

I'm not having trouble playing it, in fact I loved it so much I wanted to know what it was so I could search for traditional music with a similar feel. I guess it's not a true latin pattern but it sure has that feeling to me.
Sway With Me is probably the closest (feeling) thing I've found (to me) but it's not really the same. Check it out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsgcXZzu6io

Maybe it's best to just run with it and enjoy it for what it is

sbassface · #8 08-31-2009, 07:54 AM

very good comparison on the Dean Martin, although maybe even harmonically, I could see David Bowie listening to "Sway" on his parents record player and saying... "man who sold the world" only years later in a glam wave kinda way, (I just mashed together glam rock and new wave together).