The just-released first trailer to Quentin Tarantino’s new film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is soundtracked by the 1968 recording of the Vanda & Young tune “Bring A Little Lovin’”, by Spanish band Los Bravos (of “Black Is Black” fame). It was also released by The Easybeats.
The film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, is Tarantino’s ninth feature. Coming in July, it is set in late 60s Los Angeles, and centres around an action movie actor and his stunt double struggling to come to terms with the emerging hippy era, and their neighbour Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski’s young actress-wife, who would soon become a victim of Charles Manson’s ‘Family’. Tate is played by Margot Robbie.
Whilst not a lot of plot is revelated in the trailer, it’s clear that Tarantino has gone to lengths to recreate the vibrant and swinging vibe of late 60s Hollywood, as well as the grimier Los Angeles street life. “Bring A Little Lovin’” is the only song in the trailer; the relatively obscure Mamas & Papas’ tune “Straight Shooter” is the only other film on the soundtrack so far revealed. “Bring A Little Lovin’” was written by Vanda & Young for Los Bravos following the Spanish band’s Top 5 US, UK & Australia hit “Black Is Black”, and was an early attempt by the pair to work a rhythmic Latin flavor into their songs. It is a rhythmic sense they would often return to, and indeed something that eventually led to perhaps the creation of their biggest international hit, “Love Is In The Air” by John Paul Young. “Bring A Little Lovin’” by Los Bravos just cracked the Top 40 in the US, peaking at #48, and just missed it here in Australia, peaking at #51.
The song, the original 1966 Vanda & Young demo of which was originally released under The Easybeats’ name on their piecemeal final album Virgil, is perhaps meant to highlight the awkwardness with which the conservative Hollywood world met with the “groovy” world of the free-loving hippies. Vanda & Young didn’t do hippy particularly well themselves, and “Bring A Little Lovin’”, with its vaguely Latin rhythms and blaring brass, is certainly not one of their better efforts. It certainly doesn’t have the same cool as similarly influenced records by Angelino locals of the time like Arthur Lee & Love (“Alone Again Or”) or even the Doors (“Touch Me”). And that is no doubt exactly why Tarantino chose it!
Let’s hear Los Bravos’ full version of “Bring A Little Lovin’”, as well as Vanda & Young’s original, released as The Easybeats. And for a bit of fun, we’ll also give you a 1992 Spanish-language cover by a very young Ricky Martin, released as “Dime Que Me Quieres”.
If you feel like hearing more Easybeats – one can never have enough Easybeats - check them out on Spotify here.
And on Apple Music here.
