Hey Negrita' riff matches the Ravel 's bolero pattern. Almost 30 years to notice it...

I never noticed before, but it's obvious. Listen to Hey Negrita, then switch on the Ravel's Bolero. It's exactly the same pattern on the two first beats. Both opus are a 4/4, yet divided with 16th notes triplet style, which mean you get a 4th note divivided by six, instead of being divided by four.

So, on Hey Negrita, as well as on the Bolero, you got this rhythm on the two first 4th notes (or beats, if you prefer):

First 4th note for the lead guitar: (thanks to Mathjis, whom I listened today on FTS website)
- first 16th note triplet style: played
- second and third 16th notes triplet style: silent
- fourth, fifth, sixth notes 16th notes triplet style: played
-
Second 4th note for the lead guitar:
- first 16th note triplet style: played
- second and third 16th notes triplet style: silent
- fourth, fifth, sixth notes 16th notes triplet style: played
-
Then it came slightly different

. Hey Negrita features on drums:
Third 4th note : four 16th notes played as a normal 4/4 (four notes per beat)

Fourth 4th note : four 16th notes played as a normal 4/4 (four notes per beat)

. While the Bolero features :
Third 4th note :
- a simple 8th note
- a simple 8th note
(Hence, this sort of "break" effect in the middle of the 4/4)

Fourth 4th note is the same pattern than the first and second 4th notes:
- first 16th note triplet style: played
- second and third 16th notes triplet style: silent
- fourth, fifth, sixth notes 16th notes triplet style: played

Furthermore, Hey Negrita and the Bolero have the same speed, about 70 beats a minute.

It seems very complicated as it written here with letters, but it would look much more simple with standard notation. I know this too much to beg to Sir Bjorn, but a standard notation board would be a wonderful tool for IORR. Still, we can still use for ourselves Finale Notepad, which is great and free www.finalemusic.com/store/product-overview.asp

Chuck Berry: "We ain´t doing nothing that Mozart didn´t already do."

A wop a loolah a wop bamboom!

In this style, should be more

TA
..
ta ta ta

TA
..
ta ta ta

If Ronnie is responsible for that riff ,(which I believe he is), maybe he was recalling some of his days playing bass for Jeff Beck who recorded 'Beck's Bolero' on his first album Truth.

I ain't stupid, I'm just guitarded.

I don't understand... or hear it. Bolero is in 6/4, and Negrita in 4/4. Not exactly twins from birth.

a 6/4 would be awkward for a dance music (4/4 + 2/4) ! A bolero, be it from Ravel or not, is something to dance.

Maybe you mean it's a 3/4. I have not the recording with me now, but I stick on the pattern's parallism between YN et the Bolero for the 2 first beat.