# Musical influences on The Beatles' Rubber Soul

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/musical-influences-on-the-beatles-rubber-soul
> Updated: 2026-09-04T14:46:53.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

Recent reflections on The Beatles’ 1965 album, Rubber Soul, highlight the diverse musical influences that shaped the band’s sound during that period.

Paul McCartney has discussed the impact of Motown on the track ‘You Won’t See Me,’ noting that the song was written with a ‘Motown-flavoured’ feel. He specifically credited Motown bassist James Jamerson as an inspiration for the melodic bass lines used in the recording.

Additionally, the song ‘The Word’ has been identified as being inspired by Little Richard, particularly his track ‘Long Tall Sally.’ McCartney noted that the band attempted to emulate Little Richard’s style through the use of dual lead vocals that stay largely on a single note.

## Claims

- John Lennon identified 'love' as the underlying theme of the song 'The Word'. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The Beatles recorded the song 'The Word' during a session at EMI in London starting on November 10, 1965. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- 'The Word' was included on the 1965 album Rubber Soul. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Paul McCartney stated that 'The Word' was an attempt to emulate the musical style of Little Richard's 'Long Tall Sally'. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- 'The Word' features dual lead vocals from John Lennon and Paul McCartney. (corroborated by 3 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-04: The Beatles' 'The Word' was inspired by Little Richard

The Beatles' 1965 song 'The Word' from the album Rubber Soul was inspired by Little Richard and featured dual vocals from John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/the-beatles-the-word-was-inspired-by-little-richard

### 2026-08-24: Paul McCartney discusses Motown influence on The Beatles

Paul McCartney discusses the Motown influence on The Beatles' 1965 song ‘You Won’t See Me,’ citing bassist James Jamerson as a key inspiration for its melodic style.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/paul-mccartney-discusses-motown-influence-on-the-beatles

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Cite as: Musical influences on The Beatles' Rubber Soul. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/musical-influences-on-the-beatles-rubber-soul