In a Little Spanish Town ('Twas on a Night Like This) is a 1926 popular song with music by Mabel Wayne and lyrics by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young. It was published by Leo Feist, Inc. and became a hit in 1927 for Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra with Jack Fulton on vocals, topping the U.S. charts for eight weeks. The tune soon became an early American pop standard and has been widely covered over the years. Notable later recordings include Bing Crosby in 1955-56 as a cha-cha version that charted in the US and UK, Rosemary Clooney on her 1959 album A Touch of Tabasco, Dean Martin on his 1962 Dino Latino, and Herb Alpert on the 1967 album Sounds Like... A related fact is that a melody similarity to In a Little Spanish Town led to copyright disputes over the song Why in 1959-60, though neither side prevailed. The tune also shows up in pop culture, such as the 1939 Pest from the West and in I Love Lucy references.
