Wordless
Posted by Sven on 22 January 2008 - 2:46pm.
Instrumentals are un-sung heroes in music but deserve recognition I feel.
I am fond of the likes of Third by Soft Machine for example (Out-Bloody-Rageous (terrible title) is one of the tracks I am thinking of), and then there's the rather different but marvellous Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs that I have been know to get on down to on the dancefloor on more than one occasion.
What other tracks stand out where they say it best when they say nothing at all?
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Sssshhh....
'Sylvia' by Focus
'Rumble' Link Wray
Absolutely anything by the marvellous Ventures.
'Flying' The Beatles
'Memphis' Lonnie Mack
'Wham' Lonnie Mack
'Harlem Nocturne' Lounge Lizards.
For starters....
The Housemartins
did a couple of great instrumentals - 'Reverend's Revenge', I believe, was on their first album.
The Mighty Ship.
Correct. B-side to Happy Hour- The Mighty Ship was a cracker as well.
That's the afternoon gone, then.
Some great threads appearing this week.
Off the top of my head and the My Music folder on this PC;
Phil Upchurch - You Can't Sit Down
The Meters - ... Cissy Strut, (for a start)
Earl Van Dyke - Six By Six
Jimmy McGriff - I Got A Woman
King Curtis - Tuxedo Junction
Upsetters - Return of Django
Small Faces -E too D
Santo & Johnny -Sleepwalk
Herp Alpert - Spanish Flea
The Quick - Bert's Apple Crumble
Booker T & The MG's - Outrage
Driving Sideways - Freddie King
Frank Zappa- Peaches en Regalia
Harry J -Liquidator
Watermelon Man - Mongo Santamaria
Davie Allen & The Arrows - Blues Theme
Marvin Gay -Trouble Man
Bent Fabric- Alley Cat
Link Wray - Batman Theme
Russ Conway - Sidesaddle
Ananda Shankar - Jumping Jack Flash
Don Robertson - The Happy Whistler
Skatalites? - Guns of Navarone
It's A Beautiful Day - Don & Dewey
Dammit, there's another CD to be burnt for the car.
Hot Rats - Zappa
That's got some great ones on it
Some more
"Telstar" by the Tornados
"Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones
"Dance On" by the Shadows
"Nut Rocker" by B Bumble & the Stingers
"Unsquare Dance" - Dave Brubeck
The James Bond Theme
Interestingly all from 1962 (I think). Although that's not a challenge to do a Hepworth-style "what was the best year for instrumentals"
The best instrumental
Was 'Instrumental' by The Only Ones. Except it's got words in it.
Can't believe no-one's mentioned the following:
Albatross
Samba Pa Ti
Parisienne Walkways
Which always do it for me.
Miles and Coltrane knocked off one or two decent ones as well - do they count?
Parisienne Walkways...
has also got words in it: "I remember Paris in '49, the Champs Elyses, Saint Michel and old Beaujolais wine" etc etc ooh la laa. It does have a nice instrumental guitar bit though.
So it does...
...for some reason (must be the guitar) I have always thought of it as an instrumental.
Any other instrumentals out there that aren't really instrumentals?
Yep - this one
Was there ever a better name than Rex Garvin and The Mighty Cravers?
Too right
That is one of my favourite records of all time.
Has any individual inspired more pop records than James Bond?
Train to Skaville
I think, by the Ethiopians.
'Beep Beeeeeep... train to Skaville...'
How about this one?
Elegia by New Order (Lowlife) is tops in a nod to Morricone way the 17.5 minute version is double good. On a factory tip the Durruti Column is " great chill out music"
Kudos to house martin tracks up
Does Europe endless by Kraftwerk count.
we are dicounting dance tracks/acts like DJ Shadow and AIM?
The Mike Batt cover beats 'em all hands up
John Cage's 4'33".
I swear we used to have a single (of possibly dubious origin) in Andy's Records of an alleged John Lennon version of this. The b-side was entitled 'demo version' and was identical except for that half way through, someone coughed.
Other notable entrants - Richard Thompson's "Dargai", Barbara Thompson's "A Cry from the Heart" and Pat Metheny's "Are You Going With Me". Oh, and "YYZ" by Rush. Did you know the intro is the morse code for..etc etc
Caged Batt
You may know the following already...
From Wikipedia: "Batt was sued for copyright infringement over the track "A One Minute Silence", which consisted of one minute of silence and was credited to "Batt/Cage". The publishers of John Cage's music alleged that the credit invoked Cage's famous "silent" piece 4'33", and that the trust was entitled to receive royalties. An out of court settlement was reached, with Batt paying a six-figure sum to the John Cage Trust."
D'oh!
There is...
...a silent track on Lennon's Mind Games. It's listed as Nutopian National Anthem and timed at 3 seconds.
Well Done Roger
"Great Gig In The Sky"-Pink Floyd, the vocal part is just used as an intrument, so I think this can count as an instrumental.
Pink Floyd had a few like that
Not quite instrumentals but not really songs either - Careful with that Axe Eugene has vocal noises not singing and One of These Days about ten shouted words. Can you have an instrumental where the voice plays a part? Not sure about that.
Parisienne Walkways.
Obviously.
Ahem.
How about
Rolling Stones - 2120 Michigan Avenue from Five by Five EP recorded at Chess Studios
Smiths - The Draize Train
Air - La Femme D'Argent
and this:
Some of these may be a bit obvious to the old 'uns
Tony Alvon & The BelAirs - Sexy Coffee Pot (fonky!)
Mason Williams - Classical Gas
Durutti Column - Sketch For a Summer
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Music For A Found Harmonium
Edgar Winter - Frankenstein
Full on prog workout alert!
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
Watch & marvel at some effortless virtuosity :
Sandpaper cover
I once had that Durutti Column album with the cover that was designed to destroy your record collection! Great to hear that again. So thanks.
Not sure if we can allow jazz but Take Five was a hit single I believe so I guess it crosses over.
Ours is a broad church, Sven
Glad you enjoyed it
One half of David Sylvian's
One half of David Sylvian's album Gone To Earth was instrumentals and very lovely it was too.
Super Strut by Deodati is a fine piece of acid jazz of which I am very fond.
And I am very keen on Four Tet.
Nice...
Air - La Femme d'Argent
A pedant writes.......
Isn't your "favourite" a singular? Too many lists, lads. Too many bloody obvious suspects, however much of a sof nostalgic glow is given out by Samba pa ti and Sylvia. Jeez, I'm beginning to agree with Mr Drayton in the fantasy group link, despite ny smug riposte thereto......
Anyway, who's thought of the instrumental from "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels"/Dexys, is it "The Team that meets in Caffs"? (If it isn't that one it's the other one......)
That'll do for me.
Until that nice Mr Crowther gets me going with folk music japes, of course...........
Editors note: jibe is probably the word I mean but scans and views less well. Hey, when does the meaning of a word have to get in the way!
Yes, I know you worked for Topic. You said so.
Here're a few more
that always hit the spot for me
Soul Finger is another great one from Dexys
Wipe Out - Surfaris
Coffee In The Pot - Supergrass
Night Bus - Burial
Subaqueous - Scuba (slightly obscure dubstep)
Oboe - Jackie Mittoo (anything by Jackie Mitto really)
The Shadows
I do't think anyone has mentioned them. Apache is but one of a whole string of great instrumentals.
Apache? Yes but...
...I'd rather go for "Foot Tapper" and "Man of Mystery"
Just the 1st
and obvious one that sprang to mind.
More suggestions
Just about anything by King Tubby/Augustus Pablo.... how about Version Dub by Yabby U remixed by King Tubby
Also:
Blade Runner Blues by Vangelis
The Girl with the Sun in her Head by Orbital
Weather Storm by Massive Attack
Also....
Mark Knopfler - Theme from Local Hero
Pat Metheny - Last Train
Ry Cooder - Dark End of the Street - instrumental
Weather Report - Birdland
Weather Report - A remark you made
Richard Thompson - Flea as a bird (not sure of spelling, off Guitar/Vocal)
Theme from Z Cars
Theme from Midnight Cowboy - Toots Thielemans
Z Cars...
...hate to bring football into this thread, but if there's one instrumental out there that will always cause the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up...well, that's the one.
Notwithstanding tonight's game against the Kings Road billionaires, of course.
I'll just settle for being the best team on Merseyside at the moment.
Put it there brother...
(Holds out metaphorical hand).
Fleet.....
...as a bird. Lovely tune, makes me smile, but not as much as the concept spun by your, possibly better, title
And more
Pet Sounds off 'Pet Sounds'
Inner Flight, from 'Screamadelica'
Air's aforementioned Femme D'Argent and Highschool Lover on the 'Virgin Suicides OST'
The Curse of Ka'Zar on Lemon Jelly's 'Lost Horizons'
Interstellar Overdrive
Arena
"Another Green World" by Brian Eno
Forgot about Eno
Great choice. I'd add three more by Eno: Big Ships, In Dark Trees, and An Ending (Ascent).
Terminally untrendy
But I do love the trilogy of band albums that Gordon Giltrap produced in the mid '70s - Perilous Journey, Visionary and Fear of the Dark. The best known of his tunes is "Heartsong" which , for eons, was the theme to BBC's Holiday programme but there are some great tunes across those three albums.
Stevie Ray Vaughan also scattered a number of great instrumentals across his recorded output but has anyone heard his stunning version of "Little Wing" on the posthumous "The Sky is Crying"?
And for good measure, Freddie King's "The Stumble" (there's an obscure Gary Moore version which is worth seeking out) and is the Average White Band's Pick Up the Pieces disallowed? Surely random "Pick up the pieces, all right..." doesn't count as lyrics?
OGWT
Talking of TV themes - Area Code 615 Whistle Test theme. Not sure of title. Didn't tire of hearing that.
Any excuse to show this again
Name
Isn't it called "Stone fox chase" or something like that?
that'll be
Stone Fox Chase, Sir
Phaedra - Tangerine Dream, title track or entire album
But do you remember...
when they got Val Doonican into the studio to play it? I saw it somewhere not that long ago.
Carl
See above
Robinson Crusoe
In the school summer holiday's in the early seventies, I used to watch a French television series called "Robinson Crusoe". The theme music was really great. There was also a "Man Friday" theme which was played during the programme, which was also just as good. I don't know who the composer was, but the melodies have remained with me to this day.
I've got a great CD with the title and incidental music
from the Robinson Crusoe series.
Da da da dah da-daaaa, da da da dah da-dah da-da-daaaa and so on.
I only bought it last year, from the mighty, and now sadly, late, Freak Emporium.
Want me to dig out the label and catalogue number info etc?
NB Re: the term "info". I'm afraid I quite like the occasional "'O' prefix".
Thanks
Thanks for the offer, but I have just found and ordered the original soundtrack on Amazon. Still don't know who the composer was though. There are also clips from the original series on Youtube, which have brought the memories flooding back.
that'll be...
Robert Mellin and Gian-Pero Reverberi
Cheers
Cheers
Acker Bilk
Amazed no one's mentioned "Stranger on the shore" by Acker Bilk? Not that I love it particularly but isn't there some trivia fact like it is the best selling British single in the US ever?
I always liked "Walk in the night" by Jr Walker - again there may be a few sung words.
Don't forget Tubular Bells - Viv Stanshall and misc caveman grunting aside.
Wade In The Water
by Harvey Mandel, from the album "Cristo Redentor".
Wade In The Water again
...Or "Wade in the Water" by the Graham Bond Organisation from "Live At Klooks Kleek", which is wonderful. It's on iTunes. Only a few occasional words, like "Heyyyyy!"
You've reminded me......
by evoking Canned Heat guitarists. There is a wonderful version of "Sweet dreams" by another one, since deceased, whose name, not a very rock starry one, I seem to not to be able to recall. I could torture myself trying to remember, I could look it up on the Covers Project (www), but hey, why bother, one of you guys will know!
Roy Buchanan
I suspect you mean Roy Buchanan's version of "Sweet dreams" - and you're right, it is fabulous as was much of his playing. He was reputed to have played in over 100 bands and was one of the many reputed to have been considered for the Stones lead guitar slot. He hung himself in a jail cell. Tragic end to a great player.
Thank you, that man!
Mr O'Than does it again. There aren't many Roys in rawk'n'roll, are there? I can only think of the jazz-lite/acid(sic)jazzman vibeist, Roy Ayers.
Roy
Wood?
And
Roy Harper
Oops!
Roy Orbison?
OK
So that's 5 then..........
Admittedly more common than Cecil, Claud or Cyril.
Well actually now you mention it ...
Cyril Davis? Cecil Grant? And (I'm just showing off here) Claude Francois- I have never heard his music but I know he died while trying to change a light bulb while standing in a half full bath of water, the way you would. Quite 'Spinal Tap', no?
Dead Can Dance
Some of Dead Can Dance's best stuff is instrumental - The Arrival and Reunion, for instance.
And I don't know if Lisa Gerrard's glossolalia style of singing without using recognisable words counts as an instrumental, but her voice, whether it's with DCD or solo, is just incredible.
Listen to The Host of Seraphim or Sanvean with your eyes closed and you're transported to another part of the galaxy. It's aural heaven, pure and simple, and makes such supposed popular chart-toppers as Amy Whitehouse sound like Vera Duckworth gargling nails.
Country Joe and The Fish
Section 43 as performed at Monterey pop festival is a fine piece of music I feel
Oh YES!
Thanks for mentioning that one.
Isn't this one of the great things about these threads? People keep mentioning fab tracks you haven't played for yonks.
I'm scuttling off to the CD shelves to find the CD of "The First 3 EPs" (which is bizarrely on Sequel I seem to remember) for a blast of "Section 43".
Owing to my filing system, which is the physical equivalent of a "shuffle" feature, this may take some time.
Electric Music for Mind and Body
I bought the album after seeing the movie (Montrerey Pop) when they had the Rock the Box series of movies on TV back in the 90s. Good series of movies that. Wish they still did that kind of thing, like when Alex Cox did his cult movie series - can't remember what they called it now.
Stranglers
Surely "Waltzinblack" by the Strnaglers (although can't listen to it these days without it bringing up images of a certain Mr Floyd).
Robert Wyatt
on "Cuckooland" has an instrumental version of 'Raining In My Heart' that defies you not to have to blink away a tear. And pretty much anything by King Curtis, but check out "Live At The Filmore" and particularly the version of 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' - used in a film of some repute.
Ssssh
Paradise By The "C" - Bruce Springsteen
Space - Magic Fly
Tumbledown - Oysterband (never released but a corker live!)
Agreed with Mr Lovegrove, Dead Can Dance are just amazing
Primal Scream
Someone mentioned them already, made me think of Vanishing Point album for instrumentals. Haven't played it for ages - it's so good! Just listening to Trainspotting it is a great track - twangy, Portishead-like guitars and dub rhythms. Has to be mentioned here.
Jeff Beck
Mulata Astatqe
If I could add one from the Now Hear This! CDs:
Tezeta by Mulata Astatqe
Tom Waits
Theres some wonderful atmospheric intrumental moments on Rain Dogs - Midtown,Bride of Raindog -- and on Swordfishtrombones - Dave the Butcher, Sucker on Vine
Some real gems so far
I'd have to nominate "The Private Psychedelic Reel" by Chemical Brothers, and "Spybreak!" by Propellerheads.
And the theme tune to Thunderbirds.
Timeless
How is it possible...
to piss yourself laughing at something you've seen about 1000 times? Just incredible.
Lieutenant Pigeon
Well, they do shout 'Mouldy Ole Dough' at regular intervals, but apart from that, a fine display of piano virtuosity.
3 for now
Jackie Leven: Bars of Dundee
Bet Lynch's Legs: Ghost Riders in the Sky....grat verfsion even better band name!
Buzzcocks: Late for the train