The Smiley Smile Message Board

Though I remember posting on here sometime about this subject, I was just making a playlist on the ol IPOD of all my fav instrumentals. I've been loving Manhattan Skyline for some reason from the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack lately.
Others I included:

Pet Sounds/Let's Go Away (of course)
After the Game (Survivors)
Apache
Brazil
Summer Means New Love
Miserlou
12-bar Blues (Beatles Rubber Soul outtake)
Diamond Head
Flying
Common (DW)
I've Got Plenty O Nuttin'
Rumble
Honky Tonk
Mrs. O'leary's Cow (66/04)

A few of my favorites....

Yellow Bird - Arthur Lyman
Misirlou - Arthur Lyman
Let's Go Away For Awhile - The Beach Boys
In The Back of My Mind (instrumental) - The Beach Boys
Caroline, No (backing track) - The Beach Boys
Diamond Head - The Beach Boys
Islands In The Sky - Murry Wilson
Sunken City - Les Baxter
The Ancient Galleon - Les Baxter
Autumn Leaves - Nelson Riddle
Drifting and Dreaming - Nelson Riddle
The Whispering Sea - Henry Mancini
Poinciana - Henry Mancini
The Lonely Bull - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
Tijuana Taxi - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
The Old Boat - Eden Ahbez
I'm Old Fashioned - John Coltrane
Slow Dance With A Fast Girl - Aqua Velvets
Holy Man - Dennis Wilson
Mexico - Dennis Wilson
Sleepwalk - Santo & Johnny

Singles:

Walk Don't Run
Wipeout
Pipeline
Green Onions
Groovin' With Mr. Blow
Frankenstein
Summer Place

Albums:

Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow
Ventures - Ventures In Space
Satriani - Surfin' With The Alien

.........to name just a few.

Linus & Lucy, Peppermint Patty - Vince Guaraldi

Paradise Found - Martin Denny

Breathless - Todd Rundgren (which rips off another Vince Guaraldi tune called Treat Street)

Quiet Village (Moog version) - Martin Denny
Lisbon Antigua - Nelson Riddle
Possession - Les Baxter/Samuel Hoffman
Singing Sea Shells - Les Baxter
Chopin's Prelude in E Minor (Moog version) - Les Baxter
Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk
Diamond Head - Beach Boys
Let's Go Away For Awhile - Beach Boys
Rumble - Link Wray
Moonlight Love - Link Wray
Latin'ia - The Sentinals
Lonely Woman - Ornette Coleman
The Portland Cement Factory At Monolith California - John Fahey

Plus - lots more stuff by John Fahey, Jimmy Giuffre & Albert Ayler.

How could I forget Sleepwalking!

that song use to ring throughout my childhood, I don't hear it as much now, but it's soooooo good. reminds me of some great times.

OH!
and then I forget a huge fav of mine: Burt Bacharach's Nikki

that's what I get when I type this up at work.

and Herb Alpert & the TJB, where is my head?

Holy Man possibly the best instrumental written by a BB in the 70s.....I'm surprised to see Mexico on here, I never hear anyone ever talk about this track, it does seem unfinished, like it doesn't go anywhere...but with the rest of the Mexico Trilogy, it is a slice of genius, kinda slows things down a bit.

"Mexico Trilogy"?

I refer to it in my post on "Bambu-What would you do?"
There's evidence of Dennis working on a Mexican Trilogy with Time for Bed, Mexico, and a track (in my opinion) that mixes Time for Bed and San Miguel.

Almost Grown and Ogden's Nut Gone Flake by The Small Faces

To name more as I look off my playlist:

Moni Kani (DW)
Hari's On Tour (GH)
Green Onions
Guess I'm Dumb (track)
Last Date (Floyd Cramer)
Pacific Ocean Highway (Bacharach)
Salt Lake City
In the Back of My Mind (track)
Moon River (Henry Mancini)
Pepperland (George Martin)
Love's Theme (Love Unlimited Orchestra)
Out of Limits (Marketts)
Hot Summer Lovers (ML)
Kiss Me Baby (track)
Let it Down (GH- backing track)
Be My Baby (Backing)
In my Moondreams (BW/AP)
Peter Gun (Duane Eddy)
Albatross (Fleetwood Mac)
Here Today (BB)
Walking in the Rain (Backing)
Wouldn't it be Nice
Had to Phone Ya (BB and American Spring)
Our Sweet Love
Fall breaks
I'm Only Sleeping (rehearsal from Anthology 2)
Surf's Up (Backing and Jeff Beck's version on tribute)
Stars and Stripes Forever (VDP)
What is Life (GH-track)
I remember Jeep (GH)
Veranda Celeste (Heavy Blinkers)
Night on Disco Mountain (David Shire)

When I was a kid Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass was the only thing I'd listen to. Little did I know that Hal Blaine was drumming on many of my favorite tunes!

The ending of 'Mexico' really blew my mind one day - I had heard the song before, but for some reason that outro really struck me that day.....I think that's why I added it to the list. You're right, the song really doesn't go anywhere, but neither does most of the exotica music on my list. It is fantastic music to listen to while laying in a hammock....not a care in the world.

Forgot about In My Moondreams...I'll add that to my exotica playlist. Fall Breaks creeps me the hell out like no other. Be My Baby backing track is phenomenal.

Also, if anyone here like exotica and hasn't heard Murry Wilson's album I highly recommend it. Some songs are quite terrible (or just not my style), but others are really well orchestrated.

Yeah, I quite enjoy it myself.

I had a copy burnt to CD but it now skips a lot with how many listens it received.
His cover of Warmth of the Sun is a great instrumental...unfortunately, I can't remember any of the other tunes names besides Italia, knowing it's an Al Jardine composition.

I highlight one of those last few tunes because it's very BW/Friends album sounding and highly recommendable.

Two n's please! ;=) That's the one for me. Preferably on vinyl...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAEbX5gY3QM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAEbX5gY3QM)

I wouldn't change one note. Absolutely stunning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzpnWuk3RjU

Here's an obscure one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0BKeb1mFA4&feature=related

You're not kidding! What a strange, sad piece. Learned something new this morning. ;=)

These are The Crossfires: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuLWjPA5dRs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuLWjPA5dRs)

You need to hear the "long version" of '2120 South Michigan Avenue' with the ultra-cool Keith Richards guitar trade-offs included. This version was apparently too long to make the cut on the original '12x5' album.

Sleepwalk. Makes it hard to even think of other instrumentals.

Though the backing track of "Let Him Run Wild" is pretty dang awesome.

Digging Chuck Ruff, Dan Hartman, Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer. Awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8f-Qb-bwlU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8f-Qb-bwlU)

hmm....so many to pick from....just off the top of my head

wonderland by night - bert kaemphert

apache - the shadows

white rabbit - peter posa

wonderful land - shadows

the nearest faraway place - beach boys

pet sounds - beach boys

classical gas - mason Williams

up from down under - tommy Emmanuel

ill see you in my dreams - chet atkins/mark knopfler

guitar boogie - Arthur smith

telstar - the tornadoes

walk don't run - ventures

misirlou - dick dale/beach boys

popcorn - hot butter

ghost riders in the sky - the shadows...

the good bad and ugly - hugo Montgomery


RickB

At the moment in no particular order:

Anji - Simon & Garfunkel
Time - Richard Carpenter
Maksha At Midnight - Bruce Johnston
Arrival - ABBA
Mexico - Dennis Wilson
Flat Baroque - Carpenters
Kypros - Cat Stevens
Cobwebs and Strange - The Who
Frustration - The Mamas & The Papas
Stoked - The Beach Boys
A Song for My Father - Captain & Tennille
Marwa Blues - Geroge Harrison
Albatross - Fleetwood Mac

The Who - Quadrophenia
Paul Weller - That Spiritual Feeling
Neil Young - The Emperor Of Wyoming
Brian Eno - Another Green World
Frank Zappa - Peaches En Regalia
Nick Drake - Horn
Fleetwood Mac - Albatross
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (Part 1)

Telstar by The Tornados
Diamond Head by the Beach Boys

The only Beach Boys instrumental I don't care for is Nearest Faraway Place. I dig the surf instrumentals and I love the instrumentals during and after Pet Sounds. Favorites I suppose would be Diamond Head, Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Fall Breaks, Pet Sounds, Let's Go Away For Awhile, Summer Means New Love, After The Game.  I wish Brian made a few more spooky ones like Mrs Olearys/Fall Breaks.

interestingly I know most everyone hates 'nearest faraway place'....

imagine if we ultimately found out Brian Wilson wrote it....... that would change everything....

RickB

Sure it's cheesy, but it's also very pretty. Some people just can't deal with that.

Anyway- this is first instrumental that came to mind when I considered which would be my favorite:

Todd Rundgren- Prana   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW_qdqeb6LQ

For some maybe...

Here's few of my favorite instrumentals.

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds, Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Why
The Beatles - Flying
The Ventures - Walk Don't Run
Pavement - 5-4=Unity
The Olivia Tremor Control - Frosted Ambassador
The Velvet Underground - Ride Into the Sun
Super Furry Animals - Furryvision
Dick Dale - Miserlou, Let's Go Trippin'
Neutral Milk Hotel - The Penny Arcade in California
Pink Floyd - Interstellar Overdrive
Brian Eno - Another Green World
The Triptides - Psychic Summer
The Flaming Lips - Sleeping On The Roof
The Who - Quadrophenia
Yo La Tengo - Green Arrow

A few more personal favourites I haven't mentioned yet:

"Red River Rock" and the flip, "Buckeye"----Johnny & The Hurricanes
"Movin' and Groovin'"----Duane Eddy (among many)
"Walk Don't Run"----The Ventures
"The Savage"----The Shadows (among many)
"You Can't Sit Down"----The Phil Upchurch Combo
"Green Onions"----Booker T. & The M.G.s
"Wild Weekend"----The Rockin' Rebels
"Cleo's Mood"----Junior Walker & The All-Stars
"Groovin' With Mr. Bloe"----Mr. Bloe
"Hair Pie"----Captain Beefheart and His Magc Band
The "sea of instrumentals" on Surfin' U.S.A.----the Carl-Dave machine in full flight
"Pet Sounds"----my favourite track on the album...



 

"Ride Into the Sun" is definitely not an instrumental.

Yeah, I suppose you're right, but my favorite version of the song has no vocals/lyrics, so that's why I ended up including it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmB1eYOjgug&feature=kp (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmB1eYOjgug&feature=kp)

Guess that counts, that there is an instrumental version. " Passing By " definitely not. The vocals are the key melody part of the song.

Another favorite of mine is "One of These Days" by Pink Floyd.

Oh, I don't think I've heard that version before.

One of my favorite instrumentals is "Hot as Sun/Glasses."

Eek. Forgot an important one. I only found it recently
after trying to identify it for over 40 years. The
mid-sixties "pirates"* used to give it heavy rotation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaHuhoRmMoY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaHuhoRmMoY)

* Ships moored off the UK and elsewhere (but in international
waters) broadcasting pop music day and night. This was in the
days when the Musicians' Union had BBC Radio in its grip and
big bands and the like played their versions of the latest hits.
 

Two that I have not seen mentioned.

"Jessica" - The Allman Brothers
My favorite part is Chuck Leavell's piano solo.

"Intro" - Lou Reed (the intro to "Sweet Jane")

 

Yes indeed----on both counts. I assume you mean the intro to the Rock'n'Roll Animal version....

Jus' heard this on shuffle: Tonda Trio - Soul Scuba 95 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tabHE05vHMY)

Comments say it is sample of "Montara" by Bobby Hutcherson - well,  Idk, not familiar, all I know it's a good smooth funk jazzy stuff. Very "city life".

Not sure that it gets any better than Burt's Casino Royale theme, but I love Pet Sounds. Hmmm..both have a Bond connection.

"Telstar" by The Tornados (I cannot find the true original version on youtube anymore!)

And:

Slim Dunlap's cover of James Burton's song Love Lost:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjOKQui3cjw

The 1963 Doctor Who theme as performed by Delia Derbyshire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75V4ClJZME4

That is really weird! What are they thinking of?

Weiss Heim - Rainbow

Transylvania - Iron Maiden

A Saucerful of Secrets - Pink Floyd

Quadrophenia/The Rock - The Who

Black Star - Yngwie Malmsteen

The Call of Ktulu - Metallica

A200 - Deep Purple

Fire on High - ELO

La Villa Strangiato - Rush

Let's Get MetaPhysical - David Gilmour

Buzzsaw...The Turtles
Apricot Brandy...Rhinoceros
969 The Oldest Man...Guess Who
Flying...Beatles
Pet Sounds...Beach Boys
Scorpio...Dennis Coffee
Rumble...Link Wray
Misirlou...Dick Dale
Amazing Grace...Jeff Beck
Sleepwalk...Brian Setzer [...more balls than the original by Santo and Johnny...which is still a great tune.]
Pick Up the Pieces...Average White Band
A Walk In the Black Forest...Horst Jankowski
Theme From Peter Gunn...Henry Mancini
Theme From Mission Impossible...Sly and Robbie version
Amazing Grace...Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Scotland The Brave...any quality pipe and drum band...MASS BANDS even better...The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Cast Your Fate to the Wind...Sounds Orchestral
Out of Limits...The Marketts
Surfin...Ernest Ranglin [Below the Baseline version]
Time Is Tight...Booker T and the MGs


There are 20 GREAT instrumentals.  Should fill up a cd.  Considered adding 'Our Prayer' as there are no lyrics...just human voices used as instruments.  Counts as far as I'M concerned. :hat

not to be too picky, but there's vocals on Buzzsaw by the Fabulous Dawgs....

Ya......BuZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ-Sawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.  [and some kind of a wordless  vocal chant...and a 'd.j.' wrapping it up]

It's like saying Wipeout or Tequila aren't instrumentals.

I'm leaving it on MY list but feel free to toss it if you feel you must. ;)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You might waste space on the cd though.  Leave it on and add the afore-mentioned Our Prayer.  [in the vocal instrumentals section. :lol]

Good to My Baby backing track. I was listening to the GTMB sessions an hour on loop. Great stuff. I dare say this is the best song on Today, again. :3d

Side One of Today generally gets a raw deal, with all praise heaped on Side Two. Lotsa good stuff on Side One though, not least "GTMB". ;=) 

And it's very weird. They sweet-talk Today! telling about its greatness - couldn't this mean they should like both sides equally? But no, they just speak of melancholic 2nd side.

I love 60's surf instrumentals in general. A few that haven't been mentioned here that I love:

Mr Moto by The Belairs
Pipeline by the Chantays

and the whole soundtrack to "The Endless Summer" by the Sandals.

David Gilmour - Red Sky at Night

Brian Wilson - Half Moon Bay

Genesis - Los Endos

The Beatles - Flying

Van Halen - Eruption

Rush - YYZ

Scorpions - Coast to Coast.   

Anything from these albums (with the exception of "Boomerang" on The Children of a Lesser God Soundtrack)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/65/Budd_%26_Eno's_The_Pearl.jpg)   (http://www.rosebudbandasonora.com/catalog/images/gnpchildrenoflessergod.jpg)

'Let's Go Away For Awhile', 'Pet Sounds', 'Mrs. O'Leary's Cow', 'Summer Means New Love' and 'Diamond Head' by The Beach Boys. Well, and 'Holidays' if it still counts.

'Sleepwalk' by Santo & Johnny

'Let's Go Trippin' by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones

as well as lots and lots of jazz, like 'So What', 'Blue Train', 'My Favorite Things', 'Take the A Train' and 'West End Blues'

Though I know it doesn't count, my favorite instrumentals are Beach Boys backing tracks, particularly 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', 'Let Him Run Wild', 'God Only Knows', 'Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)', 'California Girls' and 'I Get Around'.


Ah, how could I forget about the James Bond theme? I'm only a massive, massive James Bond fan. Along with that, I'd also say pretty much the entire Thunderball soundtrack by John Barry. My favorite Bond film and I love the music in it.

Speaking of film scores, damn near any John Williams movie score, especially for me, Superman, E.T., Star Wars, and Empire of the Sun.

Also the complete score to my favorite film, Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, by Bernard Herrmann.

The soundtrack thing could be discussed in a seperate thread. I could go on forever about great film scores.

Focus........ Remastered version of " Hamburger Concerto "

A fabulous band in their heyday. I saw them in the Marquee Club in London in '72 and was blown away, particularly by Akkerman. Ye gods! My favourite of theirs has always been the brief "Tommy" on Focus II (Moving Waves)...

That's a fascinating subject----where do you draw the line between an instrumental and a song? Many instrumentals include the title, often on several occasions ("Tequila", "Stoked"), others include whole sentences ("Hootsmon" by Lord Rockingham's XI) and still others, chanting or "toasting".

Does, say, "Hot Pastrami" by The Dartells qualify as an instrumental?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50wYkq8DaVQ

Or "Double Barrel" by Dave & Ansell Collins?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_7Kx2FlFQY

A fascinating "grey area"...     

I think the upbeat numbers on Side One help make the ballads on Side Two sound go down.  I think it's a great album all the way through. 

BTW, the worst track is on Side Two - Bull Sessions with Big Daddy.  The only thing that keeps Today from being a perfect album. 

"Surfboard" by Juan García Esquivel:   https://youtu.be/2NglD0H-cps

This is for NOLA BB Fan, who I hope hasn't deserted us entirely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk0EyeuOPjs
 

Thank you, kind sir. Still lurking but didn't want to post until I could think clearly.

Wonderful song! The piano at times is shades of Professor Longhair.

Among my favorites:
Cast your fate to the Wind

Blue Rondo a la Turk; Forty Days - Dave Brubeck Quartet

American Garage - Pat Metheny (got me up many a morning back in the early 80s)

Blue Men of the Sahara - Strength in Numbers
Metric Lips - New Grass Revival
Sinister Minister (and many others) - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

Most pop instrumentals don't appeal much to me, with a few exceptions here and there over the years. But if we're including other forms--and I've seen jazz examples posted--then I've got a lot of loves. My offering here is one I've shared on this board before in other threads: one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard that fits the category is "Isfahan," a Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn composition highlighted by a melody performed by one of the finest alto saxophonists of all time, Johnny Hodges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbSlk6vY5Dc

The backing track of Let Him Run Wild is so sublime and mesmerizing.

If we leave pop this thread is blown wide open.

From the Beach Boys, its all about Lets Go Away for Awhile. Thats so much more dynamic and amazing than even something like Holidays or Fire. I used to love Look until I realized it wasnt meant as an instrumental. Somehow that killed the song for me, I just wanted to know what might have been.

The Saturday Night fever stuff is great too.

Third Stone From the Sun is fantastic, especially the little easter eggs.

Even tho I dont listen to it often, Interstellar Overdrive from Pink Floyd is Amazing, as is On the Run from DSOTM.

I like Embryonic Journey on Surrealistic Pillow only because its the perfect "White Rabbit's coming on next! Get hyped!" type track ;D

Theres probably a dozen others Im forgetting.

And if we're counting backing tracks too, the California Girls one is better than anything else ever recorded. Its better as an instrumental than it is with those cheesy chauvinistic lyrics in fact

If we're talking Floyd instrumentals, I really like A Saucerful of Secrets, Atom Heart Mother, One of Those Days, Any Colour You Like, and Marooned. 

That ship has sailed.

I posted this in another thread but Mac Demarco has an entirely instrumental album for free on bandcamp. He's the best:
https://makeoutvideotape.bandcamp.com/album/some-other-ones

Yes indeed. In this version, I assume:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEwNaIQCduY

Yes, that version (although the Sounds Orchestral version is okay).
Am a fan of the 'West Coast sound'.

As this thread apparently is supposed to be pop instrumentals, and most of the ones I listed earlier were different genres, here are a couple of pop favorites:

Soul Sacrifice - Santana
Jessica - Allman Brothers
Walk don't Run - Ventures
Telstar - The Tornados

Once those 70s progsters got in on the act if became a whole different ball game...
For me Camel's complete Snow Goose album wins out every time... tho I loves me a bit of Wot Gorilla or Hackett's Soectral Mornings too...

Listening to Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant. I found the  former's called "king of Steel guitar" - well, he sure is. The recordings are quite innovative by the 50s standards. Favorite - "Midnight ramble".

This has always been a great favourite of mine but even more so on this sad day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ0UrwusWcM

I've been checking out that smiling man in your avatar, u-m, and found this great instrumental:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_p-rhFCN00

I also heard a great song called "Exercising With My Demons" (a sort of a Brian connection----it even has what sounds like a cough at 1:00!).

Next up for my listening pleasure is the instrumental album you linked...





 

My favorite today is "Cissy Strut" by the Meters. If I were to make a Top 10 favorite list, this would be in Top-3 along with Sun Ra stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_iC0MyIykM

I've changed my avatar since then, but I never read this and I just wanted to appreciate your appreciation of DeMarco :).




 
[/quote]

It's odd, because generally it's a genre I can't keep far enough away from!

But his songs are engaging and so is his guitar style and sound.

One album? Salad Days.

Listening to Sun Ra - "Lullaby for Realville", "Tapestry from an Asteroid", "Planet Earth", "Friendly galaxy" & many others are just a few songs off the top that I consider my favorites.

I just checked out some of his things. "Astro Black" is amazing! Thanks for the tip, RR. :=)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk5jg5fo0kc

Sun Ra has very big discography. I didn't listen to even half of it. Maybe 5 albums but it's consistently good music. As a matter of fact,among the few where I like nearly everything.

Love Cissy Strut.
My favorite Meters song is - Look Ka Py Py.  New Orleans funk at its best!

They're New Orleans kids. Your fellow homelanders. Do you have other similar bands there? sans vocals. OK, I see this is very difficult question. I withdraw it.

My fave instra is..."backing track to "Mr. Kite".

2 by The Houstons:

Sea of Tranquility - this is kind of dirge, dark as I like  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHKbBkO2qJE
Solar Light - in contrast, happy-sounding with some cool guitar fx a la "Diamond Head"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5UkFsHTMqc

On learning that guitarist Billy Strange's nickname was Batman, I was reminded of this mid-sixties hit by The Marketts, a session group that included Hal and Carol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMuDT-4iA6w

This is my instrumental of the moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaHuhoRmMoY

Don't know whether Cliff Nobles' "The Horse" has been linked yet---if it has, here it comes again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McFSX8LkOqU
 
Love the comment by Hermunkle: "I don't always listen to The Horse but when I do, so do my neighbors." :lol

 :shrug

Sorry for this and the above. In making modifications I ended up with three separate posts. Don't know how to delete.

Sorry, didn't see this post until now.
But you are right, I don't know of many instrumentals by New Orleans artists in the pop/rock/r&b world. In Jazz of course there are plenty.
A pop hit and jazzy is the Allen Toussaint song, "Java", performed by Al Hirt.

A couple of favorites - sorry my computer isn't working so can't post links:

Big Chief Part 1 - Professor Longhair. Heard mainly around Mardi Gras time. Big Chief Part 2 is the more famous and has lyrics.
Pass the Hatchet, by Roger and the Gypsies featuring the late great Eddie Bo. Guess technically it's not an instrumental as at one point Bo says "let me have it", and "watch out, watch out, Tim-ber!" If you like the Meters you should like this. Very funky. Think it made the charts in a few places; heard it a lot here back in the late 60s.

Route 66 theme, by Nelson Riddle. This has recently been climbing into my top 5 of all time, and it is one of the best TV theme songs. It actually feels like you're driving down Route 66 in a Corvette convertible in 1960 when you listen. Brilliant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGvTGb00rnE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGvTGb00rnE)

Take Five, Dave Brubeck Quartet. Always was and always will be in my top 5, ever since I was a kid. One of the most unlikely jukebox and radio hits of all time, yet there it was, in edited form, playing on jukeboxes and radios and in college dorms everywhere in 1960. A hit record in 5/4 time, that you couldn't dance to. This is the full unedited version. Paul Desmond had one of the most beautiful alto sax tones and styles in all of jazz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzpnWuk3RjU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzpnWuk3RjU)

I'd forgotten all about this theme. Sheer genius----as you say, you really are out there on the highway! Thanks for the link...

http://youtu.be/JVmU2nkJaa4

http://youtu.be/pDh5YUPLbeE

http://youtu.be/S002MadnlQs

http://youtu.be/2I5d9kIA9jk

http://youtu.be/DgJVM-Jr7hY
 

Larry posted 2 by The Sound Symposium at his blog, 1st is "America", Simon & Garfunkel cover & next is "Darling Be Home Soon", the John Sebastian-written song. I could post them in the Covers topic but didn't hear the either original to say if they're better. Not big fan of both bands. Joe Cocker sang "Darling" in the radio - gotta say, he has tendency of ruining ANYthing with that epic fail of voice. In short, check these: https://ironleg.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/the-sound-symposium-america-darling-be-home-soon/

If you listen & like the arrangements - very neatly done imo & interesting choices for instruments - try to get the entire album "Contemporary Composers Interpreted". The arranger is Larry Wilcox who did besides it "Paul Simon Interpreted", "Bob Dylan Interpreted" etc. under the name "The Sound Symposium". Enjoy!

Alice in chains- whale & wasp
David gilmour- raise my rent

2 I like today:

Micky Dolenz "Plastic Symphony III" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLcGtTptb3M) (such fun, took it from Larry's blog. He buys rare 45s & uploads them to everybody. :3d )
Camper van Beethoven "4 Year Plan" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVMQ6C84TIA) (I like what sounds like balalaika. Cool interplay with drums)

Kind of dug Hal Blaine's album "Psychedelic Percussion" (hm, says 1967 :P): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qa8rswFKEY
D/l'ed back in 2012 with BBs' new.

Dudley Moore - unknown tune - 18.1.09 blog post in Iron Leg: https://ironleg.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/dudley-moore-the-real-stuff-1/

I see the "unknown tune" has been removed. But you managed to hear it first...

Might it be this one, called "Rupert's Romp"? It's not on the soundtrack album...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYQbGEQKV6U

kurt conain- do re mi

It's 2009 post, Larry deletes the links after expiration date. I downloaded those songs at the time they were fresh.

Yes, it is! Thank you.

oh so many, off the top of my head:
sleepwalk - santo and johnny
apache - the shadows (all the early Shad's stuff)
because they're young - duanne eddy
wonderland by night - bert kaempfert
sacha - hank marvin
morgen - the ventures
rumble - link wray
white rabbit - peter posa
i'll see you in my dreams - knopfler/atkins
alley cat - bent fabric
take 5 - dave Brubeck
guitar boogie - Arthur smith
nervous breakdown - brad paisley
albatross - Fleetwood mac
classical gas - mason Williams

that's a couple...

Link Wray's "Jack the Ripper" can't beat garagey version by The Raybeats. Shall check "Alley Cat". Prefer Jorgen Ingmann's "Apache". "Sleepwalk" was in soundtrack of Stephen King's "Hearts in Atlantis". Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, there's many cool instras, f.ex. "Oh Well".

I just happened upon this fascinating instrumental while checking out Andy Paley's musical past.

Rich Hopkins' band and Paley's were both called Sidewinders at one point.

I love that slinky moog line!

https://youtu.be/GhEc3-GD-qE

   

I first heard this stunning instrumental on a tape I made of a radio programme about Frank Zappa made shortly after his death in 1993. I only discovered what it was yesterday afternoon! The studio recording of "Mōggio" is on Zappa's 1983 album The Man from Utopia: 

https://youtu.be/hMBpedq2_Qk

That's simply beautiful.  I'll have to check out more of his stuff.

A specific version?

Beatles "Cat's Walk" & "Mellotron Music No. 4".

I'd forgotten about this thread--and certainly about this post. Maybe I never even noticed it back then.

I gave up on DSOTM years ago, having always preferred WYWH. But it's thanks to this poster (and Beachcat) that I'm listening to it again now. So I'll go with "On The Run". :=)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4hkrk4FNdQ 

Most of my faves would be in the loungecore/easy listening category:
Oh, Calcutta - Dave Pell
Stranger On The Shore - (Mister) Acker Bilk
Ravel's Pavanne - The Ventures
Lisbon Antigua & Route 66 - Nelson Riddle
South - Bob Wills
Footprints On The Moon - Johnny Harris Orchestra
The Minotaur - Dick Hyman
Turn Town Day - The Baroque Inevitable
Bond Street - Doc Severinsen
American Boys - Pete Fountain
Who Am I - Floyd Cramer
Playboys Theme (the ultra rare uptempo version on Capitol) - Cy Coleman
Soul Stuff (or any track from the album by) Steve Allen & Terry Gibbs

...and the list goes on and on and on and on...

Love that signature tune! (So, I recall, does guitarfool.) It may be the finest driving song ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nbRoyJXSfQ

I love it, too. Exhilarating!

Coltrane's My Favorite Things, the greatest piece of music ever put on tape:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWG2dsXV5HI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWG2dsXV5HI)

To each their own, of course. I've tried both this and A Love Supreme but neither come close in my book to "Afro Blue":  ::)   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIH3fNUsbnA

From LeRoi Jones' liner notes to Coltrane live at Birdland:

"Afro-Blue, the long tune of the album, is in the tradition of all the African-Indian-Latin flavored pieces Trane has done on soprano, since picking up that horn and reclaiming it as a jazz instrument. (In this sense The Promise is in that same genre.) Even though the head-melody is simple and song-like, it is a song given by making what feels to me like an almost unintelligible lyricism suddenly marvelously intelligible. McCoy Tyner too, who is the polished formalist of the group, makes his less cautious lyrical statements on this, but driven, almost harassed, as Trane is too, by the mad ritual drama that Elvin Jones taunts them with. There is no way to 'describe' Elvin’s playing, or, I would suppose, Elvin himself. The long tag of Afro-Blue, with Elvin thrashing and cursing beneath Trane’s line, is unbelievable. Beautiful has nothing to do with it, but it is. (I got up and danced while writing these notes, screaming at Elvin to cool it.) You feel when this is finished, amidst the crashing cymbals, bombarded tomtoms, and above it all Coltrane’s soprano singing like any song you can remember, that it really did not have to end at all, that this music could have gone on and on like the wild pulse of all living."

George Martin's "Theme One" used to wake me up every day in early 1974 (I used to leave BBC Radio One on all night and this was the first tune they played in the morning).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EVpvrDeVg8

The drummer sounds suspiciously like Hal Blaine at the end (those triplets)...

Yes indeed! Route 66 is one of the most sublime pieces of music I've ever heard. I posted that one here a few years ago along with Take Five.

As I got more into binge-watching late-60's and early 70's private eye/detective/crime drama TV in recent years, I picked up a new favorite to add. As with many TV themes, it can be hard to find the version actually heard on the show's credits, because they'd often re-record a full album of themes and cues from the show to sell as an LP soundtrack. Peter Gunn's soundtrack was that way, the studio band and Mancini would record separate cues of the same songs for the show versus the soundtrack albums even though it was the same musicians playing the same charts, but it's so good it doesn't matter.

Anyhow that was the case with Lalo Schifrin's brilliant music for the show Mannix. One of the best TV shows of that era, highly recommended if you haven't seen it, and Lalo's theme is a terrific jazz waltz that fit the show's opening credits perfectly. Like Route 66. I saw an interview with Lalo where he said he was contracted to write two TV themes for competing networks who were doing pilots for private eye/detective/mystery shows. He went more traditional and expected for a crime drama with the other show, and went for something risky with Mannix, a pretty sophisticated jazz waltz that would be less expected for a show about a private eye - And remember this is the same Lalo Schifrin who had a big hit with an odd-meter theme for Mission Impossible during this same time period, one of the truly classic themes of all time.

So Mannix became the big hit and lasted something like 8 or 9 seasons and the theme went on to become one of those classics that people still remember, always associated with memories of the show and Mike Connors' classic character Joe Mannix. The other show I think lasted one season or something... :lol

The brilliant Lalo Schifrin and the theme from Mannix:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usbl48E9ZFk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usbl48E9ZFk)

Ever have a piece of music that brings you to tears from its sheer beauty? Of course. Ever have a scene from a film that brings you to tears because it was so well crafted, so perfect in its execution and all elements hitting just the right mark? Of course.

This one works as an example of both for me. The perfect marriage of film and music, and one of the finest films ever made. Is it an instrumental? I vote yes. The voices are wordless - They act as and were arranged as instruments, not delivering lyrics.

I've written about this one quite a few times before, but thought it was worth including again.

Burt Bacharach's "South American Getaway" from George Roy Hill's "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid", one of the best of all time.

Trivia fans: That is the Ron Hicklin Singers (core group lineup) doing the voices, minus one of the Bahler brothers.

Adding to the "Mannix" post about soundtracks, Bacharach's "Butch Cassidy" soundtrack is different from what is in the film itself. Same arrangements, but different mixes and sessions. See the film for the full effect.

Adding to the cross-pollination and influences between Bacharach and Brian Wilson...go to roughly 2:10 in this clip and listen for a vocal section Bacharach wrote which could have come from Brian's "Smiley Smile" production...thanks to the fellow obsessive who pointed that out to me. Think Burt heard Smiley Smile? I do.  :)

So you really need to see the film to get the full effect...the perfect pairing of music and film, specifically the editing and camera work during the music montages Hill put in the film, like South American Getaway.

And for those who know and love the film, I made this GIF for one of my favorite scenes in any film, of any era. It's a blown take between Redford and Katherine Ross, but they left it in the film. Pure art, and a brilliant decision. It's real filmmaking, so what if it's a blown take and the actors bust up during the scene...it's PERFECT for that tiny little space within the film, and it humanizes the whole thing in a way few "blockbuster" films of the modern era would ever think of doing. Things are too perfect today...film, music....the humanity and reality is often edited out. Life is not perfect...the mistakes are often times the good stuff. Artists working at high levels of their art and talent can make those calls on the fly, and that's the stuff that is often brilliant if only for a few seconds in time.

Watch in this GIF Redford's facial expression followed by the beautiful Katherine Ross with one of the best blown-take laughs in all of cinema...set to South American Getaway by Burt Bacharach. Gets me every time.

(https://media.giphy.com/media/VEhzXSpQpxvNoAzlLx/giphy.gif)

And of course the song itself:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCRbs_aNa30 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCRbs_aNa30)

"Soma" is an instrumental recorded by Dantalion's Chariot in 1967 but only released in 1996 on Chariot Rising, a comp of ten tracks by DC. Their wiki describes their guitarist Andy Summers (later of The Police) as playing sitar on the album. I'm no expert but I suggest the instrument being played here is a sitar guitar. (Summer's wiki page makes no mention of sitars.) Lovely track.     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbNAcSR40u4

Moody Blues - The Day Begins
Pink Floyd - One of These Days
Rush - 2112 (Overture)
Jethro Tull - Bouree

Dick Dale -Misirlou
The Lively Ones - Surf Rider
(Thank you Pulp Fiction for the introduction to those)

And, of course, all the Beach Boys' instrumentals, particularly,

The Rocking Surfer
Let's Go Away For A While

I read about Rush in RS. Weird band. Which album to try? Any recommend?
Neat JT choice.
"Pulp Fiction" fan. In fact, I got "Misirlou" in Winamp that starts with Pumpkin's famed shout "Everybody be cool, this is a robbery!". It's def. the best song in film. Iconic.
Hey cool, you too like "The Rocking Surfer". It's such fun, isn't it? It's got humor side to it. & goofy mixed w/ joyful.

Haha. OK, I read you. ;D But I must disagree...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1aft5wX6o

I found this cool description of "Embryonic Journey" not so long ago:

Long before the word “unplugged” became part of our common vernacular, an evocative instrumental, barely under two minutes long appeared on Jefferson Airplane’s 1967 opus Surrealistic Pillow. The first piece of music guitarist Jorma Kaukonen ever wrote, “Embryonic Journey” was a six-string meditation that encapsulated the mood of the 1960s as powerfully as any song of that era (with or without lyrics).

“ ‘Embryonic Journey’ made me sit up and take notice of Jorma’s remarkable acoustic playing,” exclaimed former Captain Beefheart guitarist Gary Lucas. “It is one of the most crystalline, beautiful compositions ever, right up there with John Fahey at his best.”

Blending modal sitar-inspired raga riffs with the Piedmont finger-picking style of Reverend Gary Davis, Kaukonen’s tune quickly became a favorite of DJs back in the days of free-form FM radio, who regularly employed it as either a lead-in or chaser to the news of the day, most of it bad, grim reports of inner-city riots or the escalating war in Vietnam. Fifty years later, that piece of music has been lodged in our collective consciousness.

[Source (https://observer.com/2017/02/jefferson-airplane-birthed-psychedelic-rock-surrealistic-pillow/)]

Oops. Can't waste a double post now can we? This is Jorma Kaukonen showing you how to play "Embryonic Journey":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19YDHYO0Ue0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorma_Kaukonen

While dusting and rearranging the contents of bookshelves this morning, I lent an ear to a big chunk of the debut album by Boards of Canada, a Scottish electronic outfit I'm utterly unfamiliar with. This gorgeous track, "Roygbiv", leapt out at me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMRLlSPt7ak

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boards_of_Canada

Chris Rea's No Work Today sounds as sweet to me today as it did when I first heard it in 1980

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY1-uYFWEII

Wow. Some nifty bottleneck work there. Thanks for that, J. I must confess to knowing next to nothing about Chris Rea. :smokin

I like Chris Rea's Christmas carol "Driving Home For Christmas". They play it in New Year's eves in big shops.

Rea is one of those artists who seems to fly under the radar.

He started off commercially with his output being Middle of the Road later leaning towards the Blues but it had a very accessible slant to it.

I envy anyone who is working their way through his back catalogue for the first time. Some fabulously rich pickings there. : - )

H'mm. Thanks for that, J. Trouble is, I'm a one-album-per-artist/band person. ;D

If you had to recommend just one album (sorry about this), which one would it be? The later period sounds interesting. :smokin

Checking out my friend's list (again), I gave a listen on YouTube to Oxford Circle's "Mind Destruction", rightfully described by the uploader as a "blistering instrumental"--only to be told by a commenter that it was something else entirely, a 1967 thing called "Fusion" by Pinnochio [sic] & The Puppets. :lol

One lives and one learns (I suppose). ;D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6MJXZc5RlI

Probably linked this before but who cares. It doesn't get much better than this. ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25q8nWZQGaQ

(https://kipsbikersite.com/Images/Guitar-Images/jeff-beck.jpg)

Looking around for music inspired by the hair-raising world of author H.P. Lovecraft (initially for a topic on my "hobby" forum), I happened across this instrumental by Metallica. "The Call of Ktulu [Cthulhu]" shows them moving away from the hellbent-for-leather style of Kill 'Em All into more melodic and thoughtful realms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1RTgznup5c

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ride_the_Lightning

These three are from my time spent loitering on the fringes of the music business in London's West End in the late '60s, early '70s...

First off, The Upsetters and "Return Of Django":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax5phXqMjCU

I'd forgotten all about this one! With thanks to Mr. Tubey for reintroducing me to "The Liquidator" by The Harry J Allstars:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTn01jjEFfY

Now, is Dave & Ansell Collin's "Double Barrel" an instrumental? Or a song? Whatever it is, it's magnificent! ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_7Kx2FlFQY

Slightly off-topic as the instrumental alone is so-so but combined with the nocturnal video of a drive from Delft (been there many times) to De Lier (can't remember ever having been there*) it makes for a great late-night experience. ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1mUAVPaX98

* Well I never. I've just learnt I'll be going there in a week's time as one member of a four-person team in a jigsaw puzzle contest! :lol

For starting with a studio album, I would recommend "Moving Pictures", their most successful album. Released in 1981, it contains probably Rush's best known song, "Tom Sawyer."

For an overall taste of the band's work from the years '74-'89, I like "Chronicles."

Colosseum were one of the first bands that could claim the description of jazz-rock. Thinking of something to link to mark Valentine's Day, I was reminded of the three-part title track from Valentyne Suite, their second album, their second to be released in 1969 and their second to reach #15 in the UK albums charts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKFrsm4wqpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum_(band) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum_(band))

"Groovin' With Mr. Bloe" is an oddball instrumental hit from 1970 but I love it! Mr. Bloe's version is a cover but once you've heard this there's really no need to check out the original!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOlvAEw3B9w

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Bloe

Bob Cobert, whose many compositions include the background music for the Dark Shadows TV series, died last week at the grand old age of 95. While listening last night to an album from that series, this was the track that jumped out at me, the Ventures-style "Back At The Blue Whale". May he rest in peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUt_7k9l3Ps

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Cobert (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Cobert) 

Last week I rediscovered this cool 1964 instrumental by Michel Legrand. Well, okay, its title--"Di-Gue-Ding-Ding"--is sung but it sounds more like instruments than voices. And those violins are something else! :o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12PuEz0igEc

(https://assets.catawiki.nl/assets/2018/7/2/6/6/e/66e96a65-333d-493b-bfa7-a0b8b79ce38d.jpg)

This is sweet. I discovered Messer Chups in a Hoffman thread dedicated to Russian pop and rock. This is their version of "Magneto":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M4dZw37i7s

It would be interesting to explore the stuff they did with theremin (sse link).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messer_Chups (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messer_Chups)

THE WHO Tommy Overture

Ah yes! The Who recorded some extraordinary instrumentals over the years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kulpVOmQkg 

Right now I'm investigating the music of Robyn Hitchcock, starting with Underwater Moonlight, the 1980 album by his then band, The Soft Boys. It includes this stunning instrumental, "You'll Have To Go Sideways":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbqkWU5tkY0

Duncan Lamont's "The Fuzz" began life in the OST of a pornographic comedy, the wonderfully titled The Opening of Misty Beethoven:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppeY_XHxAD8

I discovered Treason Theory's "Eggs In The Pan" while looking for candidates for a musical topic about eggs at the previous incarnation of my hobby forum, strange place that it was. There's only very scant online information about Treason Theory. I adapted this from Facebook:

"Treason Theory Music Productions is an independent musical recording and production organization. The main members are Maurice Cunningham and Rob Harris. Other musicians can and have joined in to contribute to T.T.M.P.'s recordings and more are certainly welcome. All songs are written, played and recorded by Treason Theory, unless otherwise noted. We are neither treasonous, nor have any real theories about treason. It's just a name."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e0fIbORZk4

Keyboardist Julius Brockington's "Forty-Nine Reasons" is on a playlist at the blog in my signature.  It's the closing track on his 1973 album The United Chair:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt878L-AJMw

To celebrate Valentine's Day (not that I send anyone cards and stuff), here are Jon Hiseman's Colosseum and the magnificent "Valentyne Suite", from their 1969 album of that name:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKFrsm4wqpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentyne_Suite (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentyne_Suite)

If Lupercalia's more your bag, this track by the German band Faun is the song for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2mAEr0Ggb0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faun_(band) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faun_(band))

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupercalia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupercalia)

I'm not a fan generally of stuff Eric Clapton did post-Derek but Slowhand is pretty cool on the whole. Its closing track is a great instrumental called "Peaches And Diesel":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD4jVzi81Nk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slowhand (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slowhand)