MY List of Top 100 Instrumental Songs/Artists - and at #1 Frankenstein (1 Viewer)

[Tom Skerritt]

#13. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

"Pick Up the Pieces" is a 1974 song by the Average White Band from their second album, AWB. On the single, songwriting credit was given to founding member and saxophonist Roger Ball and guitarist Hamish Stuartindividually and the entire band collectively. It is essentially an instrumental, apart from the song's title being shouted at several points in the song.

The guitar line of the song came from Hamish Stuart, while Roger Ball wrote the first part of the horn melody. The song was produced by Arif Mardin. According to Malcolm 'Molly' Duncan, he had disagreed with releasing the song as a single because the song is a "funk instrumental played by Scotsmen with no lyrics other than a shout". He also said about the shouts of "Pick up the pieces": "It's about picking yourself up when things aren't going well. We'd spent a lot of time making no money whatsoever, so it felt very relevant." The song is an extended long version (18:06) on the live Person To Person album (1976) and (21:40) on the various artists album The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux (1977). The tenor saxophone solo on the Montreux version is by noted jazz instrumentalist Michael Brecker. The solo on the original release is by Molly Duncan.

"Pick Up the Pieces" was released in the United Kingdom in July 1974 but failed to chart. When the album was released in the United States in October 1974, radio stations there started to play the song, and on 22 February 1975, it went to the top of the US singles chart and peaked at number five on the soul charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 20 song for 1975. After its US success, the song charted in the UK and climbed to number six. "Pick Up the Pieces" also made it to number eleven on the US disco chart.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#12. John Williams (to name a few...)

Jurassic Park

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Superman

Star Wars

Darth Vader's Imperial March

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Jaws

E.T.

John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. Widely regarded as one of the greatest American composers of all time, he has composed some of the most popular, recognizable, and critically acclaimed film scores in cinematic history in a career spanning over six decades. Williams has won 24 Grammy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. With 51 Academy Award nominations, he is the second most-nominated individual, after Walt Disney. In 2005, the American Film Institute selected Williams's score to 1977's Star Wars as the greatest American film score of all time. The soundtrack to Star Wars was additionally preserved by the Library of Congress into the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Williams has composed for many critically acclaimed and popular movies, including the Star Wars series, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones series, the first two Home Alone films, Hook, the first two Jurassic Park films, Schindler's List, and the first three Harry Potter films. He has been associated with director Steven Spielberg since 1974, composing music for all but four of his feature films––Duel, The Color Purple, Bridge of Spies and Ready Player One. Other works by Williams include theme music for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, NBC Sunday Night Football, "The Mission" theme used by NBC News and Seven News in Australia, the television series Lost in Space and Land of the Giants, and the incidental music for the first season of Gilligan's Island.

Williams has also composed numerous classical concertos and other works for orchestral ensembles and solo instruments. He served as the Boston Pops's principal conductor from 1980 to 1993, and is its laureate conductor. He was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl's Hall of Fame in 2000, and was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. Williams composed the score for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office (adjusted for inflation).

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#11. Rockit - Herbie Hancock

"Rockit" is a composition recorded by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and produced by Bill Laswell. Hancock released it as a single from his 1983 album Future Shock. The selection was composed by Hancock, producer Laswell, and synthesizer/drum machine programmer Michael Beinhorn.

The track was a big hit in 1983–1984, driven by its deejay scratch style, performed primarily by D.ST, and its eye-catching music video created by Godley & Creme, which was put in high rotation on MTV. "Rockit" won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance in 1983, and it won five MTV Video Awards in 1984.

The song was constructed and composed in 1982 during the recording process at various studios, first at BC Studios in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn, then RPM studios in Manhattan's Village, then Herbie's home studio in West Hollywood, and finally at Eldorado studio in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The production trio of Material (bassist Bill Laswell, synth player Michael Beinhorn, and engineer Martin Bisi) were based at BC Studios, recording underground club music for Celluloid Records. Hancock's 25-year-old manager, Tony Meilandt, approached Laswell to write a new song for Hancock, whose career needed a boost. To gauge this potential new direction for his career, Hancock accompanied Laswell to hear a set of popular club deejays including Afrika Bambaataa and D.ST spin at Roxy NYC in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Warily eyeing the crowd which to him looked like a riot, Hancock needed more convincing by Meilandt before he contracted with Laswell's team to deliver two tracks. Meilandt later said "Herbie was very much ready" to try a new kind of sound.

At BC Studios, Beinhorn used a new Oberheim DMX drum machine to lay down a basic beat, and Laswell brought in Daniel Ponce to augment this with Afro-Cuban batá drums. Ponce played the three drums one at a time during three recording passes, to make it sound like three drummers invoking a Santería spirit. Grand Mixer D.ST came to the studio with two deejay friends from his group Infinity Rappers to scratch for the track, bringing his own vinyl but allowing Laswell to choose a Celluloid Records single as the foundation, "Change the Beat" by Fab Five Freddy, which had been recorded in the same studio. D.ST found an interesting portion of the 12-inch vinyl near the end – the voice of manager Roger Trilling saying "Ahhh! This stuff is really fresh" through the studio's vocoder – and he scratched through that section. Trilling had been playing with the vocoder in the studio, mocking Elektra Records executive Bruce Lundvall who was in the habit of sitting back in his chair and declaring a song "fresh" if he liked it, without knowing that the word fresh was current in hip-hop subculture. This moment was captured on tape, and Laswell worked it into the conclusion of "Change the Beat".

The 2-inch 16-track master tape containing rhythm parts and scratching needed to be transferred to 24-track 2-inch in order for Hancock to work with it at his home studio. Laswell and Bisi took the tape to RPM Studios in Greenwich Village, but instead of simply transferring the format, they added some extra sounds, especially a stab of guitar taken from a Led Zeppelin song on the album Coda. Using the repeat hold function of a Lexicon Prime Time digital delay, they attempted to capture a Led Zeppelin snare drum sound, but a moment of inattention resulted in the guitar stab, which Laswell found better suited his purpose.

Hancock first heard the work-in-progress in West Hollywood at his home studio, a former guest house in back of his main residence. Hancock determined that the song needed a melody line. Hancock, Laswell and Beinhorn composed one on the spot by humming out loud to each other. Then Hancock recorded his ideas on three different synthesizers, performing on them one at a time. When Hancock suggested performing some vocoder vocal scat, Laswell and Beinhorn said they could instead sample lyrics from a hit song, specifically the line "Rock it, don't stop it" from "Planet Rock", which was at that time a hit for Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force. This lyric sample gave the song the title of "Rockit".

A final recording session was convened at Eldorado Studios located at Hollywood and Vine, Hollywood, Los Angeles. To round out the turntablist sounds, D.ST flew out from New York along with his colleague Grandmaster Caz. Session engineer Dave Jerden remarked to Beinhorn that Hancock appeared hopeful about the song, but that he did not realize what he had. After the brief 90-minute session, the New York contingent went to a local stereo shop to pass the time before their flight home. Carrying a cassette tape of the final mix, they listened to "Rockit" on some loudspeakers at the shop, attracting the attention of kids from the neighborhood who were amazed and curious. Judging their reaction, Laswell told D.ST, "That's a hit record."

The music video, directed by the duo of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme[5] and featuring robot-like movable sculptures (by Jim Whiting) dancing, spinning, and even walking in time to the music in a "virtual house" in London, England, garnered five MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, including Best Concept Video and Best Special Effects. Hancock himself appears, and plays keyboard, only as an image on a television receiver, which is smashed on the pavement outside the front door of the house at the end of the video. The video also won two Billboard Video Music Awards, one for most innovative video, and another for best art direction.

 

[Brunell4MVP]

Big Police fan, but that’s just wrong on so many levels.

As for Rush instrumentals, I actually prefer La Villa Strangiato more.

I agree.  La Villa Strangiato is by far their best instrumental, from a band that could nail an instrumental.  It's significantly more complex than YYZ with better phrasing.  Geddy and Alex were worried they'd never be able to play it live.  Alex for a while couldn't even get through the opening solo.  Very few drummers can get through the song.  Does way more complex make better?  Not usually, but then when it comes to Rush and what the band was about, it does.

 

[dhockster]

#30. Flight of the Bumblebee - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

"Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. Its composition is intended to musically evoke the seemingly chaotic and rapidly changing flying pattern of a bumblebee. Despite the piece's being a rather incidental part of the opera, it is today one of the more familiar classical works because of its frequent use in popular culture.

The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, during which the magic Swan-Bird changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich (the Tsar's son) into an insect so that he can fly away to visit his father (who does not know that he is alive). Although in the opera the Swan-Bird sings during the first part of the "Flight", her vocal line is melodically uninvolved and easily omitted; this feature, combined with the fact that the number decisively closes the scene, made easy extraction as an orchestral concerto piece possible.

You need to listen to Nuno Bettencourt's (From Extreme) "Flight of the wounded bumblebee". Truly amazing guitar work.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

You need to listen to Nuno Bettencourt's (From Extreme) "Flight of the wounded bumblebee". Truly amazing guitar work.

I used to buy guitar mags just for the cds they stuck in the middle of the packaging. Nuno was usually one of the guitarists featured on those promos.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#10. In The Mood - Glenn Miller

"In the Mood" is a popular big band-era No. 1 hit recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. It topped the charts for 13 straight weeks in 1940 in the U.S. and one year later was featured in the movie Sun Valley Serenade. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by Edgar Hayes & His Orchestra in 1938.

"In the Mood" starts with a saxophone section theme based on repeated arpeggios that are rhythmically displaced; trumpets and trombones add accent riffs. The arrangement has two solo sections: a "tenor fight" or chase solo—in one recording between Tex Beneke and Al Klink—and a 16-bar trumpet solo by Clyde Hurley. At the end of the song, a coda climbs triumphantly, then sounds a sustained unison tonic pitch with a rim shot.

"In the Mood" was an arrangement by Joe Garland based on an existing melody. Lyrics were added by Andy Razaf. The main theme with repeated arpeggios rhythmically displaced appeared under the title "Tar Paper Stomp" and was credited to trumpeter Wingy Manone. Manone recorded "Tar Paper Stomp" on August 28, 1930 in Richmond, Indiana and released it as a 78 single for Champion under the name Barbecue Joe and his Hot Dogs. It was re-released in 1935 by Wingy Manone's Orchestra.

The song was sold in 1939 to Glenn Miller, who experimented with the arrangement. The author of the final arrangement is unknown. One possibility is Eddie Durham because he wrote other arrangements on the same day that "In the Mood" was recorded. Other possibilities include pianist Chummy MacGregor, who was Miller's chief arranger, John Chalmers, and Miller himself. According to an account by MacGregor, "all they used of the original arrangement were the two front saxophone strains and another part that occurred later on in the arrangement." Both MacGregor and Miller were involved in creating the final arrangement: "MacGregor mentioned that additional solos were added to the original arrangement and he wrote the finishing coda. Miller probably edited some of the arrangement along with MacGregor."

In 1983, the Glenn Miller recording from 1939 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, the recording was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry which consists of recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

In 1999, National Public Radio (NPR) included the 1939 Glenn Miller recording in its list of "The 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century".

 

[zamboni]

I used to buy guitar mags just for the cds they stuck in the middle of the packaging. Nuno was usually one of the guitarists featured on those promos.

As an aside, speaking  of Nuno, just yesterday before Game of Thrones ended, I saw this clip with him, Tom Morello, Scott Ian, and Brad Paisley (a great guitarist himself) jamming out to the theme song:

https://youtu.be/6i0a7RDPkM8

It’s long (start at 2:00 mark) but worth the listen - sick talent.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

#21. Ride Of The Valkyries - Richard Wagner

The "Ride of the Valkyries" (German: Walkürenritt or Ritt der Walküren) refers to the beginning of act 3 of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas constituting Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.

As a separate piece, the "Ride" is often heard in a purely instrumental version, which may be as short as three minutes. Together with the "Bridal Chorus" from Lohengrin, the "Ride of the Valkyries" is one of Wagner's best-known pieces.

The main theme of the "Ride", the leitmotif labelled Walkürenritt, was first written down by the composer on 23 July 1851. The preliminary draft for the "Ride" was composed in 1854 as part of the composition of the entire opera, which was fully orchestrated by the end of the first quarter of 1856.

In the Walküre opera, the "Ride", which takes around eight minutes, begins in the prelude to the third act, building up successive layers of accompaniment until the curtain rises to reveal a mountain peak where four of the eight Valkyrie sisters of Brünnhildehave gathered in preparation for the transportation of fallen heroes to Valhalla. As they are joined by the other four, the familiar tune is carried by the orchestra, while, above it, the Valkyries greet each other and sing their battle-cry. Apart from the song of the Rhinemaidens in Das Rheingold, it is the only ensemble piece in the first three operas of Wagner's Ring cycle.

Uses in film include the original score for The Birth of a Nation (1915), and What's Opera, Doc? (1957).

The "Ride" features in Apocalypse Now (1979), where the 1/9 Air Cavalry squadron plays it on helicopter-mounted loudspeakers during their assault on a North Vietnamese-controlled village as psychological warfare and to motivate their own troops.

The Ring Cycle is one of my very favorite things ever written - from both music and literature.

It also appears in Excalibur (not Ride tho) - one of my all time favorite films, though it often receives heavy criticism from the movie crowd.

Great choice.

 

[Penguin]

#13. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

"Pick Up the Pieces" is a 1974 song by the Average White Band from their second album, AWB. On the single, songwriting credit was given to founding member and saxophonist Roger Ball and guitarist Hamish Stuartindividually and the entire band collectively. It is essentially an instrumental, apart from the song's title being shouted at several points in the song.

The guitar line of the song came from Hamish Stuart, while Roger Ball wrote the first part of the horn melody. The song was produced by Arif Mardin. According to Malcolm 'Molly' Duncan, he had disagreed with releasing the song as a single because the song is a "funk instrumental played by Scotsmen with no lyrics other than a shout". He also said about the shouts of "Pick up the pieces": "It's about picking yourself up when things aren't going well. We'd spent a lot of time making no money whatsoever, so it felt very relevant." The song is an extended long version (18:06) on the live Person To Person album (1976) and (21:40) on the various artists album The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux (1977). The tenor saxophone solo on the Montreux version is by noted jazz instrumentalist Michael Brecker. The solo on the original release is by Molly Duncan.

"Pick Up the Pieces" was released in the United Kingdom in July 1974 but failed to chart. When the album was released in the United States in October 1974, radio stations there started to play the song, and on 22 February 1975, it went to the top of the US singles chart and peaked at number five on the soul charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 20 song for 1975. After its US success, the song charted in the UK and climbed to number six. "Pick Up the Pieces" also made it to number eleven on the US disco chart.

Classic

 

[Penguin]

#11. Rockit - Herbie Hancock

"Rockit" is a composition recorded by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and produced by Bill Laswell. Hancock released it as a single from his 1983 album Future Shock. The selection was composed by Hancock, producer Laswell, and synthesizer/drum machine programmer Michael Beinhorn.

The track was a big hit in 1983–1984, driven by its deejay scratch style, performed primarily by D.ST, and its eye-catching music video created by Godley & Creme, which was put in high rotation on MTV. "Rockit" won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance in 1983, and it won five MTV Video Awards in 1984.

The song was constructed and composed in 1982 during the recording process at various studios, first at BC Studios in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn, then RPM studios in Manhattan's Village, then Herbie's home studio in West Hollywood, and finally at Eldorado studio in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The production trio of Material (bassist Bill Laswell, synth player Michael Beinhorn, and engineer Martin Bisi) were based at BC Studios, recording underground club music for Celluloid Records. Hancock's 25-year-old manager, Tony Meilandt, approached Laswell to write a new song for Hancock, whose career needed a boost. To gauge this potential new direction for his career, Hancock accompanied Laswell to hear a set of popular club deejays including Afrika Bambaataa and D.ST spin at Roxy NYC in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Warily eyeing the crowd which to him looked like a riot, Hancock needed more convincing by Meilandt before he contracted with Laswell's team to deliver two tracks. Meilandt later said "Herbie was very much ready" to try a new kind of sound.

At BC Studios, Beinhorn used a new Oberheim DMX drum machine to lay down a basic beat, and Laswell brought in Daniel Ponce to augment this with Afro-Cuban batá drums. Ponce played the three drums one at a time during three recording passes, to make it sound like three drummers invoking a Santería spirit. Grand Mixer D.ST came to the studio with two deejay friends from his group Infinity Rappers to scratch for the track, bringing his own vinyl but allowing Laswell to choose a Celluloid Records single as the foundation, "Change the Beat" by Fab Five Freddy, which had been recorded in the same studio. D.ST found an interesting portion of the 12-inch vinyl near the end – the voice of manager Roger Trilling saying "Ahhh! This stuff is really fresh" through the studio's vocoder – and he scratched through that section. Trilling had been playing with the vocoder in the studio, mocking Elektra Records executive Bruce Lundvall who was in the habit of sitting back in his chair and declaring a song "fresh" if he liked it, without knowing that the word fresh was current in hip-hop subculture. This moment was captured on tape, and Laswell worked it into the conclusion of "Change the Beat".

The 2-inch 16-track master tape containing rhythm parts and scratching needed to be transferred to 24-track 2-inch in order for Hancock to work with it at his home studio. Laswell and Bisi took the tape to RPM Studios in Greenwich Village, but instead of simply transferring the format, they added some extra sounds, especially a stab of guitar taken from a Led Zeppelin song on the album Coda. Using the repeat hold function of a Lexicon Prime Time digital delay, they attempted to capture a Led Zeppelin snare drum sound, but a moment of inattention resulted in the guitar stab, which Laswell found better suited his purpose.

Hancock first heard the work-in-progress in West Hollywood at his home studio, a former guest house in back of his main residence. Hancock determined that the song needed a melody line. Hancock, Laswell and Beinhorn composed one on the spot by humming out loud to each other. Then Hancock recorded his ideas on three different synthesizers, performing on them one at a time. When Hancock suggested performing some vocoder vocal scat, Laswell and Beinhorn said they could instead sample lyrics from a hit song, specifically the line "Rock it, don't stop it" from "Planet Rock", which was at that time a hit for Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force. This lyric sample gave the song the title of "Rockit".

A final recording session was convened at Eldorado Studios located at Hollywood and Vine, Hollywood, Los Angeles. To round out the turntablist sounds, D.ST flew out from New York along with his colleague Grandmaster Caz. Session engineer Dave Jerden remarked to Beinhorn that Hancock appeared hopeful about the song, but that he did not realize what he had. After the brief 90-minute session, the New York contingent went to a local stereo shop to pass the time before their flight home. Carrying a cassette tape of the final mix, they listened to "Rockit" on some loudspeakers at the shop, attracting the attention of kids from the neighborhood who were amazed and curious. Judging their reaction, Laswell told D.ST, "That's a hit record."

The music video, directed by the duo of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme[5] and featuring robot-like movable sculptures (by Jim Whiting) dancing, spinning, and even walking in time to the music in a "virtual house" in London, England, garnered five MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, including Best Concept Video and Best Special Effects. Hancock himself appears, and plays keyboard, only as an image on a television receiver, which is smashed on the pavement outside the front door of the house at the end of the video. The video also won two Billboard Video Music Awards, one for most innovative video, and another for best art direction.

D.ST is good peeps

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#9. Misirlou - **** Dale

"Misirlou" (Greek: Μισιρλού < Turkish: Mısırlı 'Egyptian' < Arabic: مصر‎ Miṣr 'Egypt') is a song from the Eastern Mediterranean region. The earliest known recording of the song is a 1927 Greek rebetiko / tsifteteli composition influenced by Middle Eastern music. There are also Arabic (belly dancing), Armenian, Persian, Indian, and Turkish versions of the song. This song was very popular from the 1920s in the Greek American and Armenian American communities who settled in the United States of America as part of the Ottoman Empirediaspora.

The song was a hit in 1946 for Jan August, an American pianist and xylophonist nicknamed "the one-man piano duet". It gained worldwide popularity through **** Dale's 1962 American surf rock version, originally titled "Miserlou", which popularized the song in Westernpopular culture. Various versions have since been recorded, including other surf and rock versions by bands such as the Beach Boys, the Ventures, Consider the Source, and the Trashmen, as well as international orchestral easy listening (exotica) versions by musicians such as Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman. Dale's surf rock version later gained renewed popularity when director Quentin Tarantino used it in his 1994 film Pulp Fiction, and again when it was sampled in the Black Eyed Peas song "Pump It" (2006). The Martin Denny cover also helped the song resurge in popularity, when it was sampled in the Season 2 episode of Mad Men, "The Jet Set". A cover of Dale's surf rock version was included on the Guitar Hero II video game released in 2006.

Misirlou (Μισιρλού), due to the suffix "ou", is the feminine form (in Greek[2]) of Misirlis (Μισιρλής- a surname) which comes from the Turkish word Mısırlı, which is formed by combining Mısır ("Egypt" in Turkish, borrowed from Arabic مِصر‎ Miṣr) with the Turkish -lı suffix, literally meaning "Egyptian". Therefore, the song is about an Egyptian woman.

In 1994, **** Dale's version of "Misirlou" was used on the soundtrack of the motion picture Pulp Fiction, prominently featured over the opening titles.

The song was selected by the Athens 2004 Olympics Organizing Committee as one of the most influential Greek songs of all time, and was heard in venues and at the closing ceremony – performed by Anna Vissi.

In March 2005, Q magazine placed Dale's version at number 89 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

 

[wikkidpissah]

#10. In The Mood - Glenn Miller

"In the Mood" is a popular big band-era No. 1 hit recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. It topped the charts for 13 straight weeks in 1940 in the U.S. and one year later was featured in the movie Sun Valley Serenade. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by Edgar Hayes & His Orchestra in 1938.

"In the Mood" starts with a saxophone section theme based on repeated arpeggios that are rhythmically displaced; trumpets and trombones add accent riffs. The arrangement has two solo sections: a "tenor fight" or chase solo—in one recording between Tex Beneke and Al Klink—and a 16-bar trumpet solo by Clyde Hurley. At the end of the song, a coda climbs triumphantly, then sounds a sustained unison tonic pitch with a rim shot.

"In the Mood" was an arrangement by Joe Garland based on an existing melody. Lyrics were added by Andy Razaf. The main theme with repeated arpeggios rhythmically displaced appeared under the title "Tar Paper Stomp" and was credited to trumpeter Wingy Manone. Manone recorded "Tar Paper Stomp" on August 28, 1930 in Richmond, Indiana and released it as a 78 single for Champion under the name Barbecue Joe and his Hot Dogs. It was re-released in 1935 by Wingy Manone's Orchestra.

The song was sold in 1939 to Glenn Miller, who experimented with the arrangement. The author of the final arrangement is unknown. One possibility is Eddie Durham because he wrote other arrangements on the same day that "In the Mood" was recorded. Other possibilities include pianist Chummy MacGregor, who was Miller's chief arranger, John Chalmers, and Miller himself. According to an account by MacGregor, "all they used of the original arrangement were the two front saxophone strains and another part that occurred later on in the arrangement." Both MacGregor and Miller were involved in creating the final arrangement: "MacGregor mentioned that additional solos were added to the original arrangement and he wrote the finishing coda. Miller probably edited some of the arrangement along with MacGregor."

In 1983, the Glenn Miller recording from 1939 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, the recording was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry which consists of recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

In 1999, National Public Radio (NPR) included the 1939 Glenn Miller recording in its list of "The 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century".

I always got a kick out of how the ol' jazzbos loved to deride & diminish Glenn Miller as "just an arranger". There is no music with more charm to soothe the savage breast than swing and no one who got that like Glenn Miller. Me 94yo Da STILL has a soulgasm everytime he listens to em.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#8. Tequila - The Champs

"Tequila" is a 1958 Mexican-flavored rock and roll instrumental written by Daniel Flores and recorded by the Champs. "Tequila" became a #1 hit on both the pop and R&B charts at the time of its release and continues to be strongly referenced in pop culture to this day.

In 1957, Gene Autry's record label, Challenge Records, signed Dave Burgess (born 1934), a rockabilly singer-songwriter from California who often recorded under the name "Dave Dupree". At the end of 1957, having produced no hits, Challenge Records looked to Burgess, who organized a recording session on December 23 in Hollywood. In the studio that day were Burgess on rhythm guitar, Cliff Hills on bass guitar, the Flores Trio (Danny Flores on saxophone and keyboards, Gene Alden on drums, and lead guitarist Buddy Bruce), and Huelyn Duvall contributing backing vocals. They gathered primarily to record "Train to Nowhere", a song by Burgess, as well as "Night Beat" and "All Night Rock" (a song that has never been released).

The last tune recorded was "Tequila", essentially just a jam by the Flores Trio. It is based on a Cuban mambo beat. The word "Tequila" is spoken three times throughout the tune. There were three takes, and Danny Flores, who wrote the song, was also the man who spoke the word "Tequila!". Flores also played the trademark "dirty sax" solo. The song served as the B-side for "Train to Nowhere", which was released by Challenge Records on January 15, 1958. Duvall recalls that the record initially found little success, but, after a DJ in Cleveland played the B-side, "Tequila" skyrocketed up the charts, reaching #1 on the Billboard chart on March 28, 1958.

Daniel Flores had written "Tequila", but, because he was signed to another label, the tune was credited to "Chuck Rio", a name he adopted for the stage. Those present for the December 23 session began recording together again on January 20, 1958, under the name the Champs; the group technically formed after recording "Tequila". The tune has been noted[by whom?] to have a similar rhythm structure to Bo Diddley's 1958 release "Dearest Darling".

The Champs recorded a sequel to "Tequila" entitled "Too Much Tequila". Released as a maroon-label Challenge single, it reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

[zamboni]

#8. Tequila - The Champs

"Tequila" is a 1958 Mexican-flavored rock and roll instrumental written by Daniel Flores and recorded by the Champs. "Tequila" became a #1 hit on both the pop and R&B charts at the time of its release and continues to be strongly referenced in pop culture to this day.

In 1957, Gene Autry's record label, Challenge Records, signed Dave Burgess (born 1934), a rockabilly singer-songwriter from California who often recorded under the name "Dave Dupree". At the end of 1957, having produced no hits, Challenge Records looked to Burgess, who organized a recording session on December 23 in Hollywood. In the studio that day were Burgess on rhythm guitar, Cliff Hills on bass guitar, the Flores Trio (Danny Flores on saxophone and keyboards, Gene Alden on drums, and lead guitarist Buddy Bruce), and Huelyn Duvall contributing backing vocals. They gathered primarily to record "Train to Nowhere", a song by Burgess, as well as "Night Beat" and "All Night Rock" (a song that has never been released).

The last tune recorded was "Tequila", essentially just a jam by the Flores Trio. It is based on a Cuban mambo beat. The word "Tequila" is spoken three times throughout the tune. There were three takes, and Danny Flores, who wrote the song, was also the man who spoke the word "Tequila!". Flores also played the trademark "dirty sax" solo. The song served as the B-side for "Train to Nowhere", which was released by Challenge Records on January 15, 1958. Duvall recalls that the record initially found little success, but, after a DJ in Cleveland played the B-side, "Tequila" skyrocketed up the charts, reaching #1 on the Billboard chart on March 28, 1958.

Daniel Flores had written "Tequila", but, because he was signed to another label, the tune was credited to "Chuck Rio", a name he adopted for the stage. Those present for the December 23 session began recording together again on January 20, 1958, under the name the Champs; the group technically formed after recording "Tequila". The tune has been noted[by whom?] to have a similar rhythm structure to Bo Diddley's 1958 release "Dearest Darling".

The Champs recorded a sequel to "Tequila" entitled "Too Much Tequila". Released as a maroon-label Challenge single, it reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Hard not to think of this scene when I hear the tune.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

Hard not to think of this scene when I hear the tune.

Agreed. Great scene.

When I was in high school band, someone from each instrument was asked to perform for a group of younger kids from a nearby elementary school. These kids were interested in playing in their school band the next year, and this was an effort to introduce them to the different instruments.

At the time, Pee Wee's Big Adventure had just come out, so of course I (along with a friend of mine) played a two-part duet of Tequila on the saxophone. And it was funny because the band director did not like the song selection because of the reference to alcohol, but we did it anyway.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

"Tequila" in popular culture:

Sheb Wooley's hit "The Purple People Eater" implies that "Tequila" is one of the songs the titular character learns to play with his horn; the last word of the song is the title character uttering the word "tequila." Both songs were released in 1958.

In the 1960 film Pepe, Cantinflas and Debbie Reynolds jumped out of a tequila bottle and danced to the tune "Tequila" dressed as Mexican peasants.

The song is well known for being played during high school and college football games, usually performed by the school's band.

The TV series Happy Days made a lot of use of the "Tequila" hit, especially at the diner scenes.

In the 1980 film Cheech and Chong's Next Movie, the tune was played during a montage scene in which Cheech and Chong begin customizing Cheech's work van.

The 1985 film Pee-wee's Big Adventure featured a scene in which Pee-wee Herman knocks over a row of motorcycles, then proceeds to win over the angered bikers by selecting "Tequila" from the jukebox and comically dancing to it. The "Pee-wee dance," as well as the character himself, have since been closely linked with the tune in popular culture. This usage of the tune was further referenced in rapper Joeski Love's track "Pee-wee's Dance", which also utilized "Tequila"'s melody.

Canadian figure skater Kurt Browning used the song for his short program during the 1987-1988 season which included the 1988 Winter Olympics.

A television commercial for the 1988 Mexican Velveeta used the song with "Tequila" replaced with "Velveeta" with the dancing jalapeño peppers.

In the 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Michelangelo and Donatello dance to "Tequila" but change the lyric to "Ninjutsu!"

In the 2006 film Night at the Museum, The tune is played at a party Cecil is attending. Larry calls Cecil for help, but is quickly hung up on when Cecil participates in the dancing of the song.

The song "Está llegando la banda" ("The band is arriving") uses the tune of "Tequila". "Está llegando la banda" is usually sung at Mexican Football Federation football matches.

In the 1993 film The Sandlot, the song plays during a scene in which the main characters become nauseous and vomit while on an amusement park ride after chewing tobacco. This scene has been cut from some television airings of the film.

In the first season finale of the medical drama ER, "Everything Old Is New Again", the song is played at Carol's wedding whilst all the guests dance along and shout "Tequlia" along with the song.

Charlie Sheen's character sings this in the Two and a Half Men episode "Principal Gallagher's Lesbian Lover", but changes the lyric to 'Gridlock'.

Mafia II featured the Champs' "Tequila" on the radio station Empire Central Radio during the '50s part of the game

Terrorvision used the main elements of the melody of this tune as the basis of their song "Tequila" which reached No. 2 in the UK charts in January 1999.

In the summer and early fall of 2009, the Ventures' version of the song was heard in The Weather Channel's Local on the 8s segments.

A television commercial for Tostitos brand corn chips used the song in 2012, with "Tequila" replaced with "Tostitos".

In Dave Gorman's Modern Life is Goodish at the end of S01E03 he replaces "tequila" with "free peeler!"

"Tequila" is played during the dance competition at the start of Strictly Ballroom (1992). Other films in which it appears include JFK (1991).

"Tequila" was played in Breakfast at Tiffany's, during the party that Audrey Hepburn's character hosted.

A version of "Tequila" by the Button Down Brass is played during Baby Driver.

In 2017, Fans of Ipswich Town started using the song for their on loan midfielder Bersant Celina replacing “tequila” with “Celina!”

Appeared in Who's the Boss? Season 3 Episode 24 - A Moving Episode.

The first few bars are sampled for one of the music tracks in EarthBound.

 

[Apple Jack]

Art Tatum - Tiger Rag

Blind as a bat. The man could not see the keyboard or anything else. As good as anything ever recorded that I've heard.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#7. Hoedown - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

(Live Version)

Trilogy is the third studio album by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in July 1972 on Island Records. The cover, designed by Hipgnosis, depicts a combined bust of the three members, while the interior of the original gatefold sleeve features a photomontage of the three in Epping Forest.

Trilogy increased ELP's worldwide popularity, and included "Hoedown", an arrangement of the Aaron Copland composition, which was one of their most popular songs when performing live.

References to a quad version of this album appeared in 1974 Harrison or Schwann record and tape guides, listing Trilogy in the Quadraphonic 8-track tape cartridge format. Collectors report never seeing a Trilogy Q8 at retail, despite its having a catalogue number "Cotillion QT-9903."

Greg Lake said this was his favourite ELP record.

"Hoedown" is a cover of "Hoe-Down" from the ballet Rodeo (1942) by Aaron Copland. It became the opening song for both the Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery tours.

A showstopper that was actually a show starter for two tours, "Hoedown" was the first ELP adaptation of composer Aaron Copland, as brassy a show-off (in his way) as the trio itself. Keith Emerson began work on the piece after returning from a classical festival in Romania, so East European elements find their way into his rollicking organ and Moog arrangement alongside American folk tunes like "Shortnin' Bread" and "Turkey in the Straw." Emerson stumbled onto the track's signature synth sound by chance: "We'd started working on that arrangement and then I hit, I don't know what, I switched a blue button and I put a patch cord in there, but anyway, 'whoooeee.'"

Honorable Mention - Fanfare for the Common Man

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#6. Linus & Lucy - Vince Guaraldi

"Linus and Lucy" is a popular jazz piano composition written by Vince Guaraldi, appearing in many of the Peanuts animated television specials. Named for the fictional siblings Linus and Lucy van Pelt, it was originally released on the Vince Guaraldi Trio's album Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964) and the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack (1965).

The piece first appeared in A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). Since that special, the piece has introduced most of the Peanuts TV cartoons, with the exceptions of the specials and other TV programs produced between 1979 and 1992. It is one of the most recognizable pieces by Vince Guaraldi, and has gained status as the de facto theme song of the Peanuts franchise.

The song is originally in the key of A-flat major.

• It has been used as background music for The Weather Channel's local forecasts since 1999.
  
• Game Theory covered it for their album The Big Shot Chronicles (1986)
  
• Stuart Hamm covered it on bass only as part of "Quahogs Anyone? (119, 120 Whatever It Takes)" on his album The Urge (1991)
  
• Wynton Marsalis Septet covered it for their album Joe Cool's Blues (1995)
  
• George Winston covered it for his album Linus and Lucy - The Music of Vince Guaraldi (1996)
  
• David Benoit covered it for the album Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years! (2000)
  
• moe. covered it for their album Season's Greetings from Moe (2002)
  
• Béla Fleck and the Flecktones covered it for their album Jingle All the Way (2008)
  
• Christophe Beck performed a more contemporary version as part of "Carnival Panic/Linus and Lucy" and a slower version titled "Linus and Lucy" on The Peanuts Movie soundtrack (2015). The soundtrack also features Vince Guaraldi's original.
  

 

[zamboni]

#6. Linus & Lucy - Vince Guaraldi

"Linus and Lucy" is a popular jazz piano composition written by Vince Guaraldi, appearing in many of the Peanuts animated television specials. Named for the fictional siblings Linus and Lucy van Pelt, it was originally released on the Vince Guaraldi Trio's album Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964) and the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack (1965).

Love all the Guaraldi Peanuts stuff - I often listen to this album.  Great Pumpkin Waltz is another personal favorite.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

Love all the Guaraldi Peanuts stuff. I often listen to this album.  Great Pumpkin Waltz is another personal favorite.

One of my favorite times of the year is in December when I listen to the Guaraldi Peanuts Christmas album for the first time each holiday season. 

 

[zamboni]

One of my favorite times of the year is in December when I listen to the Guaraldi Peanuts Christmas album for the first time each holiday season. 

The play scene (a bit too fast in the link) in the special is the best. The kid to Snoopy's left doing the back-and-forth head bob is

 

[otb_lifer]

#6. Linus & Lucy - Vince Guaraldi

im'ma leave this here, because, tbh, i never thought i'd find a proper venue on this bored to pop in into. 

 

[zamboni]

im'ma leave this here, because, tbh, i never thought i'd find a proper venue on this bored to pop in into. 

Peppermint Danzig

 

[otb_lifer]

Peppermint Danzig

howzabout that skank action with Linus ... was Schultz a SHARPie? 

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#5. 5th Symphony in C Minor - Beethoven

The Symphony No. 5 in C minor of Ludwig van Beethoven, Op. 67, was written between 1804 and 1808. It is one of the best-known compositions in classical music, and one of the most frequently played symphonies. First performed in Vienna's Theater an der Wien in 1808, the work achieved its prodigious reputation soon afterward. E. T. A. Hoffmann described the symphony as "one of the most important works of the time". As is typical of symphonies in the classical period, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is in four movements.

The symphony, and the four-note opening motif in particular, are known worldwide, with the motif appearing frequently in popular culture, from disco versions to rock and roll covers, to uses in film and television.

Like Beethoven's Eroica (heroic) and Pastorale (rural), Symphony No. 5 was given an explicit name, besides the numbering. It became popular under "Schicksals-Sinfonie" (symphony of destiny), and the famous five bar theme was coined "Schicksals-Motiv". This name is also used in translations.

The Fifth Symphony had a long development process, as Beethoven worked out the musical ideas for the work. The first "sketches" (rough drafts of melodies and other musical ideas) date from 1804 following the completion of the Third Symphony. Beethoven repeatedly interrupted his work on the Fifth to prepare other compositions, including the first version of Fidelio, the Appassionata piano sonata, the three Razumovsky string quartets, the Violin Concerto, the Fourth Piano Concerto, the Fourth Symphony, and the Mass in C. The final preparation of the Fifth Symphony, which took place in 1807–1808, was carried out in parallel with the Sixth Symphony, which premiered at the same concert.

Beethoven was in his mid-thirties during this time; his personal life was troubled by increasing deafness. In the world at large, the period was marked by the Napoleonic Wars, political turmoil in Austria, and the occupation of Vienna by Napoleon's troops in 1805. The symphony was written at his lodgings at the Pasqualati House in Vienna. The final movement quotes from a revolutionary song by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Starting to worry Call of Cthulhu isn’t going to be on here

 

[Tom Skerritt]

Starting to worry Call of Cthulhu isn’t going to be on here

The rest is all Mannheim Steamroller

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Somehow I knew in advance what #5 was going to be.

 

[Rove!]

Somehow I knew in advance what #5 was going to be.

Either that or Walter Murphy's "Fifth of Beethoven."   

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Either that or Walter Murphy's "Fifth of Beethoven."   

Walter >>> Ludwig

 

[[scooter]]

#6. Linus & Lucy - Vince Guaraldi

"Linus and Lucy" is a popular jazz piano composition written by Vince Guaraldi, appearing in many of the Peanuts animated television specials. Named for the fictional siblings Linus and Lucy van Pelt, it was originally released on the Vince Guaraldi Trio's album Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964) and the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack (1965).

The piece first appeared in A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). Since that special, the piece has introduced most of the Peanuts TV cartoons, with the exceptions of the specials and other TV programs produced between 1979 and 1992. It is one of the most recognizable pieces by Vince Guaraldi, and has gained status as the de facto theme song of the Peanuts franchise.

The song is originally in the key of A-flat major.

• It has been used as background music for The Weather Channel's local forecasts since 1999.
  
• Game Theory covered it for their album The Big Shot Chronicles (1986)
  
• Stuart Hamm covered it on bass only as part of "Quahogs Anyone? (119, 120 Whatever It Takes)" on his album The Urge (1991)
  
• Wynton Marsalis Septet covered it for their album Joe Cool's Blues (1995)
  
• George Winston covered it for his album Linus and Lucy - The Music of Vince Guaraldi (1996)
  
• David Benoit covered it for the album Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years! (2000)
  
• moe. covered it for their album Season's Greetings from Moe (2002)
  
• Béla Fleck and the Flecktones covered it for their album Jingle All the Way (2008)
  
• Christophe Beck performed a more contemporary version as part of "Carnival Panic/Linus and Lucy" and a slower version titled "Linus and Lucy" on The Peanuts Movie soundtrack (2015). The soundtrack also features Vince Guaraldi's original.
  

Gary Hoey's metal guitar version is all but forgotten these days, but there was a time c. 1994 that he was considered to be the next Joe Satriani (thanks to that song and his radio-friendly covers of "Hocus Pocus" and "Low Rider", which he then parlayed into a series of Christmas albums, making him a sort-of One Man's Siberian Orchestra).

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Gary Hoey's metal guitar version is all but forgotten these days, but there was a time c. 1994 that he was considered to be the next Joe Satriani (thanks to that song and his radio-friendly covers of "Hocus Pocus" and "Low Rider", which he then parlayed into a series of Christmas albums, making him a sort-of One Man's Siberian Orchestra).

Local rock station plays Hoey's Christmas morning show every year, made up of those albums you mentioned.

 

[pecorino]

#13. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

"Pick Up the Pieces" is a 1974 song by the Average White Band from their second album, AWB. On the single, songwriting credit was given to founding member and saxophonist Roger Ball and guitarist Hamish Stuartindividually and the entire band collectively. It is essentially an instrumental, apart from the song's title being shouted at several points in the song.

The guitar line of the song came from Hamish Stuart, while Roger Ball wrote the first part of the horn melody. The song was produced by Arif Mardin. According to Malcolm 'Molly' Duncan, he had disagreed with releasing the song as a single because the song is a "funk instrumental played by Scotsmen with no lyrics other than a shout". He also said about the shouts of "Pick up the pieces": "It's about picking yourself up when things aren't going well. We'd spent a lot of time making no money whatsoever, so it felt very relevant." The song is an extended long version (18:06) on the live Person To Person album (1976) and (21:40) on the various artists album The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux (1977). The tenor saxophone solo on the Montreux version is by noted jazz instrumentalist Michael Brecker. The solo on the original release is by Molly Duncan.

"Pick Up the Pieces" was released in the United Kingdom in July 1974 but failed to chart. When the album was released in the United States in October 1974, radio stations there started to play the song, and on 22 February 1975, it went to the top of the US singles chart and peaked at number five on the soul charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 20 song for 1975. After its US success, the song charted in the UK and climbed to number six. "Pick Up the Pieces" also made it to number eleven on the US disco chart.

Love this tune, especially the version done by that hot saxophonist, I can’t recall her name. Candi or something like that?

 

[pecorino]

#5. 5th Symphony in C Minor - Beethoven

The Symphony No. 5 in C minor of Ludwig van Beethoven, Op. 67, was written between 1804 and 1808. It is one of the best-known compositions in classical music, and one of the most frequently played symphonies. First performed in Vienna's Theater an der Wien in 1808, the work achieved its prodigious reputation soon afterward. E. T. A. Hoffmann described the symphony as "one of the most important works of the time". As is typical of symphonies in the classical period, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is in four movements.

The symphony, and the four-note opening motif in particular, are known worldwide, with the motif appearing frequently in popular culture, from disco versions to rock and roll covers, to uses in film and television.

Like Beethoven's Eroica (heroic) and Pastorale (rural), Symphony No. 5 was given an explicit name, besides the numbering. It became popular under "Schicksals-Sinfonie" (symphony of destiny), and the famous five bar theme was coined "Schicksals-Motiv". This name is also used in translations.

The Fifth Symphony had a long development process, as Beethoven worked out the musical ideas for the work. The first "sketches" (rough drafts of melodies and other musical ideas) date from 1804 following the completion of the Third Symphony. Beethoven repeatedly interrupted his work on the Fifth to prepare other compositions, including the first version of Fidelio, the Appassionata piano sonata, the three Razumovsky string quartets, the Violin Concerto, the Fourth Piano Concerto, the Fourth Symphony, and the Mass in C. The final preparation of the Fifth Symphony, which took place in 1807–1808, was carried out in parallel with the Sixth Symphony, which premiered at the same concert.

Beethoven was in his mid-thirties during this time; his personal life was troubled by increasing deafness. In the world at large, the period was marked by the Napoleonic Wars, political turmoil in Austria, and the occupation of Vienna by Napoleon's troops in 1805. The symphony was written at his lodgings at the Pasqualati House in Vienna. The final movement quotes from a revolutionary song by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle.

Flawed list, should be #1 (as I posted a few weeks ago) but clever putting it at #5.

 

[falguy]

Love this tune, especially the version done by that hot saxophonist, I can’t recall her name. Candi or something like that?

Candy Dulfer

 

[Tom Skerritt]

Final Jeopardy today...

Jazz Classics

A: “In one account, this song began as directions written out for composer Billy Strayhorn to Duke Ellington’s home in Harlem.”

Q: ?

 

[Ilov80s]

Final Jeopardy today...

Jazz Classics

A: “In one account, this song began as directions written out for composer Billy Strayhorn to Duke Ellington’s home in Harlem.”

Q: ?

Has to be Take the A Train

 

[Ilov80s]

That symphony is so much longer than all the other pieces that it seems a bit like cheating 

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

Somehow I knew in advance what #5 was going to be.

I only figured it out after my #1 seed for #5 was eliminated:

#8. Tequila - The Champs

Fifth and all...

 

[Tom Skerritt]

Has to be Take the A Train

#80. Take the 'A' Train - Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington

William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, best remembered for his long-time collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington that lasted nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the 'A' Train", "Chelsea Bridge", "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing", and "Lush Life".

The title refers to the then-new A subway service that runs through New York City, going at that time from eastern Brooklyn, on the Fulton Street Line opened in 1936, up into Harlem and northern Manhattan, using the Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan opened in 1932.

"Take the 'A' Train" was composed in 1939, after Ellington offered Strayhorn a job in his organization and gave him money to travel from Pittsburgh to New York City. Ellington wrote directions for Strayhorn to get to his house by subway, directions that began, "Take the A Train". Strayhorn was a great fan of Fletcher Henderson's arrangements. "One day, I was thinking about his style, the way he wrote for trumpets, trombones and saxophones, and I thought I would try something like that," Strayhorn recalled in Stanley Dance's The World Of Duke Ellington.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#4. Green Onions - Booker T & The MGs

"Green Onions" is an instrumental composition recorded in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Described as "one of the most popular instrumental rock and soul songs ever", the tune is a twelve-bar blues with a rippling Hammond M3 organ line by Booker T. Jones that he wrote when he was 17, although the actual recording was largely improvised in the studio.

The track was originally issued in May 1962 on the Volt label (a subsidiary of Stax Records) as the B-side of "Behave Yourself" on Volt 102; it was quickly reissued as the A-side of Stax 127, and it also appeared on the album Green Onions that same year. The organ sound of the song became a feature of the "Memphis soul sound".

Booker T. Jones was the keyboard player for the house band of Stax Records with Al Jackson on drums, Lewie Steinberg on bass, and Steve Cropper on guitar. They started jamming in the studio one Sunday when a recording session with another singer, Billie Lee Riley, failed to take place. They played around with a piano groove that Jones had performed in clubs before, although Jones decided to use a Hammond organ because he thought it sounded better on the tune. The owner of Stax Jim Stewart became interested in recording the resulting tune, "Behave Yourself", they were playing. However, the band needed a B-side for this song. Using a riff with a 12-bar blues bassline that Jones had, the band came up with a song that became "Green Onions". The guitarist Steve Cropper used a Fender Telecaster on "Green Onions", as he did on all of the M.G.'s instrumentals.

After recording, Cropper contacted Scotty Moore at Sun Records to cut a record. He then took the record to a DJ on the Memphis station WOLK, who played "Green Onions" on air. Due to positive reaction of the public to the song, it was quickly re-released as an A-side.

According to Booker T Jones, the composition was originally to be called "Funky Onions", but the sister of Jim Stewart thought it "sounded like a cuss word"; it was therefore renamed "Green Onions". According to Cropper, the title is not a marijuana reference; rather, the track is named after the Green Badger's cat, Green Onions, whose way of walking inspired the riff. Songfacts.com, however, ascribes the track's title to Jones. When asked by Stax co-owner Jim Stewart why he had given the track this title, Songfacts reports, Jones replied, "Because that is the nastiest thing I can think of and it's something you throw away." On a broadcast of the radio program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! on June 24, 2013, Jones was asked about the title and said, "The bass player thought it was so funky, he wanted to call it 'Funky Onions', but they thought that was too low-class, so we used 'Green Onions' instead."

"Green Onions" entered the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending August 11, 1962, and peaked at No. 3 the week ending September 29, 1962. The single also made it to No. 1 on the R&B singles chart, for four non-consecutive weeks, an unusual occurrence in that it fell in and out of top spot three times. It first appeared on the UK Singles Chart on December 15, 1979, following its use in the film Quadrophenia; it peaked at No. 7 on January 26, 1980, and stayed on the chart for 12 weeks.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#3. Birdland - Weather Report

Live version

String Cheese Incident cover

Quincy Jones cover

"Birdland" is a jazz piece written by Joe Zawinul of the band Weather Report as a tribute to the Birdland nightclub in New York City, which appeared on the band's 1977 album Heavy Weather. The Manhattan Transfer won a Grammy Award with their 1979 version of the song (I have always hated this cover), which had lyrics by Jon Hendricks. Quincy Jones won two Grammy Awards for the version of the piece he included on his 1989 album Back on the Block.

"Birdland" marked the peak of Weather Report's commercial career with the release of Heavy Weather. With the addition of Jaco Pastorius, the band was able to push its music to the "height of its popularity", and with that came "Birdland." "Birdland" served as a tribute to the famous New York City jazz club that hosted many famous jazz musicians, which operated on Broadway from 1949 through 1965. This was the club, which he frequented almost daily, where Zawinul heard Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis. It was also where he met his wife, Maxine. Looking back, Zawinul claimed, "The old Birdland was the most important place in my life." The song was also named in honor of the man after whom the club was named, Charlie Parker, the 'Bird' himself.

Tragic Death of Jaco Pastorius:

Pastorius developed a self-destructive habit of provoking bar fights and allowing himself to be beaten up. After sneaking onstage at a Carlos Santana concert on September 11, 1987 and being ejected from the premises, he made his way to the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors, Florida.[After reportedly kicking in a glass door, having been refused entrance to the club, he was in a violent confrontation with Luc Havan, the club's manager who was a martial arts expert. Pastorius was hospitalized for multiple facial fractures and injuries to his right eye and left arm, and fell into a coma. There were encouraging signs that he would come out of the coma and recover, but they soon faded. A brain hemorrhage a few days later led to brain death. He was taken off life support and died on September 21, 1987 at the age of 35 at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Luc Havan faced a charge of second-degree murder. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to twenty-two months in prison and five years' probation. After serving four months in prison, he was paroled for good behavior.

 

[Tom Skerritt]

#2. Great Gig In The Sky - Pink Floyd

"The Great Gig in the Sky" is the fifth track on The Dark Side of the Moon, the 1973 album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. The song features music by Richard Wright and non-lexical vocals by Clare Torry.

The song began life as a Richard Wright chord progression, known variously as "The Mortality Sequence" or "The Religion Song". During 1972 it was performed live as a simple organ instrumental, accompanied by spoken-word samples from the Bible and snippets of speeches by Malcolm Muggeridge, a British writer known for his conservative religious views. When the band came to record Dark Side in 1973, the lead instrument had been switched to a piano. Various sound effects were tried over the track, including recordings of NASA astronauts communicating on space missions, but none were satisfactory. Finally, a couple of weeks before the album was due to be finished, the band thought of having a female singer "wail" over the music.

As the band began casting around for a singer, album engineer Alan Parsons suggested Clare Torry, a 25-year-old songwriter and session vocalist. Parsons had previously worked with Torry, and had liked her voice on a Top of The Pops covers album. An accountant from Abbey Road Studios contacted Torry and tried to arrange a session for the same evening, but she had other commitments, including tickets to see Chuck Berry that evening, so a session was scheduled for Sunday evening between 7 and 10pm.

The band played the instrumental track for Torry and asked her to improvise a vocal. At first, Torry struggled to divine what the band wanted, but then she was inspired to pretend that she herself was an instrument. She performed two complete takes, the second one more emotional than the first. David Gilmour asked for a third take, but halfway through Torry stopped, feeling she was getting repetitive and had already done the best she could. The final album track was assembled from all three takes. The members of the band were deeply impressed by Torry's performance, but were so reserved in their outward response that she left under the impression that her vocals would never make the final cut. She only became aware they were used when she saw the album at a local record store, spotted her name in the credits and purchased it.

In 2004, Torry sued Pink Floyd and EMI for songwriting royalties, on the basis that her contribution to "Great Gig in the Sky" constituted co-authorship with Richard Wright. Originally, she had been paid the standard Sunday flat studio rate of £30 (equivalent to £400 in 2018). In 2005, prior to a hearing in the High Court, an out-of-court settlement was reached. Although the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, all pressings after 2005 list the composition to Richard Wright and Clare Torry.

In a contemporary review for The Dark Side of the Moon, Lloyd Grossman of Rolling Stone described "The Great Gig in the Sky" as a track [Pink Floyd] could have "shortened or dispensed". However, in a readers poll from the same magazine, the track was selected as the second greatest vocal performance of all time behind "Bohemian Rhapsody".

An early incarnation of the song, titled "The Mortality Sequence" and lacking the vocals later contributed by Clare Torry, was performed by Pink Floyd throughout 1972. In its final version, "The Great Gig in the Sky" was performed live from 1973–1975, and from 1987–1994. During the band's 1974–1975 tour, David Gilmour played both pedal steel guitar and the Hammond organ, allowing Richard Wright to concentrate solely on piano (his keyboards were arranged where he couldn't play both). Gilmour's pedal steel for "Great Gig" was located accordingly beside Wright's Hammond. Starting in 1987, additional touring keyboardist Jon Carin took over the Hammond parts. Up to three singers performed the vocals, each taking different parts of the song. On the 1974–75 tour, vocal duties were handled by Venetta Fields and Carlena Williams, both former members of The Blackberries.

On the Delicate Sound of Thunder video, the vocals are shared by Rachel Fury, Durga McBroom and Margret Taylor. Clare Torry returned for the Knebworth '90 concert. The 1994 live album P•U•L•S•E features a version sung by Sam Brown, Durga McBroom and Claudia Fontaine. When the Floyd's manager, Steve O'Rourke, died in 2003, Gilmour, Wright, and Mason played "Fat Old Sun" and "The Great Gig in the Sky" at O'Rourke's funeral.

 

[falguy]

#3. Birdland - Weather Report

There have been a number of songs on your list that I didn't know based on the name but once I played it it was like "OH, that's what it's called!". Was expecting that here as well but Nope, I got nothing.  Never heard this before in my life. And can't say that I like it very much either Love the countdown otherwise

 

[Tom Skerritt]

There have been a number of songs on your list that I didn't know based on the name but once I played it it was like "OH, that's what it's called!". Was expecting that here as well but Nope, I got nothing.  Never heard this before in my life. And can't say that I like it very much either Love the countdown otherwise

Yeah, Birdland is a jazz-nerd favorite. And I would bet that most bass guitar fans know Jaco Pastorius. Maybe you learned something at least. Thanks for the feedback. 

 

[krista4]

 

 

[Ilov80s]

A rock band at number 2? Not the direction I would go but I appreciate the read and the effort!

 

[Ghost Rider]

A non-instrumental as the number 2 instrumental? Nice. 

The Great Gig in the Sky is awesome, for sure.