Musical instruments in popular music

[Ruthie]

The most-played playlist on my ‘phone is called ‘Nice Bit o’ Harmonica’. It gets augmented every so often, when something takes my fancy, and every track is top quality.

It struck me this morning that Roxy Music made sublime use of the oboe, IMHO a stringed instrument - because it twangs those emotional strings and subtly layers the atmosphere of any piece of music of any genre.

So. Anyone else do this? And do I need an ‘Oh! Bow!’ Playlist now? What’s an unusual use of a non-guitar in a pop song?


(In case you’re interested:

Theme from Midnight Cowboy by John Barry
Cuckoo by Christof
Misguided Angel by Cowboy Junkies
Natural Beauty by Neil Young
Unnecessary Drama by Belle and Sebastian.

All suggestions welcome!)

[Mr Larrington]

Flute for e.g. Canned Heat's “Going Up The Country” or divers early-ish Hawkwind tracks when Nik Turner wasn’t blasting away on the Adolph Sax-o-Phone.

[Peter]

cf Jethro Tull.

[Mr Larrington]

And, or so I've read, Peter Gabriel's “Solsbury Hill” although it sounds to me like a synth doing a rather poor impression of a flute.

[Jaded]

Music for a found harmonium.

[nicknack]

Ocarina on Wild Thing (Troggs).

[Robh]

The guy playing on the Midnight Cowboy theme is Toots Thielemans, and if you're a fan of the harmonica, anything by him is worth a listen. He was also featured on Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" album: https://youtu.be/ILGsLlS7stw?si=v_qNQxT31skrxBXo

Another contender: Stevie Wonder's first ever hit as a 12-year-old featured some impressive harmonica playing: https://youtu.be/k3ubgVjp3CY?si=E-jI1d1QF4n8gmZZ

[Mr Larrington]

Scarlet Rivera's violin on “Rolling Thunder Revue” era tracks by His Bobness.

[PaulF]

Mandolin in Losing my Religion, Battle for Evermore, Maggie May

[rafletcher]

Scarlet Rivera's violin on “Rolling Thunder Revue” era tracks by His Bobness.

I was reminded of this recently as I listened to  “Desire”

I’m quite partial to the occasional saxophone interlude. Gerry Rafferty and David Bowie tracks com3 to mind.

[citoyen]

There’s great use of cello on All Apologies by Nirvana.

https://youtu.be/Ba_08WWIWV8?si=C-0vdDLTPSDwmyaN

Completely agree re Roxy Music and the oboe, by the way.

[Snakehips]

I still fondly remember Mike Vickers' flute playing on Manfred Mann's Without You from about 1964. It seemed so out of place at the time.

[Séamas M.]

In the early 1990s there was a BBC/RTE tv series called Bringing It All Back Home, about the influence of Irish music in America.  One of my favourite tracks is Lakes Of Pontchartrain performed by the Hothouse Flowers.  This has an impressive saxophone solo, the uillean piper must have stepped out for a drink!

Doesn't seem to be on Spotify but can be heard here .

Solo starts after 3m21s for the impatient!

[Ian H]

We saw these two a year or so ago.  Unusual use of a violin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqOPoAnUJkc

Garrick told me he could replace a violin string in 30secs (in response to a question about how much damage he did to his violin during a concert).

[De Sisti]

A shout-out goes to the double bass*.

*Whenever someone comes into my house and sees my bass on its stand, or if I mention to
someone that I play a double bass, they always (100% of those occasions) ask me
if I play in a band. Not once has someone asked me if I play in an orchestra.

Either they don't know what an orchestra is, or they don't think I look posh enough to play in one.

[IanDG]

Accordion in "This is the Day" (The The)

Jimmy Lea of Slade used violin

Electric Light Orchestra also come to mind

[T42]

Jacques DuTronc's superb Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille was originally recorded without the flute but found to be a bit flat, whereupon they called in the classical flautist Roger Bourdin, who added an improvised solo in a single 10-minute recording session.  He most often played Bach.

https://youtu.be/7whXkifG_ms?si=xrmPigGKM8puImwP

[Mr Larrington]

A shout-out goes to the double bass*.

*Whenever someone comes into my house and sees my bass on its stand, or if I mention to
someone that I play a double bass, they always (100% of those occasions) ask me
if I play in a band. Not once has someone asked me if I play in an orchestra.

Either they don't know what an orchestra is, or they don't think I look posh enough to play in one.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Thierry Amar uses both a double bass and electric bass guitar.

[PaulF]

A shout-out goes to the double bass*.

*Whenever someone comes into my house and sees my bass on its stand, or if I mention to
someone that I play a double bass, they always (100% of those occasions) ask me
if I play in a band. Not once has someone asked me if I play in an orchestra.

Either they don't know what an orchestra is, or they don't think I look posh enough to play in one.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Thierry Amar uses both a double bass and electric bass guitar.

They also deserve an honourable mention for the bagpipes on East Hastings

[nicknack]

We saw these two a year or so ago.  Unusual use of a violin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqOPoAnUJkc

Garrick told me he could replace a violin string in 30secs (in response to a question about how much damage he did to his violin during a concert).

I saw them too. Excellent. Part of their village halls tour.

[Mr Larrington]

A shout-out goes to the double bass*.

*Whenever someone comes into my house and sees my bass on its stand, or if I mention to
someone that I play a double bass, they always (100% of those occasions) ask me
if I play in a band. Not once has someone asked me if I play in an orchestra.

Either they don't know what an orchestra is, or they don't think I look posh enough to play in one.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Thierry Amar uses both a double bass and electric bass guitar.

They also deserve an honourable mention for the bagpipes on East Hastings

And they’ve had a Several of violinists, Sophie Trudeau being the current one.

[cygnet]

Warren Ellis certainly doesn't fit the orchestra stereotypical look.
I'm just not sure he fits in "popular" music either

[citoyen]

Accordion in "This is the Day" (The The)

Great shout.

Jacques DuTronc's superb Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille was originally recorded without the flute but found to be a bit flat, whereupon they called in the classical flautist Roger Bourdin, who added an improvised solo in a single 10-minute recording session.  He most often played Bach.

https://youtu.be/7whXkifG_ms?si=xrmPigGKM8puImwP

Also a great shout. One of my favourite songs. Can't imagine it without the flute.

They also deserve an honourable mention for the bagpipes on East Hastings

Bagpipes, you say?

It's a long way to the top...

[Mr Larrington]

Roger Jackson, formerly of Robyn Hitchcock's 80's/90's band The Egyptians, is credited with playing the glass harmonica on at least one of their albums.

[mrcharly-YHT]

The Verve made icon use of violin (and other stringed instruments) in Bitter Sweet Symphony.

Been listening to mongolian techno a bit. Much of it by a Dutch DJ, featuring Didgeridoo.

'Face the West', a Lewis group, use bagpipes and melodian in techno/dance music.