Horn Sections in Rock Music [Archive]

bucklind17

06-19-2010, 10:53 AM

I've really been digging horn sections on rock music lately and was wondering what are some of people's favorite rock/soul songs that feature horn sections? I can't seem to get enough! I've always been a big early Chicago fan but Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Making Love", Blues Brothers, The Band's "Ophelia", even The Who's "The Real Me" are a few examples of what I'm into. My "horns are awesome!" playlist is pretty big but I'm always looking for more songs! Any suggestions?

MissLadyLoki

06-19-2010, 10:59 AM

Hmmmm...I've always dug a good sax in a song (Turn the Page by Bob Seger and Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty have some good sax solos), but as for horn sections, I think of old-school Chicago first. As for other songs, I believe Touch Me by The Doors (as much as I hate them, I do have a few tunes I enjoy from them) has some horns. And give Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat, and Tears a try.

RickRobert

06-19-2010, 11:18 AM

Here's one

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MissLadyLoki

06-19-2010, 11:33 AM

I got another horn song that's also very fun and catchy. Check out I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band) by the Moody Blues.

gldstwmn

06-19-2010, 12:24 PM

gldstwmn

06-19-2010, 12:28 PM

gldstwmn

06-19-2010, 12:37 PM

gldstwmn

06-19-2010, 12:38 PM

bucklind17

06-19-2010, 12:50 PM

jmn3

06-19-2010, 06:35 PM

There's some solid brass and sax inclusions in the Stones catalog...off the top of my head, my favorite would have to be Tumbling Dice which is the Stones pretty much at their peak. An absolute excellent song all around. There's a newer Stones song, Out of Control off the Bridges to Babylon album, that when they did play it live, had an awesome trumpet solo in it.

jaycee

06-19-2010, 11:41 PM

Hmmmm...I've always dug a good sax in a song (Turn the Page by Bob Seger and Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty have some good sax solos), but as for horn sections, I think of old-school Chicago first. As for other songs, I believe Touch Me by The Doors (as much as I hate them, I do have a few tunes I enjoy from them) has some horns. And give Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat, and Tears a try.

The Soft Parade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Soft_Parade) is my favourite album by The Doors because of its inclusion of string and brass instruments. Here's a good example of how they sound with the extra instrumentation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFub2Zn8TZg.

I got another horn song that's also very fun and catchy. Check out I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band) by the Moody Blues.

Good choice. :D Here's another, although with less (but still some) horns - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjHHl_bAEMg.

jaycee

06-20-2010, 09:21 AM

I just realised - how could I forget this one?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YTh1Wsqo2c

Macfanforever

06-20-2010, 03:34 PM

Dont forget Chicago ,Here is one of my faves from 1976.

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Also we cant forget our Stevie used the sax in 1980's too.

ragrsrocalot

06-20-2010, 03:40 PM

Tower of Power- Lots of horns with this band.
What is Hip
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bucklind17

06-20-2010, 03:44 PM

Dont forget Chicago ,Here is one of my faves from 1976.

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Also we cant forget our Stevie used the sax in 1980's too.

I'm very familiar with Chicago. :) While I'm a fan of all of their eras, it's the grittier early stuff that I really dig as far as appreciating the horn section. The more upbeat and loud plus brass, the better.

Macfanforever

06-20-2010, 03:53 PM

I'm very familiar with Chicago. :) While I'm a fan of all of their eras, it's the grittier early stuff that I really dig as far as appreciating the horn section. The more upbeat and loud plus brass, the better.

Yes they mellowed out in the later years.I always love music with horns in them.some tunes get boring with just the normal instruments.

LukeA

06-21-2010, 12:26 AM

While I think horn sections are awesome in just about any type of music, I greatly appreciate the use of mariachi style (violin+trumpet+guitar) accompaniments- and especially on these particular tracks.

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<div><div id="c_s01bflBaua1i1pWaVDeAEDz2g=="><div class="ilike_content"> <ul class="song_list_preview" style="list-style:none;"> <li style="overflow:hidden;"><a class="song_play_btn" title="My Guardian Angel" href="http://www.ilike.com/artist/Pistoleros/track/My+Guardian+Angel">My Guardian Angel</a> by <a href="http://www.ilike.com/artist/Pistoleros/Pistoleros">Pistoleros</a></li> </ul> </div> </div><script src='http://www.ilike.com/api/s?c=1&k=s01bflBaua1i1pWaVDeAEDz2g%3D%3D'></script><div id="ilike_s01bflBaua1i1pWaVDeAEDz2g=="><div style="border-top:1px solid #dddddd;padding-top:5px;font-size:smaller;">More <a href='http://www.ilike.com/artist/Pistoleros'>Pistoleros</a> music on <a href='http://www.ilike.com/'>iLike</a></div></div></div>

and, of course..

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DavidMn

06-21-2010, 12:34 AM

While I think horn sections are awesome in just about any type of music, I greatly appreciate the use of mariachi style (violin+trumpet+guitar) accompaniments- and especially on these particular tracks.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7yVBMUXr4xo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7yVBMUXr4xo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

<div><div id="c_s01bflBaua1i1pWaVDeAEDz2g=="><div class="ilike_content"> <ul class="song_list_preview" style="list-style:none;"> <li style="overflow:hidden;"><a class="song_play_btn" title="My Guardian Angel" href="http://www.ilike.com/artist/Pistoleros/track/My+Guardian+Angel">My Guardian Angel</a> by <a href="http://www.ilike.com/artist/Pistoleros/Pistoleros">Pistoleros</a></li> </ul> </div> </div><script src='http://www.ilike.com/api/s?c=1&k=s01bflBaua1i1pWaVDeAEDz2g%3D%3D'></script><div id="ilike_s01bflBaua1i1pWaVDeAEDz2g=="><div style="border-top:1px solid #dddddd;padding-top:5px;font-size:smaller;">More <a href='http://www.ilike.com/artist/Pistoleros'>Pistoleros</a> music on <a href='http://www.ilike.com/'>iLike</a></div></div></div>

and, of course..

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jc1-YJiOHoE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jc1-YJiOHoE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>I remember that George Harrison song was in the movie Goodfellas!:nod:

chiliD

06-21-2010, 11:06 AM

The Beatles - "Got To Get You Into My Life"

The Beatles - "Savoy Truffle"

The Beatles - "Penny Lane"

Delaney & Bonnie & Friends

The Rolling Stones - "Honky Tonk Women" (and almost ALL of Exile On Main Street

The Ides Of March - (I'm Your) Vehicle

Heck, nobody's mentioned the obvious:

Fleetwood Mac - "Heroes Are Hard To Find"

Fleetwood Mac - "Stop Messin' Round"

sarahw

06-21-2010, 07:00 PM

Bruce and his E Street Band......Clarence wails on his sax. Adds so much to Bruce's early stuff......Spirits in the Night, Jungleland, She's the One........to name a few.

bucklind17

06-21-2010, 07:05 PM

Bruce and his E Street Band......Clarence wails on his sax. Adds so much to Bruce's early stuff......Spirits in the Night, Jungleland, She's the One........to name a few.

I'm a sucker for Jungleland, I can listen to that all afternoon! Also, the sax solo on Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is one of my faves.

Brass just gives music so much more pizazz.

bucklind17

06-24-2010, 08:31 PM

A few of my current faves:

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GarboSpeaks!

06-28-2010, 12:52 AM

Blood, Sweat & Tears baby. Horn groviness. Pure 70's a/m radio syrup. :blob2:

Zombie

07-08-2010, 02:54 AM

Does this count?

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It probably says something about my character that the first song I thought of with a horn section in it was a GWAR song, but hey! Horn section!

After I thought about that, though, I also thought of Traffic's "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys," and Devin Townsend's "Bad Devil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AICVz62oPhI)."

jaycee

07-08-2010, 09:14 AM

Dad's been thrashing The Soft Parade a lot lately, so here's a song from that - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFub2Zn8TZg. All the songs from that album include horns and brass, to a greater or lesser extent. Much to The Doors disappointment, TSP is my favourite album of theirs. :D

iamnotafraid

07-08-2010, 10:46 PM

From Elvis In Memphis Sony/BMG Legacy Edition 2009

Elvis used the Memphis Horns on his studio work in 1969.
Some of his best work. His comeback was reaching it's peak
from '68 through '70.

Stew_Matthews

07-09-2010, 03:33 PM

Foreigner's Urgent must have the best sax solo in any rock/pop song.

~*BellaDonna*~

04-29-2016, 07:25 PM

Jungleland - by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It features a terrific, haunting sax performance from the late great Clarence Clemmons, aka: "The Big Man"

Macfanforever

04-29-2016, 09:48 PM

I rather hear the horns more then the noisy guitar in rock music .I never was a fan of guitar rock.

FuzzyPlum

04-30-2016, 05:13 AM

I remember the 1980's as being a big time for horn sections. From memory the biggest 'horny' acts were the likes of Phil Collins, Huey Lewis, Billy Ocean.
Notably Dexy's Midnight Runners got rid of the horn section of the band;
Jackie Wilson Said
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMudkU6kTuE
...and replaced them with a violin section to completely change their sound.

More recently Amy Winehouse's Jazz/Blues/Soul-infused style really lent itself to horns;
Tears Dry On Their Own
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojdbDYahiCQ

and off the top of my head Radiohead went through a major experimental phase with horns- most notibly on Kid A (not everyones cup of tea, I'm sure);
The national Anthem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLQ9S5D_mxw