Any Major Flute Vol. 1
I may have mentioned once or twice that if a song features a bit of flute, I’ll like it. So it seems to me that mix celebrating the flute in pop is necessary and desirable. I know that some people hate the idea of flute in rock — perhaps this mix will disabuse them of such odd notions. Should one or the song feature a piccolo or recorder instead of the flute, please enjoy the respite and don’t shout at me. If this mix is popular enough, I’ll put together a second mix of songs I’ve held back. And, look Ma, no Jethro Tull!
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1. Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Winter in America (1975)
Flute Moment: 3:57 – Gil goes “stick”, and Brian lets rip with his flute.
2. Baby Huey – California Dreamin’ (1971)
Flute Moment: 2:10 – After the flute does it alone for the long intro, the instrumental party kicks off.
3. Josh Rouse – James (2003)
Flute Moment: 2:47 – Rouse captures the sound of 1972, as the album title promises, when the flute goes into a conversation with the guitar.
4. Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland – Ain’t No Love In the Heart Of The City (1974)
Flute Moment: 2:06 & 3:22 Listen closely or you’ll miss it.
5. Eddie Rabbitt – Suspicions (1979)
Flute Moment: 2:14 – Hail the flute solo
6. Carpenters – Road One (1972)
Flute Moment: 2:14 – Spookily, the flute solo here commences at the same time as that in Suspicion.
7. MJ – I Wanna Be Where You Are (1972)
Flute Moment: 1:47 – The flute backs young Michael funkily, and then gets its solo spot.
8. Blackbyrds – Walking In Rhythm (1974)
Flute Moment: 1:55 – Flute solo in rhythm.
9. The Mamas & the Papas – Creeque Alley (1967)
Flute Moment: 2:23 – Like the Carpenters, the Mamas & the Papas liked a bit of flute. Apart from the solo in California Dreaming, I like this one best.
10. Frank Sinatra with Count Basie – Fly Me To The Moon (1966)
Flute Moment:0:35 – You don’t really expect to hear the flute in Sinatra’s music. In this live recording, Count Basie gives this standard a flute signature.
11. David Bowie – Moonage Daydream (1972)
Flute Moment: 1:54 – Bowie goes all Jethro Tull on us for a minute.
12. Cardigans – Sick & Tired (1994)
Flute Moment: 0:02 – The background flute never leaves us.
13. Van M. – Everyone (1970)
Flute Moment: 1:48 – After being with us throughout, the flute gets a 30-second solo.
14. Traffic – John Barleycorn (1970)
Flute Moment: 1:07 – The prog rock flute classic that’s not by Jethro Tull.
15. Carole King – So Far Away (1971)
Flute Moment: 3:16 – Carole gamely resisted the urge to include the flute for much of the song.
16. Simon & Garfunkel – So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (1970)
Flute Moment: 1:18 – The flute takes the lead, accompanied by acoustic guitar, strings and percussion.
17. The Beatles – You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (1965)
Flute Moment:1:47 – The flute sees out my favourite Beatles song.
18. The Beach Boys – Feel Flows (1971)
Flute Moment: 1:44 – Aah, there’s the flute.
19. Beastie Boys – Sure Shot (1994)
Flute Moment: 0:01 – The cool flute hook stays with us through almost all of the song.
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As always, the mix is timed to fit on a standard CD-R.
A suggestion for the next mix- Carly Simon’s “Spy”. Nice flute solo in that one.
I also kinda have a guilty-pleasure soft spot for that first Fogelberg/Weisberg album too, especially this one instrumental the name of which escapes me.
A post on flutes in pop music ad no mention of the Style Council? My flabber is gasted.
Always did love that Gil Scott-Heron track, btw. With the world economy going tits up his lyrics will never go out of fashion.
I am glad you finally put this together, I’ve been looking forward to it. This is a great mix with quite the diversity of songs. Keep up the great work.
I’m mystified/relieved/astounded/saddened (it’s Saturday, and I never know how I feel) that Chicago’s “Colour My World” didn’t show up here. Nice selection, though.
Oh, that will most certainly feature in volume 2, whiteray.
Darren, please guide me as to which Style Council song you think I should include. They hadn’t even occurred to me.
Will check out Spy, Mr Bacardi.
“Katmandu” by Cat Stevens has a pretty great flute solo, and it’s by Peter Gabriel of all people.
Tull!
Excellent slice of Heron.
There’s a nice flute solo on Mario’s Cafe by St Etienne, although on reflection it’s probably a synth. Still, I’d kill for Ms Cracknell, I sure would.
Like the new site too.
Cheers,
Moq
thanks so much for all the work you do. i love reading your blog. the mere mention of the flute led me to believe i would see at least one classic jethro tull song. i don’t know how this many songs could be here without one. i am sure it was an error.
Oh, the Tull omission was deliberate. Too obvious, I thought. I’ve a Tull one for volume 2 (and the response suggests that the concept is popular enough to warramt a follow-up).
Just a couple suggestions for Vol. 2.
“Call Me Al”- Paul Simon
“I Love NYE”-Badly Drawn Boy
I know the BDB track is instrumental, but I still love it. I look forward to the next installment.
Hey how about Will Farrell’s hilarious flute number from “Anchorman”?
“This is baby-makin’ music!!”
I think you could have started something here.
How about Manfred Mann – Mighty Quinn ?? THe first thing that cem into my mind when I started reading the article (apart rom Tull !)
http://echoesinthewind.blogspot.com/2009/02/and-lamp-posts-call-your-name.html
A touch of flute on the Blood Sweat And Tears tune, but I suspect if you don’t know it already you’ll like the song. It seems right up your street.
Please consider including something flutish from the underappreciated Stackridge (http://www.stackridge.net) on Volume 2 — perhaps the jaunty “Lummy Days”?
seek ye ‘Ashley’s Roachclip’ by the Soul Searchers
FYI, the Canned Heat song was originally recorded in the late 1920′s by Texas singer Henry Thomas, who played the flute riff on cane pan pipes.
Finally got to check this mix out. Nice work! I’ve always dug flute solos, so thank you.
Was just listening to my iPod and “suspicion” came on and had to thank you again for adding to this mix. I have to admit I was really only interested in Eddie Rabbit as a Greatest Hits “the single” (albeit with a b-side) I hadn’t listened to more of his and after this mix went out and got the greatest hits and am thankful I have. Funny story though, I actually saw him at the Arizona State Fair as a kid, but don’t remember much of the concert.
have you heard of herbie mann?
loads of style council stuff has flutes on it… i really like the cafe bleu album personally….
good call on gil scot heron….
check out “the fife piper” by the dynatones for a 60s soul/mod flute thing!
im also a big fan of mandrill, they use some funky shit on their tunes….