Great Rock and Roll instrumentals- 50s-60s-EARLY 70s.

[Don62]

This topic was on the Single Edits discussion, but I thought it deserved its own discussion.
Will add previous replies then post some additional thoughts.

"Bongo Rock" by Preston Epps (1963?) has an original tape splice about 2/3 of the way through where you can hear
mismatch in rhythm and a tonal change where the splice did not get joined perfectly in line.
It is unusual to hear such things in the original recordings so clearly.

Now that's an oldie!
It's a great instrumental, not quite in the same league as Rumble by Dick Wray, Rebel Rouser, Duane Eddy, Telstar by Joe Meek (Tornadoes) and Green Onions, Booker T. & MGs, but still a great instrumental.

Don, I'm sure it was just a brain cramp-- Rumble was performed by the great Link Wray (RIP)

http://www.linkwraylegend.com/

And to Tom Wells -- Bongo Rock was a hit in the summer of 1959 (!).

BTW according to my Whitburn, Preston Epps was "Discovered by Original Sound owner/Los Angeles DJ, Art Laboe."

Wow every time I look something up in that book, I learn something new

It's a great instrumental, not quite in the same league as Rumble by Dick Wray, Rebel Rouser, Duane Eddy, Telstar by Joe Meek (Tornadoes) and Green Onions, Booker T. & MGs, but still a great instrumental.

What about Wild Weekend? That's gotta be my favorite instrumental.

That's a goody too! By the Rebels or something?
I was gonna mention it but didn't want to run on and on.

Man, I wish we could hear some of these great rock and roll songs on the radio again.

Too bad Mike Harvey knows nothing about them. All he wants to play is Abba, KC & Sunshine Band and Blondie. Yuck.

 

[Don62]

Some great tunes mentioned here.
I made a glaring omission by forgetting perhaps the top (reconizability, that is) R&R rock instrumental of the 60s:
Walk Don't Run - The Ventures (1961).
Many say the song sparked the surf rock movement.

So far, here's my list of great rock instrumentals (with a few additions to what I earlier posted).

-Walk, Don't Run - Ventures (1961)
-Rebel Rouser, Duane Eddy (1958 ?? )
-Green Onions, Booker T. & MGs (1962)
-Rumble by Link Wray (1958 ?? )
-Wild Weekend, the Rebels

The above are likely the greatest of all time, IMHO.

-Telstar by Joe Meek (Tornadoes) (1961)
-Tequilla - The Champs

-Bongo Rock- Preston Epps
-Bumble Rock - B. Bumble ??
-Red River Rock- Johnny and the Hurricanes
-Because They're Young - Duane Eddy (stereo, 1960)
-40 Miles of Bad Road - Duane Eddy
-Washington Square- Village Stompers (folksy)

-Theme From a Summer Place- Percy Faith (a little too easy listening)

-Walk Don't Run '64 - The Ventures (1964).
-Diamond Head- Ventures

-Outa Space- Billy Preston (1972)
-Space Race- Billy Preston (1972)
-Frankenstein- Edgar Winter

 

[XM RADIO]

Theme from "Route 66" Nelson Riddle 1962, Great instrmental !!!!!!!

 

[Don62]

Oops. I noticed I omitted these biggies.
I knew there were some great tunes from '63 but incompetent radio won't play them so they're easy to forget.

-Out of Limits - Marketts.
-Pipeline - Chantays
-Penetration -Pyramids.
-Miserlou - [/url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Dale Dick Dale
-Wipe Out - Surfaris


Other greats
-Teen Beat- Sandy Nelson
-Let There Be Drums - Sandy Nelson
-Under Water by The Frogmen
-Baja - The Astronauts
-Beatnick Sticks- Paul Revere

 

[AZJoe]

I like everyone of those great instrumentals mentioned, and here are a few more....

The Horse- Cliff Nobels & Co.
Magnificent Seven- Al Caiola
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Hugo Montegnegro
Mexico- Bob Moore
Yakety Sax - Boots Randolph
Java - Al Hirt
Pipeline- Chantays
Happy Organ- Dave Baby Cortez
Last Date- Floyd Cramer
Taste of Honey - Herb Alpert
Midnight in Moscow- Kenny Ball
Ghost Riders In The Sky- Ramrods
The In Crowd- Ramsey Lewis
Sleep Walk- Santo & Johnny
No Matter What Shape- T-Bones
Telestar- Tornadoes
Cool Aid- Paul Humphrey
Scorpio- Dennis Coffey

 

[Oldiesaholic]

Topsy (part 1 & 2)- Cozy Cole.
Let's Go-The Routers.
Beatnick Fly- Johnny & The Hurricanes.
Revele Rock- Johnny & The Hurricanes.

 

[BenTehelenbach]

Another great (and forgotten) instrumental is "Hang 'em High," by Booker T. and the MGs.

Also resurrected briefly for a Super Bowl ad was "Also Sprach Zarathustra," by Deodato.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

In addition to all the great instrumnentals mentioned so far, a few more

Joy-Apollo 100 1972
Calcutta - Lawrence Welk (!) 1961
Stick Shift - The Duals 1961 (a real lost classic)
Asia Minor - Kokomo 1961 (another lost one)

 

[gr8oldies]

All those great soul instrumentals..like "You've Got to Pay the Price" (sorry, artist escapes me.

The Horse, Soulful Strut and so much more!

 

[AZJoe]

All those great soul instrumentals..like "You've Got to Pay the Price" (sorry, artist escapes me.

The Horse, Soulful Strut and so much more!

\\

Al Kent did "You've Got To Pay The Price", a great soulful instrumental from 1967, a #22 R&B hit (#49 Pop).

 

[Don62]

Another great (and forgotten) instrumental is "Hang 'em High," by Booker T. and the MGs.

Topsy (part 1 & 2)- Cozy Cole.
Let's Go-The Routers.

Great selections indeed!

Let's Go (Pony) is a great rocker. Never get tired of hearing that one.

Here are some others I overlooked (see how hard it is in one setting to come up with a list of great rock instrumentals?)

-Apache- Jørgen Ingmann. I know it's a cover. I unfortunately haven't heard the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_(single) Britsh original by the Shadows.
-No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach is In) - The T-Bones - who later became Hamilton Frank and Reynolds.

BTW- it's my birthday. I turned 45 today.

 

[AZJoe]

Happy45 RPM, LOL ;D

 

[FRR]

The Lonely Surfer has to up there, from the summer of 1963

 

[MaiTKwinn]

Here's some more good, seldom heard early rock instrumentals to add to the list:
BUMBLE BOOGIE-B Bumble & The Stingers 1961
SMOKIE Pt.2-Bill Black's Combo 1959
WIGGLE WOBBLE-Les Cooper & The Soul Rockers 1952
RINKY DINK-Dave "Baby" Cortez 1962
ON THE REBOUND-Floyd Cramer 1961
IN THE MOOD-Ernie Fields Orchestra 1959
RAUNCHY-Bill Justis 1957
MEMPHIS-Lonnie Mack 1963
LAST NIGHT-Mar Keys 1961
WOO HOO-Rock A Teens 1959
STING RAY-Routers 1963
WHEELS-String A Longs 1961
GUITAR BOOGIE SHUFFLE-Virtues 1959
TALL COOL ONE-Wailers 1959

Chris Quinn

 

[Johnny Morgan]

No Raymond LeFevere and "Soul Coaxing"?

Nothing from Ramsey Lewis? You gotta "Wade in the Water," baby!

 

[amfmsw]

DAMN! I was just going to post "Soul Coaxing"! I thought I was the only one who remembered it!

How about "Hungry For Love" San Remo Strings or "While We're Young" Duane Eddy?

 

[Kurt Toy]

Classical Gas by Mason Williams.

 

[TheFonz]

.......................or "While We're Young" Duane Eddy?

That would be "Because They're Young", from the movie of the same name.

 

[amfmsw]

"While","Because"...close enough for rock 'n roll. Thanks.

Nearly all this stuff is at www.ericrecords.com I've got the Dick Bartley stuff, it's clean original, fast, and dependable,

 

[Oldiecarl]

Harlem Nocturne, by The Viscounts.