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

[Those RRRRs]

Poor Boy - Royaltones
God's Finger - Tornadoes

 

[ErieDJGuy]

I actually unearthed a copy of Bongo Rock by the Incredible Bongo Band from 1973.

Others (late 60's/early 70's)

K-Jee (Nitelighters)
Overture from Tommy (Who)
Overture from Tommy (Assembled Multitude)
Taurus (Dennis Coffey)
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Deodato)
Popcorn (Hot Butter)

 

[thathoustonradiogeek]

Cry for a Shadow (1961) by an unknown band that went by the name Beatles

 

[snoman]

Don't know if it ever charted for him, but "Breezin' " which was written and performed by Bobby Womack in 1970, was outstanding. It is more widely known for being the title track of George Benson's signature album BREEZIN' in 1975.

 

[NDXUFan]

Wow, many great songs and music.

Telestar
Topsy Part II
Booker T.

Shark

 

[Tom Wells]

Underwater --by The Frogmen

 

[Don62]

Underwater --by The Frogmen

WOw. Another great. Too bad the dorks running radio have silenced such gems.

 

[hipporadio]

How about “Blues Theme” by Dave Allan and The Arrows? I heard it for the first time in about 30-years on Steve’s “1650 OldiesRadio” – ‘didn’t even know the title and artist, and Steve responded in an email with the info.

A quick search at Amazon revealed a reissue on Sundazed of a collaboration with Curb Records – and I ordered it... WEEEE! Sounds great! 8)

 

[Oldbones]

Underwater --by The Frogmen

WOw. Another great. Too bad the dorks running radio have silenced such gems.

Never heard of it. Was it just some "local hit" somewhere? Don't blame the "dorks" for not playing something that was never even a hit back in the day.

 

[Tom Wells]

Underwater --by The Frogmen

WOw. Another great. Too bad the dorks running radio have silenced such gems.

Never heard of it. Was it just some "local hit" somewhere? Don't blame the "dorks" for not playing something that was never even a hit back in the day.

I missed it somehow when it was new, as I was a toddler.
I'd never heard it until I was 30 or so, and didn't get a copy of it until I found one in Ferndale, Maryland, in the late 80's.
I have no idea where it went on the charts, or where it charted.
But I do have a perceptive ear, and it became one of my "hits" immediately.
I'd like to hear it substituted for "Brown Eyed Girl", or some other worn-out overplayed "tests well" tune.

 

[Don62]

Underwater --by The Frogmen

WOw. Another great. Too bad the dorks running radio have silenced such gems.

Never heard of it. Was it just some "local hit" somewhere? Don't blame the "dorks" for not playing something that was never even a hit back in the day.

It hit No. 44 in '61. Hardly a "local" non-hit.
http://musicsojourn.com/AR/oldies/page/f/Frogmen.htm

There are other songs oldies stations play that hit similar levels on the charts. And this song isn't too different than some other instrumentals mentioned in this thread.

BTW, I thought chart position didn't matter. Hence why we hear Brown Eyed Girl, which didn't even make the Top 10.

The PDs are dorks if they give us s--- on a shingle when we could be having french toast instead.

I only heard this song on Music Choice. It's a gem.

 

[AZJoe]

I agree with you, except Brown Eyed Girl by Morrison did hit the top 10, it was # 10 in the summer of 67.

 

[BenTehelenbach]

"Breezin' " which was written and performed by Bobby Womack in 1970, was outstanding. It is more widely known for being the title track of George Benson's signature album BREEZIN' in 1975.

Another great jazz instrumental which had some play on hit radio in the early seventies is "Put It Where You Want It," by the Crusaders.

Later in the decade there were "Feels So Good," by Chuck Mangione, "Morning Dance," by Spyro Gyra, and "Byrdland," by Weather Report. The list, I'm sure, goes on.

A few country instrumentals got airplay on Top 40 radio in the sixties..."Buckaroo," by Buck Owens' Buckaroos comes to mind.

 

[JimMcGrath]

I just had to add "Can't Sit Down" by Phil Upchurch into the great tunes named here."Honky Tonk" by Bill Doggett, "Time Is Tight" by Booker T & The MGs, "Rinky Dink" by Dave "Baby" Cortez and "Last Date" by Floyd Cramer also come to mind.

 

[amfmsw]

Don, speaking of "stiff" hits, "Get Ready" by the Temptations peaked at #29! A non-hit. But "research" has rewritten Rock 'n Roll History. Meanwhile, "Ball Of Confusion" and others are banished. Maybe it's time for a new thread. My Favorite Stiff.

 

[jovialjay]

"Love's Theme" - Love Unlimited Orchestra
"Suavecito" -Malo
"Alley Cat" - Bent Fabric
"Stranger On The Shore" - Acker Bilk
"A Swingin' Safari" - Billy Vaughn
"Music To Watch Girls By" - Bob Crewe Generation
"(Theme From) The Apartment" - Ferrante & Teicher
"That Happy Feeling" - Bert Kaempfert
"The Lusty Month Of May" - Percy Faith (not a hit, but long used as the theme to a local program on my
hometown station)

 

[hammondo]

Al Hirt - Walkin'
Arthur Lowery - Studio One Concerto
Arthur Lyman - Love For Sale
Chantays - Pipeline
Cozy Cole - Topsy
Floyd Cramer - San Antonio Rose
Hugo Winterhalter - Canadian Sunset
Lawrence Welk - Breakwater
Lawrence Welk - Zero Zero
Percy Faith - Theme for YOung Lovers
Perez Prado - Patricia
String-a-Longs - Wheels
Surfaris - Wipe Out
Three Suns - Peg o' My Heart
Tornadoes - Telstar

Suavecito" -Malo has words!

 

[Mayberry]

Hungry For Love - San Sebastian Strings
Soul Coaxing - Raymond LaFevere
Wheels - Billy Vaughn
S'Wonderful - yes by Ray Conniff (I love that thing)

 

[hammondo]

I have 23 Conniff albums and a library of "fm 100" format tapes with 300 Conniff songs.

David Carroll - White Rose of Athens
Larry Elgart - Hooked on Swing

 

[Mayberry]

hammando, we must be cut from the same cloth, I hated playing Conniff when I was a young disc jockey in the 60's, now I love his stuff. I gues maturity helps, and boy do I have a lot of maturity....Thanks to ebay I have about the first 20 or so albums.

Swingin' Shepard Blues - Moe Kauffman
Rebel Rouser - Duane Eddy