Timeless Instrumentals that are Still Great to Hear Today!

[firepoint525]

Young-Holt Unlimited also did a great cover version of "Hard Day's Night" by the Beatles, apparently recorded live, because the audience started singing along with it, effectively making it a vocal, not an instrumental. ;D

And Lonnie Mack's version of "Memphis." 8)

 

[CTListener]

Last Dance - Floyd Cramer

That should be "Last Date." And it has lyrics; Emmylou Harris recorded a great version of it.

 

[CTListener]

Young-Holt Unlimited also did a great cover version of "Hard Day's Night" by the Beatles, apparently recorded live, because the audience started singing along with it, effectively making it a vocal, not an instrumental. ;D

I just had a listen to "Wack Wack" on YouTube and noticed that the group actually sings "Wack Wack" during the song's opening bars, so I guess that one's disqualified, too.

 

[howardm]

Wham - Lonnie Mack; Brontosaurus Stomp - Piltdown Men; Lazy - Johnny & Hurricanes; Love Is Blue - Paul Mauriat; Honky Tonk Pts 1 & 2 - Bill Doggett;

 

[firepoint525]

Cliff Nobles, "The Horse," don't think that one has been mentioned yet.

 

[CTListener]

Cliff Nobles, "The Horse," don't think that one has been mentioned yet.

It has. By me. But that's OK, it's a great tune and deserves all the mentions it can get.

 

[oldies76]

Can't forget this timeless classic from the 80's:

Rainforest - Paul Hardcastle

 

[oldies76]

Love Is Blue - Paul Mauriat

Great piece from 1968, a worldwide classic!!

 

[AlexBrowne]

Last Dance - Floyd Cramer

That should be "Last Date." And it has lyrics; Emmylou Harris recorded a great version of it.

Yes, of course. Typo! To clarify, the Floyd Cramer version is an instrumental.

 

[AlexBrowne]

Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen: "Midnight In Moscow"

 

[radioman148]

Java--Floyd Cramer
Java--Al Hirt

 

[Fenway1912]

This may have been the last great instrumental on AM radio - song was huge in 1978-9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bZ9battVks

 

[jonbruce]

Last Night-The Markeys, Underwater-The Frogmen, and Scratchy-Travis Womack (this one perfect for AM radio reception)

 

[northwoods]

The Spacemen-The Clouds
The String-A-Longs-My Blue Heaven
Brass Buttons
The Fireballs-Blacksmith Blues
The Ventures-Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White
Johnny and The Hurricanes-Down Yonder
Martin Denny-Quiet Village
Arthur Lyman-Yellow Bird
Santo and Johnny-In The Still Of The Night
Locomotion
The Knightbridge Strings-Wheel Of Fortune
Cry
Al Hirt-Cotton Candy
Dave "Baby" Cortez-The Whistling Organ
Lenny Dee-Plantation Boogie
Ernie Fields-Chattanooga Choo Choo
Bill Black's Combo-Twistin' White Silver Sands
Perez Prado-Patricia Twist

And this is just for starters.

 

[howardm]

You Can't Sit Down - Phil Upchurch Combo; Big Guitar - Owen Bradley; Caterpillar Crawl - Strangers; Teen Beat - Sandy Nelson; Ramrod - Duane Eddy; Ram Bunk Shush - Ventures; Sail Along Silvery Moon - Billy Vaughn; Quite A Party - Fireballs; Rocking Crickets - Hot Toddys

 

[oldies76]

This may have been the last great instrumental on AM radio - song was huge in 1978-9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bZ9battVks

Great song!! Remember hearing this frequently in Southern California in '79 on the freeways!

 

[BrotherBrian]

Here are a few more I don't think have been mentioned: Dueling Banjos by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell, Nadia's Theme (The Young & the Restless) by Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr., Music Box Dancer by Frank Mills, The Stripper by David Rose, Gravy Waltz by Steve Allen, Also Sprach Zarathustra by Deodato, Overture from "Tommy" by The Assembled Multitude, Sinfonias by Waldo de los Rios, Wind Song by Wes Montgomery, Hang 'Em High and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly by Hugo Montenegro, Wipe Out by The Surfaris, and Gazachstahagen by The Wild-Cats. (The Wild-Cats were from New Jersey, and Dick Clark played them a lot on Bandstand in the Philly days. I still have my 45!) Jeff Hunt, Roanoke VA ((By the way, on WHAG Solid Gold Weekends, we played instrumental oldies to fill the :90 or so between ABC's top-of-the-hour news and the ABC sportscast that followed.))

 

[CTListener]

Hang 'Em High and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly by Hugo Montenegro

Wasn't "Hang 'Em High" Booker T. and the MG's?

Another that hasn't been mentioned yet and was a "monster" hit: "Frankenstein" -- Edgar Winter Group. And who can forget the Royal Dragoon Guards' "Amazing Grace"?

Honorable mention: "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" -- Whistling Bill Smith. Well, I don't think you can call it a vocal...

 

[TheFonz]

National City Joiner, Arkansas Junior High School Band (Billboard #53 1960)

 

[cd637299]

Hang 'Em High and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly by Hugo Montenegro

Wasn't "Hang 'Em High" Booker T. and the MG's?

Another that hasn't been mentioned yet and was a "monster" hit: "Frankenstein" -- Edgar Winter Group. And who can forget the Royal Dragoon Guards' "Amazing Grace"?

Honorable mention: "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" -- Whistling Bill Smith. Well, I don't think you can call it a vocal...

One could say the same about "The Happy Whistler" by Don Robertson....

cd