"Blue Monday" - the greatest intro in the history of recorded music?

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Before the non-drum sounds start, I mean

― dave q, Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Like, what the hell else do you want?

― dave q, Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

(Geir to thread obv)

― dave q, Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:11 (twenty-one years ago)

dave i loved yr fleetwood mac piece in the voice!

― geeta (geeta), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

It sounds that good cos of what you know's coming, though.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Dut Dut Dut Dut Dut Dut Dut dur-dur-dur-dur-dur-dur-dur-dur Dut Dut!

(I'm sure I've got that wrong)

― Citizen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

all songs should have extended drum machine solos in them

― geeta (geeta), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Where DID breakdowns go? What's not to like?

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:16 (twenty-one years ago)

That truly is a classic moment in modern music.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:20 (twenty-one years ago)

CHING! CHING! CHI- CHI- BOOM!

― Citizen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I was meaning I think like "here comes the song" but that lets you just savour those drums so much for that little time they're all you have, and besides they sound fantastic.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:24 (twenty-one years ago)

At a friend's wedding, anutha friend N pestered the DJ to put BM on late in the evening. It comes on. A millisecond after the very first 'Dut' N shouts 'Bloody Hell 1988 remix!"

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:26 (twenty-one years ago)

MY HERO

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:27 (twenty-one years ago)

TCHYOO TCHYOO TCHYOO!!!
*fop-fop-fop-fop-fop*
Oompah Choogah Oompah Choogah Choogah Oompah Oompah X 4

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

It simply never gets boring to me.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought I would be devastated the first time that I got my hands on a drum machine and realised how simple it was to actually programme that riff.

But, like the Louie Louie chord progression, elegant simplicity only heightens the the beauty!

― Citizen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Try doing it on the desk with your ruler.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Kate is right

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I always heard a different version of the intro on the radio when this first came out!!!!! The bassdrum in the record versh goes somewhat like this:

( X... X... XXXX XXXX X... X... X... X... ) X 4

But on radio, the version played missed out the first two beats,
so you got:

( XXXX XXXX X... X... X... X... X... X... ) X 4

... And on the last two beats, the melody starts fading in, and you
realise it's a completely different beat to the one you got used to!!! So, it's even wierder than the version on the record!!!! Go on, try it if you have a copy of the gramophone at hand!!!!!

Dunno why the radiograms diskjockeys play this version tho!!!!!

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean "played"...

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

(Geir to thread obv)

Why? Just to state that I love that intro too? Because I do. :-)

Dunno if it's the best ever (a fairly tough competition out there, I would say), but certainly one of the best.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd say the opening notes of "Pretty Vacant" and the furious opening bass strumming of "Motorhead" come damn close.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't hate on the intro to Bomber, either!

― M Carty (mj_c), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Listen to "Bomber and listen to "1% by Jane's Addiction (off the Triple X live debut). Same riff, no?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Keith Richard to thread btw.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I used to get finger cramps playing it with one finger on my dinky Yamaha keyboard. It's Pavlovian, unstoppable.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Genius. I've heard it a hundred times with a hundred different DJs and every time people go nuts.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Supposedly it was a mistake that they left in there -- at least Momus said as such, anyone know if it's true?

The sheer wonder of it is not merely the beats but that beautiful beautiful space between them. Never has silence been so amazing -- it's not the cavernousness of reverb, it's something else.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Sometimes when I DJ and play Blue Monday, I cut out the song during the 2 sets of 4 cymbal hits before the song comes in. People hate that. I also play the remix of Human League's Don't You Want Me from the Love Unlimited Orchestra record and cut the music off during the chorus and EVERY time the entire room sings the chorus. It's really awesome.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I also have a thing for the intro to Yazoo's "Only You". Simple, maybe, but I love that stereo effect.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 21:46 (twenty-one years ago)

SAME HERE!!!!

― Felcher (Felcher), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 21:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Is this the closest ILM's come to consensus?

Is there anyone who dislikes it?

― David A. (Davant), Thursday, 13 November 2003 00:27 (twenty-one years ago)

it sounded better in the middle of Donna Summer's "Our Love"

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 13 November 2003 00:28 (twenty-one years ago)

dave q you totally need to get over your shred addiction. Nicks' songs were the best!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 13 November 2003 00:45 (twenty-one years ago)

and Blue Monday totally gets played too much at DJ things in town (as does Temptation). I'm totally rocking Love Vigilantes next time I spin.

It actually took the Orgy version to make me appreciate the original (for some reason it never did anything for me before then!)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 13 November 2003 00:48 (twenty-one years ago)

"Blue Monday" - the greatest intro in the history of recorded music?

Ah, but which version? The original (silver inner sleeve) begins: d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d, whilst the rerelease goes: dut dut d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d

The first, for some reason, is umpteen times better...

― Jez (Jez), Thursday, 13 November 2003 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

nope. The beginning of beethoven's symphony no5 and iancu dumitrescu's 'galaxy' and what the hell dave I gave you that 'mass projection' CDR!!!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 13 November 2003 09:08 (twenty-one years ago)

its a very great intro tho'.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 13 November 2003 09:20 (twenty-one years ago)

You should check the Hardfloor remix; it has the same intro, but with a better drum sound.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 13 November 2003 09:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Hardfloor having their way with Blue Monday?
The idea doesn't yeild much promise.
And if there's anything about Hardfloor that arouses suspicion, it's the drums.

― Stephen Stockwell (Stephen Stockwell), Thursday, 13 November 2003 14:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Ugh, I think HSA has that remix. It offends me. Deeply.

― Citizen Kate (kate), Thursday, 13 November 2003 14:22 (twenty-one years ago)

'Rock 'n' Roll Animal' has a good opening as well.

― Sasha (sgh), Friday, 14 November 2003 01:04 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

Just listened to "Bad" by Michael Jackson, and while he is probably not quite the King of Pop, he certainly is the kind of intros. I mean, just about every intro on that album is classic, and then, there are those intros to "Thriller", "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "P.Y.T." as well. Not to mention "Black Or White". I have previously chosen Rolling Stones in this thread, but Michael Jackson easily beats whatever Keith Richard has come up with too.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 9 January 2004 01:59 (twenty-one years ago)

true: "billy jean" and "wanna be starting something" both have really good intros. i was always a sucker for "like a virgin"'s intro as well (short but propulsive).

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 9 January 2004 02:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought I had pointed this out, but I guess it was on a similar thread: yes the intro to "Blue Monday" is cool, but it is ripped off from (or at least features the same drum pattern as) Donna Summer's "Our Love", which was released 4 years previously.

― Sean (Sean), Friday, 9 January 2004 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)

BM is close for me, but I've got to go with "Search and Destroy" or "No Name No Slogan" by Acid Horse (that cavernous Chris Connelly la-a-augh.)

― anode, Friday, 9 January 2004 03:49 (twenty-one years ago)

"It's a beautiful day for a walk on the beach. wouldn't cha say?"

"YESH, I WOULD SHAY DAT... TO WHISH, I WOULD SHAY..."

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 9 January 2004 03:58 (twenty-one years ago)

"Summer Night City" by ABBA is another good intro.

― jazz odysseus, Friday, 9 January 2004 04:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Best intro to any song ever: "LET ME TELL YOU 'BOUT THE FUCKIN' BITCH, DEAN-O!!!!!!!!!"

Anybody who mentions "Layla" will be shot.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 9 January 2004 04:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Forget "Summer Night City", the descending piano intro to "S.O.S" roolz.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 9 January 2004 05:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 13 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Four great intros already mentioned -

New Order - Blue Monday
David Bowie - Let's Dance
The Cure - The Kiss
The Chameleons - Swamp Thing

Four great intros yet to be mentioned -

Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot
The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
Ride - Leave Them All Behind
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle

― Stephen Bush (Stephen B.), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 07:22 (eighteen years ago)

Another gem -

Autolux - Turnstile Blues

― yours fondly, harshaw. (mrgn), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 07:35 (eighteen years ago)

Blue Monday's intro = classic

Also, "Give It To Me Baby" is not too bad either.

― musically (musically), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 07:40 (eighteen years ago)

Turnstile Blues OTM

― Stephen Bush (Stephen B.), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 08:27 (eighteen years ago)

"Love Action" has the greatest intro.

― Venga (Venga), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 11:35 (eighteen years ago)

"be my baby"?

― nervous (cochere), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 11:36 (eighteen years ago)

"Don't You Want Me" not far behind.

― Venga (Venga), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 11:39 (eighteen years ago)

"fight the power" !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 12:30 (eighteen years ago)

Love Action - yes.

Also 'All Of My Heart'.

Keeping it in Yorkshire, there's not many better than The Mekons 'Where Were You?'.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 12:51 (eighteen years ago)

.. or longer.

Howzabout then, "In Between Days" the Cure thankyewverymuch!

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 12:56 (eighteen years ago)

I came onto this thread to point out the "Be My Baby" - sized elephant in the room.

― Hi There! Dear Johnney B (stigoftdump), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:16 (eighteen years ago)

As per "nervous", 5 posts up?

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:19 (eighteen years ago)

No, that award would go to Billie Jean. The drums and the bass line and then the synthesizers...just perfect.

― Lovelace (Lovelace), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:20 (eighteen years ago)

I just just OTMing, really. xpost

― Hi There! Dear Johnney B (stigoftdump), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:27 (eighteen years ago)

about MJ's intros, I couldn't choose between Billie jean and don't stop... maybe "will you be there" : minimalism and taste at its best !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:31 (eighteen years ago)

thinking again, I might go with "don't stop" as I think it's brilliant and the best part of the song while in "billie jean", it's brilliant but not the best part of the song...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:34 (eighteen years ago)

"The Plan" by Built to Spill might not be a long intro but it is certainly super distinct. Kind of like the short intro to "Easier" by Grizzly Bear.

Then again I may just be talking about Album openers rather than song intros.

― Digestion is Easy (Digestion is Easy!), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 15:22 (eighteen years ago)

Ride's Leave Them All Behind. Man I'm glad someone noticed the intro on that one. In fact I almost got goose pimples just thinking about it. I remember the first time I heard that I thought that band was gonna take over the world. I guess in retrospect though they did pinch a bit from The Who...and wouldn't you know it? Baba O'Reilly's intro is way up there as well.

― Kid B (Bimble...), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 21:52 (eighteen years ago)

Drum Intros

"Ant Music" > "Blue Monday"

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 22:20 (eighteen years ago)

Ride - Leave Them All Behind

A while back someone started a thread about making a mixtape of early 90s tunes for their girlfriend. I submitted this song almost for the intro alone.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 03:53 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, I was going to say that earliier, in fact, that it strikes me that song never quite lives up to the promise of its intro. Comes close, perhaps, but just doesn't get there. This is significant for me because it's a fissure where my favourite band in the world suddenly lost their magic. (though anyone accusing me of dissing Grasshopper hasn't read many Ride threads here)

― Kid B (Bimble...), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 04:23 (eighteen years ago)

Of course I have to play this intro now, and it's all ILM's fault.

― Umpire Teen (Bimble...), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 04:23 (eighteen years ago)

"Right about now......you are about to be possessed...by the sounds of.....MC Rob Base...and DJ EZ-Rock......................HIT IT!" = Best intro ever.

― Rodney... (R. J. Greene), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 10:58 (eighteen years ago)

"It's A Sin" - Pet Shop Boys. Extra points for it being completely nonsensical.

"Ballroom Blitz" - Sweet.

― Viz (Viz), Thursday, 16 November 2006 14:13 (eighteen years ago)

booooowahhhh. booooowahhhh. booooowahhhh. booooowahhhh.
neeeaaooooowwwww. drrrrrrrrrrr. bzzzzzzhhhhhh. chinkachink.
booooowahhhh. booooowahhhh. booooowahhhh. booooowahhhh.
neeeaaooooowwwww. drrrrrrrrrrr. bzzzzzzhhhhhh. chinkachink.
booooowahhhh. booooowahhhh. booooowahhhh. booooowahhhh.
dunkadunkadunkadunkadunka.....dunka
dunkadunkadunkadunkadunkadunkadunka

Kraftwerk: The Robots. Marvellous intro.

― harveyw (harveyw), Thursday, 16 November 2006 14:36 (eighteen years ago)

At New Order's Q&A with the public in the press tent at Ireland's Electric Picnic festival this summer, Stephen was asked whether the Blue Monday intro had been "a stroke of genius or a happy accident". The great man glanced thoughtfully at Barney and Hooky and then nodded and smiled. "Happy genius", he replied.

― Palomino (Palomino), Thursday, 16 November 2006 20:14 (eighteen years ago)

Excellent transcription of "The Robots" there ;)

Btw. I would like to add "One Vision" by Queen - the album version. Wonderful overblown pomp at its best :)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 17 November 2006 00:32 (eighteen years ago)

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"

― naus de lekkerste..! (Robert T), Friday, 17 November 2006 02:00 (eighteen years ago)

I have recently rediscovered the fact that NEW ORDER ARE THE SHIT, YO.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 20 November 2006 07:11 (eighteen years ago)

There are far, far, far too many songs I could name for this, so I shall humbly submit a modern classic: Wilco, 'I Am Trying To Break Your Heart'

And now a modern classic that won't piss half of ILM off: Hood, 'The Lost You'

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Monday, 20 November 2006 16:33 (eighteen years ago)

**"Ballroom Blitz" - Sweet**

Good call, but you've reminded me of the real answer to this question : BLOCKBUSTER! This would probably win the best intro and best outro awards.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 20 November 2006 16:38 (eighteen years ago)

Mekons--Where Were You

― nerve pylon (flat_of_angles), Monday, 20 November 2006 18:36 (eighteen years ago)

GOOD POINT by the good dr C there, yes. "blockbuster" probably pwns everything.

however, purely personally - i mean, i really don't expect anyone else to agree, but go on, have a listen anyway - i've always thought there's something elementally perfect about the first 10 seconds of "she's leaving" by orchestral manoevres in the dark ... i mean, it's just (electronic? certainly treated) hi-hat, snare and two bass notes, but there's an economy of emotion about it; a restraint that makes the bursting into life on the 11th second of this great, forgotten almost-a-single one of the most perfect moments in pop.

i will hopefully see them play it live next may, and i will almost certainly weep a small tear of joy.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 20 November 2006 22:09 (eighteen years ago)

Blue Monday might be even better if included John Cooper Clarke's spoken intro from 'Suspended Sentence':

"Right - we all start when the drum machine starts, lads"

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Monday, 20 November 2006 22:19 (eighteen years ago)

[lads ... lads ... lads]

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 20 November 2006 22:23 (eighteen years ago)

Ha! I was going to say 'She's Leaving', grimly! Genius, that track.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 20 November 2006 23:23 (eighteen years ago)

i'm not alone! wonderful. you've made my day.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 00:05 (eighteen years ago)

I've got a real thing for the cheesy disco intro of Boney M's "Sunny", and I think you'll find DJ to the stars Mark Ronson agrees with me.

Best metal intro of all time: Master of Puppets, hands down.

― chap who would dare to welcome our new stingray masters (chap), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 00:31 (eighteen years ago)

i've always thought "gimme shelter" has an awesome intro. it sounds like the end of the world is coming. or at least a real bad thunderstorm or something.

― M@tt He1geson: Sassy and I Don't Care Who Knows It (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 00:39 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, it's great, very haunting.

― chap who would dare to welcome our new stingray masters (chap), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 00:45 (eighteen years ago)

If we're going to nominate a New Order song, it would have to be "Everything's Gone Green," I'm afraid.

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 01:01 (eighteen years ago)

agree with blue monday, the robots, and billie jean. cant believe no one mentioned "i wanna be your dog", that shit makes me wanna just start destroying shit. first the raw guitar, then the drums and sleigh bell. how can you go wrong?

obscure dance track with great intro: that smith'n'hack jam off "tribute" that starts off with the "its time to get funky" sample. that shit kills it constantly!

― pipecock (pipecock), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 01:51 (eighteen years ago)

You and Scorcese both, Matt.

The intro to Regret is also top.

― stet (stet), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 03:14 (eighteen years ago)

"Breakout"

Mainly because I used to enjoy watching people at wedding receptions (I used to be a waiter) scream "OOOH! West End Girls!!!" only to be disappointed mere seconds later.

― JTS (JTS), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 19:24 (eighteen years ago)

fifteen years pass...

Anybody want a 20-minute remix (and micro-documentary) by Soulwax?

(also available this month, introduced with a David Dewaele interview, in situ here

― dark end of the st. maud (sic), Monday, 24 January 2022 08:23 (three years ago)

That's awesome.

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 January 2022 14:38 (three years ago)

I love that bit in the interview where they estimate there have only been a handful of gigs ever where they did not play or tease or reference "Blue Monday."

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 January 2022 14:43 (three years ago)

God, they really keep this engaging, brilliant remix. Is there a current trend to make super-extensive versions of classic pop songs without really altering the genre ?

― Nabozo, Monday, 24 January 2022 15:27 (three years ago)

Mmmm this is good

― kinder, Monday, 24 January 2022 23:14 (three years ago)

it is ok but has stings cousin trying to sing again and ruins things as usual!

― xzanfar, Monday, 24 January 2022 23:35 (three years ago)

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