Oboes in pop music

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I'm deadly serious. It suddenly occured to me that a number of my favourite pop records feature a distinctly 'un-pop' instrument - the oboe. I'm not naming names, as that would break the mystery. It's simple. What I want to know is this. What's your favourite pop record featuring an oboe?

― Vaughan, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't think of a single pop with anything oboeish in't......enlighten me

― VAlence, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

there's oboes all over the first roxy music LP

― mark s, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Something or other by julian cope. I suppose I should mention GRYPHON, who featured crumhorn & recorder on their rekords, which I like a lot.

x0x0

― |\|0|2/|\4|\| |=4'/, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

'World Shut Your Mouth, the first Julian Cope LP, is brimming with fabulous oboe parts, played by Kate St John. But don't mention the Dream Academy.

― harvey williams, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"In this elegant chaos, I stand to one side." Ah, now that's a line. But is oboe the same as cor anglais? Because that's what she's credited with, I think.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Does "Tonight It Shows" by Mercury Rev use oboes? If so, then that's it.

― brains, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

In pop the oboe is almost always (but perhaps not by Roxy) used to evoke English ruralism. The French Horn pushes similar emotional buttons. I've always liked those instruments for those associations.

― David Inglesfield, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Is there an oboe in the Go-Betweens "Bye bye pride"? Yes, I think there is. Can I have 5 pounds?

― Michael Bourke, Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

unless i am very much mistaken (more than likely). there is a prominent oboe in the last half of Nightswimming by REM.

and irrespective of it being an oboe or not, it sounds brilliant!

― Richard H., Monday, 3 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

There's that track towards the end of the first Electronic album. It's lovely, too, and works partly because the oboe is so unexpected.

― Daniel, Tuesday, 4 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It wasn't a quiz . . . but some of the records I was thinking of were, indeed, 'Elegant Chaos' by Julian Cope (and if it IS a cor anglais my argument is ruined). There's also 'Suddenly Last Summer' by The The, one of the David Sylvian tracks from 'Secrets of the Beehive' ('The Devil's Own'? - can't remember), 'Out of the Blue' by Roxy Music, 'Methods of Dance' by Japan, 'As Tears Go By' by Marianne Faithfull . . . but I'm sure there are others. So keep the suggestions coming - I'm intrigued.

― Vaughan Simons, Tuesday, 4 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Kate St. John's oboe is wonderful on Copey's "Head Hang Low".

― Dr. C, Tuesday, 4 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

as tears go by *sigh so long it births the end *

― anthony, Tuesday, 4 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Head Hung Low" is the one I was thinking of. Thanks again Dr.C!

xoxo

― Norman Fay, Tuesday, 4 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ned: Cor Anglais is a little bigger, and therefore lower pitched than oboe. it's a diff shape too - curved tube for the reed, and strange almost spherical horn at the bottom.

― m jemmeson, Tuesday, 4 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Maybe we should just shift the thread to double reeds in general, so I can go on and on about the bassoon.

― Nitsuh, Tuesday, 4 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Kate St John also excellent on Saint Etienne's "On The Shore", off Tiger Bay.

― Captain Swing aka King Penda, Tuesday, 4 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm sure there's some god awful pop song out at the moment that gratuitously samples Albinoni before tearing him to shreads. And I can't for the life of me remember who it's by. Does sampling count?

― Tom Armitage, Tuesday, 4 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

What about 'I got you babe' (Sonny and Cher, I think)?

― Tim Overton, Thursday, 6 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

nine months pass...

I don't think there are any songs featuring the Oboe, but I'd like to play songs on the Oboe!!

― Lousia Thompson, Monday, 10 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

:-0

― jess, Monday, 10 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

"Shatter" by Shelleyan Orphan! Between the vocal passages, the oboe steps in and plays a very nimble and lovely melody. Just perfect.

How about "Blue Moon" by Big Star? I think that's an oboe at the beginning, but I may be wrong.

There's also a nice oboe solo on "On the Beach" by Buddha on the Moon.

― Ernest, Monday, 10 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The laughing gnome by David Bowie

― Andrew, Friday, 21 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

damn what *was* I calling myself last September?

― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 22 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

verlaines albums are filled with oboe

― keith, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Definately oboe featured in track 5 of the pet sounds album by the beach boys though i am not sure of the title of this track. Also Kathy Lee Gifford in her Born for You CD. The Turtles use oboe in Happy Together and in Back 2 Good by Matchbox 20 Maybe also use English Horn but I haven;t Included those!

― Ivy A., Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

There are lots of lovely Shelleyan Orphan oboe passages,try blue black grape or cavalry of cloud even big sun where oboe and coranglais intertwine. How about the poacher by Ronnie Lane.

― jem tayle, Wednesday, 17 December 2003 00:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Boxcar Willie.

― jazz odysseus, Wednesday, 17 December 2003 02:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Tanita Tikaram: Twist In My Sobriety

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 17 December 2003 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)

And, yes, "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher too

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 17 December 2003 02:33 (twenty-one years ago)

(which was already mentioned...)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 17 December 2003 02:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Another vote for the last track off Electronic's 1st lp. Gorgeous stuff. When it came out, that one song got me toying with learning how to play the oboe (didn't happen..)

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 17 December 2003 11:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Not sure if this counts, but I think I hear an oboe taking the lead on whatever it is that Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say" samples.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 19 December 2003 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Oboes featured prominently in "Pretty Ballerina" by
the Left Bank. One of the prettiest, strangest hit singles
ever.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 19 December 2003 23:27 (twenty-one years ago)

"Black & White" by Greyhound
(Must have oboes, I'm... pretty positive)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Friday, 19 December 2003 23:33 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

Hi,
I am an oboe/english horn player who just finished a CD entitled,"Pop Goes the Oboe", for the very reasons you have been discussing. It just isn't heard much.

My CD includes songs sung by Evanescence, Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, some pop jazz by Chick Corea, and more.

Anyone interested can email me at:
5pantely @msn.com

Thanks,
BP

― Bonnie Pantely, Sunday, 18 April 2004 22:20 (twenty-one years ago)

"i went to sleep" by the beach boys?

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Sunday, 18 April 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Lindsay Cooper ownz this thread. Check out the Variations On A Theme album by David Thomas and the Pedestrians, esp. "Semaphore".

For nice cor anglais, seek out the Durutti Column albums Another Setting and Without Mercy.

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 19 April 2004 09:05 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

The album "16 Lovers Lane" of the Go-Betweens has a lot of oboe on it. And the song "Tryptich" from Roxy Music too.

― zeus, Monday, 29 August 2005 08:00 (nineteen years ago)

What's thet Blur song...on Modern Life Is Rubbish..."I've been making plans (for the future)/Become an unconscious man"..."Starshaped", that's it. Great song. That's got an oboe.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Monday, 29 August 2005 08:36 (nineteen years ago)

"The Orchids" by Psychic TV.

― OleM (OleM), Monday, 29 August 2005 09:22 (nineteen years ago)

four months pass...

rolling stones "Dandelion". Oboe solo in the middle of song. Beatles anthology 2. Different mix of Penny Lane with an oboe instead of picccolo solo. monty jan 2006

― michael montalto, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 04:36 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

just wanted to say Sue Harris rocks the oboe hard on the first Albion Band record BATTLE OF THE FIELD, and is an ace hammered dulcimer player to boot. ha ha "hammered"

― timmy tannin (pompous), Thursday, 2 March 2006 21:25 (nineteen years ago)

I have always heard the lyrics of a certain Huey Lewis and the News song as
Now the oboe may be better tweeting
But the heart of rock and roll,
the heart of rock and roll is still beating

― Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Thursday, 2 March 2006 21:31 (nineteen years ago)

Electronic - "Some Distant Memory"

― Dan (Come On, People) Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 2 March 2006 21:36 (nineteen years ago)

Beatles anthology 2. Different mix of Penny Lane
I might have thought there were more Beatle songs, but all I could find was "The Inner Light," apparently.

― Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Thursday, 2 March 2006 21:39 (nineteen years ago)

Madonna, "Crazy For You"
Dream Academy, "Life in a Northern Town"
OMD, "Talking Loud and Clear"

― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Friday, 3 March 2006 03:22 (nineteen years ago)

Jennifer Juniper - Donovan

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 3 March 2006 03:54 (nineteen years ago)

three years pass...

Ronnie Lane, "The Poacher"
Honeybus, "Can't Let Maggie Go"

― Gez Kahan, Friday, 19 February 2010 17:35 (fifteen years ago)

Surprised no one's mentioned Kiss From A Rose by Seal.

― Space Battle Rothko (Matt DC), Friday, 19 February 2010 17:54 (fifteen years ago)

Electronic's "Some Distant Memory."

― Inculcate a spirit of serfdom in children (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 19 February 2010 17:59 (fifteen years ago)

The Cardigans circa 1993/1994:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuLpYnxsQAQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfV5pMEVdDw

― fat ass idiot butt munch (PappaWheelie V), Friday, 19 February 2010 22:29 (fifteen years ago)

Thanks for reminding me about Can't Let Maggie Go.

― dynamicinterface, Friday, 19 February 2010 23:00 (fifteen years ago)

The Fall - "Chicago Now"

― eatandoph, Friday, 19 February 2010 23:20 (fifteen years ago)

I like whatever instrument is on "Going Up the Country" by Canned Heat

― lukevalentine, Saturday, 20 February 2010 01:04 (fifteen years ago)

apparently a pan pipe

― lukevalentine, Saturday, 20 February 2010 01:05 (fifteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.