Pop Songs with Bizarre solos

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1. The Flying Lizards - Money

It took a while to work out it was a guitar making all that fizzy noize and backwards wowwwing.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:28 (nineteen years ago)

2. Ian Dury & the Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

Davey Payne blows through two saxes simultaneously in tender tribute to the recently deceased Rahsaan Roland Kirk (fact!).

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:30 (nineteen years ago)

2. Troggs - Wild Thing (ocarina solo)

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:30 (nineteen years ago)

4. Good Vibrations - theremin solo

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:31 (nineteen years ago)

5. Sonny & Cher, "Living for You" (fiddle hoedown breakdown in the middle of a jaunty sunshine-pop song)

6. Carpenters, "Goodbye to Love" (RAWK)

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

Two kazoo solos:
7. Don Partridge - Rosie
8. Bonzos - I'm The Urban Spaceman

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

9. David Bowie - Boys Keep Swinging

... that guitar solo is mighty weird!

― The Aff Its Heid Show (Dada), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:34 (nineteen years ago)

10. Thunderclap Newman - Something In the Air

... bizarre upside down barrelhouse piano in middle of mellow psychedelic classic!

― The Aff Its Heid Show (Dada), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:35 (nineteen years ago)

And all through that album. Another kazoo solo on "Accidents" plus a harmonica solo which sounds like Albert Ayler.

Bowie told Adrian Belew to play that solo like he didn't know how to play the guitar!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:36 (nineteen years ago)

is it supposed to be bizarre at the time it was released or some meta-bizarrerie valid for all times ?

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

Perhaps some of us just like fun.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

probably I shouldn't mention this but...

11. Jennifer Gentle - I do dream you (the solo is the sound of a deflating helium balloon)

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

12. David Bowie - Space Oddity (stylophone)

― The Aff Its Heid Show (Dada), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:53 (nineteen years ago)

Bowie told Adrian Belew to play that solo like he didn't know how to play the guitar!

The story I heard -- which may be an urban legend? -- is that everyone involved played the "wrong" instrument on that song. I don't know who was to have played what, though.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:55 (nineteen years ago)

Carlos Alomar IIRC played the drums and wasn't too happy about doing so. The credits are listed on the original sleeve of Lodger but I'd have to go back to my shelves and refer to that to remind myself who did what. Belew did the solo, though.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

That's true, Carlos Alomar plays drums and the drummer played bass

― The Aff Its Heid Show (Dada), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

Oops, xpost

― The Aff Its Heid Show (Dada), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

13. There's a famously (?) odd guitar solo in 'Country House.' Maybe not bizarre enough for this thread.

― Billy Pilgrim (Billy Pilgrim), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

No maybes about it

― The Aff Its Heid Show (Dada), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

(I tee it up, someone hits it out... )

― Billy Pilgrim (Billy Pilgrim), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, if you discount all the revived Misfits threads, this is third on the list. Oh actually it's top now!

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

Peter Buck's solo in "What's the Frequency Kenneth" is backwards, so that's...sorta bizzare. One of my favorite solos ever though.

― Eppy (Eppy), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

NOIZE SYNTH SOLO in Janet Jackson's "If"!

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:48 (nineteen years ago)

the who - "anyway anyhow anywhere" (owns this thread)

roxy music - "editions of you"

marvin gaye - "sparrow"

james brown - "super bad"

and does bo diddley's "mumblin' guitar" count, since the solo *is* the song?

― Lawrence the Looter (Lawrence the Looter), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:52 (nineteen years ago)

More kazoo, played by the producer of number 8, Paul McCartney

Ringo Starr- "You're Sixteen"

― A Study In Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 15:04 (nineteen years ago)

there's this solo in the cover of "shipbuilding" by suede where it starts like a trumpet and then by the end, you find out it's a guitar. actually i'm not even sure what instrument plays this solo !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 15:18 (nineteen years ago)

Vivian Stanshall: "New horizons in sound now, as Roger plays a solo on the electric shirt collar!" -

(Bonzo Dog Band, "Shirt")

― M. Agony Von Bontee (M. Agony Von Bontee), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

25 (or sumthin'): Focus, Hocus Pocus

Several yodelling solos AND speeded up silly voice+squeeze box solo

― The Aff Its Heid Show (Dada), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 16:11 (nineteen years ago)

Neil Young - "Cinnamon Girl" (one-note guitar solo)

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 16:14 (nineteen years ago)

dr hook 'cover of the rolling stone'

― dave q (listerine), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 16:23 (nineteen years ago)

Soundgarden fans, I'm talkin' to YOU!

did "Spoonman" have a spoon solo?...and if not, shouldn't it?

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 16:35 (nineteen years ago)

Steely Dan -- keyboard solo on Do It Again

The Birds -- guitar solo on 8 Miles High

The Doors -- guitar solo on When The Music's Over

Of course, bizarre is relative...

― Tronid K (tronidk), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 16:44 (nineteen years ago)

the Clavioline solo on Del Shannon's Runaway

― someteenpartying (someteenpartying), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 16:52 (nineteen years ago)

"Pale Blue Eyes," by The Velvet Underground: The guitar solo, with its bent blue notes, always seemed a little "off" to me. I love it anyway.

"Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" and "I Can't Get You Off of My Mind" (Hank Williams cover), by Bob Dylan: Proof positive that Zimmy can't play electric guitar leads to safe his life.

― Jim M (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 17:20 (nineteen years ago)

"Pop Songs"

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 17:22 (nineteen years ago)

These are all pop songs.

― Jim M (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 17:23 (nineteen years ago)

Neil Young - "Cinnamon Girl" (one-note guitar solo)

Can this falsehood be retired?

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 17:24 (nineteen years ago)

These are all ~~pop~~ songs.
-- Jim M (jmcga...), Today 11:23 AM. (jmcgaw)

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 17:27 (nineteen years ago)

70s Bowie owns this thread - I nominate the Frippertronic solo on "Fashion".

Iommi's solo in "Paranoid" is perhaps the most fuzzed-out evah.

By "pop song" I mean a song you would likely hear on the radio, e.g. Glenn Branca not included.

― Edward III (edward iii), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

I've heard all the songs I nominated on the radio.

I suppose Spiderbait's "Glockenpop" isn't a pop song because I've never heard it on the radio.

― Jim M (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 18:04 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.kingsize.no/bildearkiv/Covers2/bizarre_S.jpg

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 18:19 (nineteen years ago)

Queen - I Want To Break Free

In fact, I've considered starting a thread about this before, because I've never quite managed to work it out. Sonically, it sounds like an analogue synth solo. But musically it sounds like a Brian May guitar solo. So is it Brian playing around with an early synth guitar? Everything I've ever read about them says they were horrible plastci-stringed things with awful tracking which made them pretty much unusable, yet this sounds great. Then again, he never used it again. Maybe it actually is a synth solo, and whoever's playing it (Freddie? Brian himself?) is just doing a great job of imitating Brian's guitar style. Does anyone know?

― JimD (JimD), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, don't answer that.

"I Want To Break Free" was written by John out of frustration. A very original and interesting song regarded by many as a pop classic, and best known probably because of its controversial video, featuring all four Queen members dressed up as women. The "guitar" solo is actually a synth, played by Fred Mandel. Live, however, Brian did play a guitar solo.

So now I know.

― JimD (JimD), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

42 posts no d12 joke?

― renegade bear shot by cops on frat row (vahid), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 18:45 (nineteen years ago)

Another vote for the Bonzos

"Trouser Press"

no prizes for guessing what the solo is played on...

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

42 posts no d12 joke?
-- renegade bear shot by cops on frat row (vfoz...), June 21st, 2006 3:45 PM.

um, look up.

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 18:54 (nineteen years ago)

Starbuck "Moonlight Feels Right" - the solo is played on glockenspiel or something.

― Maltodextrin (Maltodextrin), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 19:46 (nineteen years ago)

Paul Simon, "Call Me Al" -- the second half of the bass solo is the first half of the bass solo with the tape reversed.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

Julian Cope - Sunspots (recorder solo)

― bham (bham), Thursday, 22 June 2006 07:36 (nineteen years ago)

Julian Cope - "Sleeping Gas (live)"

"The audience down the front are witnessing a face solo"

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 22 June 2006 07:44 (nineteen years ago)

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