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Violin in Rock and Roll
All through music history the violin has stood out as one of the most influential and emotion creating instruments, and even in Rock and Roll, artists have made good use of it. Case in point is MLTs “Still A Friend of Mine”, in fact they use a whole string section! What a heart string pulling song. A number of Beatles covers also features Lisa playing the cello, like in Yesterday. If someone told me Lisa was a seasoned pro cellist, I would easily believe it, although Lisa is very modest about it. She is very good! And then there is Mona on the harmonica and accordion, wow! They just learn an instrument to get the sound they are after in one of their songs, how brilliant.
A couple other favourite Rock and Roll songs that feature violin or cello I can think of are these. What are some of your favourite rock songs that feature one of the violin family of stringed instruments?
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34 Replies
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This should be easy, but this is the only one I can think of at the moment:
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I’ve always loved the “baroque rock” sound of The Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renée.”
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Dust In The Wind
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PAPER IN FIRE BY JOHN MELLENCAMP AND A BUNCH MORE BY HIM
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I wouldn’t have known about this group and this song if I hadn’t seen this very performance on TV. I had already become entranced, and then the violin solo at 2:37 made a permanent imprint on me.
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Not sure but maybe ABBA, Queen , Fleetwood Mac, maybe Mamas & Papas, Dusty Springfield, had some songs that used violins, etc in… good topic idea Jung…
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As the legend goes, Buddy Holly was the first one to use violins in rock and roll. This particular song is a beautiful ballad he wrote for his wife just before his life was tragically cut short. -
An oldie but a goodie:
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Here is the isolated orchestra track from “Comfortably Numb”
The guy in the middle is Michael Kamen. He was kinda the Mozart of rock in the eighties and nineties. He worked with a lot of big names and scored a bunch of movie soundtracks.
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Michael Kamen had his own group in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s – “The New York Rock and Roll Ensemble”. Not that well known but they had some really interesting stuff. No violins, but the cello was featured as was the oboe. I ran sound board and lighting for them for a few shows in 1971 which is how I know about them. I think I still have a couple of live R2R tapes taken off the board someplace around here. Anyhow, this is them with Michael singing:
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Hi Jim, that is quite beautiful, and the cello sounded really nice in there. Thanks for sharing it. It’s special that you were involved in some of their shows.
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Hey Jim,
They were really good, I have to admit I don’t remember them but I will
bet the Mixers sure have changed since then. The strings really added
a lot to the mix. Thanks for sharing that.
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JP,
That gives me chills!! I’m a huge Pink Floyd fan. Thanks for posting.
Groovily yours,
Diana
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Well Jung, you’ve done it again.
When and where are we going to have the MLTC reunion?
Everyone stay strong.
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Baba O’Riley by the Who.
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This thread has really thrown a spotlight on the reason why new pop music these days is so uninteresting: not enough gratuitous violins. (Sorry…)
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David, some real gems like the Drifters, and agree music today can do with instrumentation that require real musicianship.
JP, Pink Floyd never ceases to impress me. I think they along with the Beatles are the modern classical composers.
Diana, wow that Buddy Holly one really surprised me, great one.
Jacki, will check out the bands you listed, I am sure there is some great violin in there.
Michael, great one. The Who are great musicians indeed.
Dan, never heard of Left Bankes, and that one is beautiful.
Walter, will have to check out some John Mellencamp.
Thanks everyone for you input, really enjoyed listening to your selections and looking forward to checking out new songs.
Thomas, yes this one raises goosebumps. There is something very special when an artist learns an instrument and plays it for their song themselves.
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