Favorite Intro's

[David Herrick]

The intro that I enjoy most is that of “Won’t You Listen Now”.  No matter how hard I’m working or thinking at the moment, when that song starts I always instinctively whistle along with the harmonica, and I’m instantly transported to an easygoing Tom Sawyer mindset.

 

[Jacki Hopper]

Well now… I equally Luv All the intros but… If you insist I must choose… Well I ‘m gonna give you 4 that’s right off top of head that I get MLTBuzzed upon right away…. (told you I can’t pick just one… Lol)… Club 27…IDKBTW… OUAT… WYLN…

[Jung Roe]

David, I like your description about being transported to “..an easygoing Tom Sawyer mindset..” with Wont You Listen Now.  I can see why too.  Great intro there with the harmonica and that easy going country sound.

Jacki, yes “I don’t Know Birds That Well” have that wonderful guitar riff intro similar to “Close To You” and “In It For Love”.  In fact it is a Ukelele riff , how wonderfully sweet and unique it sounds!  The MLT certainly know how to do great intro’s in their songs just like the Beatles.  There is a lot of Beatles greatness that carry on in MLT song writing.

[Jung Roe]

I recall when I first heard the intro to “Club 27” thinking to myself, oh wow, these ladies can do it as good as Hendricks!  One of the best hard rock guitar sounds I’ve heard since Hendricks, and the Guess Who for me.

[Jung Roe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=016s7DVVhDg

I should have also asked here what is your favorite Beatles intro too as well as MLT intro?

Because intro’s are so impactful.  Without getting too off topic, I remember in some old management training they say in an interview or meeting, the impression you set in the very first few seconds is so important.  Maybe music is like that too, and the Beatles instinctively knew that and did just incredibly wonderful intro’s.  Just my theory.

[David Herrick]

My first experience with the Beatles’ music was via watching “A Hard Day’s Night”, and when I saw and heard John playing the intro to “I Should Have Known Better”, I thought “Wow, this song is gonna be great!”  (Apparently I’ve just got a thing for harmonicas…)  Likewise, I found the shout of “We’re out!” to be a terrific lead-in to “Can’t Buy Me Love”, although technically it’s not part of the song.

Once I’m familiar with a song, I generally can’t disentangle my feelings for the intro from those for the song as a whole.  The intro just becomes the title card for the show to follow.  But for the Beatles, the show is almost always one that I have to stay for.

 

[Jung Roe]

I agree David, that harmonica intro lead in on “I should have known Better” is awesome, and is a continuous theme throughout the song. Beatles use a lot of harmonica in their early songs didn’t they. I’m so glad Mona is a pro with the harmonica. Love it when she does the harmonica on some of the covers. George Harrison provided the intro to “And I Love Her”, and Paul McCartney says without that intro guitar riff, the song would be nothing. Pretty big validation about the significance of the unique Intro in the Beatles songs. I think the same could be said of “I want to Hold Your Hand”. That great Intro guitar riff launches that song into the stratosphere and it doesn’t come down after that. The same with Ticket To Ride, Day Tripper, etc..

[David Herrick]

Those are all great examples, Jung.  A good intro really invites the listener to adapt to the mood of the song before committing to the story it tells.

I think the percussion instrument (the claves, I just found out) in “And I Love Her” is just as important to making the intro memorable as is the guitar riff.

Funny, you mentioned “Ticket To Ride”, and as I tried to play the intro in my head, I instead heard the intro to “You Can’t Do That”, and I realized for the first time that the two are rather similar.

 

[Jung Roe]

David, you are right.  The intro to Ticket to Ride and You Can’t do That are quite familiar but in a different key.  They sound similar, but feel different.  I don’t know how else to explain it.

In Sargent Peppers, so many of the intro’s are just fantastic.  Like A Day In the Life, Sargent Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band, With a Little Help From My Friends, Lovely Rita (I mentioned before), Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds, She’s Leaving Home, When I’m 64…the list goes on.

[David Herrick]

When I hear the intro to “I Want To Hold Your Hand” I picture someone trying three times to start a car, and then it sits there and idles for a couple of seconds.  The onset of the vocals corresponds to stepping on the gas pedal.

 

[Jung Roe]

I can envision that too David, as it does kind of sound like cranking the engine over on a cold winter morning, now that you point that out but oh so graceful the Beatles make it sound!  Or maybe the next time I have trouble starting my engine, I will hear some Beatles, and it wont be so bad.  🙂

[Jacki Hopper]

I’m enjoying everyone’s insights on their Fave Intros… For me, whatever the instrument used, it sets the tone, etc for the song!

[Jung Roe]

Jacki. Here is another interesting list of songs from a top 20 guitar intros of all time I came across.  Rounding up the top 4 from the list.

4..Norwegian Woods, Beatles

3..Angie, Rollings Stones

2..Hotel  California, Eagles.  Also performed by MLT.

1..Stair Way To Heaven,  Led Zeppelin

 

[Michael Rife]

I’m surprised that 8 Days A Week wasn’t mentioned.  One of the first “fade-in” intros. As for favorite Beatles and MLT intros……too many to mention.  I like the simplicity of Still  A Friend of Mine intro.  Mike.

[Jung Roe]

How could I not mention “Still a Friend of Mine” Mike.  The hauntingly beautiful classical piano intro just sets the mood of the entire song.