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Flute Solos
Okay, it’s time to exercise our creaky memories again.
I’m sure we all enjoyed Mona’s flute solos in “I’ll Follow the Sun” and “Here, There and Everywhere”. How many 60’s (or thereabouts) songs can you think of that featured flute solos?
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39 Replies
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Nice topic David. Are we allowed to include recorders? If so, I’d start with the Rolling Stones “Ruby Tuesday” and for a flute solo, I’d go with Manfred Mann’s “Pretty Flamingo”, for which Mona chose the harmonica in their Duo Session cover.
And of course, how many flute solos would appear in Jethro Tull songs, with Ian Anderson playing standing on one leg. Their 1969 “Stand Up” album quickly went to No. 1 on the UK charts, while the non-album single “Living in the Past” peaked at No. 3.
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Sure, Howard, we can include recorders, piccolos, etc. Anything in the nebulously defined “flute family”.
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Moody Blues – Nights In White Satin
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Mamas And the Papas – California Dreamin’
Canned Heat – Going Up the country
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The Fool On the Hill
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You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
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And as you suggested (or thereabouts), how about Van Morrison’s “Moondance”, from 1970.
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Hi David, here is a pan flute. This one always evoked beautiful feelings.
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That’s lovely, Jung! It makes me think of Simon and Garfunkel’s recording of El Condor Pasa, and ABBA’s Fernando, both of which I guess we could add to the list if those are indeed flutes.
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Yes, it is a lovely piece and with some beautiful photos to match. Your ‘El Condor Pasa’ scrapes in like my two 1970 selections. However, ‘Fernando’ from 1976 is opening things up to a whole bunch of new possibilities with all those seventies progressive rock groups like Genesis (Peter Gabriel -transverse flute)
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You’re right, Howard; I forgot about my own boundaries on the era!
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Maybe there’s a lesson for us all here David. Setting strict boundaries in order to keep posts on Topic as set out in the guidelines – “Before you post, search the forum and stay on topic.” It does help to keep posts neat and relevant, and also more professional.
The other parameter you set was songs that “featured flute solos”. Strictly speaking, this could be interpreted as meaning a section of a piece of music where the flute took the lead break, like guitars usually do in Rock bands. You gave two good examples with Mona’s flute solos in “I’ll Follow the Sun” and “Here, There and Everywhere”. These are both songs from the sixties featuring flute solos. This criteria would eliminate songs that are written for or played entirely by flutes.
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King Crimson – I Talk to the Wind
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Donovan – There Is a Mountain
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The Troggs – Wild Thing
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Howard, I was just thinking of Wild Thing, but I wanted to verify that it was a flute of some kind. It is, and it’s called an ocarina, which I was not familiar with:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocarina#/media/File:2016-01_Ocarina_front.jpg
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And it sure is one strange looking flute David.
“The ocarina is an ancient wind musical instrument—a type of vessel flute. Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body. It is traditionally made from clay or ceramic, but other materials are also used—such as plastic, wood, glass, metal, or bone. en.wikipedia.org”
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Manfred Mann – The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)
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Manfred Mann – Semi Detached Suburban Mr James
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Wow! Bonus points at the two-minute mark for playing the guitar while still gripping the flute.
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Well to be honest, they’d be lip syncing there David, and when playing live, I’m sure Manfred would take over the bass part on his organ.
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California Dreaming , with it’s perfect flute aspect in it….???… Inlove both MLT and M & P’s versions equally…!!
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And of course there’s its sibling, the solo in Creeque Alley.
And another great one in Along Comes Mary by the Association.
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