Comments on: Let’s See Your Openers

By: pd

pd — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:50:10 +0000

How about Hi-De-Ho?

By: Miles

Miles — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:47:31 +0000

Opening notes that grab you? There’s so many. When the Beach Boys start the openings to “California Girls” and “Sloop John B”, nobody touches the radio. Same with “Under the Milky Way” by the Church and (don’t laugh) “A Summer Place” by Percy Faith. Great thread.

Beatles covers better than the original? The ones that come to mind are George Martin’s instrumental covers of “Here, There and Everywhere” and “And I Love Her”. There was a disc jockey on WLS or WCFL radio in Chicago that used to end his show every night at midnight with Martin’s “And I Love Her”. Can’t remember his name but maybe JB or another poster can recall who he was. One other Beatles tune I felt was better than the original was “If I Needed Someone” by The Cryan Shames.

By: Willie

Willie — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:42:51 +0000

The album version of “Telephone Line” by ELO, which opens with “telephone company-like sounds.”

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:20:11 +0000

Ok, ok, on a personal (and subjective) nature, I have a few more:

School’s Out – Alice Cooper
Ca Plane Pour Moi (excuse my French) – Plastic Bertrand
Take Me I’m Yours – Squeeze
American Woman – Lenny Kravitz
Heavy – Collective Soul
Cold Turkey – Lennon
Candles In The Rain – Melanie
Tall Cool One – Robert Plant
Mission Of Mercy – Motels
Smiling Faces Sometimes – Undisputed Truth
Who Do You Love – George Thorogood
Summertime – Billy Stewart (long version of course)
Letting Go – McCartney
Love Rollercoaster – Ohio Players
Somebody Calling – Robin Trower
Heavy Makes You Happy – Staple Singers
Tomorrow Never Knows – Beatles
Lucretia Mcevil – BS&T
I Walk The Line – Johnny Cash
Rollin’ And Tumblin’ – Jeff Beck
Stay – David Bowie
I Put A Spell On You – Creedence
Pipeline – Chantays
I Just Wanna Make Love To You – Foghat
Let’s Work Together – Canned Heat
Round And Round – Ratt
Frankenstein – Edgar Winter
The Hippy Hippy Shakes – Swinging Blue Jeans
Streychnine – The Sonics
Treat Her Like A Lady – Cornelius Bros And Sister Rose
Do It Again – Beach Boys
Sister’s Are Doin’ It For Themselves – Annie and Aretha

Sure, I ramble on, sorry.

By: jumping jack

jumping jack — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:45:30 +0000

Great list (several new songs to check out), but how can Springsteen’s Born to Run not be on this list? Grab’s ya from the first crack of the drumstick.

By: whiteray

whiteray — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:19:51 +0000

The Terry Manning track reminded me . . . I have a version of “Savoy Truffle” by Ella Fitzgerald. Not as good as Manning or the Beatles’ but interesting.

By: jb

jb — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:52:14 +0000

Speaking of Talking Heads, “Once in a Lifetime” has a great opening, too.

By: Shark

Shark — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:47:53 +0000

Fusion 46 made mention of the Talking Heads and that made me think of that first drum beat in “Take Me To the River.” I think Al Green wrote that song and it’s been covered by many artists.

By: Willie

Willie — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:40:08 +0000

One of my favorite covers is the 1972 version of “Hot Rod Lincoln” by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. It went to #9 on the Billboard Charts that year.

Originally recorded by Charlie Ryan and The Livingston Brothers in 1955, it was also covered in 1960 by Johnny Bond.

By: bean

bean — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:02:26 +0000

for ear-grabbing openings, come to think of it there are a whole slew of :00 intros that are irresistible.

“rock and roll music,” “can’t buy me love,” and “all my loving” by the beatles, for instance.

“down by the lazy river” by the osmonds (remember: “what are you doing tonight…?)

“white lies, blue eyes” by bullet.

and many more….