Favourite solo on a hit record?

[peteb]

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1499100498' post='3329169']
Over the weekend I was discussing solos on hit records with my band-mates! Worryingly, the most recent solo that we could think of was Yes' "Owner of a Lonely Heart" 1983.
In our defence, we are a bunch of old geezers and our collective memories are clearly failing us - there obviously has to be a solo on a more recent hit - any advance on 1983?

While we're here, I'm curious to know any BCers favourite solo on a hit record of all time. For the purposes of this discussion, I would say a solo should be 4 or more bars long and give the [i]impression[/i] of being improvised, à la Free's All Right Now. If posters could add a little info, or a link, that would be great!

To get the ball rolling - I've always had a soft spot for the wonderful sax solo at the end of Lou Reed's 1972 record "Walk on the Wild Side".
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6fayQBm9w[/media]
[/quote]
Most of the above posts kinda prove your point - I think of many hit singles that have an iconic solo (from Sweet Child O'Mine to Jump to No More Lonely Nights), but not that many since the turn of the century...! Even the big guitar bands like Muse or Foo Fighters don't really have a lot of improvised solos on their bigger hits.

I am sure that there are others, but the best that I can come up with at the moment is Dani California by RHCP from 2006...

Edited July 3, 2017 by peteb

[roceci]

Wot no bass solos? The breakdown in Forget You Cee Lo Green has some lovely noodles going on. Loadsa fun to play too.

[Hellzero]

Anything soloed by Anthony Jackson or Alain Caron for the bass, especially on "Ton jardin".

https://youtu.be/8rENeWhoNr0

And anything by the late Wes Montgomery on guitar and there were lots of hits...

[PawelG]

I really like the solo on "Hells Bells" from AC/DC's Back in Black album. The official video is too cool when Angus fixes his cap.

Also the simplicity of the guitar solo on "Rawhide" by The Blues Brothers was catching my attention since I can remember.

[PawelG]

[quote name='PawelG' timestamp='1499122316' post='3329426']
I really like the solo on "Hells Bells" from AC/DC's Back in Black album. The official video is too cool when Angus fixes his cap.

Also the simplicity of the guitar solo on "Rawhide" by The Blues Brothers was catching my attention since I can remember.
[/quote]

Now, when I think about it - these are only hits for me ha ha

[BrunoBass]

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1499117938' post='3329397']


If we're talking James Dean Bradfield then this is my absolute favourite.

http://youtu.be/gavcjNniIvk

The solo work throughout the song is just perfectly apropriate to the song.

Generation Terrorists was a huge influence on me back in the day.

It was like Guns and Roses with intelligent lyrics and far more beautiful vocals.
[/quote]

Yes.

I do an acoustic cover of that in my solo set. Amazing song.

[chris_b]

I see we've strayed from "hit" records, so I'll put up Hubert Sumlin's general guitar playing and solo on Howlin' Wolf's Spoonful.

[rodney72a]

Vinnie Zummo's guitar solo on this one. Nicely set up by Graham Maby's bass break.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGqmiT7JJVg

[Rich]

[quote name='Hellzero' timestamp='1499121914' post='3329421']
Anything soloed by Anthony Jackson or Alain Caron for the bass, especially on "Ton jardin".

https://youtu.be/8rENeWhoNr0

And anything by the late Wes Montgomery on guitar and there were lots of hits...
[/quote]
Hit records?

[lowdown]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1499151064' post='3329465']
Hit records?
[/quote]

Oh come on, give him a Wes tune as a 'hit'
'Windy' (1967) reached #48 in the States (#44 in their R&B charts).


http://youtu.be/VBGZgyl72_g

[Barking Spiders]

It may be sacrilege here but in recent weeks I've been playing more guitar than bass after hearing Baker Street on t'radio. Fookin love the solo there. The other top ones for me are those on Reelin In The Years, Another Girl Another Planet (Only Ones), Holidays In Cambodia (Dead Kennedys) and Another Brick In The Wall.

[SteveK]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1499114451' post='3329347']
I've always loved Wesley Magoogan's lovely sax solo on Hazel O'Connor's "Will You?".
[/quote]
Great solo - Wes has been a good friend of mine for 40 years or more. In fact, Wes suggested me for Hazel's band in 1980. I was in Hazel's band when Will You was a hit (didn't play on the record)

[Phil Adams]

Kid Charlemange - Steely Dan, and it was a hit!

[lowdown]

Another lovely Tenor solo from the 80's ([font=sans-serif]Gerald Albright)[/font]. (I think Sax solos were then outlawed on Pop Records on December 31st, 1989).

Any old excuse to post 'Forget Me Nots'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amzp7W0RkPA

[grumpyguts]

Get the Funk Out by Extreme, the solo by Nuno Bettencourt is the dogs danglers.

[casapete]

If we're back to 'hit' records then how about these, all of which feature a nice solo integral to the song.

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel -'Make me smile (Come up and see me) ' - Mega acoustic solo by Jim Cregan.
The Knack -'My Sharona' - Nice electric guitar solo which makes the song IMHO.
Al Stewart - 'Year of the cat' - acoustic into electric. Think it was Tim Renwick?
Rod Stewart -'I was only joking' - Gary Grainger and or Jim Cregan again?

Agree with previous posts about Amos Garrett - that solo never ceases to amaze me.

[ezbass]

Pretty much anything Steve Morse solos on does it for me, his use of a repeated refrain is just lovely.

http://youtu.be/4fsbIbAt_mo

http://youtu.be/X0wZ1jLi6PU

Edited July 4, 2017 by ezbass

[bumnote]

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1499113743' post='3329337'] Guilty pleasure time...[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nooeMrCws-A"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nooeMrCws-A[/url] [/quote]

Fantastic

[Colonel36]

Mykesbass got there before me so I'm having something different.


"Diamonds" A few weeks at number 1 in the early 60's with Jet Harris, a young Jimmy Page and a lovely crisp solo from Tony Meehan starts about 1.18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAUOnTaa_TE

[bubinga5]

Easy. Nile Rodgers guitar solo on Chic,s Saviour Faire. It's sublime.

[SteveK]

Some blinding contributions! Although, I'm sure there are one or two that weren't hits... or even singles
Sadly though, this thread has so far confirmed my suspicions, that solos are passe, and have been for many years
Such a shame - a good solo can add so much to a track!
BRING BACK THE SOLO! BRING BACK THE SOLO! BRING BACK THE SOLO!

[Cato]

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1499191029' post='3329870']
Some blinding contributions! Although, I'm sure there are one or two that weren't hits... or even singles
Sadly though, this thread has so far confirmed my suspicions, that solos are passe, and have been for many years
Such a shame - a good solo can add so much to a track!
BRING BACK THE SOLO! BRING BACK THE SOLO! BRING BACK THE SOLO!
[/quote]

I was thinking about this earlier while listening to Radio 1.

With a lot of chart music these days there's a rapper performing a few bars where previously the solo would have gone.

There also seems to be a lot more classical style orchestration in pop music in recent years (even if it's all done on a syth or computer) and quite often you the strings or the horns swelling to a sort of crescendo rather than an actual instrumental solo.

[lowdown]

I have found one from 1999 !!! (quite a good one as well).
Carlos Santana......



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcUxrpIwuQ4

[andyonbass]

Bodhisattva by Steely Dan. Not sure if it was a hit over here but it certainly hit the spot for me!

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAEphHf0P-c[/media]

Starts at about 1.35

[spectoremg]

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1499113743' post='3329337']
Guilty pleasure time...[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nooeMrCws-A[/media]
[/quote]You beat me to it.