Almanac Music: Instrumentals
[Wikimedia Commons.]
Almanac Music: Instrumentals
This week, it’s something a little different for my musical piece, namely, an article focused upon instrumentals of the rock / pop era (1950s onwards). I’ve put forward ten instrumentals below, which Almanackers are welcome to add to in the comments section. The basic issue I’ve kept in mind is that the works concerned are the kind that would fit into the popular charts, so material such as classical music would not usually be appropriate. At the same time, even if in doubt, by all means add the musical work you have in mind.
Also, my sense is that, decades ago, instrumentals of the rock / pop variety were more popular than is the case in the present time.
‘Raunchy’, written by Bill Justis and Sidney Manker, performed by Bill Justis and his Orchestra (1957)
From Wikipedia: ‘In 1958, a then fourteen-year-old George Harrison performed it [‘Raunchy’] for John Lennon and Paul McCartney on the top deck of a bus in Liverpool, and was so note-perfect that Lennon decided, despite earlier reservations about Harrison’s age, to let him into his band the Quarrymen, which later became the Beatles.’ Hence, ‘Raunchy’ can be viewed as one of the songs that formed the Beatles. Anyway, it certainly provides an example of the kind of music they had access to in their formative years.
‘Rebel Rouser’, written by Duane Eddy and Lee Hazlewood, performed by Duane Eddy and His ‘Twangy’ Guitar (1958)
‘Rebel Rouser’ is from the great ‘Neville Densley’ songbook, in that it’s probably the record I associate most with my father, who was a bit of rebel himself in his young motorbike-riding days of the mid-to-late nineteen-fifties. He had this Duane Eddy classic in the form of a single in the family record collection. Eddy’s ‘twangy’ guitar and the wailing tenor sax are the key components to this (yes!) rousing piece of work.
‘Forty Miles of Bad Road’, written by Duane Eddy, performed by Duane Eddy, His Twangy Guitar and the Rebels (1959)
Great title, which Eddy and his producer, Lee Hazlewood, got from overhearing a young man say his recent blind date went OK, but that the young woman concerned had a face like ‘forty miles of bad road’. Again lead guitar and tenor sax are to the fore.
‘Apache’, written by Jerry Lordan, performed by The Shadows (1960)
The Shadows were the quintessential rock instrumental band, with many hits over a long period, beginning in the late 1950s, as well as doing extended stints as Cliff Richard’s backing group. Lead guitarist Hank Marvin’s distinctive guitar work, rich with echo and vibrato, is front-and-centre in this number, which became a major worldwide hit for the band, and a #1 song in the UK.
‘Wipeout’, by Bob Berryhill, Pat Connolly, Jim Fuller, Ron Wilson, performed by The Surfaris (1963)
This recording was part of the surf rock craze of the late fifties / early sixties, originating in the USA (primarily Southern California) but extending to other parts of the world, including Australia. The Surfaris’ hit, ‘Wipeout’, with its twelve-bar blues structure, features lead guitar and drum solo work. The melody will be familiar to many.
A successful Australian surf music group was the Atlantics, who had a big hit with the instrumental, ‘Bombora’, in 1963. This made the band internationally known.
‘Flying’, written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Richard Starkey, performed by the Beatles (1967)
While not exactly the Beatles’ finest hour, this lightweight instrumental is nevertheless a piece for Beatles lovers and others to ponder, being an interesting blend of soft and psychedelic rock. John Lennon playing the main theme on the mellotron provides a point of difference, too. For those interested in Beatles instrumentals, listen to ‘Cry For a Shadow’ (1961), which the band (with Pete Best on drums) recorded in Germany and the throwaway ‘12 Bar Original’, recorded in 1965, both of which are available via Anthology recordings released in the mid-1990s.
‘Frankenstein’, written by Edgar Winter, performed by The Edgar Winter Group (1973)
The main riff from this heavy / prog rock / art rock instrumental will be familiar to many. ‘Frankenstein’ made it to number #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in the USA in 1973, as well as being a hit in numerous other countries. I remember it well from my adolescent music-listening years.
‘Portsmouth’, traditional, performed by Mike Oldfield (1976)
This jaunty, recorder-led piece (a traditional English folk dance tune) was a big hit for British multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield in the UK in 1976 and a smaller hit in other parts of the world, including Australia. I’ve always loved its hornpipe feel and the purity and mathematical symmetry of its melody. Oldfield plays almost all the instruments on this recording, with the exception of the recorders, which are played by Leslie Penning. Many would know Oldfield because of the massive worldwide hit he had with his debut album, Tubular Bells (1973).
‘Chariots of Fire’ written and recorded by Vangelis, (1981)
This theme tune from the 1981 film of the same name, highlights piano and synthesizer. It has iconic status as a nineteen-eighties artefact, in my opinion, and was also a worldwide hit.
‘Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero’, written and performed by Mark Knopfler (1983)
In 1983, Mark Knopfler, of Dire Straits fame, had a modest international hit with ‘Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero’, an evocative, Celtic-influenced rock tune, showcasing his lead guitar skills.
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Over to you now, Almanac readers. Please put your chosen instrumentals in the comments section, plus any other thoughts you wish to share on the topic.
[Note: Wikipedia has been a good general reference for this piece, particularly in relation to checking dates and other details.]
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About
Kevin Densley is a graduate of both Deakin University and The University of Melbourne. He has taught writing and literature in numerous Victorian universities and TAFES. He is a poet and writer-in-general. His sixth book-length poetry collection, Isle Full of Noises, was published in early 2026 by Ginninderra Press. He is also the co-author of ten play collections for young people, as well as a multi Green Room Award nominated play, Last Chance Gas, published by Currency Press. Other writing includes screenplays for educational films.
Great list once again KD!
One of the first records I bought was ‘Washington Square’ by Frank Traynor & his Jazz Preachers, a great trad jazz piece which was a cover of the Village Stompers hit. Stomping and surf guitar music were synonymous with a lot of instrumental music.
’55 Days At Peking’ by Rob EG was another guitar instrumental I purchased with my pocket money.
The family also bought ‘Alley Cat’ by Bent Fabric, both from the early 60s.
‘Peter Gunn’ by Duane Eddy is a cracker, and ‘Albatross’ by the original Fleetwood Mac are others that come to mind.
What a fine, interesting range of instrumentals you’ve put forward! Thanks Col. I’ll single out ‘Peter Gunn’ by Duane Eddy, which I reckon has reached iconic status.
Thanks Kevin.
Agree with Colin about Albatross.
As Don Walker wrote in Shots, “In the awning above there’s one little mono speaker, all treble, and it’s whispering “Albatross” over the distant surf. Was there ever a more beautiful human creation? The sound of oceans tapped from the depths of a naked heart. Peter Green’s goodbye note as he turned his back on insanity……..
Thanks for your comments, Peter.
I certainly agree about Col’s choice of ‘Albatross’: it is a beautiful, tender piece of music.
Interesting topic Kevin, I’m only familiar with some of the instrumentals you’ve listed.
My favourite instrumental is “Hellbound” by The Living End, an absolutely rollicking track.
Also a big fan of “Wedding Cake Island” by Midnight Oil and “Little Drummer Boy (Up the Kyber)” by the Hoodoo Gurus.
Cheers, Luke. Thanks for your contributions. Love ’em all: ‘Hellbound’ from 1995, ‘Wedding Cake Island’ from 1980 (which I’ve heard live a few times, and enjoyed virtually since the time it was written), and ‘Little Drummer Boy (Up the Khyber)’ from 1991.
In fact, if I’d mulled over this week’s piece another day or so, I would’ve included ‘Wedding Cake Island’, as it has been in my head quite a bit in the last twenty-four hours.
Thanks Kev The first track from David to Gilmour’s first solo album, Mihalis is nice as is the first track of Bob Mould’ first album Workbook, called Sunspots cheers
Many thanks for these, IW. Just listened to – and liked – both. Listening to this guitar-based material has reminded that fairly recently I bought a CD from a guitarist (non-vocalist) playing solo on the streets of Torquay in Victoria, who I really liked. I can’t remember his name, but now I’ll sort through my stacks of CDs, locate the disc and actually play it through!
Green Onions, Booker T & the MGs
Jessica, The Allman Brothers Band
Paradise by the C, Bruce
Thanks Kevin. This (article and comments) has been fun. Going Home and Wedding Cake Island are jewels in the crown as far as I am concerned, but the diamond at its centre is the little known, homesick, whimsical loveliness of Nicky Hopkins’ Girl From Mill Valley, which featured on the1968 Jeff Beck album Beck-Ola. If you haven’t heard it, you are in for a treat!
My all-time favourite instrumental:
‘The Battle March Medley’ by The Pogues.
Also excellent from the Celtic genre:
‘O’Sullivan’s March’ by The Chieftains.
‘Gridlock’ by The Pogues.
Others:
‘Fanfare for the Common Man’ by Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
‘Bron-y-aur’ by Led Zeppelin.
‘Black Mountain Side’ by Led Zeppelin.
‘Green Onions’ by Booker T and the MGs.
‘Aerodynamic’ by Daft Punk.
‘Telstar’ by The Tornados.
Fabulous lists (“Jessica” & “Going Home” would be my faves) but back in time to the mid 60’s when I first got into music:
“Classical Gas” by Mason Williams is still an amazing combination of classical guitar with strings and a driving brass line.
As a soppy kid I liked “Love is Blue” by the Paul Mauriat Orchestra. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass had great numbers like “The Lonely Bull” and “Tijuana Taxi”. Mum’s favourite was “Stranger on the Shore” featuring Acker Bilk on clarinet.
In the country field I’m surprised no-one has mentioned “Dueling Banjos” which was a big hit in 1972 after it featured in the movie “Deliverance”. Along similar lines “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs (great names) became a hit after it featured in the 1967 “Bonnie and Clyde” movie.
Hi Rick. Thanks a lot for these choices – ‘Green Onions’ and ‘Jessica’ are certainly classic instrumentals, but I couldn’t find a version of ‘Paradise’ without vocals/lyrics. What is the story behind this one?
HI Danny. Glad you’re enjoying the article and comments material. Just had a listen to Nicky Hopkins work on ‘The Girl from Mill Valley’. You described it well – ‘homesick, whimsical loveliness’.
Thanks for your fine list, Smokie.
‘The Battle March Medley’ – oh yes, fabulous stuff! Some of the others I’ll need to listen to, but overall I love what you’ve contributed here.
Excellent stuff, PB.
I thought someone would get around to wonderful tunes like ‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown’ and ‘Dueling Banjos’, too. And you did! My initial list of instrumentals was only meant to kick things off, of course.
I liked your list in general – a great deal – and am also particularly pleased you gave Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass a couple of mentions. They are a favourite group of mine and, incidentally, so iconically and stylishly sixties.
Classical Gas is definitely my all-time favourite instrumental. I first heard a snippet of it on the Simpsons in the early 1990s. It’s since been the subject of many humorous memes on YouTube!
My other favourite instrumentals (in no particular order):
Green Onions, by Booker T and the MGs
Sunday Sermon, by Booker T and the MGs
Anji, by Simon and Garfunkel (not Davy Graham’s original)
The Whale, by Electric Light Orchestra
1st Movement (Jumping Biz), by Electric Light Orchestra
Cans and Brahms, by Yes
Sacha, by Hank Marvin
Theme song from Dr Pyser, by Ben Folds Five
‘Midnight In Moscow’ – Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
‘Steptoe & Son Theme’ – ?
‘Stranger On The Shore’ – Acker Bilk
A few more that have come to mind KD.
Thanks for this diverse and interesting bunch of instrumentals, Liam. Great stuff!
Overall, the list we’re compiling here is brilliant!
Great additions, Col. I remember seeing Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen at the Geelong Performing Arts Centre in the 1980s – jeez, that guy could play his trumpet loud! The sound easily filled the 900 seat Ford Theatre.
And while we’re thinking about jazz and TV themes (as in the jaunty Steptoe and Son number you put forward), how about Winifred Atwell playing George Botsford’s ‘Black and White Rag’, which was the theme for the TV snooker series Pot Black? As a kid, I liked Atwell’s version so much that I bought it as a single.
‘Wild Weekend’ by The Rebels, the chord structure of which was later adapted by John Fogerty into the hit ‘Rock andRoll Girls’.
Thanks, DB. This nifty little three-chord tune is the kind you think you’ve heard before, even if you haven’t – if that makes sense!
Cheers.
oh thanks for this chance to think of some of my favourites…
Wedding Cake island – Midnight Oil
Black Mountain side – Led Zeppelin
Orleans Stomp – The Cruel Sea
Zither – R.E.M.
This is what it is – The Cruel Sea
Introduction – Nick Drake (thanks Katie for these last three)
Alone in Kyoto – Air
Sunday – Nick Drake
Thanks for these, Eucalyptus regnans.
Just about all your choices are brief, stylish, highly effective pieces of music. All excellent listening.
Hi KD, sorry I just now saw your question re the Bruce and E Street Band instrumental, Paradise by the C. Not sure what you listened to but it is most definitively an instrumental. It is Clarence’s song, First recorded on Springsteen’s not so great live album, Live 1975-85. Then a studio take on The Ties that Bind, the River compilation. Both are on Spotify. Clarence is magnificent and the band joyous. Cheers
Thanks for the additional material, Rick.
I must have searched with slightly incorrect wording; at any rate, I discovered about five clips of a song called ‘Paradise’ by Bru-C!
My favourites would be:
Wedding Cake Island – Midnight Oil
Going Home (live) – Dire Straits (Alchemy album)
Orion – Metallica
Holy Man – Dennis Wilson
Fangin’ Hoons – The Cruel Sea
Seems Twice – The Cruel Sea
Plus:
LMA (instrumental) – The Mark of Cain (was.the b-side to the LMA single issued 95-96)
LMA (with vocals) would be in my top half dozen overall.
Just catching up with a bit of reading. I can’t believe no one has mentioned a classic from ’78.
The Crunch by The Rah Band.
Many thanks for these, Greg – an interesting range of quality instrumentals, to be sure. ‘Wedding Cake Island’ is shaping up as a favourite among Almanackers – I’ve always thought it was a lovely piece with a beautiful title.
Glad you chipped in, Daryl.
Fabulous stuff!
It’s also worth mentioning the Andrew Oldham Orchestra’s instrumental version of the Rolling Stones song “The Last Time”.
Without it, there would be no “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve: an all-time classic. As for the legal ramifications surrounding Bittersweet Symphony, I won’t bother starting any such discussion.
Thanks, Liam.
I love ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ a great deal! Yes, it’s certainly an all-time classic.
All the contributions spot on. A few old school tunes come to mind. Rumble – Link Wray Great Grunge. Caught him live in Melbourne years ago.
Cherry Pink and April Blossom White – Perez Prado. Makes me hang on to every note. Raunchy Horns front and centre.
Time is Tight – Booker T & MG’s. Keeps driving along between Organ and Guitar.
Fav however Sleepwalk – Santo and Johnny. Many Guitar heroes have a go at this one and never disappoints.
Hi Frank. Many thanks for these. I’ll certainly give them a listen.
Glad you’re enjoying the contributions in general, too!
Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells a master piece from 1973.
Thanks, Richard. Definitely an iconic song of its time – I mentioned it in my piece (above) as part of my commentary on Oldfield’s later ‘Portsmouth’.
Dare I mention Dylan’s ‘Wigwam’, which miraculously reached #3 in The Netherlands; #8 in Malaysia; #9 in Switzerland & Belguim…. I accept there are some ‘la de de de deeeee’ in the mix but it is an instrumental.
And, keeping to Dylan (as is my tradition), there is the soundtrack to Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid with several instrumental tracks therein.
Don’t forget ‘Nashville Skyline Rag’.
Thanks Karl – always good to have some Dylan in the mix!
DB – ‘Nashville Skyline Rag’: what a playful, uplifting piece, as befits the genre its title identifies with!
An instrumental that has been in my head for a few days is ‘Awkward City’ (1980) – a bright, medium-fast tempo number – written by New Zealand singer-songwriter, Sharon O’Neill, from her eponymous second studio album. I suppose it can be viewed as something a little different compared to her usual material.
The Ventures, the best-selling instrumental band of all time, selling over 100 million records.Great band.
Hi DR. Very glad you brought up The Ventures, so fundamentally important in terms of the present discussion about instrumental music.
The Voyage, by the Moody Blues.
Thanks, Liam, for this Moody Blues contribution.
Great topic, Kevin.
Here are some of my faves:
Atlantis by the Shadows (another Jerry Lordan composition)
Green Onions Booker T & MGs (Memphis Group is what the initials stand for)
Riviera Paradise by Stevie Ray Vaughn
Lilttle Wing (instrumental version) Stevie Ray Vaughan
Take Five – Dave Brubeck
Brush with the Blues – Jeff Beck
Pick up the Pieces- Average White Band
Time is Tight – Booker T et al
Thanks for these instrumental numbers, Tony. Some have been mentioned before, such as ‘Green Onions’ and ‘Time is Tight’.
So glad you like the topic, too.