Q.  What do these songs have in common?  - Land of 1,000 Dances - For What It's Worth - Sir Duke - Ballad of John and Yoko - Yer Blues - Judy Blue Eyes - Positively 4th Street - Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 - Fingertips - Unchained Melody
>>> answer in the column below left - or go to specific web page <<<

 
After perusing the list, you're encouraged to send comments and suggestions
for additional songs:

ken @adventure1.com


Most Memorable Intro Riffs

Compiled and ranked by Ken Albertsen
formerly based in northern California, now residing in northern Thailand


criteria for list

The term 'riff' is musicians' slang for a brief instrumental intro or interlude to a song. As this list ranks 'intro riffs', it excludes such memorable riffs as the tag to each verse of James Brown's "I Got You" (not an intro riff), and the Surfari's "Wipeout" (melody line).  

This list includes 'power chord' intros riffs to such songs as 'Loui Loui' or 'You Really Got Me'. Also included are bass intro riffs such as Fontella Bass' 'Rescue Me' or the Stones' 'Under My Thumb'.

Also, some of the most endearing songs on the list, such as 'Grapevine', 'Loui Loui' and 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' were not written by the musical groups that made them famous. A more comprehensive list would acknowledge the songwriters.

The recently released movie "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" and its segment about the intro riff to "My Girl" inspired me to compile the list.

The list is 'off the top of my head' and reflects how I'm (perhaps overly) influenced by popular songs from around the 60's era.

||||||||||||||||||||||||

Here's a mind-jangling challenge. How many songs can you list whose titles are not included in the lyrics?
some examples:

Land of 1,000 Dances
Wilson Pickett

For What It's Worth
Steven Stills
Buffalo Springfield

Sir Duke
Stevie Wonder

Ballad of John and Yoko
John Lennon

Yer Blues
The Beatles

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Crosby Stills and Nash

Positively 4th Street
Bob Dylan

Rainy Day Women
#12 & 35

Bob Dylan

Fingertips
Little Stevie Wonder

Unchained Melody
Elvis Presley

MORE SONGS

Each new submission to ken @adventure1.com gets a star by their name on the blackboard.

- thanks to Doug Adams for submitting some titles.


SONG
                                         PERFORMER

Satisfaction                                      Rolling Stones
Grapevine                                        Marvin Gaye
Loui Loui                                         The Kingsmen
Pretty Woman                                      Roy Orbison
You Really Got Me                                The Kinks
Gimme Some Lovin'                      Steve Winwood
Sunshine Of Your Love                             Cream
My Girl                                        Smokey Robinson
All Along the Watchtower               Jimi Hendrix's version
House Of The Rising Sun                   The Animals
The Lion Sleeps Tonight                   The Tokens
Light My Fire                               The Doors
Careless Whisper                          George Michael
Whiter Shade of Pale                        Procol Harem
Mustang Sally                            Wilson Pickett
Come Together                           The Beatles
Stairway To Heaven                           Led Zepplin
Wild Thing                            The Troggs
Just The Two Of Us                      Bill Withers
Knock On Wood                           Eddie Floyd
Limbo Rock                               Chubby Checker
Jumpin' Jack Flash                          Rolling Stones
Every Step You Take                           The Police
         Wooly Bully              Sam The Sham and the Pharoes
Daytripper                                        Beatles
Billy Jean                           Michael Jackson
Dock of the Bay                       Otis Redding
Something                           George Harrison
Purple Haze                         Jimi Hendrix
Inagodadavida                      Iron Butterfly
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds          The Beatles
She's Not There                      Zombies
Twist And Shout                     Isley Brothers
Johnny B. Goode                   Chuck Berry
Reach Out I'll Be There                     Four Tops
My Cherie Amor                          Stevie Wonder
I Feel Fine                                    Beatles
Start Me Up                              Rolling Stones
Little Wing                                 Jimi Hendrix
Brown Eyed Girl                        Van Morrison
Under My Thumb                         Rolling Stones
Money For Nothing                     Dire Straights
Brown Sugar                               Rolling Stones
Superstition                                Steve Wonder
Roxanne                                           Police
Hells Bells                                      AC/DC

 The Last Time                       Rolling Stones
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely HCB                       Beatles
Dazed And Confused                       Led Zepplin
Hit Me With Your Best Shot              Pat Benetar
What A Whole Lot of Love                 Led Zepplin
Your Latest Trick                           Dire Straits
All Day And All Of The Night          The Kinks
Honky Tonk Women                   Rolling Stones
Locomotion                           Carol King / Little Eva
Witchy Woman                               Eagles
Born To Be Wild                           Steppenwolf
Dancing in the Street           Martha & the Vandellas
Benny And The Jets                      Elton John
Hotel California                                  Eagles
Paint It Black                           Rolling Stones
Lean On Me                         Bill Withers
Teenage Wasteland                         The Who
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun              Cindi Lauper
Every Day People           Sly and the Family Sone
This is a Man's World                    James Brown
With A Little Help From My Friends  Joe Cocker's version
Who Can It Be Now?                  Men At Work   
Crocodile Rock                                  Elton John
Sir Duke                                  Stevie Wonder
Happy Just To Be With You        H.L. and the News
Rescue Me                            Fontella Bass
Crosstown Traffic                        Jimi Hendrix
I Got My Mojo Workin'               Preston Foster
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag           James Brown
Ring Around Your Finger                     Sting
Good Lovin'                                    Lil' Rascals
To Love Somebody                              Bee Gees
My Generation                                The Who
Summer Breeze                        Seals & Croft
Feelin' Alright                    Grease Band's version
Daydream                         Lovin' Spoonful
For Your Love                      The Yardbirds
Susie Q                                John Fogerty
Hey Joe                            Hendrix' version
It's The Same Old Song                 Temptations
Summer In The City                    Lovin' Spoonful
Communication Breakdown            Led Zeppelin
We Gotta Get Outta This Place         The Animals
Ob La Di Ob La Da                       The Beatles
Rhythm of the Rain                        The Cascades
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love           Solomon Burke
Heart Full Of Soul                   The Yardbirds
Jailhouse Rock                         Elvis Presley
Black Is Black                           Los Bravos
        

THAI LINKS

Affordable real estate in and around Chiang Rai, northern Thailand. Dozens of listings,
              ...plus we enable you to contact sellers directly! 

Thailand-related Domain Names Available - Low Cost!   Thaimports.com  VisitThailand.net 
Sawadee.info  -  plus HotNewDeal.com and Pickapeach.com.

TAP SAP - a new on-line booklet for learning to speak and understand the Thai language!  TAP SAP is Thai word meaning; 'Thai words adapted from a foreign language (most often English)'.  We've compiled a one-of-a-kind list of nearly 500 such words and phrases. Examples: slope, cartoon, rim, and picnic have all been absorbed into the Thai language. Educational & fun, and a great way to quickly add hundreds of Thai words to your vocabulary. The only compilation of its kind! Email for added details.

Dictionary of of Idioms and Slang - over 15,000 entries. Unique reference guide in ABC-order of English language one-word slang. NOTE: Idioms Dictionary is also being compiled. Aiming to be the world's most comprehensive compilation (12,000 listing thus far, and we're just warming to the task). Contributors wanted.

How To Improve Standard of Living in Thailand  with some suggestions that would cost nothing to implement. Includes sections: (A) Driving in Thailand, (B) Noise pollution, and (C) Ideas for Thai and Farang Entrepreneurs


copyright 2006 by Adventure1.com

Satisfaction                                      Rolling Stones
Grapevine                                        Marvin Gaye
Loui Loui                                         The Kingsmen
Pretty Woman                                      Roy Orbison
You Really Got Me                                The Kinks
Gimme Some Lovin'                      Steve Winwood
Sunshine Of Your Love                             Cream
My Girl                                        Smokey Robinson
All Along the Watchtower               Jimi Hendrix's version
House Of The Rising Sun                   The Animals
The Lion Sleeps Tonight                   The Tokens
Light My Fire                               The Doors
Careless Whisper                          George Michael
Whiter Shade of Pale                        Procol Harem
Mustang Sally                            Wilson Pickett
Come Together                           The Beatles
Stairway To Heaven                           Led Zepplin
Wild Thing                            The Troggs
Just The Two Of Us                      Bill Withers
Knock On Wood                           Eddie Floyd
Limbo Rock                               Chubby Checker
Jumpin' Jack Flash                          Rolling Stones
Every Step You Take                           The Police
         Wooly Bully              Sam The Sham and the Pharoes
Daytripper                                        Beatles
Billy Jean                           Michael Jackson
Dock of the Bay                       Otis Redding
Something                           George Harrison
Purple Haze                         Jimi Hendrix
Inagodadavida                      Iron Butterfly
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds          The Beatles
She's Not There                      Zombies
Twist And Shout                     Isley Brothers
Johnny B. Goode                   Chuck Berry
Reach Out I'll Be There                     Four Tops
My Cherie Amor                          Stevie Wonder
I Feel Fine                                    Beatles
Start Me Up                              Rolling Stones
Little Wing                                 Jimi Hendrix
Brown Eyed Girl                        Van Morrison
Under My Thumb                         Rolling Stones
Money For Nothing                     Dire Straights
Brown Sugar                               Rolling Stones
Superstition                                Steve Wonder
Roxanne                                           Police
Hells Bells                                      AC/DC

 The Last Time                       Rolling Stones
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely HCB                       Beatles
Dazed And Confused                       Led Zepplin
Hit Me With Your Best Shot              Pat Benetar
What A Whole Lot of Love                 Led Zepplin
Your Latest Trick                           Dire Straits
All Day And All Of The Night          The Kinks
Honky Tonk Women                   Rolling Stones
Locomotion                           Carol King / Little Eva
Witchy Woman                               Eagles
Born To Be Wild                           Steppenwolf
Dancing in the Street           Martha & the Vandellas
Benny And The Jets                      Elton John
Hotel California                                  Eagles
Paint It Black                           Rolling Stones
Lean On Me                         Bill Withers
Teenage Wasteland                         The Who
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun              Cindi Lauper
Every Day People           Sly and the Family Sone
This is a Man's World                    James Brown
With A Little Help From My Friends  Joe Cocker's version
Who Can It Be Now?                  Men At Work   
Crocodile Rock                                  Elton John
Sir Duke                                  Stevie Wonder
Happy Just To Be With You        H.L. and the News
Rescue Me                            Fontella Bass
Crosstown Traffic                        Jimi Hendrix
I Got My Mojo Workin'               Preston Foster
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag           James Brown
Ring Around Your Finger                     Sting
Good Lovin'                                    Lil' Rascals
To Love Somebody                              Bee Gees
My Generation                                The Who
Summer Breeze                        Seals & Croft
Feelin' Alright                    Grease Band's version
Daydream                         Lovin' Spoonful
For Your Love                      The Yardbirds
Susie Q                                John Fogerty
Hey Joe                            Hendrix' version
It's The Same Old Song                 Temptations
Summer In The City                    Lovin' Spoonful
Communication Breakdown            Led Zeppelin
We Gotta Get Outta This Place         The Animals
Ob La Di Ob La Da                       The Beatles
Rhythm of the Rain                        The Cascades
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love           Solomon Burke
Heart Full Of Soul                   The Yardbirds
Jailhouse Rock                         Elvis Presley
Black Is Black                           Los Bravos