Anyone else like a well-crafted melodic solo on a pop tune?

[Woody Sound]

I just learned the guitar lead from "Shadows in the Moonlight" by Anne Murray. Took me just a minute because I've heard it so many times.

Lead around 1:50.

[fep]

This came to mind. Two solos, the first one at 1:30 is maybe a bit more melodic but is playing around with the songs melody, the second one at 2:45 is something I don't think I've heard anywhere else. The question is, did Bill Champlin sing to Lee Ritenour's solo, or did Ritenour play to Camplin's scatting.

[Peter C]

I was a bit of a jammer back in the day and you never know when the unlikely, quiet looking bald guy was going to step up and hand you your hindquarters on a silver platter. Cross' blazing solo (at the end) on the original 80s recording was so undermixed, no one noticed it at the time!!

[mr. beaumont]

Cross could play!

This thread needs some Midnight at the Oasis...

[Peter C]

I didn't really listen to pop after the 80s but remember that Steve Winwood always played tasteful solos.

It's not pop, but do you guys know a Welsh player by the name of Chris Buck? He's something else

[pingu]

Christopher Cross

He can sing like an angel
and write those tunes

He really shouldn’t be allowed
to play guitar like that

its not fair

[fep]

I didn't really listen to pop after the 80s but remember that Steve Winwood always played tasteful solos.

It's not pop, but do you guys know a Welsh player by the name of Chris Buck? He's something else

Chris Buck, yes, he's on my list of favorites. And if you like him, see if you like Joey Landreth and The Bros. Landreth.

[Doctor Jeff]

I was a bit of a jammer back in the day and you never know when the unlikely, quiet looking bald guy was going to step up and hand you your hindquarters on a silver platter. Cross' blazing solo (at the end) on the original 80s recording was so undermixed, no one noticed it at the time!!

Shades of Terry Kath!

He plays the right guitar--mine was identical to that until I decided to redo the body in blue as a project.

He played Omaha recently, and I had heard how good a player he was, but I am kind of burned out on shows, so I turned it down. Maybe next year.

[RJVB]

ANYONE ELSE LIKE A WELL-CRAFTED MELODIC SOLO ON A POP TUNE?

Who wouldn't?

[Irishmuso]

[QUOTE=mr. beaumont;130034

This thread needs some Midnight at the Oasis...

/QUOTE]

First one I thought of. Amos at his best.

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, for a short while back in ‘76, this was regarded as a classic guitar solo for the age. Honestly, for a while it was revolutionary, and served the subject of the song better than any other guitarist I’ve ever known could have come up with. The soloist is Pete Shelley, who once loaned me his guitar!

[RJVB]

I've got simple taste in simple music and since someone mentioned slick tracks with drum machines in another thread ... a few ... effective little sax solos in this one

(another memory of the 15yo teenager from another life... but browsing YT right now I'm apparently not the only one who still remembers this song)

[mr. beaumont]

Much more country than pop, but the outro solo on this is a damn masterpiece. In my opinion, the best subtle use of a whammy bar ever recorded.

[Kirk Garrett]

I was a bit of a jammer back in the day and you never know when the unlikely, quiet looking bald guy was going to step up and hand you your hindquarters on a silver platter. Cross' blazing solo (at the end) on the original 80s recording was so undermixed, no one noticed it at the time!!

Do people really care about a solo like that? It may have gone noticed because it’s totally generic. Versus his excellent songwriting and distinctive vocals, which people still enjoy hearing.

[fep]

Maybe he has been more disparaged than even Kenny G...

I think this could be considered a pop song as it did become so popular in it's time. The guitar solo is at 5:20. There is nice guitar at the intro also.

[Doctor Jeff]

I think it's harder to do a short but effective guitar solo in a pop song than a long meandering solo in some prog rog magnum opus, maybe even a longish jazz solo.

To wit: the guitar solos in Peg (Jay Graydon) and Josie (Walter Becker).

A couple of other interesting solos that come to mind:

Pablo Cruise's Love Will Find a Way (David Jenkins)

Atlanta Rhythm Section's So Into You, Imaginary Lover, Spooky (Barry Bailey)

David Bowie's Scary Monsters (Robert Fripp)

Brian Eno's St. Elmo's Fire (Robert Fripp)

Also don't forget the great work by Boston's Tom Scholz:

[Doctor Jeff]

Here's another old favorite:

The internet says that John was playing his '65 Epi Casino and George was playing bass (1961 Fender Bass VI).

Tone to die for.

And, of course, there's George on Something--the internet says it was his 1957 Gibson LP Lucy--a gift from Eric Clapton--maybe payback for George gifting Eric Patti Boyd? (I guess there's some uncertainty about exactly which guitar was used.) This guitar was stolen in '74 but later tracked down in Mexico and reunited with George before his demise.

[Peter C]

Nothing wrong with that Bros. Landreth track!

Seeing that Dutch pop band reminded me that I spent a whole fun weekend a few years back jamming with a drummer who played with the group Doe Maar. He could play.

With regard to the Christopher Cross solo being generic, well I listen to other stuff these days, and was just contributing to the thread. However, please feel free to go ahead and post a solo to illustrate your point but watch out because it's all about playing those generic lines in the pocket.

[RJVB]

Seeing that Dutch pop band reminded me that I spent a whole fun weekend a few years back jamming with a drummer who played with the group Doe Maar. He could play.

I think Doe Maar were about the only Nederpop group that played reggae - and I suppose that does require a capable drummer to sound convincing

[Woody Sound]

Much more country than pop, but the outro solo on this is a damn masterpiece. In my opinion, the best subtle use of a whammy bar ever recorded.

I'm not sure it's a whammy. Maybe one of these? ICBW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3xWJjwDo60

[mr. beaumont]

I'm not sure it's a whammy. Maybe one of these? ICBW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3xWJjwDo60

You'd think it might be, but it's a Strat!

[ragman1]

Anyone else like a well-crafted melodic solo on a pop tune?

Sure. I thought of one immediately and looked to see if anyone had mentioned it. Not yet, which is odd as it's so well known.

[RJVB]

You'd think it might be, but it's a Strat!

Should have been that pedal steel with a nice tonebar!

[Woody Sound]

You'd think it might be, but it's a Strat!

Wow, that's nice.

[joelf]

Buzz(y) Feiten's solo on the 2nd half (ballad: Where were You When I Needed You?). A hero since I was 17, and I still feel the same way.

Outside of Stevie's writing, singing, playing all the other instruments genius...