Great intros

[Banquo]

Inspired by Yes123's thread on the main forum. Not limited to any genre, or even length for that matter. Just about great instumental intros.

A couple of obvious ones that actually still get airplay...





A live thing by Springsteen that'll make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, unless of course you happen to be a hater...

[trurl]

My hate for Bruce burns with the intensity of the sun. But I always have quite liked the other two!

[Digital_Man]

I could never quite understand why prog fans hate Springsteen so much. Sure he's not prog but most prog fans don't seem to hate Dylan or even punk rock with the same intensity that they hate the Bosss. My only guess is that he's too far out of the comfort zone of most prog fans. I don't care much for Bob Segar or Tom Petty but I won't go so far as to say I hate them just because they are not my musical style. Such animosity seems a bit personal to me. Yeah the Boss is outside of my comfort zone too but somehow I can appreciate him. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I had some of his lps when I was younger.

[Banquo]

My hate for Bruce burns with the intensity of the sun.

But I'm sure that you can appreciate a great performance, no matter what. For the sake of argument, just listen to the first 5 minutes of the Springsteen thing. Even if you don't like Bruce, you can't deny the intensity of this.

[bill g]

I love Prefab Sprout's 'Cars and Girls' - a song about Bruce. I never really got into Springsteen's music, sounding a bit cheesy and ... I hate this word in music, but ... pretentious. I don't like him less than Dylan or Punk. Just not my thing, but I respect his talent and energy, no doubt about it.

Anyway, great intros:

Genesis - Eleventh Earl of Mar

Not my favorite song by any means, but perhaps the best intro ever. Just magical. Genesis had a lot of great intros (watcher of the skies, behind the lines, evidence of autumn, do the neurotic)

Camel - Who We Are

Again, far from my favorite Camel song, but those first 2 minutes are pretty superb.

PFM - La Luna Nuova, Appena Un Po

Some more recent ones:

Glass Hammer - Beyond, Within (and others)
Flower Kings - World of Adventures (and others)

[klothos]

"Fire On High" from ELO's "Face The Music" is still one of my all-time favorite intros ever, even if AOR radio overplays it.


I also like the impact of "In The Flesh?" from Pink Floyd's "The Wall" -- it really sets up what is to come in a rock-vaudeville sorta way

[Digital_Man]

Fire on High is an instrumental not an intro to a song. I'm pretty sure(based on his phrasing)that he was referring to instrumental intros to songs.

[GuitarGeek]

The intro is the most important part of the song. If you don't grab the listener during the first 20 seconds, forget about it. A few that stand out for me:

The Who: Substitute
The Who: I Can See For Miles
The Who: Had Enough
The Who: Slip Kid
The Who: Dreaming From The Waist
The Who: In A Hand Or A Face
The Who: How Many Friends
Queen: You're My Best Friend
Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen: Long Away
Queen: Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy
Queen: Teo Torriatte
Queen: Tie Your Mother Down (both the fanfare intro on the album, and also the guitar riff that starts the song proper)
Queen: Death On 2 Legs
Queen: The Hero
Queen: Keep Yourself Alive (best way to kick off a recording career)
Queen: Radio Ga-Ga
Queen: Calling All Girls
Queen: Action This Day
Rick Springfield: Jessie's Girl
Rick Springfield: I Get Excited
Rick Springfield: State Of The Heart (12" version, with reverse reverb acapella chorus)
Rick Springfield: Affair Of The Heart
Yes: Lift Me Up (both the album version and the acapella intro on the single edit)
Yes: Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Yes: Shoot High Aim Low
Yes: Hearts
Yes: To Be Over
Yes: I Would Have Waited Forever
Yes: It Can Happen
Yes: Leave It
Genesis: Abacab
Genesis: Dance On A Volcano (great way to start a show)
Genesis: Supernatural Anaesthesist (or however the frell it's spelled)
Genesis: Mama
Magma: Defutura
Magma: I Must Return
Magma: Nono
Magma: The Last Seven Minutes
Magma: MDK (live versions, as per the Triannon Trilogie DVD)
Focus: Sylvia
Focus: Round Goes The Gossip
Nektar: Good Day
Kiss: Deuce
Kiss: Firehouse
Kiss: Cold Gin
Kiss: Shock Me
Kiss: Hard Luck Woman
Kiss: Torpedo Girl (not so much the submarine sound efx, but when the drums and bass kick in...wooh!)
Kiss: Talk To Me
Kiss: Is That You?
Kiss: I Love It Loud
Kiss: I
Kiss: Tomorrow
Kiss: Two Sides Of The Coin
Kiss: You're All That I Want
Kiss: Love Gun
Kiss: I Stole Your Love
Kiss: I Want You
Kiss: Flaming Youth
Kiss: Great Expectations
Kiss: Strutter (I can't believe it took me that long to think of this one)
Kiss: Do You Love Me?)
Kiss: Rock Bottom
Kiss: C'mon And Love Me
Kiss: Anything For My Baby
Kiss: Love Her All I Can (which Paul admitted was more or less lifted off I Can't Explain)
Slade: Cum On Feel The Noize (hard to beat that "Baby, baby, baaaaaa-BY!")
Prince And The Revolution: Purple Rain
Prince And The Revolution: Raspberry Beret (12" mix)
Prince And The Revolution: Computer Blue
Black Sabbath: Spiral Architect
Black Sabbath: Who Are You
Black Sabbath: Living For Today
Deep Purple: Smoke On The Water (this should be at the top of the list)
Rolling Stones: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (the other on that should be at the top)
Rolling Stones: Get Off Of My Cloud (I still want to hear Neil Peart play it)
Rolling Stones: Time Is On My Side (both versions)
Rolling Stones: Ride On, Baby
Rolling Stones: Please Go Home
Rolling Stones: Under My Thumb
Rolling Stones: She's So Cold
Rolling Stones: Hang Fire
The Byrds: Eight Miles High
The Byrds: Lady Friend
The Byrds: So You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star
Electric Light Orchestra: Hold On Tight
Electric Light Orchestra: Here Is The News
Electric Light Orchestra: Twilight
Electric Light Orchestra: Prologue
Electric Light Orchestra: Shine A Little Love
Night Ranger: (You Can Still) Rock In America
Night Ranger: When You Close Your Eyes
Night Ranger: Goodbye
Night Ranger: Rumors In The Air
Thin Lizzy: Do Anything You Want To
Thin Lizzy: We Will Be Strong
Thin Lizzy: Whiskey In The Jar
Thin Lizzy: Boys Are Back In Town
Thin Lizzy: Mama Nature Said
Thin Lizzy: A Song For When I'm Away
Thin Lizzy: Hey You
Pink Floyd: Hey You (completely different song, in case you didn't know)
Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd: Dogs
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd: Astronomy Domine
Pink Floyd: Let There Be Light
Pink Floyd: Remember A Day
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop: early 70's remix of Doctor Who theme
Star Blazers theme
Battle Of The Planets theme
Chuck Berry: do you seriously want me to list every single one of his 50's era singles?!
Link Wray: Jack The Ripper
Art Of Noise: Paranoimia (Max Headroom version)
Journey: Don't Stop Believin'
Journey: Any Way You Want It
Journey: People And Places
Journey: Only Solutions
The Eagles: Hotel California
Led Zeppelin: Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin: Whole Lotta Love
Led Zeppelin: Communication Breakdown
Led Zeppelin: Misty Mountain Hop
Led Zeppelin: Dancing Days
Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains The Same
Led Zeppelin: Thank You
Marillion: Sugar Mice
Marillion: Easter
Marillion: Lavender
Marillion: Kayleigh
Marillion: Lady Nina
Marillion: Tux On
Marillion: Cinderella Search
AC/DC: TNT
AC/DC: For Those About To Rock, We Salute You
Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush: A New Rock And Roll
Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush: World Anthem
Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush: Strange Universe
Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush: Dragonfly
Jimi Hendrix: Spanish Castle Magic
Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze
Jimi Hendrix: Burning Of The Midnight Lamp (I used to be able to play that wah wah part)
Frank Zappa: Peaches En Regalia (studio version)
Frank Zappa: Inca Roads
Frank Zappa: Watermelon In Easter Hay (well, it would be a great intro without all the clowning around with the narration)
The Church: A Different Man
The Church: Electric Lash
The Church: The Unguarded Moment
The Church: Tear It All Away
The Church: Too Fast For You
The Church: Life Speeds Up (got it right this time)
The Church: Almost With You
The Church: Fighter Pilot...Korean War
The Church: You Took
The Church: Constant In Opal
The Church: North South East West
The Church: Aura (or was that song called Priest? Whatever the first song on Priest=Aura is)
Jean-Luc Ponty: In Spite Of All
Grateful Dead: Ripple
Grateful Dead: Box Of Rain (studio version only, they never got that damn intro right onstage)
The Beatles: Day Tripper
The Beatles: Strawberry Fields Forever
The Beatles: Let It Be
The Beatles: Revolution ("rock" version only)
The Thompson Twins: If You Were Here
Duran Duran: The Chauffeur (sounds like a Hitchcock movie)
Freur: Doot Doot
Freur: Runaway
Freur: Riders In The Night
Freur: Tender Surrender
Freur: Theme From The Film Of The Same Name
Freur: All Too Much
Freur: My Room
Freur: Matters Of The Heart
Freur: Steam Machine
Freur: Whispering
The Beach Boys: Keepin' The Summer Alive
The Beach Boys: California Girls
The Beach Boys: Be True To Your School
The Beach Boys...really, wouldn't it be easier to just say "All of them, except Kokomo"?
Boston: Hollyann
Boston: I Had A Good Time
Boston: Higher Power
Boston: Used To Bad News
Boston: Feelin' Satisfied
Steely Dan: Deacon Blues
Cheap Trick: Surrender
Cheap Trick: Downed
Cheap Trick: Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace
Cheap Trick: If You Want My Love
Cheap Trick: She's Tight
U2: Gloria
U2: Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Rainbow: Can't Happen Here
Rainbow: Power
Rainbow: Street Of Dreams (especially the live version)
Asia: Heat Of The Moment
Asia: One Step Closer
Asia: The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
Luv': You're The Greatest Lover
Dschingis Khan: Dschingis Khan
Abba: SOS
Abba: Mamma Mia
Abba: Waterloo
Jeanie C. Riley: Harper Valley PTA
Stevie Wonder: For Once In My Life
Otis Redding: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay
Sam And Dave: Soul Man (PLAY IT, STEVE!)
Hugo Montenegro: The Theme From The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
The Supremes: Stop! In The Name Of Love
The Supremes: Love Child
Traffic: Dear Mr. Fantasy
Anthony Phillips: Silver Song
UK: Nothing To Lose
Spinal Tap: Big Bottom
Spinal Tap: Rock And Roll Creation
Spinal Tap: Sex Farm
Spinal Tap: (Listen To) The Flower People
Status Quo: Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Status Quo: Rockin' All Over The World
Status Quo: Whatever You Want

I could keep going, but I'm sure you've already stopped reading.

[walt]

The Band:Chest Fever
Giles Giles & Fripp:Erudite Eyes
John Mayall:California(The Turning Point)

[Rufus]

Yes just have too many to mention, Heart of the Sunrise, Perpetual Change, Starship Trooper et al.

From a rock perspective UFO have some classic intros...Too Hot to Handle, Only You can Rock Me, Rock Bottom, Doctor Doctor, Natural Thing et al.

[walt]

The Who:The Seeker.

The movie "The Limey"(with Terence Stamp,superb flick, has this tune opening it,what a great way to start a movie!)

[NogbadTheBad]

Tubular Bells

[trurl]

But I'm sure that you can appreciate a great performance, no matter what. For the sake of argument, just listen to the first 5 minutes of the Springsteen thing. Even if you don't like Bruce, you can't deny the intensity of this.

Yeah, sure... I don't really "hate" Bruce, I just put that because of the initial post... but I don't really like hm much either. I think it's the exact fact that he pumps up soooooo much overwrought drama and BS into incredibly basic 3 chord music with no shred of soul like, say, J. Giles had. Is the guy a great performer with a great band- no doubt about it... Say what you will about Tom Petty but I thought his music was much more sincere, and had better hooks.

[Banquo]

I could keep going, but I'm sure you've already stopped reading.

Nah, man. I just scrolled down.

[rcarlberg]

I think it's the exact fact that he pumps up soooooo much overwrought drama and BS into incredibly basic 3 chord music

"Incredibly basic" meaning simplistic, monotonous, repetitive, unimaginative, derivative and overwrought with faux-emotional stupid lyrics and crappy singing.

But hey, what's not to love? I can't imagine why anyone hates on 'Da Boss.'

[mogrooves]

Hendrix - "One Rainy Wish"
Hendrix - "House Burning Down"
Hendrix - "Power To Love"

[JJ88]

I've always been bowled over by that long, rippling intro to The Stones' 'Gimme Shelter'...simmering with dread and unease. I think their 'it's only rock and roll', stadium rock persona of later years causes some to overlook the artistry in their best, earlier work.

Two which made a big impact on me were the Carpenters' 'Superstar' and 'Rainy Days And Mondays'. When I listened to these I immediately realised Richard Carpenter was a great arranger, those intros set out that melancholy mood immediately. I'd also say almost every Abba single had a terrific opening hook, they really knew what they were doing.

I like earlier Springsteen just fine, but what I've heard of his later work, not so much. It's superficially the same sound but with less dynamism, not really taking on board new or different influences, so it sounds kind of stale for me.

[Dana5140]

GuitarGeek, really? 40,000 songs you felt you had to list, you completist, you!

I have never understood why people love Springsteen- the man is a philandering millionaire, not even close to the blue collar guys who support him. His music has never spoken to me.

On the other hand, it might not even be linguistically real, but Magma sure does. I find the intro to "Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh" truly exciting, as the singer/speaker makes his pronouncements and then the choir comes in and the full majesty begins. The words at 2.18 here, below, always get me.

[davis]

My hate for Bruce burns with the intensity of the sun. But I always have quite liked the other two!

he bores me. always has. and I'm originally from NJ. I used to tolerate him cause I had friends that loved his music.

[walt]

McDonald and Giles-Tomorrow's People

[klothos]

"Fire On High" from ELO's "Face The Music" is still one of my all-time favorite intros ever, even if AOR radio overplays it.


I also like the impact of "In The Flesh?" from Pink Floyd's "The Wall" -- it really sets up what is to come in a rock-vaudeville sorta way

Fire on High is an instrumental not an intro to a song. I'm pretty sure(based on his phrasing)that he was referring to instrumental intros to songs.

<forehead slap> OH! For songs!

OK: another ELO song "Do Ya" (I know, its a The Move song originally) always grabs me right from the get-go
I also like "Moving In Stereo" by The Cars

as far as long drawn-out intros, Cheap Trick's live version of "Aint That A Shame"

[No Pride]

Falling into the "intro is the best part of the tune" category:
Yes - Miracle of Life

[klothos]

Anybody mention this yet? Im not sure if its a "great intro" but it is interesting

[PeterG]

I could keep going, but I'm sure you've already stopped reading.

GG, I really don't understand why you write so many exhaustive list posts like that. It just kills a thread, flat dead. As for stopped reading, when I saw the length of the list, I didn't even start reading. All of those have "great" intros?

[PeterG]

Neil Young - Cortez the Killer. A lovely long moody instrumental intro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-b76yiqO1E