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Piano Intros

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Everybody's probably heard the gospel piano intro from Sam Williams sampled on Crystal Waters' "Testify", or read the thread on here.  It's certainly up there as one of the all time great piano intros.  Plenty of other great piano intros.  Off the top of my head..

Our Love Will Grow - The Showmen

Cashing In - Voices of East Harlem

......but my all time favourite has got to be....

Strange Change - Herb Ward...

 

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  • Kev Cane
    Kev Cane

    Great to here Alant's  O V Wright post, inspired me to put this up, stick with it, like OV, its a killer Kev

  • Swifty
    Swifty

    Surely got to be this , you know what's coming in a nano second and even I can play the start , it took years but I cracked it lol !! Swifty

  • Kegsy
    Kegsy

    I was always a bit partial to Dells  Wear It On Out face O'Jays   Looky Looky

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Following a perfunctory drum intro the brief but pounding piano shows clear intent for the stomping Steinways - You've been leading me on

Off top of my head: 

Aretha:  Baby, Baby, Baby

Aretha:, Think

O'Jays: Looky Looky

Marvin : Inner City Blues

Bill Withers : I Cant Write Left Handed

Dells : Wear It On Our Face

Driving piano in the intro sets the groove for the whole record. :)

 

Great to here Alant's  O V Wright post, inspired me to put this up, stick with it, like OV, its a killer

Kev

Edited by kev cane

1 hour ago, alan t said:

The piano on the beginning of O.V Wrights 'Let's Straighten It Out' is fantastic

 

My favourite version offa one my favourite lp's...dave L

Can someone please post up Ollie Nightingale 'I don't know why '...much appreciated. .thanks in advance. .dave L

36 minutes ago, Chris Turnbull said:

Great choice, love this:-

 

Thanks Chris. ..how about George Jackson. ..'Aretha sing one for me'..cheeky bugger aren't I..:thumbup:thanks in advance again. ..dave 

For fans of ivory tinkling intro's everywhere,they don't come much better than this,has to be the long version though,ivories,strings and things..pure desert island,and when it comes,the vocal is to die for.The Chicago gangsters.

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned this classic yet, although I have only flicked through the thread.

 

Paul

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Heard this one on the radio this morning, and as well as being a sublime record, it fits the bill for great piano intros.

Wake Up Everybody - Harold Melvin....

 

Tracks of my mind  , Sounds of lane , Cobblestone.

 

Birth of a Playboy  , Chosen Few

Edited by Bossfourpart1

Some more to throw in 

Harold Melvin - Wake up everybody

Chocolate Boys - Voltaire Pier

Ramsey Lewis - Saturday Night After The Movies don't think Wade in the Water has been included either

Old Station Road Favourite, Rain - Out Of My Mind :hatsoff2: 

Lamont Dozier Beginning/middle/End

 

Edited by pjf

Surely got to be this , you know what's coming in a nano second and even I can play the start , it took years but I cracked it lol !!

Swifty:thumbsup:

On 19/01/2017 at 14:39, MBarrett said:

Am I allowed to throw in a bit of (non soul) trivia.

In the intro to Get It On by T Rex there is approx. one second of piano. A glissando. And it is played by none other than Rick Wakeman. I heard him interviewed about it the other day. It was at a time when he was really broke and he was offered the chance of a studio session with T Rex. Bolan said just watch for me to nod and play a glissando. (As I said it lasts barely a second) That was it. Finito. He said he didn't want to take his fee but Bolan said "Look do you want to pay your rent? If so take it!"

That glissando is at approx 10 secs. No matter how short it does help to define the whole record! :)

 

Wakeman plays piano right through the track , there's barely a let-up although it probably didn't tax him too much. I'm biased admittedly  but it's one of the greatest ever British pop/rock songs.  Elton John mimed at the piano for the TOTP Christmas show and he's more or less doing what RW would have played.  Interesting pedigree on that track with Wakeman on keyboards and Ian MacDonald (King Crimson ) playing sax. Also Bolan's mainstay backing singers at that time Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (ex-Turtles).  Both these two contributed greatly to the early 70s T.Rex  sound.

Back on topic - anyone mentioned Gerri Granger, I Go To Pieces?

5 hours ago, maslar said:

Wakeman plays piano right through the track , there's barely a let-up although it probably didn't tax him too much.

 

Nothing changes does it! :)

Here is the programme that includes the interview.

The RW feature starts at 01:05:00 and they start talking about Get It On shortly after 01:16:00

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087sq9k

Edited by MBarrett

how about Bobby Patterson what a wonderful night for love.                                Regards Fred

For the clanging call to arms that the piano intro is surely,  'Jeanette' by Wade Flemons is worth a shout

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