Talkin’ Music with Jack Coll – Soul Sacrifice & other Instrumental Hits of the 1960’s and 1970’s

Talkin Music with Jack Coll

2/5/2019

by Jack Coll

TALKIN’ MUSIC

SOUL SACRIFICE

AND OTHER INSTRUMENTAL HITS OF THE 1960’S AND 1970’S

BY JACK COLL

     When the frame shop is closed and I’m working overtime in the backroom I generally turn off the radio and turn on my computer where I can listen to my personalized playlist of favorite tunes, many of which were recorded in the 1960’s and 1970’s.  I turn off the showroom lights, turn-up the volume, and if you were to peak through the front window you’re likely to catch a glimpse of me dancing around the backroom as I cut my mats and glass for jobs I’m working on.

     One of the songs I like to turn up the volume to is an instrumental called “Soul Sacrifice” performed by Santana at Woodstock, I think of all the great musicians that played Woodstock and all the popular songs played and recorded there “Soul Sacrifice” is by far my favorite Woodstock song.  Michael Shrieve was Santana’s drummer at Woodstock, he was just 20 years old at the time when he captured the attention of the world with his soulful, “Out-of-his-mind” performance on “Soul Sacrifice.”  He only played with Santana for five years but was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in the late 1990’s.

     So one night last week I’m bouncing around the backroom to “Soul Sacrifice” like I’m 20 years old, no, let’s make that 19 years old, it sounds better and I got to thinking about other instrumental songs that were hits in the 1960’s and 1970’s.  I came up with a few immediately thinking about Booker T & The MG’s who had “Green Onions” and “Time is Tight.” Two great records put out by Stax Records back in the sixties.

     Booker T. Jones was a regular session musician at Stax along with Donald “Duck” Dunn, Steve Cropper, and Al Jackson Jr., among others.  The Bar-Kays were also a Stax house-band working with Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes among others.  Otis Redding used the Bar-Kays as his back-up band while on tour.  On December 10, 1967, Redding, along with members of the Bar-Kays all died in a plane crash in Lake Monona while on their way to perform in Madison, Wisconsin.

     Other popular instrumental songs that climbed the charts back in the day that I remembered without looking anything up included:

A Taste Of Honey by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass   Recorded in 1965

Love Is Blue by Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra    Recorded in 1968

The Stripper by David Rose and his Orchestra   Recorded in 1962

Telstar by The Tornadoes   Recorded in 1962   (One of my favorites)

Wipe Out by The Surfaris   Recorded in 1963    (Who doesn’t remember Wipe Out?)

Frankenstein by The Edgar Winter Group   Recorded in 1973

Dueling Banjos by Eric Weissberg   Recorded in 1973  (One I used to play on my guitar)

Classical Gas by Mason Williams   Recorded in 1968   (Another one I used to love playing on my guitar)

Cast Your Fate To The Wind by Vince Guaraldi   Recorded in 1963  ( I really did love this song back in the day)

     So these are the songs I listed as I went about my night in the workshop although I will confess I couldn’t remember all the artist until I later looked them up.

     So while I was looking up the artists for these songs I came across a few other instrumental hits I remembered but only after seeing them, a few of them include:

A Theme From A Summer Place by Percy Faith and his Orchestra   Recorded in 1960

Wonderland By Night by Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra   Recorded in 1960

Moon River by Henry Mancini and his Orchestra   Recorded in 1961  (I also loved Jerry Butler’s version with lyrics from1962)

Love’s Theme by Love Unlimited Orchestra  Recorded in 1974

Chariots Of Fire by Vangelis   Recorded in 1982

The Hustle by Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony  Recorded in 1975  (That’s one I should have remembered)

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly by Hugo Montenegro  Recorded in 1968, (Another one I should have remembered, but if you offered me five million dollars and gave me three months to think about it I would have never been able to tell you Hugo Montenegro!)

A Fifth Of Beethoven by Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band  Recorded in 1976

The Sound Of Philadelphia featuring The Three Degrees  Recorded in 1974

Love Theme Romeo & Juliet by Henry Mancini, His Orchestra and Chorus  Recorded in1969

Grazing In The Grass by Hugh Masekela   Recorded in 1968

Walk-Don’t Run by The Ventures   Recorded in 1960

The In Crowd by Ramsey Lewis Trio   Recorded in 1965

The Entertainer by Marvin Hamlisch   Recorded in 1974

Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione   Recorded in 1978

The Horse by Cliff Nobles & Company   Recorded in 1968

Outa Space by Billy Preston   Recorded in 1972

Pick Up The Pieces by Average White Band   Recorded in 1975

Soulful Strut by Young Holt Unlimited   Recorded in 1969

Gonna Fly Now by Bill Conti  Recorded in 1977  (Theme From Rocky)

Last Night by The Mar-Keys   Recorded in 1961

Soul Finger by The Bar-Kays  Recorded in 1967

No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In) by The T-Bones   Recorded in 1966

Rock And Roll Part 2 by Gary Glitter   Recorded in 1972

Soul Twist by King Curtis and The Noble Knights   Recorded in 1962

Songbird by Kenny G   Recorded in 1987

Star Wars Theme by The Cantina Band  Recorded in 1977

Fly Me To The Moon-Bossa Nova by Joe Harmell And His Orchestra

Midnight Cowboy by Ferrante & Teicher   Recorded in 1969

Hocus Pocus by Focus   Recorded in 1973

Wild Weekend by The Rebels   Recorded in 1963

Percolator (Twist) by Billy Joe & The Checkmates   Recorded in 1962

     So how about-it, did you remember some or all of the above instrumental classics, feel free to comment on facebook if I missed one of your favorites.

     I always enjoy a trip down memory lane, thanks for sharing your memories with me, until the next Talkin’ Music, take care of yourself!