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Great keyboard solos in pop tunes


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You might think this is a cheesy tune but I like the tone of this Hammond. This guy is a decent player:

That is a nice solo. Especially love the line around 4:33. I'll take a tuneful solo over a shredder any day. It's a cheesy tune, but it works and is a solid hit.

 

I also miss full story-themed music videos. As silly as it is, I couldn't help but smile at the intro.

 

There is a little organ in "Do you believe in love " also. I hope Huey has his hearing problem solved because he would like to tour last I heard.

 

Huey Lewis & The News was one of the best live shows I've ever seen. TOP Horns, exciting, well-crafted and tightly arranged tunes played by real players. Keyboards were exactly what they should have been. I really, really liked that band.

 

They were my favorite band back in the day, and Sean Hopper was one of my early influences. My whole sense of when to speed up and slow down a Leslie came from him. He also had a tasty piano solo in their cover of "Honky Tonk Blues." I've jokingly said that "Do You Believe In Love" is the most unfunky use of a Clav in history, but it's perfect for that tune.

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Emerson's outro to Lucky Man.

 

Somebody had to say it, dammit. It's as much pop as a lot of the other stuff that made the list. :)

 

The Hammond Organ solo on "Carry On Wayward Son." I assume Walsh played that.

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Basia - New Day For You

 

That entire Time and Tide album is phenomenal. From Now On has one of my all-time favorite sax solos, very dry, no effects that I can hear at all.

 

As for great keyboard solos, one of the best is Tony Banks on Follow You, Follow Me. Another one - and I cant remember if the original was synth or guitar, but I played it as a saw wave synth solo - was Todd Rundgren/Carole King I Saw The Light. VERY fun to play live.

 

And I still love the minimalist solo in Scritti Polittis Perfect Way.

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Emerson's outro to Lucky Man.

Somebody had to say it, dammit. It's as much pop as a lot of the other stuff that made the list. :)

 

Im still waiting for someone to mention EVH on Jump.

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The Real MC did. :)

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I intend to listen to these so I made a playlist:

 

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Genres: Jazz, funk, pop, Christian worship, BebHop
Wishlist: 80s-ish (synth)pop, symph pop, prog rock, fusion, musical theatre
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So I just worked up Rhythm of the Night (DeBarge, written by Diane Warren). Got called for one of the corporate bands I play in. Never learned it back in the day until now. I dig the synth "flute" solo, so I learned the thing verbatim. Was it Jeff Lorber on the recording?

I'm pretty sure it was Jeff Lorber. Excellent solo! I used to play this tune on gigs regularly in 80's and really enjoyed it. I played the solo verbatim too.

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Always liked the one on the Cars' Bye Bye Love...maybe not technically difficult but just gets the blood going and fits perfectly.

 

I always liked the Moog solo in "Magic Man" by Heart for the same reason.

Nothing spectacular, but a perfect fit for the song.

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No one's mentioned REO Speedwagon yet, so I'll add the organ solo on Roll With the Changes, and synth solo on Don't Let Him Go.

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Ok some more

Europe - The Final Countdown

Depeche Mode - Just Cant Get Enough

Yaz - Situation

Modern Talking - Youre My Heart Youre My Soul

Donna Summer - I Feel Love (Patrick Cowley Megamix, with a lot of synth guitar solos)

ABBA - SOS

ABBA - The Day Before You Came

Bruno Mars - Versace On The Floor (Im surprised this had a synth solo given when it was released)

Johnny Kemp - Just Got Paid

Jeff Lorber - Facts Of Love

Starship - Sara

Ohio Players - Funky Worm

Prince - Uptown

Prince - Head

Prince - Delirious

Bobby Womack - Lookin For A Love

Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams

Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder - Ebony & Ivory

Glass Tiger - Someday (DX7 harmonica solo)

The Cars - Dangerous Type

The Cars - Lets Go

Pseudo Echo - Funkytown

Van Halen - Jump

Van Halen - 1984

Rick Wakeman - Catherine Parr

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Ok some more

Europe - The Final Countdown

Depeche Mode - Just Cant Get Enough

Yaz - Situation

Modern Talking - Youre My Heart Youre My Soul

Donna Summer - I Feel Love (Patrick Cowley Megamix, with a lot of synth guitar solos)

ABBA - SOS

ABBA - The Day Before You Came

Bruno Mars - Versace On The Floor (Im surprised this had a synth solo given when it was released)

Johnny Kemp - Just Got Paid

Jeff Lorber - Facts Of Love

Starship - Sara

Ohio Players - Funky Worm

Prince - Uptown

Prince - Head

Prince - Delirious

Bobby Womack - Lookin For A Love

Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams

Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder - Ebony & Ivory

Glass Tiger - Someday (DX7 harmonica solo)

The Cars - Dangerous Type

The Cars - Lets Go

Pseudo Echo - Funkytown

Van Halen - Jump

Van Halen - 1984

Rick Wakeman - Catherine Parr

There are no keyboard solos in those Cars songs. Fun to play, cool simple riffs in spots with interestingly sculpted sounds - but no leads.

 

Heres one from an old band

Blonde - Call Me.

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I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned Kenny Kirkland's solo on "Shadows In the Rain," which wins my personal award for Baddest Synth Solo Ever Played, Ever. (Sorry Chick, Jan, Herbie, etc.)

Agreed that's one of my all-time favorites!

 

Another favorite is Roger Powell's solo on Libertine (Utopia). Starts around the 1:30 mark.

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Dennis DeYoung deserves a nod for sonically interesting and technically blazingly fast work on songs like "Come Sail Away" and "Fooling Yourself".

I couldn't agree more. Say what you want about the man, but his soloing at the time was a great inspiration to my playing.

 

As was David Tyson's solo playing and keyboard work on We All Need Love (solo at the 2min mark, give or take, long and short play):

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

 

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