John Mayall - Room To Move
This might be the hardest flute ever.
Oh man, awesome, I forgot about that song, partially as I didn’t know the name.
Good one, I guess I never realized there was a flute, the harmonica overwhelms it a little.
Morgyn, can you link to a rock song of theirs? I found this which is not rock.
Nights in White Satin is great too. I know some of you don’t like the song, but listen to Ray’s flute from about the three minute mark to the four minute mark.
It’s wonderful.
ETA: Oops. Link. https://youtu.be/MjUqfRrWwcM
Yeah, I’m rarely a purist, but this is an idea I can cosign on. He’s the singular Rock Flautist.
Cross Eyed Mary’s solo rocks in a way few flute solos do, and holds its own with the fuzz happening all over the song.
Gotta mention Down Under.
There are only three official videos out, and I don’t think he played flute on any of them. He does play it on a couple of the songs on their recently released album. Sadly, I haven’t listened to it enough yet to know which, other than it isn’t on Wolf Totem, Yuve Yuve Yu, or Shoog Shoog.
ETA: Wolf Totem is the first song of theirs I heard. No flute. Definitely rock.
No, that’s Jaya playing a traditional song, I believe.
This is a video for The Legend of Mother Swan. It’s not metal, but it is rock and he does play flute.
I played the solo in “Nights” I-don’t-know-how-many-times on stage with a friend who needed a flute player for that solo. It is beautiful, and a joy to play. My friend got me to do the flute solos for a lot of popular stuff that he was asked to play in the pub on weekend nights–the solo in Elton John’s “Daniel” was often asked for, as was Van Morrison’s “Moondance.” There were others, of course.
Then there was the time we were asked to do Harry Chapin’s “Taxi,” which I knew the words to, but he didn’t, though he could play it on his guitar. I protested; while I was capable of singing most of the song with my voice, there was no way I was going to hit the high vocals in the middle (“Baby’s so high that she’s skying…”). “You can do that too,” my friend said. “Just use your flute there, instead of your voice.” I did, and we pulled it off.
I studied flute for years, and play it still, but I’m no Ian Anderson. But I have always felt that there is a place for flute in popular music.
Going Up the Country by Canned Heat
Motherless Child, by Sweetwater. The instruments start about a minute into the song. (Hey, it was the 60s.)
Firefall had some hits with flute in them, but I wouldn’t claim them as particularly great.
Hocus Pocus by Focus.
Also Kyle Gas’s solo band (without Jack Black) Trainwreck has some great flaunting. Though I don’t know any if the song names. I saw em live and they rocked.
Give me Nik Turner from Hawkwind.
Good call!
You can add to that almost anything else by Focus. Most of their songs feature a flute, and it’s played to great effect.
Does a recorder count? Because Brian Jones’ recorder on “Ruby Tuesday” is worth noting because it’s the only time I know when this dull instrument was put to good use.
There’s an absolutely incandescent flute solo in “One Night in Bangkok” by Murray Head. You might consider this technically more of a show tune but damn, it rocks.