Today, as I was driving, AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock and Roll” came on, and I found myself saying, “Man, that’s the best damn bagpipe solo I’ve ever heard in a rock song!” It got me trying to think of other mainstream rock songs (not folk or “world music”) which use really non-traditional instruments in a major role in them. I’m sure there are plenty. The best I can come up with right now is the famous chainsaw solo in Jackyl’s “Lumberjack.” Any others?
I think there’s the Power Drill in one van halen song.
Iron Maiden’s “Alexander the Great” has a massive gong that goes in the middle of the guitar break.
Slade: “Run Run Away”: violin and bagpipes
Camper Van Beethoven Pictures of Matchstick Men: violin
Jethro Tull and his Flute
of course Tower of Power has a horn section
Oh, and Weird Al’s Christmas at Ground Zero uses an airraid siren.
Okay, that’s all for now. 
IIRC, the Beatles used a harpsichord in their song “Piggies.” I don’t recall one of those being used very often. And, of course, there was all that sitar playing that George Harrison liked to do…
If I remember correctly, the NKOTB song “Hangin’ Tough” had a whistle solo. Yes, that’s correct. A whistle. :rolleyes:
I was always rather fond of Jack Bruce’s cello solos when he was with Cream. That’s probably because the cello was my first musical instrument.
But by far, the most outrageous use of oddball instruments is “The Intro and The Outro” by Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (“introducing Adolph Hitler on the Vibes…”) The Bonzos claimed to have a collection of 10,000 musical instruments.
Oh yeah… I recall some rock band, I’ve forgotten who, that used one of the earliest handheld computer toys, a spelling game that spoke the words, SpeakNSpell I think, to sing the lyric “kill” (or some such thing) in a tinny robotic voice over and over. That must have been back in the mid 1970s, so I’ve long forgotten that song and the band name.
Well, Led Zeppelin used the London Symphony in Kasmir…
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I found this, I think you dropped it.
Sing by Travis has a banjo. I love it just for that.
I always liked the electric violin in the Who’s “Baba O’Reilly”.
The underrated Dutch symphonic rock group Kayak used a street organ in their second single, Mammoth.
Anybody know of rock songs with an ondes martinot? I know Joe Jackosn and Bryan Ferry have used it in some of their songs, but these hardly qualify as rock.
Self has an album called Gizmodgery.
It was made entirely with electronic toys.
and it’s really cool!
I think that’s ‘Poundcake’, IIRC.
This is my very first post, btw. Hello, everyone.
“Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” features a piece of cardboard being flexed to provide the rhythm.
OK, it ain’t rock. Sue me.
The Beatles used a solo French horn on “For No One” of the Revolver album and they also used an early form of synthesiser (was it called a Mellotron ?) on some of their tracks. And the cash register on Pink Floyd’s “Money”
That group has a horn section – Trombone, Sax, Trumpet – featured in all of their songs. As far as I know, they are really the only band to feature brass instruments on a regular basis.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
Tower of Power
not to mention Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey, etc.
The Bonzo Dog Band, in addition to the instruments Chas.E mentioned on “The Intro and the Outro,” used such things as the slide whistle and kazoo on “Dr. Jazz,” a glass of water in “By a Waterfall”, and a trouser press in “Trouser Press.”
Martin Mull featured various power tools on the song “Wood Shop” (played by “Crosby, Stills, Black and Decker”).
Pink Floyd did a lot of concrete music (using actual sounds for music), including matches and frying eggs (“Alan’s Psychadelic Breakfast”), a dog howling (“Shamus”), sonar (“Echoes”), and a motorcycle (“Atom Heart Mother”).
John Entwistle, a classically trained french horn player, occasionally used the instrument for the Who (“Overture” in “Tommy”).
Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys had a Theremin, an early synthesizer which was played by moving your hands close to the instrument without actually touching it.
Oops. Forgot Howard Johnson, rock’s premier tuba player. Taj Mahal used him on “Ain’t Gwine Whistle Dixie Any Mo’” and elsewhere. He also was a regular on the Saturday Night Live house band for many years, where he introduced his all tuba band, “Gravity.”
Hello to you too. Welcome