# Songs where the instruments come in one at a time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 27, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887 "2021-04-27T22:54:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/1 "2021-04-27T22:54:59Z")
Songs where one instrument starts, then another, then another, etc. with a least a couple seconds between each. _Whole Lotta Love_ by **Led Zeppelin** is a classic example of this. First the guitar does the riff for a few seconds, followed by the bass, then vocals, and then finally drums. I’m also thinking the live version of [_Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCettT2wdK0) by **Sly and the Family Stone** also does this, but my ear isn’t good enough to say for certain. Others? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/2 "2021-04-27T23:10:24Z")
How about the infamous **Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo :** [https://musescore.com/user/5793236/scores/4789143](https://musescore.com/user/5793236/scores/4789143) ---
**Author:** ![MonkeysBrother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@MonkeysBrother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeysBrother)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/3 "2021-04-27T23:35:04Z")
Or Boz Scaggs’ _Lowdown_? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/I-hKBmTAADo/maxresdefault.jpg "Boz Scaggs - Lowdown (Official Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-hKBmTAADo) I saw him live in the late '70s and the band opened with this in a very extended version. Bass player walked on stage alone, started playing the bass riff and played by himself for a long time, maybe 20 seconds. Then the drummer walked on, started up his part. Another 20 seconds, then keyboard, etc. Repeated till everyone except Boz himself was on stage. Then he walked on and away they went. Fun way to start a concert. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/4 "2021-04-27T23:42:34Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KcDOM0VTDvo/hqdefault.jpg "Guadalcanal Diary - Lips of Steel") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcDOM0VTDvo) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/5 "2021-04-27T23:45:53Z")
**Kansas** “Miracles Out Of Nowhere”. Not at the start of the song, but the instrumental break about 2:20 in. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/D13zs5z3wnQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Miracles out of Nowhere") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D13zs5z3wnQ) ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/6 "2021-04-27T23:47:03Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Zr_dbCr90tg/hqdefault.jpg "The Donnas Are You Gonna Move It For Me") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr_dbCr90tg) ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/7 "2021-04-27T23:50:10Z")
Harry Chapin’s “Six String Orchestra” not only did it (on the chorus) but made a joke of it. [Harry Chapin - Six String Orchestra - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgXhLeXof3k) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/8 "2021-04-28T00:06:02Z")
The Intro & The Outro by The Bonzos [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cMqdwtd8TrQ/hqdefault.jpg "THE BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND The Intro & The Outro .wmv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMqdwtd8TrQ) ---
**Author:** ![Tierce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tierce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tierce)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/9 "2021-04-28T00:15:16Z")
**Frankie Beverly & Maze** “Twilight”, from about 0:30 to about 2:30. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MtaIFQyab5E/hqdefault.jpg "Frankie Beverly & Maze - Twilight (Alternate Version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtaIFQyab5E) ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/10 "2021-04-28T01:03:59Z")
The first thing I thought of was the part of _Tubular Bells_ where a voice dramatically identifies the instruments as they enter. I remember that being played as a single on AM radio back in the 1970s. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/y-u-u0ERQbU/maxresdefault.jpg "Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells, Part. 1, ENDING THEME (1973)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-u-u0ERQbU) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/11 "2021-04-28T01:25:22Z")
Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong’s Sextet, from the movie High Society: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TFrH-ooCMUo/hqdefault.jpg "That's Jazz High Society 1956 Bing Crosby Louis Armstrong [by Mery]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFrH-ooCMUo) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/12 "2021-04-28T01:37:16Z")
Drums Bass guitar Guitar 1 Piano Guitar 2 Melody Voice Harmony voice [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1jGYx0hMjM0/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGCIgTih_MA8=&rs=AOn4CLAGsKe9m3ojaatpxvGCpJwOa2RlEQ "Steve Miller Band-Swing Town") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jGYx0hMjM0) Wikipedia says: > Guitarist [Greg Leon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Leon), who initially took [Randy Rhoads](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Rhoads)’ place in [Quiet Riot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiet_Riot), claims that the iconic verse riff to [Ozzy Osbourne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Osbourne)’s “[Crazy Train](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Train)” came about when he and Rhoads were messing around with “Swingtown”. “We were hanging out, and I showed him the riff to [Steve Miller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Miller_(musician))’s “Swingtown”. I said: “Look what happens when you speed this riff up”. We messed around, and the next thing I know he took it to a whole other level and end up writing the “Crazy Train” riff.”[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swingtown_(song)#cite_note-7) I don’t hear it… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/13 "2021-04-28T01:46:48Z")
My personal favorite is Al Stewart’s “On the Border”. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z2L_OyS21lM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGDsgZChlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDHBDikesxwcnJ9zOQSTDFGPFEGdA "ON THE BORDER ~ AL STEWART") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2L_OyS21lM) ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/14 "2021-04-28T02:07:15Z")
Chicago’s cover of “I’m A Man” - bass, drums, a couple of types of percussion, tambourine, keyboards, guitar, then vocals: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cBGyFrHF1eU/maxresdefault.jpg "I'm a Man (2002 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBGyFrHF1eU) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/15 "2021-04-28T02:15:28Z")
Pink Floyd. One of These Days. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DrThcQg6q5w/maxresdefault.jpg "Pink Floyd - One Of These Days (BBC 1971)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrThcQg6q5w) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/16 "2021-04-28T14:18:27Z")
I think the most famous example is Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water”, at least that’s the first song that came to mind for me. I love that intro: Guitar Hi hat Snare Bass guitar Full band [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zUwEIt9ez7M/maxresdefault.jpg "Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water (Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwEIt9ez7M) ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/17 "2021-04-28T14:34:31Z")
David Bowie’s Station to Station starts with a full minute of a train running on a track and then another minute building the groove one instrument at a time. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZpIhsGg2SJ0/maxresdefault.jpg "Station to Station (2016 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpIhsGg2SJ0) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/18 "2021-04-28T14:55:14Z")
Ravel’s _Bolero_? And for the opposite, where instruments leave one at a time, there’s [Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._45_(Haydn)#History). ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/19 "2021-04-28T15:07:35Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > And for the opposite, where instruments leave one at a time, there’s [Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._45_(Haydn)#History). And for the opposite-opposite, there’s [P.D.Q. Bach’s “Howdy” Symphony.](https://wikipdq.fandom.com/wiki/%22Howdy%22_Symphony,_S._6_7/8) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887/20 "2021-04-28T15:29:46Z")
Decades ago I went to a Jazz club to hear Yellowjackets. There were weather issues that night, so the band was just doing one set. The drummer went up and was fussing with his kit, getting everything set up just so. Then he started really playing and the crowd hushed. His sound check turned into a 15 minute solo, near the end of which the bass player went up and began playing with him. They played a while, then the sax guy climbed onto the stage. Guitar next. It took a good 30 minutes before the entire band was onstage and playing, and they never stopped. Eventually the guitar played a massive solo and left the stage, leaving the remaining band up there playing. A half-hour later, the absolutely exhausted drummer was all that was left on the stage. He tried to dry off with a towel while playing with one stick, lost the drumstick and continued playing with one bare-hand and one towel. One looong set. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-instruments-come-in-one-at-a-time/940887.md?page=2)