# The saxophone in pop/rock (+ CD Mix Challenge) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185 "2006-09-10T18:01:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/21 "2006-09-11T08:39:51Z")
Saxophone was an essential part of the early Waterboys sound (otherwise known as “The Big Music” after that song) - sax provided by Anthony Thistlethwaite. Everyone know _Whole of the Moon_, but particular favourite of mine is early single _A Girl Called Johnny_, with a really boppy sax and piano bit carrying the whole song, with a soulful repeating sax bit (would this be a hook?). ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/22 "2006-09-11T18:47:48Z")
Aw, poor Kirk Pengilly of INXS. I’ll suggest the notable sax solos of “Mediate,” “Never Tear Us Apart,” and “What You Need.” Especially in keeping with the OP’s 80’s inspiration. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/23 "2006-09-11T23:19:14Z")
“If You Leave” by OMD and “A Night Like This” by the Cure both have saxophone solos. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/24 "2006-09-12T01:39:57Z")
_Your Latest Trick_ by Dire Straits (Sax by Michael Brecker; bonus trumpet intro by David Brecker) _Excitable Boy_ by Warren Zevon (Sax by Jim Horn) _Young Americans_ by David Bowie (Sax by David Sanborn) _Us and Them_ by Pink Floyd (Sax by Dick Parry) _Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard_ and _Still Crazy After All These Years_ by Simon and Garfunkel from “The Concert in Central Park” (Sax by Gerry Niewood and Dave Tofani, respectively) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/25 "2006-09-12T01:59:01Z")
“She’s Gone” by Hall & Oates ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/26 "2006-09-12T02:02:02Z")
King Crimson had two great saxophonists, Ian McDonald & Mel Collins. From the McDonald era, I’d pick “21st Century Schizoid Man,” and from the Collins era, I’d go with “Ladies of the Road.” ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/27 "2006-09-12T02:20:40Z")
“Avalon” by Roxy Music has some lush, gorgeous, sexy sax work. That song and that entire album are sexy as hell. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/28 "2006-09-12T20:48:12Z")
“Harden My Heart” - Quarterflash “Only the Lonely” - The Motels ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/29 "2006-09-12T20:56:17Z")
Stay Now - Hazel O’Connor The saxaphone song - Kate Bush ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/30 "2006-09-13T17:12:20Z")
Does anyone know of a good source to get written-out transcriptions of sax solos? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/31 "2006-09-13T17:24:31Z")
Two from musical theatre: I’ll be Surprisingly Good for You"–from Evita and the absolute bestest–The Last Night of the World from Miss Saigon: A song played on a solo saxophone A crazy sound, a lonely sound A cry that tells us love goes on and on played on a solo saxophone It’s telling me to hold you tight and dance like it’s the last night of the world ---
**Author:** ![2lazy2pee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/4bbf92/32.png) [@2lazy2pee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2lazy2pee)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/32 "2006-09-14T02:21:32Z")
If you can stand another Huey Lewis tune, Hip To Be Square is another one with a good Johnny Colla solo. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/33 "2006-09-14T02:41:49Z")
The quintessential sax track has to be the Benny Hill theme, “Yakety Sax”. The all-time worst alto sax solo is Andy Partridge’s on “Leisure,” in which it becomes painfully apparent that A.P. simply didn’t know how to play a saxophone (but that works with the spirit and theme of the song). ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/34 "2006-09-14T02:51:57Z")
My favorite sax-featuring “rock” song: “The Working Hour” by **Tears for Fears**. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/35 "2006-09-14T07:07:29Z")
You people are good. I can’t think of a single one. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/36 "2006-09-14T18:30:37Z")
“I Missed Again” - Phil Collins ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185/37 "2006-09-14T19:01:08Z")
“Stiletto” by Billy Joel has a saxophone bit that I really like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-saxophone-in-pop-rock-cd-mix-challenge/372185.md?page=1)