Instrumental singles in Symphonic Prog
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Topic: Instrumental singles in Symphonic Prog
Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Subject: Instrumental singles in Symphonic Prog
Date Posted: September 23 2018 at 07:28
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It can hardly be denied that the album is THE format for Progressive Rock
in general, and Symphonic Prog in particular. But Symphonic Prog bands also did
release singles, and sometimes instrumental numbers were chosen.
I list some below, do you know others? Camel - Flight of the Snow Goose Camel - The Snow Goose Rick Wakeman - Cathrine Focus - House of the King Focus - Hocus Pocus Focus - Hocus Pocus 2 Focus - Tommy Focus - Sylvia Focus - Harem Scarem Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Nutrocker Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Hoedown Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare for the Common Man Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Canario Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Peter Gunn Greenslade - Gangsters |
Replies:
Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Date Posted: September 23 2018 at 07:35
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I should perhaps add that some of the above are not strictly speaking instrumentals, but at least wordless, or in the case of Harem Scarem features one word ("yeah").
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 23 2018 at 13:32
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Great topic! I can't think of any others than the ones you listed, although Edgar Winter Band's single "Frankenstein" was an instrumental single with prog overtones that was a huge hit on radio at the same time as some of these. "Frankenstein" is an https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrumental" rel="nofollow - instrumental by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Winter" rel="nofollow - The Edgar Winter Group from their 1972 album https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Only_Come_Out_at_Night" rel="nofollow - They Only Come Out at Night . The song topped the US https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" rel="nofollow - Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in May 1973, being replaced by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_McCartney" rel="nofollow - Paul McCartney 's " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Love_%28Paul_McCartney_%26_Wings_song%29" rel="nofollow - My Love ". It sold over one million copies. In Canada it fared equally well, reaching #1 on the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_%28magazine%29" rel="nofollow - RPM 100 Top Singles Chart the following month. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein_%28song%29#cite_note-1" rel="nofollow - [1] That same month the song peaked at #18 in the UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein_%28song%29#cite_note-2" rel="nofollow - [2] The following month, the song peaked at #10 in Mexico. The song also peaked at #39 in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Germany" rel="nofollow - West Germany , remaining on the chart for only a week. The single was certified gold June 19, 1973 by the RIAA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein_%28song%29#cite_note-3" rel="nofollow - [3] ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: September 23 2018 at 13:51
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Rick Wakeman's had a number of instrumental singles. "Catherine" (1973) "Guinevere" (1975 Brazil) "White Rock" (1977) "Animal Showdown" (1979) "Theme from The Burning" (1980) "Theme from G'ole" (1983) "The Theme from Lytton's Diary" (1985) "Waterfalls" (1986) a hit in the New Age category ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: September 23 2018 at 14:20
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Keith Emerson: "Honky Tonk Train Blues" (1976) "Inferno" (1980 Italy/France) "Taxi Ride (Rome)" (1980) "Salt Cay" (1980 Italy) "Rum-A-Ting" (1982 Italy) "Up The Elephant And Round The Castle" (1983 - Side 2 is the version with vocals) ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: September 23 2018 at 14:29
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In 1983, Atlantic issued a 7" of Tony Banks' theme for The Wicked Lady. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: September 23 2018 at 14:35
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Tai Phong - Crest (Sister Jane B-Side) ------------- On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became. Ernest Vong |
Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Date Posted: September 24 2018 at 06:14
Thank you! I don't think I have ever heard The Theme from Lytton's Diary Will check it out! |
verslibre wrote:Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Date Posted: September 24 2018 at 06:24
Taxi Ride is a good one! I have never heard Up The Elephant And Round The Castle. |
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: September 24 2018 at 17:10
Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Date Posted: September 24 2018 at 23:12
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I thought of one more myself: Sebastian Hardie - Rosanna |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 24 2018 at 23:15
OUTSTANDING contribution, thanks!!  ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Date Posted: September 24 2018 at 23:35
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Here are both sides of this double a-sided single by Rick Wakeman: 01 - The Theme From Lytton's Diary 02 - Database Not bad. Made for a TV series called Lytton's Diary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159889/ |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: September 25 2018 at 09:26
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Also a big fan of Jan Hammer's Miami Vice music and his other scores. Jan's got a few more: "Crockett's Theme" a #1 single in Europe, issued 19 times in a five-year span (1986-1991)! "Tubbs and Valerie" (1987) "Forever Tonight" (1987) "The Runner" (1988, paired with the extended 12" mix of "Crockett's Theme") "Eurocops" (1989) "Too Much To Lose" (1989) (originally a 1977 vocal track recorded by the Jan Hammer Group) "Chancer (Theme from the Central Television Series)" (1990) "Midnight" (1993) ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: September 25 2018 at 18:33
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: September 25 2018 at 18:49
| I guess it's stretching the definition of prog a bit but i'll mention "chariots of fire" by Vangelis which was number one for one week in 1982. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: September 25 2018 at 20:08
 Fantastic! I'm glad someone posted this! Love this one.
------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: October 02 2018 at 10:40
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There are so many - Rick Wakeman:
Genesis
Alan Parsons Project
Oh I could follow for hours ------------- 
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Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Date Posted: October 03 2018 at 09:13
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Thank you Ivαn, some great music there! But I was thinking of instrumentals that were released as singles. From Wakeman's debut album a single was released with edited versions of Cathrine Parr and Anne Boleyn as a- and b-side respectively (simply called "Cathrine" and "Anne"). Both edits were later added as bonus tracks to the "deluxe" edition CD re-issue of the album. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: October 03 2018 at 09:18
| Catalan by Greenslade was apparently a single in 1975, I can't imagine it charted very highly but a very catchy little number nevertheless. |
Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Date Posted: October 03 2018 at 09:27
Indeed, a good one! Much better than the non-instrumental b-side Animal Farm (both from the album Time and Tide).
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