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Best 'popsax' solo?

Derek A

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I'm not talking jazz, rock or blues.
Which solo do you think is the better?
Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty or Will You by Hazel O'Connor.
I think they are both outstanding.
 
I think wesley mcgoogan's solo on will you is the better solo to be honest

Mamos
 
No competition for me really.
Will you by Wes is the one I'd take if I was stuck on the moon.
 
It's difficult to choose just one as there are a whole load of standard memorable ones.

McGoogan's Will You stands out as do Steve Gregory's Careless Whisper, Bobby Keys' Brown Sugar and a particular favourite of mine David Sanborn on Young Americans. I s'pose you could also add Charles Dechant with Maneater, Clarence Clemons on Jungleland and of course Ravenscroft's Baker Street.

For me though, the best purest solo has to be Sonny Rollins on Who By Fire - brilliant opening, again in the middle and then again at the end. True Rollins :)
 
Pete Christlieb on Steely Dans FM or Deacon Blue - if that counts as pop. Snake Davis on almost any M People track.

But to answer the question, I would go with Will You - however Baker Street will probably always be identified as THE iconic pop-sax solo. In fact I was listening to the radio on Friday and a woman phoned in with a request for it - at 51, she had just been out and bought her first sax, inspired by that record, and was setting out to learn it.

So if Raphael Ravenscroft can still inspire yer man or woman in the street to go out and start learning the instrument, fair play to him :welldone
 
I thought the question was just about the two tracks mentioned by the OP.

If it's a free for all, the second solo in Simply Red's "how could I fall" is the beez! It tops an extrodinary first solo for me :)
 
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I was not saying your inclusion of Coen was unfair to be honest.

Most of the soloists we are talking about are mere mortals

mamos
 
I thought the question was just about the two tracks mentioned by the OP.

If it's a free for all, the second solo in Simply Red's "how could I fall" is the beez! It tops an extrodinary first solo for me :)

Actually I miss-read the post! McGoogan on Will You of the two, by a short head.
 
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McGoogan for me all the way. Although Ravenscrofts' solo was passionately played, it's quite boring to play, no matter how much soul you put into it! (IMHO)
 
It has to be Will You for me too.
The solo that made me wanna play sax.
 
Ronnie Ross..... who did the bari solo on Lou Reed's 'Take a Walk on the Wild Side'...... I guess I would consider that a "pop" song.... no?
:confused:
 
'Rat Trap' by the Boomtown Rats.... (does the really wierd, Roland Kirk style one in 'Hit me with your Rhythm Stick' count?)
 
"It's Raining Again" - Supertramp -, John Heliwell (tenor).

"Kokomo" - Beach Boys -, Joel C. Perskin (alto).

"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" - ABBA -, Ulf Andersson (tenor/alto).

"THE HISTORY OF TOP 40 SAXOPHONE SOLOS
1955-2005, By John Laughter & Steve D. Marshall, you read as follow: .... “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do,” heavily influenced by American orchestra leader Billy Vaughn, who had hit it big in Europe in the 1950s with his versions of songs like “Sail Along Silv’ry Moon.” “The sound of saxophones playing in parts, with lots of echo on them, was typical for him, and ‘I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do’ was our attempt at a kind of Billy Vaughn pastiche,” says Andersson."

Ulf Andersson also played with the Swedish group - Hansson Wolf United -. Soprano and tenor.

Thomas
 
Of the 2 given in the opening question then definitely 'Will You'.

I also agree that Snake Davis is a master of pop saxophone with M People and Ian Kirkham with Simply Red is an outstanding player. That's not to say that these two players are only good for 'pop' as they both proven masters of their instruments.

Pop is something which I listen to without hearing, if that makes sense? I usually just have it on in the car and sing along to Smooth fm - usually out of tune :)
 

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