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All-time favourite guitar lick
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Subject: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Murray MacLeod Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:05 AM You know what I am talking about here. You are listening to a song, and suddenly you hear this amazing piece of inspired guitar playing which transfixes you. I know that there are many 'Catters out there who have listened to far more music than I have, and I would love to have their opinions regarding these guitar "magic moments". Please let's not include whole guitar performances here, just these little flashes of inspiration which transform a song. To start the ball rolling, my favourite guitar "magic moment" is by Doc Watson, singing"Snowbird" (Yes the Anne Murray song). At the end he plays this amazing descending run which just blows my mind. I can't even remember which album it is on, but I have no doubt someone can remind me Maybe Rick Fielding can even tell me how to play it ! Murray. PS I just know somebody is going to nominate Nic Jones "Canadee-I O" so it might as well be me. Sorry! |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: GUEST,Little Jimmy Martin Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:11 AM Well the "Lester Flat C run" is a standard, that practically anyone who's ever flat-picked has probably played it, copied and or used it at some point or another, or twisted it into something entirely different. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Bugsy Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:13 AM Cop an earful of Martin Simpson's guitar when he backs June Tabor on "Heather Down The Moor". Pure magic!
Cheers Bugsy |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Matt_R Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:19 AM Ok theres are mine: (well, the ones I play the most)
--One Perfect Moment (The Bad Examples) |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Murray MacLeod Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:21 AM Right on Bugsy, also how about "Flash Company "?. Murray |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: ddw Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:24 AM Bruce Langhorn used to do amazing little pull-off trills. Probably the best example is in his backup of Tom Rush on Urge For Goin', but you can hear them in some of the stuff he did behind Odetta, too. And I don't know off-hand who the guitarist was, but somebody does a series of key-changing runs on Ian Tyson's version of Sierre Peaks that just blows my mind every time I hear them. I thought Ian might have done the picking himself, but he took a by on it when I requested it during a concert a few years ago, so I suspect it wasn't him. david |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Murray MacLeod Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:26 AM Matt, you are not in the spirit of the thing here, I want these "magic moments", not whole songs. God knows, David Allison has never recorded a magic moment in his whole career ....... Murray |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Mark Clark Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:27 AM I've been "transfixed" a great many times but one lick that comes to mind is Blind Reverend Gary Davis' introduction to "You Got To Move" on his album "A Little More Faith." I remember wearing out the grooves trying to learn that one. One that still blows me away is Lead Belly's "Fannin Street" lick. I've heard many people try to do it, including Pete Seeger and Fred Gerlach, but I've never heard anyone get it exactly right. - Mark |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Matt_R Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:43 AM DAMMIT, WELL MAYBE I THINK HE DOES MURRAY!!! So, to break it down for those less astute:
--One Perfect Moment (The Bad Examples) BTW DAVID ALLISON RULES! AND I DON'T GIVE A RATS ASS WHO THINKS HE'S GOOD OR NOT! THIS GUITAR PLAYER LIKES HIM.
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Murray MacLeod Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:53 AM Attaboy Matt ! But really, in our hearts, we both know who really rules, now don't we? But I have promised myself not to mention his name again on the Forum ... Murray |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Matt_R Date: 03 Jan 01 - 01:06 AM NO! I've heard his stuff and it bores me. And don't you DARE tell me what's in my heart. Not you or anyone else knows that. So leave me alone. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Murray MacLeod Date: 03 Jan 01 - 01:36 AM OK Matt I'm laying the pistol down and backing off, real slow ...... Murray |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Big Mick Date: 03 Jan 01 - 02:21 AM Geez, Matt, you make this eloquent, well thought out statement in defense of your picks..........blew my mind..........then stomp your feet and start talking about not telling you what's in your heart.....lighten up fer chrissakes.......... This is one of those impossible to answer deals cause I can come up with 15 or 20 off the top of my head, but one that immediately comes to mind is on The Chieftains "Another Country" album. Chet Atkins on guitar plays off Paddy Maloney on the Uillean Pipes. Atkins starts out with a guitar version of Tahitian Skies and Maloney answers back on the pipes. Then Maloney makes your skin crawl by launching into Chief O'Neill's Favorite Hornpipe, and Atkins answers on the guitar. Brilliant stuff. Mick |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: GUEST,Steve Date: 03 Jan 01 - 10:17 AM The intro to "Standin on a Rock" by the Amazing Rythym Aces on their "Too Stuffed to Jump" Album. Took me a whole day to figure it out! |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Mountain Dog Date: 03 Jan 01 - 10:27 AM Richard Thompson has a perfectly beautiful and spine-tingling solo on "Just As the Tide Was Flowing". (Maddy Prior on vocals with some incarnation of the Albion Country Band - I used to have it on an LP called "The Antilles Sampler"). Also, Ry Cooder's heart-wringingly soulful slide solo on his own version of "Across the Borderline" from the "Get Rhythm" album. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Rick Fielding Date: 03 Jan 01 - 11:31 AM Tremendous thread Murray (well for guitar-nurds like me anyway) Most of those licks that stick in the mind were heard when I was young and impressionable and simply couldn't BELIEVE that notes could be that beautiful. 1. Reverend Gary Davis' spellbinding "high to low" guitar run near the end of his thirties recording of "Oh Lord Search My Heart". I practically passed out! 2. Earl Scruggs "Maybelle-like" break on "You Are My Flower". 3. Big Bill Broonzy's flat-picked line on "How You Want It Done". My Gawd, he was 19 years old! Listening to his early playing (mostly fingerpicking) is the best guitar lesson I can imagine. 4. Norman Blake's "Cross-chording" on Church Street Blues. I've tried for years to get a handle on it. No dice. 5. Many others. I'll try and think of them. Hey Murray..I could give you the NOTES he plays...but to get it as smooth and fast as he plays it? Well I think ya gotta be Doc (or at least set aside a year of non-stop practice). I agree. He really MADE something from that song. Wonder if Anne Murray heard his recording...or Gene MacLelland for that matter. Rick |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: GUEST,Mooh at folkcensor's computer Date: 03 Jan 01 - 11:35 AM Any part of the solo from Sympathy For The Devil by the Stones. Recently I've taken a shining to Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson, but I couldn't ID the specific part from here. There's a pretty cool solo on one of the Simon Mayor cd's too but I'm not at home to ID it more closely. Remember the first Dire Straits release? That sent alot of us back to the woodshed to learn how to play fills properly, great expressions. Mooh. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: dwditty Date: 03 Jan 01 - 11:57 AM Amos "The Other Canadian Guitarist" (*BG* Rick) Garrett's solo in Maria Muldaur's Midnight at the Oasis has always done it for me. Albert Lee in Country Boy. Mark Knoffler in Sultans of Swing. dw |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: GUEST,Ramblin' Boy Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:07 PM The trade off licks between Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins in "There'll Be Some Changes Made" from the Neck and Neck album. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Rick Fielding Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:12 PM Amos Garrett was one of the first "really good pickers" that I ever saw up close. Like Knoffler he just has a "touch". Love his playing. The guitarist (forget his name) with Gerry Rafferty on "The Ark". Great solo. George Harrison's slide guitar on "My Sweet Lord". Verrry nice. Alton Delmore's flatpick break on "Blue Railroad Train". Lots of unexpected turns. Leadbelly's run from D to A on many things. Inventive! Rick |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: John Hardly Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:14 PM I just saw a thread titled "Fielding isn't god" but from your selections on this thread, you wouldn't get agreement from me (About the god thing)--GREAT selections, especially the Blake. I've heard dwditty play and I can see that it must be great influences (like his picks) that make great guitar players (like him)! mine?--Tony Rice's kick-off of Muleskinner JH |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Peter T. Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:19 PM I must confess that I am currently besotted with Bob Dylan's little phrasings and chordings on the bootleg versions of "Blood on the Tracks". They are so simple. "Tangled Up in Blue" has these immensely evocative phrases. Joni Mitchell's Amelia (including the Pat Metheny solo on the Shadows and Light version) is also evocative. yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: BlueJay Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:24 PM !. The break on Norman Blake's version of "John Hardy" 2. The chorus on Bruce Cockburn's "Barrelhouse Blues": the slide down thingy with the run following it. Great blues guitar. 3. The instrumental break on David Bromberg's version of "Mr. Bojangles" That's all I can think of now. Goodnight, BlueJay |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Clinton Hammond2 Date: 03 Jan 01 - 12:38 PM The first few bars of Don Ross's song "Afraid To Dance" off his album 'This Dragon Won't Sleep'... I don't know how the hell he does it but it sound fantastic!!! For those who don't know it, it's the worlds first solo guitar, hip-hop tune! |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: UB Ed Date: 03 Jan 01 - 04:30 PM Stones, guys, Stones! After thirty years, I can't get these out of my head: Into to "Jumpin Jack Flash" (especially from Ya Ya) Intro to "Under My Thumb" Intro and repeat in "Satisfaction" Additionally, the Who covered "Young Man's Blues" on their Live at Leeds album. Listen to that introductory lick. Oh yeah, and how 'bout the intro to Sweet Jane on Lou Reed's "Rock N Roll Animal" Hard to stop....
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Matt_R Date: 03 Jan 01 - 04:41 PM Sorry Mick, that was before I read my horoscope this morning which said "Don't be put on the defensive by a strongly biased person". |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Benjamin Date: 03 Jan 01 - 11:41 PM I'd say my favorte lick was on Loves Holiday off the All in All album by Earth Wind and Fire. In the second and third chorus in the middle of the third line as Maurice White sings "Love" (the lick is here) "has found its way. "It amazes me how Johnny Graham takes a slow scale and can execute it perfectly between words like that. Other than that, I love the base runs in Blind Willie Johnsons Let Your Light Shine on Me. That's all that really comes to mind right now. Get back to me. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: ddw Date: 03 Jan 01 - 11:42 PM A couple of people have mentioned Chet Atkins and it reminded me of something I haven't thought of in years, but was mightily impressed by when I was first learning a little guitar. It's his Yankee Doodle Dixie — in which he plays both songs simultaneously. Never did figure out how he did that. Thought it might have been multitracking, but saw him perform it on television once and they showed closeups of his hands often enough to convince me he was really doing it. Can't disagree with Rick's praise of Big Bill's licks, but I've just received all of the tracks Blind Blake ever recorded (so the company says, anyway) and there are some pretty fine passages in what I've listened to so far. Also have to love a lot of the stuff Josh White did and I love Blind Boy Fuller's riffs and Sylvester Weaver's Bottleneck Blues. david |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Rick Fielding Date: 03 Jan 01 - 11:58 PM OK now don't laugh. Glen Campbell's intro and lead part to Southern Nights. Have to agree with Peter that Dylan's little figures are great. Clarence White's solo on Nine Pound Hammer. Rick |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: mousethief Date: 04 Jan 01 - 12:27 AM First thing that comes to mind, and refuses to leave, is the wonderful flying guitar solo on "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" -- I forget if it's in the first parts or the second parts -- where he's playing absolutely at the top of the fretboard, just a couple of bars before it breaks into the lyrics, and he runs up to the highest note, then falls back down playing two notes at a time. Shivers. Oh, and the walk-down in "32-20 Blues" as played by Robert Johnson. And the lightning-fast hammer-ons and pull-offs at the end of Sultans of Swing. Alex |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Mooh Date: 04 Jan 01 - 06:10 AM Mouser, you reminded me. The solo from Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd seems to almost transcend guitar. It would sound great with almost any instrument. Mooh. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: catspaw49 Date: 04 Jan 01 - 08:07 AM Not exactly a lick, but uh................... I have always been kinda' gassed when I listen to Arlo pick along while he talks. Listen carefully. Its effortless and has small changes in whatyever it is as he goes along. Now, most of us pick and sing, it goes together......But just talking away, rambling on, while you seemingly play on autopilot is a particular talent. Obviously Arlo has had a lot of practice at it with Alice, but there are so many others where he does this. His playing is very underrated. I did get a good lick in on an old Yamaha one day. Tasted like ginger and soy sorta'. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Matt_R Date: 04 Jan 01 - 08:41 AM Well dang guys, you got me going to! I've been playing Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" a lot recently, and what about dem licks? All those neat little hammer-on and pull off that are stuck in the strummed chords. It's such an amazing thing that that's coming from one guitar. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: GUEST Date: 04 Jan 01 - 10:05 AM 1. Chuck Berry's intro lick to "Johnny B. Goode" - used so much it's now a Rock 'n' Roll cliche... 2. Alvin Lee and Ten Years After live at Woodstock doing "Goin' Home" - blistering moment during Lee's solo where he does some kind of triplet-based phrase repeated over and over and then drops one of the notes in the phrase a half-step during the change to IV and plays those triplets over and over... 3. Same idea during Jimi Hendrix's solo on his version of "Red House" where he hammers those three notes forever at the change to IV. 4. Any of Hendrix's solos on "All Along The Watchtower," but especially the one right after he says "Hey" - with the "underwater Wah-Wah" sound... or his solo right after he "shot her" on "Hey Joe"... 5. The slide work on Allman Brothers' live version of "Statesboro Blues"... |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Benjamin Date: 04 Jan 01 - 10:20 AM Paul Simon's I Know What I Know Has some amazing licks through out the song. Doc Watson has too many for me to pick one (or two). |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: UB Ed Date: 04 Jan 01 - 10:27 AM Spaw, I agree re Arlo and Alice. I still can't play and speak the part. I am a little worried: although we occassionally see "pro" bass fisherman kiss a fish, I don't know if the public is ready for an artist licking their guitar. Pink Floyd and Hendrix had great licks too. Too bad Mr. Gilmour was eclipsed by Roger Water's Dark Side of the Moon (ie The Wall). Don't forget Hendrix's "Castles made of Sand." |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: mousethief Date: 04 Jan 01 - 11:49 AM Gilmour wasn't eclipsed by The Wall. His composition (Comfortably Numb) was the brightest light on that Wall. As for I Know What I Know, isn't the guitar amazing? It sounds like it has rubber strings. How do they DO that? Alex |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: M.Ted Date: 04 Jan 01 - 12:45 PM Danny Gatton playing the lick from "The Simpsons" |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Peter T. Date: 04 Jan 01 - 12:51 PM I completely agree about Alice's Restaurant: so casual ("We're just waiting for it to come around on the guitar again", like it was an independent being. Audience in the palm of his hand.) A few splendid Beatle moments: The bass line in "Hey Bulldog" -- not my favourite Beatle song, but it sure moves. (like "Ballad of John and Yoko" -- McCartney made that song.) Speaking of George Harrison, that hint of slide things to come in "For You Blue". The opening of "Day Tripper". The opening of "I Feel Fine". (weel, we could go on all day about this one.) yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: UB Ed Date: 04 Jan 01 - 12:52 PM MouseThief, you're absolutely correct re "Comfortably Numb." I seem to have this Waters vs. Gilmour soapbox to drag around (time to get over it). Forgive me least we thread creep. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Branwen23 Date: 04 Jan 01 - 01:04 PM I'll agree with Peter T. about Tangled up in Blue (Indigo Girls)... There's some really beautiful guitar work in that one. I also like the part in "Carry on My Wayward Son" (Kansas) right after the first verse where they go into that wicked instrumental led by groovy guitar licks... |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: GUEST,Willie-O Date: 04 Jan 01 - 02:14 PM I would normally go along with Amos Garrett. In recent history, though, I sure like JP Cormier's fingerboard blitzkrieg on "Kelly's Mountain". Willie-O (now one of those infamous surfers-at-work) |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Matt_R Date: 04 Jan 01 - 02:55 PM Have you ever heard Soig Siberil play "The Piper's Quest (Kest Ar Choad)"? His fingers are flying so fast it's spooky! |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Wesley S Date: 04 Jan 01 - 03:56 PM How about: Doc Watson's intro to "Deep River Blues" Geoff Muldaur's intro to "Devil Got My Woman" Mississippi John Hurts "Creole Belle" Bruce Cockburn's "If I Had A Rocketlauncher" And Stevie Ray Vaughn's intro to "Cold Shot" and the bass intro to "Crossfire" Or even The Chambers Bros "Time Has Come Today" |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Bill D Date: 04 Jan 01 - 04:04 PM I am NOT a guitar player, but I used to go to Winfield and hear the flat picking championships, and I have WATCHED Norman Blake (and others), and it is amazing what is done...Norman has this one song (it may BE Church Street)where he is into this pretty amazing run, and he ADDS a triplet without missing a beat!...and all the time he is making faces and interacting with the crowd.... and there was this young kid from California, Jeff Pearson, who played most of 'Black Mountain Rag' in the high register without a cutaway guitar...cant see how his hand made that reach! |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: mousethief Date: 04 Jan 01 - 04:24 PM Which part of Rocket Launcher? I'm trying to remember any memorable guitar licks. alex |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Wesley S Date: 04 Jan 01 - 05:01 PM The rhythm riff is what I was refering to But there are some nice slide riffs on it too. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: Benjamin Date: 04 Jan 01 - 05:17 PM Alex, I'm not sure how they get that tone in I know what I know. But I've been looking for the band that played the music on that song, General M.D. Shirinda and the Gaza Sisters. I've searched record stores and all over the Internet. All I found were a couple album tittles on some guy's web site who decided he'd list every recording he had. If anyone could help me find an album (CD would be the best) I'd be thankfull! The guitarist on Hugh Masekela's Uptownship, John "Blackie" Selolwane, gets a tone in a couple parts that sounds like a steal drum. |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: MarkS Date: 04 Jan 01 - 10:31 PM The instrumental break on Mr. Bojangles by Bromberg. Oooooooh yes! markS |
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Subject: RE: All-time favourite guitar lick From: GUEST Date: 04 Jan 01 - 11:17 PM I love Clarence White's work on The Byrds, "Chestnut Mare" . I also have to agree with , "Sultans of Swing", some fine work. |
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