# Favourite Song Intros



## el-bo (Dec 14, 2020)

Playing around with a layered patch, this morning, I randomly hit a couple of chords that bought to mind the intro to 'Too Shy', by Kajagoogoo. A trip to Youtube reminded me how much I used to love the song's intro. And here we are.

Other great song intro's are welcome:


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## doctoremmet (Dec 20, 2020)

That Kajagoogoo one gives me goose bumps *every single time*... very nice intro indeed

What about this one?


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## doctoremmet (Dec 20, 2020)

This one is also a favourite:


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## Trash Panda (Dec 20, 2020)




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## Arbee (Dec 20, 2020)




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## cuttime (Dec 20, 2020)




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## asherpope (Dec 20, 2020)

Something a bit different here, but the first 20 seconds of this track is brutal hardcore goodness


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## dzilizzi (Dec 20, 2020)

This:


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## cuttime (Dec 20, 2020)

Speaking of Intros, I always wondered if these two were secretly the same:


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## asherpope (Dec 20, 2020)

doctoremmet said:


> That Kajagoogoo one gives me goose bumps *every single time*... very nice intro indeed
> 
> What about this one?



I'd never heard of Scritti until about a month ago - what an intriguing band! Hardcore communist punks who played pristine blue eyed soul pop


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## NekujaK (Dec 20, 2020)

Oh oh... am I stuck in the 80s?


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## patrick76 (Dec 20, 2020)

A good mix of songs so far. Lots of old stuff and I’ll continue in that vein. This intro strikes me immediately whenever I hear it.


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## dflood (Dec 20, 2020)




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## Arbee (Dec 20, 2020)

And how could I forget this one....


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## doctoremmet (Dec 21, 2020)

asherpope said:


> I'd never heard of Scritti until about a month ago - what an intriguing band! Hardcore communist punks who played pristine blue eyed soul pop


Their sh*t is something else for sure. 1985’s Cupid & Psyche is the ultimate in extremely tightly sequenced plucky synths. I love that album. I’ve had the pleasure to watch Green play live in a small Amsterdam venue a decade ago. Afterwards we had a beer and he told me he was very much into dub reggae, which makes perfect sense


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## dflood (Dec 21, 2020)




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## dflood (Dec 21, 2020)

dzilizzi said:


> This:



A small anecdote: Heart played for my 1974 high school grad. They were our second choice. Safe to say we were not destined to be talent scouts.


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## NekujaK (Dec 21, 2020)

A textbook intro (adding a new instrument every cycle) that culminates with one of the best pop guitar licks ever:


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## re-peat (Dec 21, 2020)

Here's *a macedoine of some of my favourite intros*.

_


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## telecode101 (Dec 21, 2020)

..


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## doctoremmet (Dec 21, 2020)

Rick Beato has done a couple of cool videos. His choices are usually deeply rooted in (classic) rock. But his presentations are always fun and enthusiastic imho.


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## devonmyles (Dec 21, 2020)

One of my favourite intros...
Although, on this version, the ending could be classed as one of my favourite endings as well.


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## zolhof (Dec 21, 2020)

I'll throw some Rush, these get me every time:





Masters of the build-up!


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## zolhof (Dec 21, 2020)

And this, my God, this is perfection:


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## doctoremmet (Dec 21, 2020)

zolhof said:


> I'll throw some Rush, these get me every time:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Digital Man also really kicks in with an awesome Neil Peart break. Love these ^!


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## Jk86 (Dec 21, 2020)

The intro to Ghost Love Score. 16 years on those first few notes still get me!


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## Serge Pavkin (Dec 21, 2020)




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## devonmyles (Dec 21, 2020)

Layla still hits the spot for me...


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

doctoremmet said:


> That Kajagoogoo one gives me goose bumps *every single time*... very nice intro indeed
> 
> What about this one?




Of course! That's also going to be featured in another tread I'm thinking about starting


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

NekujaK said:


> Oh oh... am I stuck in the 80s?



I'd be quite happy to have been


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

NekujaK said:


> A textbook intro (adding a new instrument every cycle) that culminates with one of the best pop guitar licks ever:




Indeed! Also love these intros (...and the rest of the song, of course):


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

Arbee said:


> And how could I forget this one....




I believe @bill5 agrees; with this one, also  :


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

cuttime said:


>




Isn't this the band that Gaz Williams (Bassist and SonicState contributor) goes on about?


re-peat said:


> Here's *a macedoine of some of my favourite intros*.
> 
> _




Did you put this together for the thread? Will check 'em out


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

telecode101 said:


> The police where the kings on intros




Definitely! Would add this:






And I'm also partial to the intro of the Sting-era rendition of 'Bring On The night':


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

Thanks everyone for your contributions. Some great examples, here, and a great way to get to hear tons of diverse music. Looking forward to having some new stuff to listen to 

Got so many more to add, so probably best to do them only a few at a time 

This is not only a great way to start a track (imo), but also the entire album:




Saw Clapton on a few of his Albert Hall gigs, back in the 90's. Still love this:




And then there's this. Any chance to hear the late, great Alan Murphy play is always a pleasure:


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## Serge Pavkin (Dec 22, 2020)

el-bo said:


> I believe @bill5 agrees; with this one, also  :




Yes, and this. I just remembered this brilliant song.


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

Serge Pavkin said:


> Yes, and this. I just remembered this brilliant song.




Nice!

Perhaps I should add this, also:


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## Serge Pavkin (Dec 22, 2020)

In the case of Mark, it seems to me that there could be any of his songs) 
Thanks for this thread, it was able to distract me from listening to library reviews)


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

Separate post, for this band. They've got the intro 'thing wrapped-up. A few examples:









And this one is close to anthemic (Iconic, also, for Donnie Darko fans):


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

Serge Pavkin said:


> Thanks for this thread, it was able to distract me from listening to library reviews)



Shhh!...You'll get me banned


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## re-peat (Dec 22, 2020)

el-bo said:


> Did you put this together for the thread?



Yes. 
Here's a listing of what's included:

Herman Brood - Saturday Night
UB40 - Food For Thought
Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
Prince - Cream
Steely Dan - Hey Nineteen
Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
The Waterboys - Whole Of The Moon
The Police - Walking On The Moon
The Beatles - Come Together
AC/DC - Highway To Hell
David Bowie - Heroes
Stevie Wonder - Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing
Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
The Clash - The Magnificent Seven
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
The Cars - Just What I Needed
Paul Simon - Late In The Evening
Steve Miller - Fly Like An Eagle
Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Wide
Rare Earth - Get Ready
David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes
Herb Alpert - Rotation
Donald Fagen - New Frontier
Paul Simon - 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Steve Winwood - Night Train

(Some of those segue rather nicely. Others less so.)

_


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## cloudbuster (Dec 22, 2020)

From the top of my head ...
It gets me each and every time.


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## Gerbil (Dec 22, 2020)




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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

re-peat said:


> Yes.








re-peat said:


> Here's a listing of what's included:
> 
> Herman Brood - Saturday Night
> UB40 - Food For Thought
> ...



Nice job! Will work my way through them. Cheers!


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## Stringtree (Dec 22, 2020)

The "Firebird" excerpt intro to "Siberian Khatru" on Yessongs. What a great walk-on piece. I love LOVE to play this song on guitar, especially with all the other players knowing every rhythm and change.




And "Love Will Find a Way" from Yes, as well. Am I a Yes head? Yup. 



I love Steve Howe to death, but when I saw Trevor Rabin down the street from my house, I was thoroughly impressed. (Nothing beats the Crypt Keeper, though. I adore his sense of humor and humility, while being at the same time a singularly fabulous artist.)


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## Stringtree (Dec 22, 2020)

Okay, no more Yes. Aw, just one more:




And a Steely Dan opening that's so dank it needs a dehumidifier:


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## muk (Dec 22, 2020)

Cool topic! A couple of random favourites:


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## muk (Dec 22, 2020)




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## bill5 (Dec 22, 2020)

el-bo said:


> I believe @bill5 agrees; with this one, also  :


lol, actually I don't. That intro is ridiculously long...even before I got sick of the song I used to think "oh ffs just PLAY already" If they had just started the song with the guitar riff, then I would agree


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## bill5 (Dec 22, 2020)

re-peat said:


> Yes.
> Here's a listing of what's included:
> 
> Herman Brood - Saturday Night
> ...


tbh a lot of these I don't get at all...some great songs but completely unremarkable intros. Course I'm sure some would disagree with mine too, to each their own and all that


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

bill5 said:


> lol, actually I don't. That intro is ridiculously long...even before I got sick of the song I used to think "oh ffs just PLAY already" If they had just started the song with the guitar riff, then I would agree



The intro is a really long riser, combining great tension and build-up while introducing the core musical elements, and whose abrupt demise gives way to one of the most iconic rock riffs, like...EVVA! I doubt that riff would be as memorable were it not for the intro, as part of it's secret lies in it being the release from all that previous tension (Same as with the 'Bad Love' intro, I posted earlier). 

I no longer really like the song, but I reckon the intro is nigh-on perfection ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


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## re-peat (Dec 22, 2020)

Which ones don’t qualify as great intro’s in your book, Bill? I’m genuinely interested.

_


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## el-bo (Dec 22, 2020)

bill5 said:


> ...some great songs but completely unremarkable intros.



Just to clarify: This is a favourite intros thread, rather than a 'The Greatest...". An intro needn't be anything more than a signal that a song one loves is about to get under way, and therefore perhaps not obvious to others. But a lot of these are probably universally recognisable as good ways to start a song, even if the song is unknown. I guess it's a personal thing, really.


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## bill5 (Dec 22, 2020)

re-peat said:


> Which ones don’t qualify as great intro’s in your book, Bill? I’m genuinely interested.


Afraid you'll have to stay that way.  If I say this or that song then whoever threw it out may get in a snit, no thanks! Again to each their own


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## re-peat (Dec 23, 2020)

Here's *a second macedoine*. Contents:

Johnny Guitar Watson - Real Mother For Ya
St. Germain - Rose Royce
Simon & Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson
Ike & Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits
Fluke - Zion
The Cure - A Forest
The Who - Pinball Wizard
Simply Red - Red Box
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken
The Doors - The End
Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Dire Straits - Water Of Love
The Knack - My Sharona
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street

And I've also always like this one, though I'm not sure if this actually can be called an intro because it's also the first verse of the song. Still, the song proper only starts when the bass drum enters.




Two of my favourite jazz intros are these:

*Duke Ellington "Kinda Dukish"* (which is the intro to "Rocking in Rhythm")
*Charles Mingus' bass solo and riff that opens "II B.S."* (or "Haitian Fight Song", as it's sometimes called).

_


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## doctoremmet (Dec 23, 2020)

Jazz intros!


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## dflood (Dec 23, 2020)

So much to like in this performance including that simple but memorable intro, Elvin Bishop’s great solo, and Mickey Thomas’s incredible vocals.


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## dflood (Dec 23, 2020)

re-peat said:


> Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond



World’s longest intro?


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## dflood (Dec 23, 2020)

Shortest intro ever?


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## mopsiflopsi (Dec 24, 2020)

Marc Almond's cover of Paint It Black. To me the intro has always sounded kinda stormy/piratey.


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