The saxophone has the power to be sexy as hell or cheesy AF.
I think the sax players of the 50s had the best balance.
This Donnie Elbert classic embodies that. Listen to the way the sax luxuriates at 1:35:
The innocence of these teens is quite a contrast from the dirtiness of the sax:
Sil Austin and His Orchestra do a sultry Summertime:
I’ve wanted to go to Prague since I was 12 years old because of this song. INXS was the first band I went to see live. I had, in fact, a red-and-white Kick tour shirt that I wore with red shorts and a red headband. My hair was long and I had a light perm that made me think I was Michael Hutchence’s soul twin. The way Kirk Pengilly wails on the sax at 2:40 after a slight taunting delay is delicious. There’s a YouTube user who puts it like this: “That sax solo makes the paint on my walls melt.” You mean the skin on your loins?
George’s feet had got good rhythm. ❤
That’s 5, but I could go on forever.
Here are a couple more:
This one isn’t slinky sexy per se. But if wailing on a good sax in general is sexy, then this is sexy. 2:45 is where it all comes to a head as if Ravel and Jay Spaceman had cowritten this song.
What am I forgetting? Let me know in the comments.
Big giant “YES” here from me. A couple of these I didn’t know–thanks for the exposure!
And of course I love that you included Donnie Elbert. Such a talented, talented man.
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Donnie Elbert thanks to you! That song is what made me think of this.
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In Rock I would say Love and Rockets has great sax as well. Daniel Ash puts the instrument to good use in their psychedelic goth sound. “Rock n’ Roll Babylon” and “An American Dream” are excellent examples.
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Nice stuff!
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And of course Vangelis.
The saxophone harkens back to the smoke-filled jazz clubs of the late 40s while the counterpoint electronica reminds us that the darkness awaits in our future as well. All we have is our nostalgia and each other…
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So 80s, like George. I think Al Joureau (sp) borrowed shades of this for Moonlighting.
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