Greatest Single Ever

general questions, comments and ideas about recording, audio, music, etc.
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inverseroom
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Greatest Single Ever

Post by inverseroom » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:36 pm

I don't mean album tracks that were hits--I mean SINGLES that were never intended as anything but singles. "Rain" and "Strawberry Fields" spring to mind, for me. And "Good Vibrations"--though it was originally intended for an album. I'm thinking about singles in which massive thinking in terms of writing and production went into a perfect, distilled three minutes.

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Rodgre
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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by Rodgre » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:41 pm

I've said it a million times. Strawberry Fields b/w Penny Lane is one of the best moments in pop history as far as I'm concerned.

Roger

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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by JASIII » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:42 pm

Jumpin Jack Flash/Child of the Moon
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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by KennyLusk » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:53 pm

The Theme From "Shaft"

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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by schnozzle » Wed Sep 29, 2004 3:03 pm

Do 78's from the '30s and '40s count? There's a lot of brilliant music from that era (Duke Ellington, Django Reinhart, The Carter Family, Robert Johnson, etc. etc.) but since there weren't any lp's at the time pretty much everything was a single.

From the pop era...maybe:
"Rave On" by Buddy Holly
"Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard
"Train Kept A-Rollin'" by Johnny Burnett & The RNR Trio
"Pipeline" by the Chantays
"You Really Got Me" by the Kinks
"Waterloo Sunset" (also the Kinks)
"See Emily Play" by Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett
"When The Tanks Roll Over Poland" by the Automatics
"The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow

Seems like most singles from the past 20 years were pulled off of albums, now that I think about it, but I could easily be wrong there...

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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by marqueemoon » Wed Sep 29, 2004 3:12 pm

"It's Your Thing" - The Isley Brothers
I the prostitute, shall not hide...
But I was very much bothered with my work!

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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by Catoogie » Wed Sep 29, 2004 3:20 pm

Not the best but prety damn good.

Don't Worry Baby/I Get Around

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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by underthebigtree » Wed Sep 29, 2004 5:17 pm

I agree with Rodgre - Strawberry Fields b/w Penny Lane. Two incredible songs, but more importantly, this piece of vinyl could arguably be called the moment that rock "grew up", and art rock was born.

Also in the Beatles category, Hey Jude was b/w Revolution, if memory serves. Kinda hard to beat that.

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pk
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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by pk » Wed Sep 29, 2004 5:20 pm

The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats :lol:

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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by biasvoltage » Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:24 pm

Walk Away Renee / I haven't got the nerve
the left banke




cv

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A.L.
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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by A.L. » Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:47 pm

Love Will Tear Us Apart, DUH.

DUH!

chetatkinsdiet
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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by chetatkinsdiet » Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:48 pm

Well, there are definitely more hipper, underground sort of things that come to mind, but the one that's made the biggest impact IMO as well possibly the best single line riff.....
Satisfaction by the Stones.

Man, but I'm even second guessing myself here....
OK...runner up.....
What's Goin On by Marvin Gaye.

later,
m

Or if you really want to go rootsy....just pick one from Hank Williams Sr. Except Kaligua...that one isn't good at all. I'm sure the label made him do that.
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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by chetatkinsdiet » Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:49 pm

...damn i'm fickle today.

Family Affair by Sly and the Family Stone.
Amazing dynamics, with the low vox and drum machine...what year was that? Gotta be one of the first drum machines on a hit song.
later,
m
The only true great mic on this planet is the Shure SM-57. It is the most consistant in not totally sucking of anything ever built. All other mics are "application dependant".

-- Fletcher

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A.L.
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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by A.L. » Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:53 pm

Blue Monday, too.

Or Temptation, that sucker has at least 3 excellent songs on it.

All those early Siouxsie singles, Love in a Void, wow wow WOW.

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Mr PC
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Re: Greatest Single Ever

Post by Mr PC » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:58 pm

California Dreamin'-Mamas and the Papas

Bought that from the iTunes store 2 days ago, have listened to it at least 80 times since.

How about "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye? That's a goodie-


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