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What are the songs with the best string arrangements for you?


Carmen Smalley

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For me are.

Any song produced by Alain Milhaud

Stop Right There-The Hollies

Mi Calle-Lone Star

Casi Casi-Raphael

Betrayed-Peter Hammill

Turn Of A Wheel-Massiel

Como El Fuego-Radoyka

She¥s Leaving Home-Beatles

El Sete Cel-Sisa

She¥s Alone-Montage

Eleanor Rigby-Beatles

Look At Me Now-ELO

Dust In The Wind-Kansas

Melinda More Or Less-Curved Air

I Reach For The Light-Raspberries.

To be continued.

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I personally always loved Eleanor Rigby. One of my string kids went nuts over it a few years ago and I taught him how to play it. He still talks about it when he sees me (he graduated out of my school). I thought it was lovely. A lot of Beatles tunes had great strings on them. I like Walk Away Renee's strings too. Bobby Darin had some beautiful string stuff on the If I Were A Carpenter album, such as Amy, etc.

smile --Darlene

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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Damn, wish I could hear it! Or hear our Raspberries play it...

Anyway, I was going to say that the string quartet arrangement on "Eleanor Rigby" is very cool and holds up as a piece of music all on its own, as anyone who owns that part of the "Beatles Anthology" can testify. I think it would make a nice short program for a skater, if any of them ever thinks of it.

OK, here's one out of left field: one of my favorite string arrangements on a pop record can be found on "Too Late to Turn Back Now" by Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose. It's just exquisite.

I would also add a whole lot of the great music of the "Philly Soul" era to the list, primarily because Thom Bell knew what he was doing with classical instruments and boy, could he put out a record with a great string arrangement.

Just thought of another truly good one: "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by the Temptations...the strings have to carry most of the whole lengthy introduction of that one...and the "icy strings" at the outset just set the tone for the whole thing. Bring in some trumpet, some handclaps, a little harp glissando and you have an intro that is not to be forgotten.

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I transcribed the string arrangement of Eleanor Rigby from the album a few years ago because some of my elementary students wanted to play it. They adored it and still do. I love the string parts on that. I saw the boy who asked me to do it the other night. He's in ninth grade now, and they *still* have the music and play it! It was so good to see those kids and know they're still playing. Giving them stuff like "Eleanor Rigby," Star Wars, Lord of the Rings music and "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again keeps them interested and makes for some cool concert programming.

smile --Darlene

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