Horns: Credit Where Credit is Due
Credit where credit is due
Feeling good after a long day of laying down horn tracks, June 2021 at the Smoakstack in Nashville. In front, Diego Vasquez (trombone), Kirk Donavan (trumpet) and Paul Thacker (behind chair, saxophones) of the Nashville horns. In back from left, Ethan Luck, Paul Moak, Zack Zinck, and me.
Seven of the nine songs featured in our new album Lost Bags, including our first two releases Freshwater Fish and BC Inahaus, have horn parts. We were super lucky to have Paul Thacker (Saxophones), Diego Vasquez (Trombone), and Kirk Donavan (Trumpet) of the Nashville Horns record with us. Horn parts are often a team effort, and it takes a lot of work in the studio to pull them together. In general, our process while recording at The Smoakstack was to lay the bones of each song down first with drums, bass and two guitars band-tracking live together (perhaps with a scratch vocal track to keep us all oriented). We’d then layer on keys, more percussion and anything else. At this point, we’d have a full day dedicated to the horn parts followed by a day of vocals and final touches. Getting the horn tracks down took a lot of effort, but it was super gratifying to hear how much they added to the songs when complete.
I also found that this experience altered the way I listen to music a bit. In the months after recording “Lost Bags”, I’ve found a greater appreciation for the impact a good horn part has on a recording, motivating me to write this short post. I’ve also created a short Spotify list with the songs discussed in the post. Check out the rest of the post or just check out the songs I’ve highlighted on the Spotify list. And, listen perhaps with your ear tuned a bit more towards the horns. You might find it’s a cool way to consider songs in a new light across musical genres – rock, reggae, soul, funk, hip hop and even hard rock and country now and then.
And of course, please consider downloading and sharing Freshwater Fish and BC Inahaus, which are available now on streaming services worldwide. I titled this post “Credit Where Credit Is Due” because I think the horn parts in both songs add so much, but are also easily overlooked. This dynamic that holds true for the full Lost Bags album where seven of the nine songs feature horn parts. The full album will be available on March 25, can be pre-saved to your music library now with this link, and, if you are interested in vinyl, ordered by emailing info@thedocproject.com.
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There are certainly songs well-known for their horn parts, and bands that consistently feature horns in a prominent way. Songs with iconic horns that spring to mind quickly might include Pick Up the Pieces by the Average White Band or Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat & Tears. And, for a more traditional rock song, perhaps the growling sax solo in Pink Floyd’s Money might quickly come to mind.
Nothing against those horn parts – they are great. But the case I’d like to make in this post is that, outside of jazz, horns are more impactful than we often realize. Horn parts not only carry a lot of weight in rock and related genres, but they often do so just below the surface. We don’t often focus on them or think about them explicitly -- especially in the same way we might think about a guitar solo or a lead vocal part. But they add so much in important and different ways. To capture this, I’ve compiled a short list of critical/interesting horn parts across musical styles. I split this list into five different categories. I offer comments on each category below and, again, you can find the songs discussed on this Spotify playlist.
Category 1: Song Defining Horns Stevie Wonder’s 1973 soul masterpiece Superstition is probably best known for the two electric clav parts which establish the song’s groove at the start (more coming on the electric clav in a post to follow), but I’d argue the horn arrangements are a close second in terms of defining the mood of the song, particularly on the outro. On the one hand, the lyrics of the song caution against believing in “things that you don’t understand.” On the other hand, there’s a beguiling/seductive element to superstitions. For whatever reason, we want to believe them – and that mysterious mood is captured so well by the horns parts on the outro. The words say one thing, the music hints another. Listen to the song again – those horn parts are just fantastic.
Category 2: Brief, unusual, but crucial: Here, consider the French horn part you hear in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” just before Mick’s vocals come in at second 54; or, consider the French Horn at the very start of the song “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys (the tune Paul McCartney reputedly claimed as his favorite love song of all time). Those are just beautiful moments. The French Horn is an atypical instrument for rock, but… credit where credit is due. Moreover, you have to wonder about the song-writer, producer, or band member – whoever it was – who had the idea “we really need a French horn in this song.” How did that inspiration even arise?
Category 3: Didn’t Expect Horns Here I’m a big fan of Lyle Lovett’s ode to his home state That’s Right You’re Not from Texas. You wouldn’t normally expect horns on this type of upbeat country/rock tune, but the horns just fit -- in such a cool and natural way. I can’t imagine the song without them. Another example: Consider Aerosmith’s hard rock song The Other Side. Again, you don’t associate horns with hard rock, but right from intro the horns complement the driving guitar licks and vocals so well, and the song would not be the same without them.
Category 4: All over Reggae, Funk & Hip Hop In one sense, no surprises here. At the same time, I don’t think we fully take stock of how critical horns are to so many songs in these genres. For example, try to imagine 2014 smash hit Uptown Funk without horns (and btw, if you have not yet caught this music video which sets the song Uptown Funk to old time dance films, do check it out). Or, put aside a debate as to whether the song Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis is pop, Hip Hop or something else, just listen to where the horns kick in at minute 2:04 — it’s like the entire song gets some type of turbo boost right at that moment. Last point: Horn parts can be simple, but still contribute a ton to a recording, especially in Reggae, Funk & Hip Hop. For an example close to my home, check out how cool the straightforward horn harmony parts sound on the song Better Than You Know by the Telluride-based reggae band Niceness.
Category 5: Horns, Cool & Out There Last, there are musicians and bands that take horns to places you never imagined. I’m not sure if Brian Wolff, tuba player for the dynamic trio Drums and Tuba, ever lit his tuba on fire, but in my mind he safely claims the mantle, “the Jimi Hendrix of the tuba.” Among other songs, check out the 2004 live performance of Magoo by Drums and Tuba. Heads up: Listen when you have time and want to hear something really cool and different. Also, full-disclosure, Brian is a long-time friend and a member of the original Baggage Claim band, which first played Freshwater Fish and BC Inahaus.
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If you have any thoughts on the categories above, fire away in the comments below or send us an email at info@thedocproject.com. Obviously, this post is short and not comprehensive, but I hope it bends your ear as you listen to the horns across music genres.