# Music by Genre > Rock, Folk Rock, Roots Rock, Rockabilly >  Rock genre songs with mandolin

## Larry R

How many can we name ? 

  Battle of Evermore, Gallows Pole, Going To California by Led Zeppelin
  Mandolin Wind, Maggie May by Rod Stewart
  Please,Please,Please Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths
  Losing My Religion by REM
  Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts
  Sitting by Cat Stevens

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## Chris "Bucket" Thomas

My prediction:

Niles H. will provide the definitive list within 24 hours.

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## Rob Zamites

Not really a "rock" song per se, but Mike Oldfield's "Taurus 1" off the "QE2" release has a really sweet mandolin intro!

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## Klaus Wutscher

> My prediction:
> 
> Niles H. will provide the definitive list within 24 hours.


I think he did that already a couple of times, if memory serves. I would suggest to check the archives. There used to be en extensive thread on the topic.

Of course, when it comes to mandolin and rock, Niles is the man!

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## John Flynn

But its less fun when Niles provides all the answers. It's like playing Trivial Pursuit with a guy who is a trivia buff. You might as well not even be in the game!

One that comes to mind for me is The Hooter's live cover of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" on the "Hooterization" album. The signature lead-in line the Beatles did with a synthesizer, the Hooters do with a mando, and it sounds great. I think they use mando on a couple other tracks on that album also, I'll have to go back and check.

Another one I like is Stevie Winwood playing mando on "Back in the High Life."

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## Klaus Wutscher

Agreed!

Jethro Tull: "Christmas Song", "Fat Man"

Sting "All this Time" (Soul cages)

Neil Young "Too far gone"

The Byrds "Take a whiff on me" "Sweet Mary"

Manassas "So many times"

NGDB "Mr. Bojangles"

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## Klaus Wutscher

Spinal Tap "Stonehenge"

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## mandocrucian

> My prediction:
> 
> Niles H. will provide the definitive list within 24 hours


No. You'll get more out the 'game' if you think/puzzle it out. Just like learning a tune off a CD rather than asking for a tab of it will have greater benefits. It's not _the answer_ that is really important, it is _the process of getting to the answer(s)._

Have fun!

NH

<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>PS: Since you're listing rock stuff w/mando, why don't you also list *rock stuff with (prominant) flute?* (Other than Jethro Tull, of course - cause I've got most of their stuff already. #I figured if I tried starting that thread here under it's own heading, it'd get deleted for being too _non-mando_, but maybe I can sneak it in the back door.

Thanks! 

BTW: Here's a non-Tull track with both mando and flute -
Johnny Winter - _Too Much Seconal_</span>

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## PseudoCelt

"Country Girl" by Primal Scream, from last year.

Not sure it was released in the US, tho'

Patrick

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## jefflester

> PS: Since you're listing rock stuff w/mando, why don't you also list *rock stuff with (prominant) flute?* (Other than Jethro Tull, of course - cause I've got most of their stuff already. #I figured if I tried starting that thread here under it's own heading, it'd get deleted for being too _non-mando_, but maybe I can sneak it in the back door.


Ann Wilson played flute with Heart, but offhand I can't think of any particular songs other than "Love Alive" off of Little Queen. They used to kick off shows in 1976 or so with a nice jamming instrumental with lots of flute.

Little Queen also featured some nice mandolin work from Nancy Wilson and Roger Fisher on "Sylvan Song" and "Dream of the Archer."

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## cooper4205

they don't play it, but Of, Montreal has a mando featured in their new video on You Tube. be forewarned, its a pretty weird video; not really my cup of tea but i just happened upon it

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## Klaus Wutscher

Niles,

the first 3 King Crimson albums (21st Century schizoid man, in the court of the Crimson King and Lizard (?)) have a lot of flute playing (I talk to the wind, Cadence and Cascades and others). Great stuff!

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## Klaus Wutscher

How could I forget?

Traffic: John Barleycorn must die

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## mandocrucian

Klaus,

I've got the first two Crimson records (*In The Court Of The Crimson King, In The Wake of Poseidon* and have _"I Talk To The Wind", "Moonchild"_ (edit) and _"Cadence & Cascade"_ on a flute mix cdr, along with _"John Barleycorn"_ and _"40,000 Headmen"_, some early Van Morrison (_"Moondance", "Everyone", "Astral Weeks"_), and other stuff.

Can't find my copy of *Best of Canned Heat* for _"Goin' Up The Country"_ though.

NH

Don't have any Focus albums. #Did Gentle Giant use flute?

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## Jason Kessler

No flute on Gentle Giant records, but there are some recorders.

Re some of the above-mentioned tunes, I don't think that was a mandolin on Tull's, "Fat Man;" it sounds more like a middle-eastern thing such as an oud. Maybe even a balalaika.

Plenty of flute, courtesy of Chris Wood, on all of Traffic's albums.

Nudging the thread back towards mando content: "Holiday Inn," off of Elton John's, "Madman Across the Water."

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## mandocrucian

> I don't think that was a mandolin on Tull's, "Fat Man;"


I'm not sure about the instrument used on the version on *Stand Up*.

However on the *Aqualung* (remastered CD) one of the three bonus tracks (1968/69 BBC radio) was "Fat Man" with mando. It's also on the live (2001-02) *Living With The Past* CD #with IA playing mandolin.

I've got an#XM Live 8-3-03 Tull show with IA playing mando on the song. I saw them in St. Pete, FL on the Broadsword tour and they did the tune, dressed up as bums sitting on park bench, with 2 (or 3) mandos (IA, Dave Pegg, Martin Barre) and bongos.

NH

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## Walter Newton

Patterson Hood of the Drive By Truckers plays mandolin on their song "Bulldozers and Dirt".

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## tree

Marshall Tucker Band for flute content.

(Ducking behind shield) Bill Monroe's later version of Were You There is rock and roll mandolin playing in my book. #I think that's where Chuck Berry could have gotten the basic idea for his signature guitar lick, anyway. 

Second Steve Winwood's mando on High Life, that is a favorite of mine.

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## mrmando

Rock/pop hits with flute: 

Men at Work - Down Under
Firefall - You Are the Woman

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## Larry R

I listened to John Barleycorn this morning, and I can't hear a mandolin in it.

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## Klaus Wutscher

> I listened to John Barleycorn this morning, and I can't hear a mandolin in it.


Definitely no mando, I was referring to the flute as per Niles request. Of course, I got the King Crimson record names all wrong; but hey, it´s been quite some time.

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## Andrew Lewis

> The Byrds "Take a whiff on me" #"Sweet Mary"


Just listened to Take a Whiff. Great song (recently covered by OCMS) Any ideas who's playing that mando? 

I ask because it wouldn't surprise me if Dawg's doin' it. Didn't he kinda run in those circles?

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## mandocrucian

Byrds *(UNTITLED)*_ "Truck Stop Girl"_ #Clarence White # # #
Byrds *(UNTITLED)*_ "You All Look Alike"_ Clarence White # # 
Byrds *THE NOTORIOUS BYRD BROTHERS*_ "Draft Morning"_ #Chris Hillman, crosspicked rolls, easily mistaken for 12-string guitar

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'Kelpie' Jetro tull.
Lots of Tull for that matter has mando..

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## Andrew Lewis

Thanks, Niles.

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## Larry R

That I know for sure without guessing, because I've been wrong before.

     Sunnyside Of The Street
     The Ghost Of A Smile
     The House Of The Gods (love playing the intro)
     Five Green Queens And Jean
     Six To Go
     How Come
     When The Ship Comes In
     Love You Till The End
     Bright Lights
     Oretown
     Tosspint
     Where The Love's Been Gone
     The Sun And The Moon

       All by the Pogues

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## Paul F

Ripple by the Grateful Dead. Am I the first to mention this one?

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## Larry R

Just noticed there's some nice Italian style mandolin playing on Mott The Hoople's "I Wish I Was Your Mother" courtesy of Mick Ralphs later of Bad Company.

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## Jim MacDaniel

The Waterboys' _Fisherman's Blues_ is a classic mando tune.

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## James P

Cooder's "Look at Granny Run" brings it.

Edit to add: #
His solo on "Solar Sex Panel" from the Little Village album!!!

(Seriously, fire that up and tell me again that any of this pop stuff RAWKS.) # 
[/Jack Black voice]

Just listening to "Knockin' on Mine" on Paul Westerberg's 14 Songs and there's some painfully out of tune mandolin. [repressing the JB voice inside]

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## Larry R

Runnin Blue by the Doors.

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## Larry R

Mona Lisa's and Madhatters by Elton John. The mandolin part is played by David Johnstone.

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## powercat

To add to a previous post concerning the group, The Hooters, they have a generous amount of mandolin in most of the tunes on their greatest hits album "Super Hits". If I remember correctly from listening to them last night, this would include:

All You Zombies
And We Danced
Johnny B.
500 Miles
Day By Day

And also "Where do the Children Go" from Nervous night.

My wife gets the 80's rock she craves (okay, I like it too), and I get mandolin.

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## Pasha Alden

Hi listened to boHi listened to both these songs by Heart.  Absolutely wonderful mandolin in them.  Also liHi listened to both songs you mentioned by heart.  Wonderful mandolin work.  Also listened to the Alan Parsons project The fall of the house of Usher: Pavane - absolutely wonderful. or should that be awesome!

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## Raggle Taggle

> Just noticed there's some nice Italian style mandolin playing on Mott The Hoople's "I Wish I Was Your Mother" courtesy of Mick Ralphs later of Bad Company.


I realize this is from a very old post, but I have always wondered about that song.  I was a huge Mott the Hoople/Mick Ralphs fan.  Although the mandolin is a little thin sounding, the measured tremelo is extremely fast and perfectly done.  I would think it would take a fairly skilled dedicated mandolin player to accomplish it, yet AFAIK, Mick Ralphs is most known as a master guitar player.

He just rattles this ditty off like it was nothing.  At least Rod Stewart brought a real mandolin player into his session.

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## MandoSquirrel

> I think he did that already a couple of times, if memory serves. I would suggest to check the archives. There used to be en *extensive thread on the topic*.
> 
> Of course, when it comes to mandolin and rock, Niles is the man!


The thread came up in New Posts just a few days ago. Do we need two?

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## MandoSquirrel

> Runnin Blue by the Doors.


Played by Jesse McReynolds!

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## journeybear

> The thread came up in New Posts just a few days ago. Do we need two?


No. I'll scan through and add anything I find here not on that list to that list. When I get to it.  :Wink: 




> ... Mike Oldfield's "Taurus 1" off the "QE2" release has a really sweet mandolin intro!


Made me wonder whether mandolin is included in "Tubular Bells." Just about everything else is! And _that_ makes me wonder whether mandolin shows up on The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's riposte, "Intro/Outro." Hmmm ...  :Whistling: 

OK, not wishing to bump up this thread, I'll toddle along now ...

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## Pasha Alden

Hi I am not sure that these songs qualify as rock at all, but an oldie "by the band: "luv" the song: "your the greatest lover", I think it is, has some nice mandolin in it - rather Italian in sound.  Also I detect a sliver of mando in "andante" by Abba, but surely that is out of the rock and into the disco list?  That despite the fact that "andante" cannot be defined as rock or disco - not even sure what? so does it need a list titled "pop with mando?" 
Vanillamandolin

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## journeybear

Well, there is plenty of pop in the rock list. One list is enough, unless someone insists!

BTW, I feel I should warn you, as someone new here, that opening a thread to include discussion of defining a definition is dangerous, irresistible to hair-splitters, like opening a can of gummy worms in front of people with sweet tooths. Threads will veer, in all likelihood, into nitpicking Never Never Land, not to return to topic for a long time. I advise against it. Fair warning!

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## torchsong

One I haven't seen mentioned: Peter Buck (REM) when he was in his mandolin phase guested on the Concrete Song "Darkening of the Light" (Album: Bloodletting) and has a nice little bit in there.

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## davidkallenbach

Pretty sure Fat Man features the Balalaika rather than Mandolin, but Chirstmas Song is amazing mandolin.

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