Songs that use the cello

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 6 Sep 2001 7:50 am

Speaking of Jessica Andrews' new single, "Helplessly Hopelessly" (see my thread on the key of F#/Gb) -- one of the things I like about this song is that it's got a cello in it.

I love the cello and the oboe -- to me, they are to classical music what the fiddle and pedal steel guitar are to country music.

It got me to thinking, what other songs have cello in them?

Ones I can think of:

"Where've You Been?" by Kathy Mattea
"No More Rhyme" by Debbie Gibson
"Yesterday" by The Beatles

What other songs have used the cello in them?

I suppose that ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) probably had some.

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nick allen · Post by **nick allen** » 6 Sep 2001 8:00 am

I believe Lyle Lovett used to tour (maybe sometimes still does) with just himself on acoustic guitar, plus a cello player.
I'm sure there must be cello on some of Leonard Cohen's stuff...
Nick

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 6 Sep 2001 8:06 am

ELEANOR RIGBY..I AM THE WALRUS

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Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 6 Sep 2001 9:20 am

For what it's worth, there's a cello solo on the title cut of my CD, "Finally Here".

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Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 6 Sep 2001 9:34 am

The triplet riff in the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" is probably the most famous.

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Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 6 Sep 2001 11:10 am

..Harry Chapin....just about everything he did had cello on it, but probably his best known one was "Taxi"...

..Larry, don't forget "A Day In The Life", or "She's Leaving Home"...sometimes it's tough to tell the difference between a cello and McCartney's bass....

..a no-brainer, "Days of Future Past" album from the Moody Blues...

..David, one of my all time favorite pieces of music is Beethoven's Sixth Symphony...the cello on that piece is perfect...[This message was edited by Pat Burns on 06 September 2001 at 12:26 PM.]

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 6 Sep 2001 12:01 pm

Yes Pat you are correct, let's add "In The Hour Of Not Quite Rain" By Buffalo Springfield to the mix.

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Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 6 Sep 2001 1:31 pm

Here is a link to a cello player I work quite a bit with named Jane Scarpantoni. She pretty much paved the way for cello in current pop music. The All Music Guide has maybe one percent of what she has done in the last 8 years or so listed.

http://allmusic.com/index.html

Put Jane Scarpantoni in the search box and hit go.

Bob[This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 06 September 2001 at 02:35 PM.]

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 6 Sep 2001 2:46 pm

is'nt there a Cello playin' in the Turtle Island Quartet ?
warm instrument indeed.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 6 Sep 2001 3:47 pm

Harry Chapin's 70's hit "Taxi" had a cello.

The Chico Hamilton Quartet with Jim Hall had one back in the 50's.

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 6 Sep 2001 5:39 pm

I love the cello and the oboe -- to me, they are to classical music what the fiddle and pedal steel guitar are to country music.

is that an Oboe I hear in "I'm The Pied Piper" by Crispin St.Peter?

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James Bissaillon · Post by **James Bissaillon** » 7 Sep 2001 12:21 pm

As was mentioned in an earlier reply, Lyle Lovett does use a cello on most, if not all his albums. Very effectively too, I might add. Another one that comes to mind is Mary Chapin-Carpenter's Come On Come On album. I remember it being on at least one cut - I am a town. Great song and the cello is perfect for it.

James

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 19 Oct 2001 9:02 am

I can't believe it. It turns out that it's a FIDDLE on "Helplessly, Hopelessly", not a cello.

I was somewhat quizical about it, because no mention of a fiddle is made in the liner notes (they don't break down the instruments by song, though).

So, when I saw Jessica Andrews the other day, I asked her about it. She said that Aubrey used a fiddle for it.

I asked if she had to use some EQ and warming to get it to sound like that, but she wasn't sure of what was done.

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Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Oct 2001 11:22 am

Listen to B.J. Cole's CD, "The Heart of the Moment". It's all cello and steel guitar! It's a stunning recording. Just gorgeous.

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 19 Oct 2001 11:33 am

Is that something available through the forum?

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Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Oct 2001 1:01 pm

No, I don't think so, but you can probably find it at Amazon.com or CDNow.com

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 19 Oct 2001 2:30 pm

One of the prettiest cello solos I've heard (indeed one of the prettiest pieces of music I've heard, period!) is the song "The Swan" by Saint Saens. It's from one of his cello concertos, and is available on CD on the NAXOS label. It's low-buck, and very good quality.

Title: Saint Saens Cello Concertos Nos. 1&2
Label: Naxos
Maria Kliegel: Cello
Stock No: 8.553039
Made in Germany..."Unathorised Public Performance" (That's what it says on the CD!)

But, any other classical version of his cello collections would probably be good too!

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 19 Oct 2001 3:59 pm

Bach's Unaccompanied Cello Suites performed by Yo Yo Ma (aka Yo MaMa)

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 20 Oct 2001 10:17 am

A great cello part comes in, duplicating a
foghorn, in Van Morrison's 'INTO THE MYSTIC'....."and when I hear that foghorn blow"............

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 20 Oct 2001 11:04 am

Some of Nirvana's tunes, especially from the Unplugged CD, feature Lori Goldston on cello.
There's a cello quartet called Apocalyptica that does heavy metal tunes on their cellos. They have one CD of just Metallica songs and one CD of other tunes.
I'd love to play with a cellist some time.

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Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 20 Oct 2001 4:19 pm

How 'bout the Paul Winter Consort (the album 'Icarus' has David Darling all over it). Check out the Kronos Quartet also.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 20 Oct 2001 4:28 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>The Chico Hamilton Quartet with Jim Hall had one back in the 50's.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey, yeah! Fred Katz. He was one of my college professors back in 1966, taught an ethnomusicology class at San Fernando Valley State College (now California State University at Northridge). Fred was an amazing musician and philosopher, and he had my bluegrass band play for our class. He called it "bluegrass jazz," since his philosophy was that ANY improvised music was tied to the jazz experience, and was, therefore, "jazz."

SFVSC was a great school back then, since another of my professors was Bess Lomax Hawes, the daughter of John A Lomax, the sister of Alan Lomax, and was one of the Almanac Singers. I understand she's still alive and lives in the Wash. DC area.

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andy sainio · Post by **andy sainio** » 23 Oct 2001 5:43 am

How about Alan Jackson's "I'll go on loving you" and Trasher & Shiver's "Be honest"? Best wishes,Andy.

BJ Bailey · Post by **BJ Bailey** » 23 Oct 2001 8:59 am

Will someone descrive what a cello is?I think it's the small bass you play,setting down with a bow .I'm I on the right track,What does the oboe look like ?

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David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 23 Oct 2001 10:31 am

Here's a cello:

And here's an oboe:

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