While watching "Standing in the shadow of Motown" last night, I realized again how incredible the intro to "Reach out I'll be there" by The Four Tops is. Beautiful. What are your favorite intros? Which mad you realize immediately that it will be a great song.

Curtis Mayfield - (Don't worry) If there's a hell below we're all going to go
I wasn't around back then, but I can imagine just how brave and unforseen such words were back then. And would still be today. He made clear what he was about.

Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Was this the song that introduced the wahwah to the world?

Marvin Gaye - What's goin' on?
Those talking voices, the groove kicking in, those few but so hauntingly beautiful saxophone lines...

Prince - When Doves Cry
Well, we all know the genius of this one.
[Edited 8/28/06 7:40am]

a few of my faves:

bootsy collins, "hollywood squares"

chic, "everybody dance" (bernard's bassline = )

the honeydrippers, "impeach the president"

graham central station, "is it love"

kool and the gang, "spirit of the boogie"

earth, wind & fire, "head to the sky"

the sweet, "love is like oxygen"

prince, "sexy dancer"

faith, hope & charity, "mellow me"

Papa Was a Rolling Stone - The Temptations
Jamaica Funk -Tom Browne
[Edited 8/28/06 7:53am]

prince-lets' go crazy
when that synth kicks in, the hairs that stand on the back of your neck signal that your ready 2 go crazy....

parliament-flashlight
i bet a lot of people hit they closets and break out their platforms when they hear that rhythm guitar and drum start up....lol

otis redding-i've been lovin you too long to stop now
as soon as i hear his voice the world stops 4 the next 3 minutes

teena marie-portugese love
the 1st time i heard those violins and drums i wished it was me she was singin 2....
[Edited 8/28/06 7:57am]

Funkadelic - Maggot Brain ( or drown in my own shit! )

Prince - Let's Go Crazy

Voo Doo Child - to my knowledge Cream's Tales Of Brave Uylesses intoduced the wah wah to the world, but nobody used it like Jimi

Parliament - P Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up) **** does this really have an intro since he keeps rapping? either way its cool as hell

Meloh9 said:

-it definitley counts as an intro 'cause it all bulids up 2....MAKE MY FUNK THE P-FUNK....I WANTS MY FUNK UNCUT....MAKE MY FUNK THE P-FUNK I WANTS 2 GET FUNKED UP...

AC/DC - Shoot to Thrill

I personally like intros that get you amped for the song.

Best ever not certifying anything right now.

One intro that never left my head was Deep Purple's Knocking at Your Back Door. All the chords on the Machine Head album were also memorable. I hate the term "claasic rock", but since I started with DP, I'm gonna stick with it. The Who have some really great intros. Baba O'Riley being exceptional. My favorite who track Love Reign O'er Me has an awful intro. BOC's Godzilla has a really ominous intro that I like. Who can forget the opening to Money by Pink Floyd, DOSTM being one the best sounding albums out there. Yes and Owner of a Lonley Heart. 70's rock has tons. the first VH album also has memorable opening chords.

How did I forget to mention White Room by Cream.

lilgish said:

Yes, I like that one, too. The others you mentioned I don't know, don't know much about "classic rock".

So What -- Miles Davis
A Love Supreme Pt. I -- John Coltrane
Raspberry Beret 12" -- Prince and The Revolution
Eazy Rider -- Jimi Hendrix
Peg -- Steely Dan
A Different Drum -- Peter Gabriel
Let's Stay Together -- Al Green
Rebel Without A Pause -- Public Enemy
September -- Earth, Wind and Fire
Maybe Your Baby -- Stevie Wonder
Shaft -- Isaac Hayes
Is It A Crime -- Sade
Fool of Me -- Me'Shell Ndegeocello

and a few potential candidates down the road:

E-Pro -- Beck
All Caps -- Madvillain
No Sense of Crime -- Van Hunt

I'm suprise noone mentioned Ziggy Stardust yet.

I also LOVE the opening to Gene Simmons "Radioactive"

Tom said:

Also Moonage Daydream! He's an alligator!

U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name

Led Zeppelin - Over the Hills and Far Away

lilgish said:

Nice choices.

Hahaha... "Money" is playing on the radio as I type this. I know people think Deep Purple's "Child in Time" is cheesy, but I love the intro.

Metallica's "Orion" is one of my favorite intros ever. I love the evil fade-in.

Oh! I have to add Steely Dan's "Parker's Band". And Jeff Beck's "Head For Backstage Pass".
[Edited 8/28/06 10:13am]

Mine would be:

EWF: Fantasy
EWF: In the Stone
Prince: Mountains
Prince: Alphabet St
Sade: Sweetest Taboo
MJ: Stranger In Moscow

Pink Floyd's "Time" has to be the most annoying intro ever, LOL.

Boogie down productions (ductions..)
Will always get paid (paid..)
We'll take the wackest song (song..)
And make it behhttta (-etta..)
Rememba, to let us into your skin (skin..)
Cuz then you'll begiiin (-iiin..)
To master
Rhyyyymin', rhymin', rhymin!

boogie nights-heatwave, funny i love the intro moreso than the whole song itself.

careless whisper-george michael
rockcreek park-donald byrd
love hater-outkast
masquarade-george benson
star of the story-heatwave
green eyes-erykah badu
ernie's jam-isley brothers
[Edited 8/28/06 10:57am]
[Edited 8/28/06 10:57am]

You Are The Sunshine of My Life--Stevie

Stairway To Heaven--Led Zeppelin

Come Together--The Beatles

Cream--Prince (a personal fave, if not his greatest)

Purple Haze--Jimi Hendrix

Smells Like Teen Spirit--Nirvana

Beat It--Michael Jackson

Sweet Child O Mine--Guns N Roses

Sex Machine--James Brown

Josie--Steely Dan

Dusty Springfield`s "Just a little lovin` (early in the morning)"

eels - novacain for the soul

Tom said:

you ROCK Tom!!!!

my fave ever intro is "Sister Awake" from The Tea Party... anyone on my friends list on MySpace I've got it on my profile you can hear it

Meloh9 said:

Haven't heard that in yerrrrrs

Blues Away by Wendy & Lisa

Mountains by Prince and the Revolution

Kiss by Prince and the Revolution

Flashlight by P-Funk

one headlight by the wallflowers

All Blues by Miles Davis

Shotgun by Booker T & the MGs

Lonely Avenue by Ray Charles

Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix

17 Days by Prince and the Revolution

The Sinister Minister by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

Last Night by Doyle Bramhall II

A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke

Addicted by Truth Hurts

Milkshake by Kelis

California Love by Tupac and Dr. Dre

On the Bound by Fiona Apple

Modern Love by David Bowie

Take Me to the River by Al Green

America by Prince and the Revolution

Rainy Day, Dream Away by Jimi Hendrix (with an honorable mention to its cover by Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams, Robben Ford and Taj Mahal... )

Housequake by Prince

Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix (honestly, on most of Hendrix's work -- Prince's too -- you'll find killer intros)
[Edited 8/28/06 21:35pm]

" KNIGHTS! KNIGHTS! KNIGHTS! KNIGHTS! KNIGHTS! KNIGHTS! KNIGHTS! KNIGHTS! OWOWL!"
.
.
.
[Edited 8/30/06 5:55am]

I also like the intro to "Sadder Day" by Fleming and John, quirky, humorous, a little funky. Sounds like the intro to a Prince outtake.

minneapolisgenius said:

My favorite Metal intros are Signs of Chaos by Testament, which is a song in itself. The most memorable Metallica intro is One, the video makes it so. Cool video. For Whom The Bell Tolls is also pretty cool. Slayer's Raining Blood is one my favorites. Iron Man by Sabbath is corny, but a classic. The intro to Thunderkiss 65 is quite cool.

On the lighter side No One Like You by the Scorpions has a great intro and solo. Sweet Child O Mine by GNR.

lilgish said:

yes yes yes! To all you mentioned. Except the Testament one because I don't know it I don't think.