More Memorable Sax Solos

According to my stats page, my "Memorable Sax Solos" post I wrote last month has received a good amount of page views. Sax solos are a pleasure within itself, as music in general can be ear candy. Some ear candy is good and some ear candy can be unfathomable, and I know plenty examples of both. Someone who plays a good saxophone can make for some really good ear candy and can fill what ever time length very well. Some of which can be as long as Clarence Clemons' three minute sax solo in "Jungleland" and some could be five seconds, like Eddie Money's solo in "Take Me Home Tonight." Here are three more sax solos that I did not include in my original list, but have realized that there was a place for them on the list.

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (David Sanborn)- This is not the 1964 original version by Marvin Gaye, but the 1975 version by James Taylor. Taylor was more jazzy compared to the Motown style in which Gaye gave to the song. However, Taylor did do a good job with this hit, as he has had over covers such as "Handy Man." What really did this song well was the sax solo that David Sanborn had during the song. It really put an exclamation point and made the term "jazzy" stand out and be bold. I felt that this song was a bit simple in general, but once you get to the sax, then things start to get fun.

Young Americans (David Sanborn)- This is another 1975 hit, this one being sung by David Bowie and the topic of the song being about the current state of society. Back in this era, protest songs that have to do with or were influenced by the Vietnam War were very common. While 1975 was the end of the Vietnam War-era, this song was still an interesting one. In some songs, you're waiting and waiting for a sax solo that only lasts for a short period of time and occurs just once in the song. This song, on the other hand, has a strong sax solo in the beginning and then continues throughout the song. It takes up the background, unlike "Baker Street," where the sax solo has four appearances and just as much, if not more, time as Gerry Rafferty's vocals. Still a good sax, though.

Freeway Of Love (Clarence Clemons)- When I wrote about the late Clarence Clemons in my previous post about sax solos, I hadn't realized that he had a sax solo in Aretha Franklin's 1985 upbeat hit "Freeway Of Love." This is one of those songs that is just cheesy, but at the same time is fun to listen to. When you put in Clarence Clemons on the saxophone, you have yourself something even bigger and better. He has time to shine in the beginning and then he has his own solo that fits perfectly into the song. Clemons had many more performances than just those with the E Street Band. He brought soul to this eighties radio hit that made it really feel like you were riding on the Freeway Of Love.

If there was an option to have the saxophone playing when you are walking up to Heaven, I bet that plenty of people would surely take that option. You can have something upbeat, bluesy, jazzy, or what ever other style you would want to hear when you are heading up. As long as it's good, that's all that matters.