Please Recommend Me Some Great 60's Instrumentals

I adore 60's instrumentals. I'm talking stuff like Percy Faith's version of the "Midnight Cowboy" theme, "Love is Blue" by Paul Mariat, Herb Alpert, etc.

I would love to hear more, but don't know much of the canon; in this arena, my knowledge is very shallow. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

The glorious, majestic Theme One by George Martin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ0UrwusWcM

 

One I'm crazy about is "The Dis-Advantages of You" by the Brass Ring, originally used in a Benson and Hedges cigarette commercial in 1967:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v8kbwZ6A5A

 

The Shadows "Apache"


my favourite instrumental of all time

 

"The Lonely Surfer" Jack Nitzsche (a hit, but kinda forgotten)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o_5z6-OIPY

 

Stranger on the Shore and Mancini's Moon River (well, Moon River is mostly instrumental), Route 66 tv show theme, Washington Square (which I always thought Robby Kreiger was later influenced by on at least one song), Cast Your Fate to the WInd.

 

Soul Coaxing by Raymond Lefevre

 

Theme From "A Summer Place" by Percy Faith.

The ultimate early 60's instrumental.

 

I have an entire playlist of some of my favorite instrumentals from the 60s. To name a few there are Theme from Exodus by Ferreante & Teicher, many by The Ventures, Green Onions by Booker T & MGs, Cast Your Fate to the Wind by Sounds Orchestrals, No Matter What Shape, by the T-Bones, Classical Gas by Mason Williams.

 

Instrumental Greats Of The 60's

The VENTURES Walk Don't Run
The FENTONES The Breeze And I
The DAKOTAS The Cruel Sea
Sandy NELSON Let There Be Drums
The CANNONS Bush Fire
The COUGARS Saturday Night At The Duckpond
Norrie PARAMOR Theme From A Summer Place
The VENTURES Hawaii Five O
The PACKABEATS Gypsy Beat
The PILTDOWN MEN McDonald's Cave
B. BUMBLE & THE STINGERS Nut Rocker
The NU-NOTES Hall Of Mirrors
The SHADOWS Man Of Mystery
The JOHN BARRY SEVEN Hit And Miss
The VENTURES Perfidia
The DAKOTAS O Yeh
JOHNNY DANKWORTH & His ORCHESTRA African Waltz
The FEDERALS Boot Hill
The SCORPIONS Scorpio
The NU-NOTES Fury
The RED PRICE COMBO Danger Man Theme
The BEACHCOMBERS Mad Goose
The GLADIATORS Bleakhouse
The JOHN BARRY SEVEN James Bond Theme
The OUTLAWS Swingin' Low
The STACCATOS Topaz
The OUTLAWS Ambush
The SHADOWS Scotch On The Socks
The DAKOTAS Magic Carpet
The FENTONES The Mexican
The PACKABEATS Big Man
The SHADOWS Tommorows Cancelled



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Instrumental-Greats-of-the-60s/dp/B00005829P

Way cheap. Sounds great.

 

Judging by the OP's post I don't think he's looking for rock or surf specifically so.. this CD's the bomb for the middle of the road 60's stuff and it sounds great also. It's still available and it's on Ace Records.. There are a few late 50's things on here but they are mainly songs from the 60's and I remember hearing them then.

1. More - Kai Winding
2. Love Is Blue - Paul Mauriat
3. Washington Square - Village Stompers
4. Mexico Bob Moore
5. Our Winter Love - Bill Pursell
6. Fly Me To The Moon - Joe Harnell
7. Flying Circle - Fray Slay
8. Image - Hank Levine
9. Alley Cat - Bent Fabric
10. Beautiful Obsesion - Sir Chauncey
11. Java - Al Hirt
12. The Enchanted Sea - The Islanders
13. A Walk In The Black Forest - Horst Jankowski
14. Calcutta - Lawrence Welk
15. Moon River - Henry Mancini
16. Cast Your Fate To The Wind - Sounds Orchestral
17. A Swingin Safara - Billy Vaughn
18. Stranger On The Shore - Mr. Acker Bilk
19. Summer Set - Monty Kelly
20. Baby Elephant Walk - The Miniature Men
21. Lost Love - H.B. Barnum
22. Soul Coaxing (Amy Caline) - Raymond Lefevre
23. The Dis-Advantages Of You - The Brass Ring
24. Summer Samba (So Nice) - Walter Wandereley
25. Canadian Sunset - Hugo Winterhalter (With Eddie Heywood)
26. Theme From A Summer Place - PERCY FAITH
27. Music To Watch Girls By - The Bob Crewe Generation
28. Bonanza - Al Caiola

 

My favorite is "Amy's Theme" by The Lovin' Spoonful - what a beautiful song!

 

Booker T. Green Onions for sure.

 

The Collector's Choice Instrumental Hits of the 50s and 60s comps are worthwhile as well.

 

My personal favorite is the theme from "Casino Royale" by Herb Alpert.

 

This is my favorite instrumentals CD ever. Yeah, there are other collections, but this is one powerhouse single CD filled with absolutely great, beautiful hit instrumentals.

 

what about "wipeout", by The Surfaris.

 

These are all great responses! Thanks so much.

There is something about the arrangements of so many 60's instrumentals, especially in the latter half of the decade, that hit me very powerfully. While some might refer to this music as cheese, I love it -- and I love music that rocks as hard as anything, too.

 

Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock
Mercy Mercy Mercy - Cannonball Adderly (Joe Zawinul)
Grazing In The Grass - Hugh Masekela
Hang Em High, Hip Hug-Her, Time Is Tight - Booker T & The MGs

 

Ennio Morricone - L'estasi dell'oro (The Ecstacy of Gold)

From The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PvyBKSmQ_g

 

What?!!! No Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass?

 

Tons of them. Where to start? Too many to list. James Brown, Tornadoes, Ventures, Link Wray, Henry Mancini....

 

The OP did mention Herb Alpert by name, but as you mention, did not mention any specific songs. Of course you have to included Herb Alpert tunes in any playlists of great instrumentals.

 

I know it was listened on the tracks from the CD above but wanted to point
out "Image" by Hank Levine as a choice instrumental

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yluS_HUL8V0