Sitar in popular music
Encyclopedia
From the 1960s onwards, various Western pop
artists began to experiment with incorporating music for the sitar
, a traditional Indian stringed instrument, within their compositions.
". However, the version with the sitar riff was not released at the time and George Harrison
is now recognised as having introduced the instrument to pop music. During a break in the filming of The Beatles
' second movie, Help
, Harrison picked up a sitar left on the set as a prop and attempted to play it. His initial interest eventually led to his taking lessons from Pandit Ravi Shankar
and Shambhu Das. He subsequently played the instrument on the Beatles song "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
" on the LP Rubber Soul
in 1965, which became the first released Western pop song to feature the sitar.
George Harrison went on to play the tamboura, a long-necked plucked lute, on both Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
, as well as laying down sitar tracks for both albums on the songs "Love You To
", "Tomorrow Never Knows
", and "Within You Without You
". Other Beatles songs to feature the sitar include "The Inner Light
" and "Across the Universe
". Additionally, Harrison made great use of the sitar on his first solo album, 1968's Wonderwall Music
.
In early 1966, Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones
played the sitar on "Paint It, Black
", having taught himself to play after visiting George Harrison. In early October 1967, he again played sitar on "My Little One" in a recording session with Jimi Hendrix as well as the tambura on "Street Fighting Man
".
A fad for sitars in pop songs soon developed, facilitated by the Danelectro
Company's 1967 introduction of the first "electric sitar
", known as the "Coral Electric Sitar." This instrument was an electric guitar
with a distinctive sitar-like sound, rather than an acoustic sitar of the type traditionally made in India. Despite producing similar sounds, the two instruments are completely different. As the electric sitar was much easier to play than the traditional version it quickly became the preferred choice of most rock musicians. The Coral instrument was an inexpensive item for its time and production only continued for a few years, making them relatively rare and expensive instruments today.
The late 1960s saw the release of songs featuring the sitar that included The Monkees
' "This Just Doesn't Seem To Be My Day", Rick Nelson's "Marshmallow Skies", Scott McKenzie
's "San Francisco", The Cyrkle
's "Turn-Down Day", The Cowsills
' "The Rain, the Park, and Other Things", John Fred
and His Playboy Band's "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)
", The Turtles
"Sound Asleep", The Chocolate Watch Band "In the Past", The Box Tops
' "Cry Like A Baby" (electric sitar), The Lemon Pipers
' "Green Tambourine" (electric sitar), Traffic
's "Paper Sun" and "Hole In My Shoe" and The Kinks
' "Fancy".
The Mamas & The Papas
used the sitar on various tracks such as "People Like Us", "Snowqueen Of Texas', "Lady Genevieve", "I Wanna Be a Star" and "Grasshopper", and Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66
used it on “Chove Chuva”. Eric Burdon and the Animals played the instrument in the songs "Winds of Change", "No Self Pity", "Orange and Red Beams","All Is One","We Love You Lil", and "Monterey". The Strawberry Alarm Clock
use the sitar in songs such as "An Angry Young Man", "Black Butter-Present" and "Sit with the Guru". Although often overlooked, some of the most extensive users of the instrument in contemporary music were Mike Heron
and Robin Williamson
of The Incredible String Band, combining folk, psychedelia with eastern influences in the songs "The Song Has no ending parts 1-9", "The Mad Hatter's Song" and "The Iron Stone". Steve Miller Band used sitar in their popular song "Wild Mountain Honey".
Art-Rock bands such as The Moody Blues
used the sitar on a few albums and particularly on In Search of the Lost Chord
while the The Pretty Things
' album S.F. Sorrow
also featured the instrument on a few tracks, as did Procol Harum
's epic song "In Held 'Twas In I" on the segment "Glimpses of Nirvana". Jethro Tull
used the sitar on "Fat Man" and "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day". The Strawbs
used it on many recordings while Genesis
used the electric sitar on their song "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
" from their fifth album Selling England by the Pound
. Yes
used the electric sitar on their album Close to the Edge and the band Family
used the instrument in the song "Face In The Cloud", recorded on their 1969 album Family Entertainment.
Donovan
's hit song "Hurdy Gurdy Man" used a tamboura, which can also be heard on songs such as "Sunny South Kensington", "Breezes of Patchouli", "Celeste", "Guinevere
", "Three King Fishers", "Ferris Wheel", and "Fat Angel". Richie Havens
made extensive use of the sitar in the title song of his second album, "Something Else Again". Blue Cheer used both sitar and tabla in their song, "Babji (Twilight Raga)".
Although the sitar craze had died down by 1970, its distinctive sound had become an indelible part of pop music. Tom Petty and Mike Campbell used a guitar fitted with a harpsichord-device to simulate a sitar for their hit "Don't Come Around Here No More" while John Renbourn
used the instrument prominently during his time with the folk band Pentangle
, on songs such as "Once I Had a Sweetheart", "House Carpenter", "Cruel Sister", "Rain And Snow" and "The Snows". Roy Wood
from The Move
played sitar on "Night of Fear
" using the same riffs as Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture
", as well as the electric sitar on "Open up said the world at the door". Moreover, the Dutch band Shocking Blue
used the sitar in many of their songs, most prominently in "Love Buzz", "Acka Raga", "Water Boy", "Hot Sand", and "I'm A Woman".
Other songs featuring the sitar are:
In 1987 George Harrison returned to the sitar in his nostalgic Beatles tribute, "When We Was Fab
" for the album Cloud Nine
.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
artists began to experiment with incorporating music for the sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
, a traditional Indian stringed instrument, within their compositions.
Early use
The first known use of the sitar in a pop music recording session was made by the Yardbirds when they hired a sitar player to play the main riff for their single "Heart Full of SoulHeart Full of Soul
"Heart Full of Soul" is a 1965 single by the English rock band The Yardbirds. It was written by Graham Gouldman, who later had a lengthy career as a member of 10cc. It charted in the United States at number nine and at number two in the United Kingdom. The song makes an early use of the fuzz box by...
". However, the version with the sitar riff was not released at the time and George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
is now recognised as having introduced the instrument to pop music. During a break in the filming of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' second movie, Help
Help! (film)
Help! is a 1965 film directed by Richard Lester, starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—and featuring Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, John Bluthal, Roy Kinnear and Patrick Cargill. Help! was the second feature film made by the Beatles and is a...
, Harrison picked up a sitar left on the set as a prop and attempted to play it. His initial interest eventually led to his taking lessons from Pandit Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
and Shambhu Das. He subsequently played the instrument on the Beatles song "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
"Norwegian Wood " is a song by The Beatles, first released on the 1965 album Rubber Soul....
" on the LP Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released in December 1965. Produced by George Martin, Rubber Soul had been recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market...
in 1965, which became the first released Western pop song to feature the sitar.
George Harrison went on to play the tamboura, a long-necked plucked lute, on both Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
, as well as laying down sitar tracks for both albums on the songs "Love You To
Love You To
"Love You To" is a song by The Beatles from the album Revolver. It is sung and written by George Harrison and features North Indian classical instrumentation; tabla, a pair of hand-drums, sitar and a tambura providing a drone...
", "Tomorrow Never Knows
Tomorrow Never Knows
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is the final track of The Beatles' 1966 studio album Revolver but the first to be recorded. Credited as a Lennon–McCartney song, it was written primarily by John Lennon...
", and "Within You Without You
Within You Without You
"Within You Without You" is a song written by George Harrison, released on The Beatles' 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.-Composition:...
". Other Beatles songs to feature the sitar include "The Inner Light
The Inner Light (song)
"The Inner Light" is a song written by George Harrison that was first released by The Beatles as a B-side to "Lady Madonna". It was the first Harrison composition to be featured on a Beatles single. The lyrics are a rendering of the 47th chapter of the Taoist Tao Te Ching...
" and "Across the Universe
Across the Universe
"Across the Universe" is a song by the English group The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the various artists charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World in December 1969, and later, in different form, on Let It Be,...
". Additionally, Harrison made great use of the sitar on his first solo album, 1968's Wonderwall Music
Wonderwall Music
Wonderwall Music is George Harrison's first solo album and the soundtrack to the film Wonderwall. The songs are virtually all instrumental, except for some non-English vocals and a slowed-down spoken word track. The songs were recorded in December 1967 in England, and January 1968 in Bombay, India...
.
In early 1966, Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
played the sitar on "Paint It, Black
Paint It, Black
"Paint It, Black" is a song released by The Rolling Stones on 13 May 1966 as the first single from their fourth album Aftermath. It was originally titled "Paint It Black" without a comma. Keith Richards has stated that the comma was added by the record label, Decca.The song was written by Mick...
", having taught himself to play after visiting George Harrison. In early October 1967, he again played sitar on "My Little One" in a recording session with Jimi Hendrix as well as the tambura on "Street Fighting Man
Street Fighting Man
"Street Fighting Man" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones featured on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. Called the band's "most political song", Rolling Stone ranked the song #295 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Inspiration:Originally titled and recorded...
".
A fad for sitars in pop songs soon developed, facilitated by the Danelectro
Danelectro
Danelectro is an American manufacturer of musical instruments and accessories, specializing in rock instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effects units.-History:...
Company's 1967 introduction of the first "electric sitar
Electric sitar
An electric sitar is a kind of electric guitar designed to mimic the sound of the traditional Indian instrument, the sitar. Depending on the manufacturer and model, these instruments bear varying degrees of resemblance to the traditional sitar...
", known as the "Coral Electric Sitar." This instrument was an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
with a distinctive sitar-like sound, rather than an acoustic sitar of the type traditionally made in India. Despite producing similar sounds, the two instruments are completely different. As the electric sitar was much easier to play than the traditional version it quickly became the preferred choice of most rock musicians. The Coral instrument was an inexpensive item for its time and production only continued for a few years, making them relatively rare and expensive instruments today.
The late 1960s saw the release of songs featuring the sitar that included The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
' "This Just Doesn't Seem To Be My Day", Rick Nelson's "Marshmallow Skies", Scott McKenzie
Scott McKenzie
Scott McKenzie is an American singer. He is best known for his 1967 hit single and generational anthem, "San Francisco ".-Life and career:...
's "San Francisco", The Cyrkle
The Cyrkle
The Cyrkle was a short-lived American rock and roll band active in the mid-1960s. The group charted two Top 40 hits, "Red Rubber Ball," and "Turn Down Day"...
's "Turn-Down Day", The Cowsills
The Cowsills
The Cowsills are an American singing group from Newport, Rhode Island. They specialized in harmonies and the ability to sing and play music at an early age. The band was formed in the spring of 1965 by brothers Bill, Bob, and Barry, then shortly thereafter added John...
' "The Rain, the Park, and Other Things", John Fred
John Fred
John Fred was a blue-eyed soul, Cajun swamp pop and bubble-gum pop performer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, best known for the song, "Judy in Disguise ".-Career:...
and His Playboy Band's "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)
Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)
"Judy in Disguise " is a song that was a hit for the Louisiana-based John Fred and his Playboy Band in early 1968. The song was co-written with bandmate Andrew Bernard. According to The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson, the song was inspired by Fred's listening to The Beatles' hit,...
", The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
"Sound Asleep", The Chocolate Watch Band "In the Past", The Box Tops
Box Tops
The Box Tops were a Memphis rock group of the second half of the 1960s. They are best known for the hits "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow," "Soul Deep," "I Met Her in Church," and "Cry Like A Baby," and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period...
' "Cry Like A Baby" (electric sitar), The Lemon Pipers
The Lemon Pipers
The Lemon Pipers were a 1960s psychedelic pop band from Oxford, Ohio, known chiefly for their song "Green Tambourine", which reached No. 1 in the United States in 1968...
' "Green Tambourine" (electric sitar), Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
's "Paper Sun" and "Hole In My Shoe" and The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
' "Fancy".
The Mamas & The Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
used the sitar on various tracks such as "People Like Us", "Snowqueen Of Texas', "Lady Genevieve", "I Wanna Be a Star" and "Grasshopper", and Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66
Sergio Mendes
Sérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....
used it on “Chove Chuva”. Eric Burdon and the Animals played the instrument in the songs "Winds of Change", "No Self Pity", "Orange and Red Beams","All Is One","We Love You Lil", and "Monterey". The Strawberry Alarm Clock
Strawberry Alarm Clock
Strawberry Alarm Clock is a psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles best known for their 1967 hit "Incense and Peppermints". The group took its name as an homage to the Beatles' psychedelic hit "Strawberry Fields Forever", reportedly, at the suggestion of their record company Uni Records.They are...
use the sitar in songs such as "An Angry Young Man", "Black Butter-Present" and "Sit with the Guru". Although often overlooked, some of the most extensive users of the instrument in contemporary music were Mike Heron
Mike Heron
Mike Heron is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work in the Incredible String Band in the 1960s and 1970s.-Career:...
and Robin Williamson
Robin Williamson
Robin Williamson is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, songwriter and storyteller, who first made his name as a founder member of The Incredible String Band.-Career:...
of The Incredible String Band, combining folk, psychedelia with eastern influences in the songs "The Song Has no ending parts 1-9", "The Mad Hatter's Song" and "The Iron Stone". Steve Miller Band used sitar in their popular song "Wild Mountain Honey".
Art-Rock bands such as The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
used the sitar on a few albums and particularly on In Search of the Lost Chord
In Search of the Lost Chord
-2006 SACD Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks:In Search of the Lost Chord was remastered into SACD in March 2006 and repackaged into a 2 CD Deluxe Edition.Extra tracks on the Deluxe Edition are:#"Departure" – 0:55...
while the The Pretty Things
The Pretty Things
The Pretty Things are an English rock and roll band from London, who originally formed in 1963. They took their name from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing" and, in their early days, were dubbed by the British press the "uglier cousins of the Rolling Stones". Their most commercially successful...
' album S.F. Sorrow
S.F. Sorrow
S.F. Sorrow is the title of the fourth LP by the British rock group The Pretty Things, released in 1968.One of the first rock concept albums, S.F. Sorrow was based on a short story by singer-guitarist Phil May. The album is structured as a song cycle, telling the story of the main character,...
also featured the instrument on a few tracks, as did Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
's epic song "In Held 'Twas In I" on the segment "Glimpses of Nirvana". Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
used the sitar on "Fat Man" and "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day". The Strawbs
The Strawbs
Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964. Although the band started out as a bluegrass group they eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock, glam rock and progressive rock...
used it on many recordings while Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
used the electric sitar on their song "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
"I Know What I Like " was the first charting single by the rock band Genesis. The single was first released in the UK in August 1973, but did not become a hit until April 1974, when it reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart....
" from their fifth album Selling England by the Pound
Selling England by the Pound
- Sound and live performance :The piano introduction to "Firth of Fifth" has not been included in a performance since 1974, in a Drury Lane Theatre concert, when Banks misplayed and Collins covered by starting the song from after the intro...
. Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
used the electric sitar on their album Close to the Edge and the band Family
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
used the instrument in the song "Face In The Cloud", recorded on their 1969 album Family Entertainment.
Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
's hit song "Hurdy Gurdy Man" used a tamboura, which can also be heard on songs such as "Sunny South Kensington", "Breezes of Patchouli", "Celeste", "Guinevere
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
", "Three King Fishers", "Ferris Wheel", and "Fat Angel". Richie Havens
Richie Havens
Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
made extensive use of the sitar in the title song of his second album, "Something Else Again". Blue Cheer used both sitar and tabla in their song, "Babji (Twilight Raga)".
Although the sitar craze had died down by 1970, its distinctive sound had become an indelible part of pop music. Tom Petty and Mike Campbell used a guitar fitted with a harpsichord-device to simulate a sitar for their hit "Don't Come Around Here No More" while John Renbourn
John Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
used the instrument prominently during his time with the folk band Pentangle
Pentangle (band)
Pentangle are a British folk rock band with some folk jazz influences. The original band were active in the late 1960s and early 1970s and a later version has been active since the early 1980s...
, on songs such as "Once I Had a Sweetheart", "House Carpenter", "Cruel Sister", "Rain And Snow" and "The Snows". Roy Wood
Roy Wood
Roy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
from The Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
played sitar on "Night of Fear
Night of Fear
"Night of Fear" is the title of The Move's debut single. The main riff was derived from Tchaikovsky's, 1812 Overture.At one point, it was considered that its b-side "Disturbance" would be The Move's first a-side, but this didn't happen because "Night of Fear" was decided to be more commercial. It...
" using the same riffs as Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture
1812 Overture
The Year 1812, Festival Overture in E flat major, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture or the Overture of 1812 is an overture written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1880 to commemorate Russia's defense of Moscow against Napoleon's advancing Grande Armée at the Battle of...
", as well as the electric sitar on "Open up said the world at the door". Moreover, the Dutch band Shocking Blue
Shocking Blue
Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band from The Hague, the Netherlands, formed in 1967. Their biggest hit, "Venus", went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970, and the band had sold 13.5 million discs by 1973, but the group disbanded in 1974.-Members:...
used the sitar in many of their songs, most prominently in "Love Buzz", "Acka Raga", "Water Boy", "Hot Sand", and "I'm A Woman".
Other songs featuring the sitar are:
- Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's song "Holiday Inn" from the album Madman Across the WaterMadman Across the WaterMadman Across the Water is the fourth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1971 through DJM/Uni Records. The title song, "Madman Across the Water", was set to be released on Elton John's previous album Tumbleweed Connection. However, it was set aside and would... - Steely DanSteely DanSteely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
's 1972 hit, "Do It AgainDo It Again (Steely Dan song)"Do It Again" is a song by American jazz-rock group Steely Dan, which was released as a single from their debut 1972 album Can't Buy a Thrill...
" (an electric sitar solo by original guitarist Denny Dias) - T. RexT. Rex (band)T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
's "Chrome Sitar" (electric sitar) - B.J. Thomas' "Hooked On a Feeling"
- Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours".
In 1987 George Harrison returned to the sitar in his nostalgic Beatles tribute, "When We Was Fab
When We Was Fab
"When We Was Fab" is a song written by George Harrison and Jeff Lynne about the days of Beatlemania, when The Beatles were first referred to as the "Fab Four". The song appears as the sixth track on Harrison's 1987 album Cloud Nine and was later released as the second single from that album in...
" for the album Cloud Nine
Cloud Nine (George Harrison album)
-Personnel:The following personnel was credited in the liner notes.*George Harrison – vocals, guitars, keyboards, sitar*Jeff Lynne – guitars, bass, vocals, keyboards*Eric Clapton – guitar*Elton John – piano*Gary Wright – piano*Ringo Starr – drums...
.