I would write about something more serious today, but I have sexy sax songs on the brain this morning…
I’m actually hoping someone out there in Internet land can help me out. You see, I often have songs running through my mind and sometimes they are songs I haven’t thought about in ages. Consequently, I have this stream of music in my head that I can’t name. I don’t know what the title of the song is. I don’t know who played it. Actually, it’s not even really a song. It’s an instrumental that I used to hear a lot on Delilah’s radio show. It’s very sexy… and I feel pretty certain it wasn’t done by Kenny G. For one thing, I think it was played on a tenor sax.
Yesterday, I went searching on YouTube and iTunes for that song in my head. I was unsuccessful in my quest to find it. However, I did find a few other songs that qualify as sexy sax songs, most of which are from ages ago and most of which actually qualify as songs because they are sung.
I wonder what ever happened to Quarterflash… This is a pretty great song from 1982 or so, which makes me old as hell. Check out the sax solos, though… sexy!
Years later, Candy Dulfer and Dave Stewart collaborated on “Lily Was Here”. Oddly enough, I remember hearing this a lot back in the day, but I didn’t know the title or who played it. I guess my fruitless search wasn’t all for naught.
“Songbird” has the distinction of being the only thing by Kenny G I can tolerate for longer than a few seconds. I actually really liked it when it first came out in 1987, but then the soprano sax became more popular and it began to annoy the fuck out of me.
No sexy sax songs list would be complete without this entry from Men At Work and their first hit, “Who Can It Be Now?” I used to love this song and that band when I was growing up.
“Tender Years” was a hit by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band from the film Eddie and the Cruisers. I have always loved this song. I think this band probably benefited from and were cursed by Bruce Springsteen’s success in the 80s. They had a couple of hits and seemed to fade away. Still, this is one sexy sax song.
I’ve also always loved “The One You Love” by Glenn Frey, who really seems to love the sax and uses it in most of his hits. “You Belong To The City” anyone? Seriously, I have a compilation album he did and one thing I noticed was just how much sexy sax Glenn used in his songs.
And then there’s “Urgent” by Foreigner. A hit in 1981, this song had a blistering sax solo that practically put into music the act of ejaculation… I picture a horny 19 year old getting it on like gangbusters with his girlfriend when I hear this song and its sexy sax.
James Taylor wrote the beautiful “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” in 1972 and the original version of that song had a sexy sax solo. Since then, James has replaced the sax with keyboards. Then the late Michael Brecker, saxophone player extraordinaire came up with this brilliant cover which includes James’s vocals… I think it’s sexier than the original.
Really, I could have picked almost 80s era Bruce Springsteen song for my sexy sax songs list, but I chose 1975’s “Born To Run”. The Boss was famous for using his trusty sax player, Clarence Clemmons, on his best 70s and 80s era anthems. “Born To Run” may not be as sensual as “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” is, but it’s definitely got a raw sexuality about it. Who wouldn’t want to climb on the back of some wild guy’s motorcycle and ride off into the sunset? Don’t answer that!
And finally there’s Dire Straits’ elegant song, “Your Latest Trick”, which has always been one of my favorite songs off their 1985 album, Brothers In Arms. This is kind of a sad song, but the sax solo sizzles with sexuality.
It’s been fun hunting for all these sexy sax songs, but I still haven’t run into the piece that actually inspired this piece. On the other hand, most of the songs on this list are better than the one that’s stuck in my head. Oh well, I’ll find it eventually. When it comes to music, I’m like a Mountie and I always get my song.
