Symphonic Rock with Electronic Keyboards

Episode 28

Symphonic Rock with Electronic Keyboards

 

Playlist

1. Emerson, Lake & Palmer, “Trilogy” from Trilogy (Island 1972). Keith Emerson, Moog Modular and Minimoog synthesizers, Hammond organ, piano; Carl Palmer, drums; Greg Lake bass, guitar, vocals.
2. Patrick Moraz, “The Conflict” from Patrick Moraz (1978 Charisma). All instruments played by Patrick Moraz, Djalma Correia and the Percussionists of Rio de Janeiro. Electronic keyboards by Moraz include grand piano, Hammond C3 organ, Minimoog, Polymoog, Oberheim 4- and 8-voice synthesizers (custom), Computron, Yamaha CS80, Micromoog, Mellotron, ARP Pro Soloist.
3. King Crimson, “Cirkus (Including: Entry Of The Chameleons),” from Lizard (1970 Island). Guitar, Mellotron, EMS VCS 3, electronic devices, Robert Fripp; bass guitar, vocals, Gordon Haskell; cornet, Marc Charig; drums, Andy McCulloch; flute, saxophone, Mel Collins; oboe, cor anglaise, Robin Miller; piano, electric piano, Keith Tippet; trombone,Nick Evans. Listen to the signature sound of the Mellotron in this track.
4. SFF, “Sundrops” from Symphonic Pictures (1976 Brain). Bass guitar, Mellotron, Heinz Fröhling; drums, percussion, synthesizer (Minimoog), Eduard Schichke; grand piano, Moog String Ensemble, Clavinet, Mellotron, Gerhard Fü Produced by Dieter Dirks. The Mellotron is also outstanding in this track.
5. Linda Cohen, “Nouveau Riche,” from Lake of Light (1973 Poppy). Classical guitar, Linda Cohen; acoustic guitar, bass, piano, Polytonic Modulator, Jefferson Cain; flute, Stan Slotter; producer, composer, electric guitar, electronic Matrix Drums; modulator, sitar, synthesizer, Craig Anderton; Minimoog, Theremin, Charles Cohen; trumpet, Stan Slotter.
6. James Newton Howard, “Six B’s” from James Newton Howard (1974 Kama Sutra). Composed, arranged, piano and synthesizers by James Newton Howard; drums, Brie Howard. Film and TV composer in an early solo album. Can you guess the synthesizers? I think he is playing an ARP Odyssey.
7. The Pink Mice, “Ouvertüre ‘Dichter Und Bauern,’" from In Synthesizer Sound (1973 Europa). Arranged and played by Rainer Hecht.
8. Seventh Wave, “Sky Scraper” and “Metropolis,” from Things To Come (1973 Gull). Piano, electric piano, Clavinet, ARP, Moog, and EMS synthesizers, Mellotron, glockenspiel, chimes, vocals, Ken Elliott; drums, congas, bongos, bells [sleigh], cymbal [finger, crash], castanets handclaps, claves, xylophone, vibraphone, Kieran O'Connor. An early mashup of many synthesizers.
9. Symphonic Slam, “Universe” from Symphonic Slam (1976 A&M). Polyphonic Guitar Synthesizer, vocals, Timo Laine; keyboards, backing vocals, David Stone; drums, backing vocals, John Lowery. The fully polyphonic guitar synthesizer developed by Bob Easton, 360 Systems L.A., contained six synthesizers, one for each string.
10. Alan Parsons Project, “I Robot” from I Robot (1977 Arista). Producer, engineer, guitar, keyboards, Projectron, vocoder, backing vocals, Alan Parsons; executive-producer, keyboards, synthesizer, vocoder, backing vocals, Eric Woolfson; drums, percussion, backing vocals, Stuart Tosh; guitar, backing vocals, Ian Bairnson; keyboards, Duncan Mackay. Chorus: The New Philharmonia Chorus, The English Chorale. The Projectron was a Mellotron-like device built by Alan Parsons. It was a 24-track tape device with each playback channel addressable by a keyboard. Parsons could easily switch-out the sounds for whatever effect he wanted and play them repeatedly as a sound loop.
11. Alan Parsons Project, “Nucleus” from I Robot (1977 Arista). Producer, engineer, guitar, keyboards, Projectron, vocoder, backing vocals, Alan Parsons; executive-producer, keyboards, synthesizer, vocoder, backing vocals, Eric Woolfson; drums, percussion, backing vocals, Stuart Tosh; guitar, backing vocals, Ian Bairnson; keyboards, Duncan Mackay. Chorus: The New Philharmonia Chorus, The English Chorale.

The Archive Mix included the following two tracks played at the same time:

• Symphonic Slam, “Summer Rain” from Symphonic Slam (1976 A&M).
• Munich Machine (Giorgio Moroder), “A White Shade of Pale” from A White Shade of Pale (1978 Oasis). Vocals, Chris Bennett; electronics, synthesizers, Giorgio Moroder.

Also from Thom Holmes:

• My Book: Electronic and Experimental Music, sixth edition, Routledge 2020.
• My Blog: Noise and Notations.

Music used for background in this episode: Emerson, Lake & Palmer, “When The Apple Blossoms Bloom In The Windmills Of Your Mind I'll Be Your Valentine,” from Works (Volume 2) (1977 Atlantic).