The Holmes Archive of Electronic Music

Thom Holmes is your curator and guide to vintage electronic music recordings and audio experimentation. Drawing from his collection of vintage electronic music recordings spanning the years 1930-1985, each episode explores a topic or theme of historical interest. Holmes is the author of the book, Electronic and Experimental Music, sixth edition, 2020.
Episodes
Episodes



Thursday Nov 26, 2020
Vintage Electronic Music from Japan, Part 2
Thursday Nov 26, 2020
Thursday Nov 26, 2020
Vintage Electronic Music from Japan, Part 2
Western Influence to Eastern Identity: Electronic Music in Japan between 1960 and 1975.
Playlist:
Toru Takemitsu, “Water Music” (1960) for magnetic tape (1969, RCA Victrola).
Matsuo Ohno, Takehisa Kosugi, “B.G.M. Parts A-F” from Roots Of Electronic Sound (1963). Music and effects later used for Astroboy.
Maki Ishii, “Kio-oo” for piano, orchestra and electronic sounds (excerpt) from Mt. Fujiyama Suite and Dipol For Orchestra (1968, Aries).
Toshi Ichiyanagi, “Love Blinded Ballad (Enka 1969)” from the Opera "From The Works Of Tadanori Yokoo" (1969). Tape collage.
Toshi Ichiyanagi, “Electric Chant” from the Opera "From the Works of Tadanori Yokoo" (1969). Military music with electronic tones.
Toshi Ichiyanagi, Music for Living Space (1969, Bijutsu Shuppan-Sha), composed for the Electric Faculty of Engineering of Kyoto University. Early Computer Music combined with Gregorian chant for Osaka Expo '70.
Shibata, “Improvisation for Electronic Sounds” (1968) from Japanese Electronic Music (1971, Philips).
Toru Takemitsu, “Stanza II” (1971) for harp, tape, and natural sounds from Miniatur II: Art Of Toru Takemitsu (1973, DGG)
Yoshi Wada – Earth Horns with Electronic Drone, excerpt, (1974, Edition Omega Point) Electronics by Liz Phillips. Pipehorn players Barbara Stewart, Garrett List, Jim Burton, Yoshi Wada. Composed by, recorded by Yoshi Wada. Recorded at Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York, Sunday 2-5pm, February 24, 1974.
Joji Yuasa, “My Blue Sky (No. 1)” (1975. Tape parts realized at NHK Electronic music studio.
NHK = Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japanese Broadcasting Corp.)
The Archive Mix in which I play two additional tracks at the same time to see what happens. Here are two more tracks of vintage Japanese electronic music:
Toshi Ichiyanagi, “Sound Materials for Music for Tinguely” (1963).
Makoto Moroi, “Shōsanke”for electronic sounds and Japanese traditional instruments (1968).
For more information about the history of Japanese electronic music, read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (Routledge 2020).



Thursday Nov 26, 2020
Vintage Electronic Music from Japan, Part 1
Thursday Nov 26, 2020
Thursday Nov 26, 2020
Vintage Electronic Music from Japan, Part 1
Western Influence to Eastern Identity: Electronic Music in Japan from 1953 to 1963.
Playlist:
Toshiro Mayuzumi, “Les Œuvres Pour La Musique Concrète X, Y, Z” (1953).
Makoto Moroi and Toshiro Mayuzumi, “7 Variations” (1956).
Toru Takemitsu, “Vocalism AI (Love)” (1956).
Group Ongaku, “Metaplasm Part 2” from Music of Group Ongaku (1961, SEER Sound Archive). Live performance, 1961, at Sogetsu Kaikan Hall, Tokyo.
Cello – Mikio Tojima
Cello, Drums, Tape – Shukou Mizuno
Guitar – Genichi Tsuge
Piano – Chieko Shiomi*
Saxophone, Tape – Yasunao Tone
Violin, Saxophone, Tape – Takehisa Kosugi
Tadashi Mori (conductor), Akira Miyoshi (composer), opening excerpt to Ondine for orchestra, mixed chorus and electronic sounds. (1961, Time).
Joji Yusa, Tracks 1-4 (1963). Incidental music for NHK Radio, based on Andre Breton's "Nadja". "The actual chart of constellations was played by three players (violin, piano, vibraphone) which was supposed as the music score. And birds' voices, electronic sound, sound generated from inside piano, through music concrete technique and constructed at the NHK Electronic Music Studio."
Michiko Toyama, “Aoi No Ue (Princess Hollyhock) (Music Drama for Tape and Narration)” from Waka and Other Compositions (1960 Folkways).
Joji Yuasa – “Aoi No Ue” for voice and tape and based on The Tale of Genji written by Murasaki Shikibu in 11th century. Tape parts realized at NHK Electronic music studio (1961).
NHK = Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japanese Broadcasting Corp.)
The Archive Mix in which I play two additional tracks at the same time to see what happens. Here are two more tracks of vintage Japanese electronic music:
Kuniharu Akiyama, 'Demonstration' Of Nissei Theater (excerpt). Music for a public demonstration of the stage machinery of the newly opened Nissei Theatre in Tokyo (1963, Edition Omega Point)
Toshiro Mayuzumi, “Mandara” for electronic sounds and voices (1969, Philips).
For more information about the history of Japanese electronic music, read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (Routledge 2020).



Sunday Nov 22, 2020
Electronic Jazz, Part 3: Early Synthesizer Jazz
Sunday Nov 22, 2020
Sunday Nov 22, 2020
Episode 15
Electronic Jazz, Part 3: Early Synthesizer Jazz
Adding a new expressive instrument to jazz.
Playlist:
Don Sebeskey, “Water Brother” from The Distant Galaxy, 1968.
Arranged By, Conductor, Moog Synthesizer – Don Sebesky
Clavinet – Warren Bernhardt
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Drums – Donald McDonald
Electronic Effects– Rick Horton
Burton Greene, “Slurp!” from Presenting Burton Greene, 1968.
Piano, Harp [Piano Harp], Harpsichord [Electric], Voice [Chants], Moog Synthesizer, Written-By, Arranged By, Conductor– Burton Greene
Alto Saxophone, Trumpet – Byard Lancaster
Bass – Steve Tintweiss
Percussion – Shelly Rusten
Ornette Coleman, “Man on the Moon,” a single released in 1969.
Alto Saxophone, Producer, Arranged By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Electronics [Bell Telephone synthesizer] – Emmanuel Ghent
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Don Cherry
Jon Appleton & Don Cherry, “OBA” from Human Music, 1970
Flute [Wood, Bamboo, Metal], Kalimba, Drums [Earthquake], Cornet [Traditional Mouthpiece and Bassoon Reed], Producer, Composed By – Don Cherry
Synthesizer, Electronics, Producer, Composed By – Jon Appleton
Realized at the Bregman Electronic Music Studio, Dartmouth College, Hanover (New Hampshire, USA).
Paul Bley, “Mr. Joy” from The Paul Bley Synthesizer Show, 1971
ARP 2500 Synthesizer, RMI Electric Piano – Paul Bley
Bass –Glenn Moore
Drums –Steve Hass
Composed By – Annette Peacock
Herbie Hancock, “Quasar” from Crossings, 1972
Electric Piano, Piano, Mellotron, Percussion – Herbie Hancock
Moog Synthesizer – Patrick Gleason
Bass Trombone, Tenor Trombone, Trombone [Alto Trombone], Percussion – Julian Priester
Congas – Victor Pontoja
Drums, Percussion – Billy Hart
Electric Bass, Bass, Percussion – Buster Williams
Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Piccolo Flute, Percussion, Alto Flute – Bennie Maupin
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion – Eddie Henderson
Voice – Candy Love, Della Horne, Sandra Stevens, Scott Beach, Victoria Domagalski
Moog and mellotron recorded at Different Fur Trading Company, San Francisco.
Herbie Hancock, “Spank-A-Lee” from Thrust, 1974.
Fender Rhodes electric piano, Clavinet [Hohner D-6], ARP Odyssey Synthesizer, ARP Soloist, ARP 2600, ARP String] – Herbie Hancock
Drums – Mike Clark
Electric Bass – Paul Jackson
Percussion – Bill Summers
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute – Bennie Maupin
Synthesizers recorded at Different Fur Trading Company, San Francisco.
Mahavishnu Orchestra, “Celestial Terrestrial Commuters” from Birds of Fire, 1973
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Keyboards, Minimoog Synthesizer – Jan Hammer
Violin – Jerry Goodman
Bass – Rick Laird
Drums – Billy Cobham
Mahavishnu Orchestra / John McLaughlin, “Inner Worlds Part 1 and 2” from Inner Worlds, 1976
Guitar, Effects [Frequency Shifter], Guitar Synthesizer, E-mu Synthesizer/Sequencer] – John McLaughlin
Bass Guitar [Brassmaster Bass] – Ralphe Armstrong
Drums, Gong, Timpani [Tympani] – Narada Michael Walden
Synthesizer [String], Synthesizer, Customized Polyphonic Mini-Moog, Steiner-Parker Synth – Stu Goldberg
Thanks for Bob Moog for his help.
Chris Swansen, “Moondog, Can You Hear Me?” from Album II, 1975
Synthesizers [Moog ICA Performance, Moog Mark III, Badger Polyphonic], Effects [Bode Ring Modulator and Frequency Shifter], Electronics [Badger Frequency Spectrum Generator], Tape [Scully Tape Recorders, Dolby A Noise Reduction System], Producer – Chris Swansen
Effects [Modulation] – Jon Weiss
Engineer [Technical Assistance] – Bill Hemsath
Synthesizer [Moog Polyphonic] – Don Croker
Miroslav Vitous, “Synthesizers Dance” from Magical Shepherd, 1976
Bass, Guitar, Minimoog Synthesizer – Miroslav Vitous
Drums – Jack DeJohnette
Fender Rhodes electric piano, ARP Odyssey Synthesizer – Herbie Hancock
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra, “Space Probe” from private recording, November 1969.
Moog Modular Synthesizer - Sun Ra
Later officially released in 1974 on an album
Recorded at Gershon Kingsley studio in New York.
The Archive Mix in which I play two additional tracks at the same time to see what happens. Here are two additional tracks of electronic jazz and synthesizers:
Paul Bley, “Improvisie” from Improvisie, 1971. ARP 2500 synthesizer and RMI electric piano.
Herbie Hancock, “Sleeping Giant” from Crossings, 1972. Moog Modular synthesizer by Patrick Gleeson.
For more information, read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (Routledge 2020).
Also see my paper, Thom Holmes (2018): The Roots of Electronic Jazz, 1950–1970, in Jazz Perspectives



Sunday Nov 15, 2020
Electronic Jazz, Part 2: Gadgets and Modifiers
Sunday Nov 15, 2020
Sunday Nov 15, 2020
Episode 14
Electronic Jazz, Part 2: Gadgets and Modifiers
Electrifying the jazz instrument.
Playlist:
Sonny Stitt, “What’s New” from the album What’s New!!! Varitone tenor saxophone by Selmer. 1966. Players:
Baritone Saxophone - George Berg
Bass - George Duvivier, Jan Arnet
Drums - Walter Perkins
Guitar - Les Span
Organ - Ernie Hayes
Piano - Ellis Larkins
Saxophone [Varitone] - Sonny Stitt
Tenor Saxophone - Illinois Jacquet
Trombone - J.J. Johnson
Trumpet - Eddie Preston, Joe Wilder
Vibraphone - Mike Mainieri
Buddy Terry, “Electric Soul,” from the album Electric Soul, Varitone tenor sax. 1967. Players:
Bass - Ron Carter
Drums - Freddie Waits
Electric Piano - Harols Maber Jr.
Flugelhorn - Jimmy Owens
Tenor Saxophone - Edlin "Buddy" Terry
Trumpet - Jimmy Owens
Clark Terry, “Electric Mumbles” from the album It’s What’s Happening. Varitone trumpet. 1967.
Bass - George Duvivier
Drums - Dave Bailey
Piano - Don Friedman
Trumpet [Varitone] - Clark Terry
The Cannonball Adderly Quintet, “Gumba Gumba” from Accent On Africa, Selmer Varitone saxophone. 1968.
Alto Varitone saxophone --Cannonball Adderley,
Cornet --Nat Adderley –
Drums --Earl Palmer - drums
Brass, reeds and vocals, piano, harpsichord, guitar, bass-- Uncredited
Melvin Jackson, “Funky Skull” from the album Funky Skull. String bass modified with: Maestro G-2 filter box for guitar, Boomerang and Echo-Plex and Ampeg amplifier. 1969.
Acoustic Bass, Effects – Melvin Jackson
Alto Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Flute – Roscoe Mitchell
Baritone Saxophone – Tobie Wynn
Drums – Billy Hart, Morris Jennings
Guitar – Pete Cosey
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Bass [Fender] – Phil Upchurch
Piano, Organ [Hammond], Effects [Echo Plex] – Jodie Christian
Tenor Saxophone – James Tatum
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Byron Bowie
Tenor Saxophone, Soloist [Solos] – Bobby Pittman
Trombone – Steve Galloway
Trumpet – Donald Towns, Tom Hall
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Lester Bowie, Leo Smith
Vocals – The Sound of Feeling
Eddie Harris, “Electric Ballad,” from the album Silver Cycles. Maestro amplifier and Echoplex, 1969.
Bass – Melvin Jackson
Drums – Bruno Carr
Percussion – Marcelino Valdes
Tenor Sax (Maestro, Echoplex)—Eddie Harris
John Klemmer, “Excursion #2” from Blowin’ Gold, 1969, horn effects begin at about 1:11 into the track, probably the Conn-Multivider. Also some interesting effects added on Hey Jude, a excerpt which is also played.
Bass - Phil Upchurch
Drums - Morris Jennings
Guitar - Pete Cosey
Piano, Organ - Richard Thompson
Tenor Saxophone, Other [Electronic Horn Effects] - John Klemmer
John McLaughlin, “Marbles” from the album Devotion. Echoplex and guitar distortion effects. 1970.
Bass – Billy Rich
Drums, Percussion – Buddy Miles
Organ, Electric Piano – Larry Young
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Miles Davis, “Bitches Brew” (opening) from Bitches Brew. Amplified trumpet with Maestro ring modulator and Echoplex. 1970.
Bass – Dave Holland
Bass [Fender] – Harvey Brooks
Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
Trumpet[amplified] – Miles Davis
Drums – Don Alias, Jack DeJohnette, Lenny White
Electric Guitar – John McLaughlin
Electric Piano – Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul
Percussion – Jim Riley
Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Miles Davis, “Nem Um Talvez” from the album Live-Evil. Echoplex and percussion. 1971.
Bass –Ron Carter
Drums –Jack DeJohnette
Keyboards –Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett
Saxophone –Steve Grossman
Trumpet – Miles Davis
Vocals – Hermeto Pascoal
Gil Melle, “The Love Song” from the album Waterbirds. Handmade electronic instruments plus echo, fuzz, and other effects. 1970
Bass [Fender] – Dave Parlato
Soprano Saxophone, Other [Special Electronic Musical Instruments] – Gil Mellé
Drums – Fred C. Stofflet
Electric Piano [Fender] – Pete Robinson
Guitar – Art Johnson, Joe Cinderella
The Fourth Way, “Spacefunk” from the album Werwolf. Fender Rhodes electric piano using an Oberheim ring modulator, Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, June 19, 1970.
Drums – Eddie Marshall (2)
Electric Bass – Ron McClure
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes Electric Piano], Effects [Oberheim Ring Modulator] – Mike Nock
Electric Violin – Michael White
Don Ellis, “Hey Jude” (opening), from Live at the Fillmore, 4-valve, quarter tone electric trumpet, Echoplex, Conn-Multivider, Oberheim ring modulator– Don Ellis. 1970.
Bass - Dennis Parker
Bass Trombone - Don Switzer
Congas - Lee Pastora
Drums - Ralph Humphrey
Guitar - Jay Graydon
Percussion, Drums - Ron Dunn
Piano - Tom Garvin
Saxophone - Fred Selden, John Klemmer, Jon Clarke, Lonnie Shetter, Sam Falzone
Trombone - Ernie Carlson, Glenn Ferris
Trombone, Contrabass, Tuba - Doug Bixby
Trumpet - Glenn Stuart, Jack Coan, John Rosenberg, Stu Blumberg
Trumpet, Drums - Don Ellis
Eddie Harris, Why Don’t You Quit, from the album Eddie Harris – Come On Down! In 1970. Used the Hammond Innovex Condor SSM guitar synthesizer with the tenor saxophone.
Bass – Donald "Duck" Dunn
Drums – Tubby Ziegler*
Guitar – Cornell Dupree (tracks: A1, A2, B1 to B3), Jimmy O'Rourke (tracks: A1, A2, B1 to B3), Joseph Diorio* (tracks: A3)
Organ – Billy Carter
Piano – Dave Crawford
Tenor Saxophone [Electric] – Eddie Harris
Trumpet – Ira Sullivan
The Archive Mix in which I play two additional tracks at the same time to see what happens. Here are two additional tracks of electronic jazz and amplified instruments:
Moe Koffman, “Funky Monkey” from the album Turned On. Varitone flute and Varitone dual alto saxophones. 1968
Miles Davis, “Stuff” (excerpt) from Miles in the Sky, 1968.
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Tony Williams*
Piano, Electric Piano – Herbie Hancock
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet – Miles Davis
Read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (Routledge 2020).
Also see my paper, Thom Holmes (2018): The Roots of Electronic Jazz, 1950–1970, in Jazz Perspectives



Sunday Nov 08, 2020
Electronic Jazz, Part 1: Before the Synthesizer
Sunday Nov 08, 2020
Sunday Nov 08, 2020
Episode 13
Electronic Jazz, Part 1: Before the Synthesizer
Playlist:
André Hodeir: “Jazz et Jazz” (1960)
Terry Riley and Chet Baker, “Music for The Gift,” part 1 (1963).
Walter De Maria, “Cricket Music,” 1964, privately released (excerpt).
Bob James, “Untitled Tracks” from Explosions, 1965.
Rahsaan Roland Kirk, “Slippery, Hippery, Flippery,” from Rip, Rig, and Panic 1965.
Bernard Parmegiani, “JazzEx,” 1966.
Roger Kellaway, “Spirit Feel,” from the album Spirit Feel, 1967.
Frank Zappa, from the album Lumpy Gravy, about nine minutes into side 1, 1968.
Barney Wilen, “Auto Jazz: The Tragic Destiny of Lorenzo Bandini,” part 2, 1968.
The Archive Mix includes two additional tracks played at the same time to see what happens. These two additional tracks are additional examples of electronic jazz with tape:
Walter De Maria, Ocean Music, privately released, 1968 (excerpt).
Barney Wilen, Auto Jazz, part 1, 1968.
Read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (Routledge 2020).
Read this important paper by George Lewis on improvisation and jazz origins: George E. Lewis, “Improvised Music after 1950: Afrological and Eurological Perspectives,” Black Music Research Journal 16, no. 1 (1996): 93.



Sunday Nov 01, 2020
David Tudor: From piano to electronics
Sunday Nov 01, 2020
Sunday Nov 01, 2020
Episode 12
David Tudor: From piano to electronics
The transition of a pianist to electronic music
David Tudor (1926-1996)
In which we listen to works created while Tudor transitioned from playing piano to composing works for homemade electronics.
Playlist
Bo Nilsson, Quantitäten (1958), for “electronically fortified” piano. Recording from Swedish Radio made in 1960. This is an abbreviated performance of the work made for Swedish Radio.
John Cage, Cartridge Music (1960). For amplified small sounds; also amplified piano or cymbal; any number of players and loudspeakers; parts to be prepared from score by performers. Recording by John Cage and David Tudor, Time Records (1963).
John Cage, Variations II (1961), Parts to be prepared from the score, for any number of players, using any sound-producing means. Piano and electronics by David Tudor. Recorded in Japan in 1962.
Christian Wolff, For 1, 2, or 3 People (1964), Piano by David Tudor. Recorded live by KPFA Radio in 1965 at the San Francisco Museum of Art.
David Tudor, Bandoneon ! (A Combine) (1966), for bandoneon and live electronics. Recorded live in October 1966 at E.A.T.’s at Nine Evenings: Theatre and Engineering. From the collection, The Art of David Tudor released by New World Records and Radio Bremen.
The Archive Mix in which I conclude the podcast by playing two additional tracks at the same time, to see what happens. This time, I am once again drawing up David Tudor and John Cage from the Folkways recording in 1959 of the lecture Indeterminacy.
John Cage and David Tudor, Indeterminacy: New Aspect of Form in Instrumental and Electronic Music, the first three minutes of the lecture recorded in 1959 for Folkways Records.
John Cage and David Tudor, Indeterminacy: New Aspect of Form in Instrumental and Electronic Music, the last three minutes of the lecture recorded in 1959 for Folkways Records.
Read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (Routledge 2020).
Contact Composers Inside Electronics, c/o John Driscoll and Phil Edelstein, longtime Tudor associates beginning in the 1970s for a history of the group and updates about their ongoing activities.
Read You Nakai’s new book about Tudor: Reminded by the Instruments: David Tudor's Music(Oxford 2020)
Full disclosure: I work for Oxford University Press by day, although not in the trade book division that has published You Nakai’s new book.



Saturday Oct 24, 2020
Vintage Drones and Beats
Saturday Oct 24, 2020
Saturday Oct 24, 2020
Episode 11
Vintage Drones and Beats
Playlist
Alan Sondheim, Day’s Eye, from the album All 7-70* – T'Other Little Tune (1968). For dilruba, trumpet, tabla, and Moog Modular Synthesizer.
Eliane Radigue, Chry-ptus I (1971), excerpt, from the album Chry-ptus. Realized on the Buchla Synthesizer at Morton Subotnick’s studio at New York University. Originally two tapes that were played simultaneously, with or without being synchronized.
La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela. 31 VII 69 10:26 - 10:49 PM for sine wave drone, voice, and bowed gongs. From “the black album,” 1969. Numbered edition limited to 2800 copies, of which mine is number 661.
Maggi Payne, White Night, from the album Crystal (1986).
Eliane Radigue, Σ = a = b = a + b (1969), two 7” discs, we heard side a-4. Composed while she was living in Paris, just before coming to New York. “Sides A and B can be listened to separately or simultaneously, synchronously or asynchronously. Sides A and B of this disc can be combined indefinitely at any speed 78, 45, 33 or 16 turns.” 250 duplicates of this disc were made. I do not own this disc.
Annette Peacock and Paul Bley, Dual Unity. From the album Dual Unity, 1972. For piano and vocal treatments with the Moog Synthesizer.
Luc Ferrari, Cellule 75 (1975), excerpt, for piano, percussion and magnetic tape. Composed May - November 1975. Performed at Mills College. Recorded and Mixed by Maggi Payne.
The Archive Mix in which I play two additional tracks at the same time, to see what happens. This time, however, I am playing three tracks. Two are different portions of Eliane Radigue’s Vice Versa Etc., mix 1 from 1970. The third track is the ending of Cellule 75 by Luc Ferrari.
Eliane Radigue, excerpt, Vice Versa Etc. Mix 1 (1970), from the opening of the mix.
Eliane Radigue, excerpt, Vice Versa Etc. Mix 1 (1970), from the closing of the mix.
Luc Ferrari, excerpt, Cellule 75 (1975), from the end of the piece.
Read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (2020).



Thursday Oct 22, 2020
The Moog Modular Synthesizer—First Recordings
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
Episode 10
The Moog Modular Synthesizer—First Recordings
Playlist
Countdown to number 1.
Perrey and Kingsley, The Savers B/W Pioneers of the Stars. Single. Released: December 9, 1967. Moog Programmer: Gershon Kingsley and Jean Jacques Perrey who also played Ondioline on the recording. This is an early single release from the marvelous Kaleidoscopic Vibrations album released in the same month. Produced in New York without the aid of Paul Beaver.
Toshi Ichyanagi, Extended Voices. Released: November 18, 1967. New pieces for chorus and for voices altered electronically by sound synthesizers and vocoder. Toshi Ichyanagi, Voices (for Voices with Moog Synthesizer and Buchla Associates Modular System).
The Monkees, Daily Nightly, from the album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Released: November 11, 1967. The Monkees, with Micky Dolenz and Paul Beaver on Moog.
Hal Blaine, Tune In – Turn On, from the album Psychedelic Percussion. Released: September 30, 1967. Moog programmer: Paul Beaver. Also featured multi-percussionist Emil Richards.
The Electric Flag, Flash, Bam, Pow, from The Trip soundtrack album. Released: September 9, 1967. Moog programmer: Paul Beaver and The Electric Flag, a Los Angeles rock group led by Mike Bloomfield (guitar).
The Doors, Strange Days from the album Strange Days. Released: September 7, 1967, with Paul Beaver using the Moog to modify Morrison’s voice on the title track.
The Seeds, Six Dreams, a single. Released: June 24, 1967. No Moog credits given, but that wind sound heard throughout closely resembles the Moog white noise generator. Recorded in Los Angeles.
Emil Richards, Garnet, from the album Stones. Released: June 1967. Moog programmer: Paul Beaver. Although Paul Beaver set-up the Moog, Richards was actively engaged in playing the synthesizer for this session.
Hal Blaine, Love-In (December) B/W Wiggy. Single. Released: June 3. 1967. Moog programmer: Paul Beaver. This single preceded Blaine’s Psychedelic Percussion album by three months, a case where the single achieves date priority over the album from which it was taken. This also marked the first 45 RPM single to feature a Moog.
Mort Garson, Aquarius: The Lover of Life from the album, The Zodiac Cosmic Sounds. Released: May 20, 1967. Moog programmer: Paul Beaver. Recorded in Los Angeles in late April 1967, with Paul Beaver credited for “electronic instruments.”
The Archive Mix in which I play two additional tracks at the same time, to see what happens.
Tillicum, the theme from the Canadian TV show “Here Come the Seventies,” by Syrinx. From 1970. John Mills-Cockell on Moog.
Komarovsky and Lara’s Rendevous, from the soundtrack to Doctor Zhivago, music by Maurice Jarre, excerpt. This soundtrack from 1965 is rumored to have included an early Moog, but audible evidence is scarce. I think I may have found an example in the deep bass bed midway through this cut.
Read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (2020).
Link to my blog for the Bob Moog Foundation.