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James Towill |
Post subject: Death of Bob Moog/Moog in Hollies Back Catalogue |
Lead Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 928
Location: Dunfermline, Fife
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I'm saddened to hear of the death of Dr Robert Moog on Sunday from a brain tumour. A really nice eccentric old chap who I had the pleasure of meeting after one of his lectures last year. Strangely, from what I can recall, there's not much Moog synthesiser in the Hollies body of work: I'm pretty sure there's a touch in Hollies Sing Hollies (Mike Vickers ex-Manfred Mann was one of the first guys to get one in the late '60's, maybe he helped!) plus Another Night album, with the Moog then apparently being loaned by McCartney. Seems that they did use other synthesisers by the end of the 70's - ARP, Roland etc. |
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_________________ The Last Wind... don't eat curries late at night
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Baz |
Post subject: |
Bass Guitar
Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 53
Location: Liverpool
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An interesting point! I would have to dig out "Hollies Sing Hollies" again to see where the Moog is in there - I think its very likely. George Harrison had his moog shipped into Abbey Road in time for the making of the "Abbey Road" album and Mike Vickers was its technical consultant - or something like that! Its perfectly possible that not only was the Moog used by The Hollies round this time, but whats more, it was George Harrisons' Moog! By the late 70s, synths became much cheaper and plentiful - I do believe that the earliestb Moogs were extremely expensive and looked upon as "rich man toys".
The earliest uses of the Moog in pop music appears to be by The Monkees in 1967 (on a track called "Daily Nightly") and The Byrds used it on the classic "Notorious Byrd Brothers" album recorded in late '67.
Its interesting to hear how it was used on "Abbey Road" - its used in a rather understated manner, simply adding texture to the songs - sadly, as the years went on, synths in general began to take over completely - its why I find so much music of the 1980s unlistenable!
Still, I'm sad about Robert Moogs' death - a genuine pioneer. |
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James Towill |
Post subject: |
Lead Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 928
Location: Dunfermline, Fife
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Baz - check out Don't Give Up Easily, second track on HSH. Definitely Moog there! |
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_________________ The Last Wind... don't eat curries late at night
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Baz |
Post subject: |
Bass Guitar
Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 53
Location: Liverpool
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Thanks James - I will check it out in a while since I have the album on vinyl and haven't got my deck set up! |
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James Towill |
Post subject: |
Lead Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 928
Location: Dunfermline, Fife
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Nice quality digipak version released on CD from EMI a few years back, check it out |
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_________________ The Last Wind... don't eat curries late at night
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brandy |
Post subject: |
Acoustic Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 190
Location: Des Moines, Iowa USA
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Baz wrote: |
The earliest uses of the Moog in pop music appears to be by The Monkees in 1967 (on a track called "Daily Nightly") and The Byrds used it on the classic "Notorious Byrd Brothers" album recorded in late '67.
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"Daily Nightly" may have come earlier in the running order on the Monkees' LP "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd.", but I always preferred how the Moog (more likely played by synth pioneer Paul Beaver than Mickey Dolenz), was used on "Star Collector", the final track on the album.
Listen to that track, and then fast-forward four years to "Lucky Man" at the end of the first Emerson, Lake and Palmer LP... |
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_________________ Bruciebaby
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brandy |
Post subject: |
Acoustic Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 190
Location: Des Moines, Iowa USA
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James Towill wrote: |
Baz - check out Don't Give Up Easily, second track on HSH. Definitely Moog there! |
Moogs and theremins again, James, LOL!!! I'm thinking it's actually a theremin on Don't Give Up Easily, but can't say for sure. On the hand, are you referring to the short solo that sounds like either a trumpet or the most incredibly controlled guitar wah-wah pedal playing I've ever heard? Never occurred to me they would be using a synth that "early". |
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_________________ Bruciebaby
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Baz |
Post subject: |
Bass Guitar
Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 53
Location: Liverpool
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I have had a good listen to "Don't Give Up Easily" - most interesting sound on display there. I think its very likely to be George Harrisons' Moog as heard on "Abbey Road".
Theres slight similarities in sound between this and the solo on the dreaded "Maxwells Silver Hammer" - according to some Beatles info I have somewhere, Paul McCartney played that solo not on a keyboard but on some kind of strip, wiggling his fingers up and down... I think its likely this was also how it was used on The Hollies track.
Mike Love of The Beach Boys used to play some kind of synth like instrument wiggling his fingers up and down on this strip on live performances of "Good Vibrations" in place of the theremin part, hence the similarities in style there.
Mike Vickers as mentioned above, was techinical advisor or consultant with the Moog at Abbey Road. He had already done some arrangements for The Hollies, so I think its very likely its him playing the part in the Hollies song. Work on "Abbey Road" ended in mid August 1969 around the same time work began on "Hollies Sing Hollies". The Moog was set up in a separate room in Abbey Road, presumably linked to one of the studios.
Also, when Paul held a private playback of "Abbey Road" in the studios, who popped in? Tony Hicks, who offered the opinion that "Abbey Road" was as good as "Sgt Pepper", an opinion Paul disagreed with. Either way, Tony Hicks would have heard the album before it was released and was obviously on some terms with Paul McCartney. I know I'm generally speculating here but the evidence is rather strong to prove that the Moog was used on "Holies Sing Hollies".
Coming back to The Monkees - I'd forgotten about "Star Collector"! Thats a great little song and indeed it has manic usage of the Moog played by Paul Beaver. Thanks for the reminder - it was nice to listen to that again! |
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brandy |
Post subject: |
Acoustic Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 190
Location: Des Moines, Iowa USA
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Ah yes...Mike Love (and likely Macca too) playing the Moog ribbon controller.
I imagine it was little easier to transport and for Mike to play during live performances than the electro-theremin used on the studio recording of "Good Vibrations". |
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_________________ Bruciebaby
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Chirpy |
Post subject: |
Banjo
Joined: 17 Jan 2004
Posts: 48
Location: Horsham, West Sussex
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Isn't a moog used on the 76 live hits album - isn't it a moog solo on I can't let go...?
Chirpy. |
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James Towill |
Post subject: |
Lead Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 928
Location: Dunfermline, Fife
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The BR Music release 'Hollies Live' stated Pete Wingfield was on Piano, ARP Synthesizer and Vox String Machine. I presume that the 'string machine' is used to reproduce the orchestral sounds (for example on 'Heavy') so I reckon it's the ARP that does the (in my opinion) horrific sounds on 'Star', but far better sounds elsewhere, such as on 'I Can't Let Go'. |
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_________________ The Last Wind... don't eat curries late at night
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brandy |
Post subject: |
Acoustic Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 190
Location: Des Moines, Iowa USA
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Yeah, Wingfield's ARP really 'squawks' on that one, doesn't it? Sounds a bit smoother as played by Rod Argent on the original studio recording of Star, I think. |
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_________________ Bruciebaby
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MichealC |
Post subject: |
Rythym Guitar
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 299
Location: Ireland
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Agreed. The ARP on Live Hits and on the TV show sometimes sounds like Wingfield was just bashing random keys.
Michael |
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James Towill |
Post subject: |
Lead Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 928
Location: Dunfermline, Fife
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It's actually quite strange that the Hollies didn't really employ a great deal of keyboard technology until fairly late in the 70's. Mostly organ and piano/fender rhodes. I even think they only used the mellotron once (on Wings). Largely, I find that the band's use of synthesisers was really quite tasteful - I even like the treatments of the Buddy Holly tunes! |
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_________________ The Last Wind... don't eat curries late at night
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brandy |
Post subject: |
Acoustic Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 190
Location: Des Moines, Iowa USA
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Hey, for most of the 70s, they could have borrowed early Queen's "And nobody played synthesiser" album note... |
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_________________ Bruciebaby
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