Tony, Keith, Rick?

[The Real MC]

We all know that Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson were great pals and met often.

 

Did Tony Banks ever meet either of them?

[jverghese]

Don't know if they met in the good old days, but a few years back Banks was interviewed by Wakeman for his radio series Key to Keys on BBC. I have an mp3 of the episode somewhere, I'll try to upload it if I find it.

[GRollins]

I'm assuming that you mean Tony Kaye on keys (as opposed to Peter Banks [guitar]). Wakeman and Kaye were both on Yes's Union album and toured together.

 

...or did Tony Banks play keytar? I forget.

 

At any rate, the album was not necessarily a 100% happy scene, but Wakeman has said on numerous occasions that the Union tour was his favorite tour, ever, so I'm assuming they got along well.

 

No idea if Kaye knew Emerson, but I'd be surprised if he didn't. It's a small world and gets smaller still when you're talking a few hundred members of active bands. Kinda like being in high school where you're on at least nodding acquaintance level with about that many people. Were they buddies? No idea.

 

Grey

[Biggles]

I'm assuming that you mean Tony Kaye on keys (as opposed to Peter Banks [guitar]). Wakeman and Kaye were both on Yes's Union album and toured together.

 

...or did Tony Banks play keytar? I forget.

 

At any rate, the album was not necessarily a 100% happy scene, but Wakeman has said on numerous occasions that the Union tour was his favorite tour, ever, so I'm assuming they got along well.

 

No idea if Kaye knew Emerson, but I'd be surprised if he didn't. It's a small world and gets smaller still when you're talking a few hundred members of active bands. Kinda like being in high school where you're on at least nodding acquaintance level with about that many people. Were they buddies? No idea.

 

Grey

 

Tony Banks played keys.

 

Rutherford, Gabriel, Stewart, Phillips and Banks were the founders of Genesis.

 

They all met at Charterhouse School.

[GRollins]

Well, then somebody needs to get organized and do like they do out Hollywood-ways--tell 'em to start choosing stage names...and not to choose names that are so similar to one another.

 

So, there!

 

Grey

[jverghese]

Here's the interview I was talking about.

 

Rick Wakeman's Key to Keys with Tony Banks

 

There are some hilarious moments, well worth a listen.

[Tusker]

Beautiful. Thank you. I love how Rick is reaching for the comic like a professional standup, which he kinda is ... "do you have any woodworking skills? do you have a van? do you have an amp?"

 

LOL

[jverghese]

Yes, they create a nice atmosphere -- gotta love the guys!

[dje31]

< snip >

 

At any rate, the album was not necessarily a 100% happy scene, but Wakeman has said on numerous occasions that the Union tour was his favorite tour, ever, so I'm assuming they got along well.

 

Grey

 

Interesting sidebar: in watching the Union Live DVD, which, with the album was a shotgun wedding at best (thought I thought it had some strong bits and still do) the best rapport noticeable was between Wakeman and Rabin, who never collaborated--that I'm aware of, at least--prior. They also worked and played well together on the YES / ARW tour.

[synthetic]

I know that Tony and Phil were fans of Yes. Phil said he used to see Yes "every Wednesday night" and Tony said "Watcher of the Skies" was them trying to sound more like Yes.

[Marzzz]

I'm assuming that you mean Tony Kaye on keys (as opposed to Peter Banks [guitar]). Wakeman and Kaye were both on Yes's Union album and toured together.

 

...or did Tony Banks play keytar? I forget.

[mcgoo]

... the best rapport noticeable was between Wakeman and Rabin, who never collaborated--that I'm aware of, at least--prior. They also worked and played well together on the YES / ARW tour.

 

I don't know about rapport, but after seeing the Union tour, I remember thinking that Bruford and White seemed like the only pair that actually discussed / coordinated what they would play so that they complimented (and not just duplicated) each other.

[dje31]

Thanks for that perspective...will have to take another view looking for that angle. Not doubting, but definitely interested.

[Losendoskeys]

Here's the interview I was talking about.

 

Rick Wakeman's Key to Keys with Tony Banks

 

There are some hilarious moments, well worth a listen.

Hi Joachim

 

Good to hear from you!

I hadn't heard that interview, it's great.

 

PS You ProS Rack+ is alive and well and waiting to get out to gigs again!

[jverghese]

Great, Alan. Some day I will finish that, ehm, third model...

[rod76]

Here's the interview I was talking about.

 

Rick Wakeman's Key to Keys with Tony Banks

 

Thank you for sharing that interview.

[Moonglow]

Really enjoyed that, thanks a bunch! I didn't want it to end.

 

I don't remember Tony talking so fast in other interviews I've heard.

[The Real MC]

Really enjoyed that, thanks a bunch! I didn't want it to end.

 

I don't remember Tony talking so fast in other interviews I've heard.

 

That may had been one of those rare times when Tony enjoyed the topic he loves most - piano. He is pretty obsessive with music.

 

I enjoyed that interview too.

[Losendoskeys]

Great, Alan. Some day I will finish that, ehm, third model...

You can have my deposit now!

[Tusker]

This may be a bit O/T but did TB change his approach to songs significantly as his synths changed? I wonder if cinema show sounded different with a Quadra than a pro soloist, for example...

 

I do remember that the Roland VP subbed for the Mellotron quite cleanly but he had an unusual signal path for the Mellotron and I wonder if those details became less important to him over time. ð¤

[Losendoskeys]

This may be a bit O/T but did TB change his approach to songs significantly as his synths changed? I wonder if cinema show sounded different with a Quadra than a pro soloist, for example...

 

I do remember that the Roland VP subbed for the Mellotron quite cleanly but he had an unusual signal path for the Mellotron and I wonder if those details became less important to him over time. ð¤

Cinema Show was reduced to poor outtakes of the synth solo - the Quadra doesn't sound anything like the ProSoloist and I don't think he was too worried about accuracy to the original like we tribute keyboards players are.

[Joe Muscara]

Here's the interview I was talking about.

 

Rick Wakeman's Key to Keys with Tony Banks

 

There are some hilarious moments, well worth a listen.

Thanks for this. They could have gone on for ages!

[Losendoskeys]

This may be a bit O/T but did TB change his approach to songs significantly as his synths changed? I wonder if cinema show sounded different with a Quadra than a pro soloist, for example...

 

I do remember that the Roland VP subbed for the Mellotron quite cleanly but he had an unusual signal path for the Mellotron and I wonder if those details became less important to him over time. ð¤

Just dug up this quote from an interview............

 

On Old Gear

 

 

"I still use an old synth if I want an old sound. There's no point selling it... nothing more difficult to sell than last year's synthesiser... last month's synthesiser.

 

"I was using ARP stuff long after everyone else decided it was no good. I bought the ARP Quadra and I liked it. There's a sound I can get out of that which I can't quite get elsewhere. I used to put fuzz on the polysynth part and use the lead synth part straight â the aggression of the fuzz but the distinctness of the note of the synth. It was used heavily on 'Abacab', particularly the song itself.

 

"When the Fairlight first came out the Synclavier arrived at the same time and I got that. They said there would be sampling for it in three months, but it was three years â Fairlight had been like that all the time. I really regretted that, and the Synclavier hadn't worked properly for the first two years anyway. Real problems. Very annoyed. So I got put off all that."

[Tusker]

Very interesting. His choice of Quadra through fuzz reminds one of the the piano through fuzz approach which he used on albums like Nursery Chryme. It seemed to help him play Abacab "differently" than many of his other keyboard parts (arpeggios, lines, soaring melodies). It does sound like he bonded with each keyboard to get unique effects, but also felt free to change up his approaches later as you point out. The pro-soloist is very special to me. That's what he is using on riding the scree, correct (or is it the 2600)? I loved that TB wrestled so much unique expression from an often-overlooked synth.

 

I guess with Synclavier and later the Emulator, Genesis arrived at sampling a bit later than Peter Gabriel did with the Fairlight. I don't doubt they were very aware of what the other was doing, particularly with Phil playing drums for Peter. Bleeding edge technology has it's risks and rewards I guess. A wonderfully inspiring keyboardist and he gets his deserved respect from RW in the interview.

[Losendoskeys]

Very interesting. His choice of Quadra through fuzz reminds one of the the piano through fuzz approach which he used on albums like Nursery Chryme. It seemed to help him play Abacab "differently" than many of his other keyboard parts (arpeggios, lines, soaring melodies). It does sound like he bonded with each keyboard to get unique effects, but also felt free to change up his approaches later as you point out. The pro-soloist is very special to me. That's what he is using on riding the scree, correct (or is it the 2600)? I loved that TB wrestled so much unique expression from an often-overlooked synth.

 

I guess with Synclavier and later the Emulator, Genesis arrived at sampling a bit later than Peter Gabriel did with the Fairlight. I don't doubt they were very aware of what the other was doing, particularly with Phil playing drums for Peter. Bleeding edge technology has it's risks and rewards I guess. A wonderfully inspiring keyboardist and he gets his deserved respect from RW in the interview.

 

The ProS is totally underrated. I still have one but Joachim Verghese built his Rack+ module and thats what I tour with - it's brilliant as it covers Quadra sounds as well.

Up until a few years ago there were 5 x ARP ProS still at The Farm, which is a few miles from me!

Lamb was done with the ProS in 1974. The ARP2600 came much later in 1976 but he kept the ProS for until 1980 when he got the Quadra and dropped the Pros and 2600..

Due to the filters the ARP is quite different and actually not easy to find a way to emulate the ProS with it.