midispaceho Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 When I was a kid, a few different songs turned me on to synthesizers in a huge way and 31 years later, I am still in love with them. Cars by Gary Numan and Tom Sawyer by Rush stimulated me in a way that most other music did not. Who turned y'all on at an early age? Heeeeeere kitty kitty kitty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegerardi Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Well, I can't really say it turned me on to synthesizers per se, but the 1st ELP album, eponymously named, changed me forever, and started me on the path to playing rock. Before that, all performances I did were classical. Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3fiend Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 ELP - Lucky Man Edgar Winter group 'Frankenstein' I then bought an analog synth and followed Yes and Styx religiously -Gregg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 "Yessongs". "Excerpts from Sixth Wives of Henry VII" still is one of my favorite synth pieces. Later, "Funeral for a Friend" off "Yellow Brick Road". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansouth Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 In no particular order. Josef Zawinul - Weather Report Chick Corea - Return To Forever Rick Wakeman - Yes and solo (Six Wives Of Henry VIII, Journey to the Center of the Earth) Tom Coster - Santana Various players on Quincy Jones albums ('Theme from Ironside', 'Everything Must Change', etc.) Pete Townshend - I didn't know it was a synthesizer, but the organ played through an Arp 2500 filter on We Won't Get Fooled Again always intrigued me. Wendy Carlos - music from the film 'A Clockwork Orange' Tangerine Dream - music from various films Maynard Ferguson's keyboardist circa 1976 - the first time I saw synths played live. This message has been edited by dansouth@yahoo.com on 07-20-2001 at 02:22 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Who turned me on ? JESSICA RABBIT !! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif About music... Tomita, JM Jarre, Vangelis, W. Carlos (Clockwork Orange)... Then Pink Floyd, YES and (sorry) DURAN DURAN... Músico, Productor, Ingeniero, Tecnólogo Senior Product Manager, América Latina y Caribe - PreSonus at Fender Musical Instruments Company Instagram: guslozada Facebook: Lozada - Música y Tecnología www.guslozada.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Switched On Bach was the first record to interest me in synths. After that, all the usual '70s influences: Emerson, Wakeman, Hancock, Corea, Zawinul, Hammer, etc. Originally posted by dansouth@yahoo.com: Maynard Ferguson's keyboardist circa 1976 - the first time I saw synths played live. I think the guy's name is Biff Hannon. I remember he had a Polymoog on top of a Rhodes, maybe a Micromoog too. As a trumpet player through high school, I had major MF envy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Actually, now that I think of it, Pink Floyd made great use of synthesizers on their albums (especially on "Dark Side of the Moon") and their stuff had a huge influence on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felix_dup1 Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Workin' in a Coal Mine - Devo (from the Heavy Metal soundtrack) Then "Don't You Want Me" by the Human League and "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics - after that, I was hooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve LeBlanc Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Too many to mention. The FIRST piano that got my attention was the intro to "Could it be the Magic" by Barry Manilow http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif, I was 6 I think. http://www.youtube.com/notesleb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blues Disciple Posted July 21, 2001 Share Posted July 21, 2001 The first songs or artists that got me fired up about synthesizers and keys were "Frankenstein" by Edgar Winter, "Roundabout" by Yes, "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel, and Kansas' "LeftOverture" album. The first time I saw Kansas at Madison Square Garden (also my first concert ever) I was hooked on wanting to play live. The first artists or songs that really got me into the use of the Hammond in music was "Smoke from a Distant Fire" (saw the Sanford-Townsend Band using a B-3 on "Danceband" or whatever that show was called when I was just a tike)and hearing the first side of "The Allman Brother Band" (first album) and realizing that the organ CAN be an integral part of a band's sound. Then I moved on to ELP, more YES, Styx, Billy Joel, etc. and I was that was all she wrote. "With the help of God and true friends I've come to realize, I still have two strong legs and even wings to fly" Gregg Allman from "Ain't Wastin Time No More" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krakit Posted July 21, 2001 Share Posted July 21, 2001 When it came to learning to play piano it was Billy Joel that inspired me. I started shopping for synths after purchasing Brain Salad Surgery and Trilogy by ELP. Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midispaceho Posted July 21, 2001 Author Share Posted July 21, 2001 I (gasp)nearly forgot about ELP in my early years. My brother had an ELP 8-track (don't know the title), but they covered the Peter Gunn title song and I was hella into that. I thought they wrote the song, my dad soon corrected me. Great base line, synth or otherwise. I (~ 6 - 8 years old at the time) was intrigued by Pink Floyd, however One of These Days scared the hell out of me. I have since grown to love that song...I am pretty sure when David Gilmore plays the slide guitar on that song, he is channeling spirits. Heeeeeere kitty kitty kitty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted July 22, 2001 Share Posted July 22, 2001 Lori Partridge from the Partridge family (no joke.. I'm sorry to say). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted July 22, 2001 Share Posted July 22, 2001 I was a big Michael W. Smith fan when I was younger. His early work in the contemporary christian field was wonderful. I know he isn't a wonder boy on the keyboard but he is still quiet inspiring. Fletch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The T Dot Posted July 22, 2001 Share Posted July 22, 2001 Depeche Mode No incredible showoff of chops, but great songwriting and very original music. They paid their dues, coming under heavy fire from critics in the 80's for being a "joke keyboard band". They are the pioneers of electronic music, and in my opinion they are largely responsible for the popularization of synths, and the "acceptance" of synths in modern music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted July 22, 2001 Share Posted July 22, 2001 Originally posted by Steve LeBlanc: The FIRST piano that got my attention was the intro to "Could it be the Magic" by Barry Manilow http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif, I was 6 I think. Don't be embarrassed, Steve...Manilow didn't write the intro - Chopin did. Manilow just copped it, and then wrote a pop song around the changes. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llarion Posted July 22, 2001 Share Posted July 22, 2001 Hmmm... As a boy I too was influenced to learn piano by Manilow, because his playing sounded complex but was actually very accessible and easy to learn. Billy Joel was harder but just as fun to play if not more so. Chuck Mangione's similar Rhodes work turned me on the Rhodes playing (Chase The Clouds Away)... For synth stuff, I'd have to say the Weather Report - Heavy Weather and Jeff Lorber Fusion - Wizard Island albums were hugely influential on me... ------------------ Cheers! Phil "Llarion: The Jazzinator" Traynor www.mp3.com/llarion Smooth Jazz Cheers! Phil "Llarion: The Jazzinator" Traynor www.llarion.com Smooth Jazz - QUESTION AUTHORITY. Go ahead, ask me anything. http://www.llarion.com/images/dichotomybanner.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansouth Posted July 23, 2001 Share Posted July 23, 2001 Originally posted by mzeger: I think the guy's name is Biff Hannon. I remember he had a Polymoog on top of a Rhodes, maybe a Micromoog too. As a trumpet player through high school, I had major MF envy. I saw Maynard twice in that era. The keyboard player was different each time. The band had recently recorded with a guy named Alan Zavod, but I don't know whether he played on one of the gigs. Both players were absolute chops monsters, though, as is just about everyone who's ever played with Maynard (including a very young Josef Zawinul). I remember one of the guys taking an extended solo - the band was tacet at that point - playing amazingly fast, modulating all over the place, then somehow bring it all back to the original key and groove just as the band kicked in. The first of these two gigs was the first pro concert I had ever attended, and boy did I learn a lot that night! Your account of the setup is about right, but I think the EP may have been a Yamaha. It had that Yamaha electric grand shape to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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