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Marzzz

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No, there isn't a new forum dedicated to Hammond organs, but I was kinda wondering why so much attention is paid here to Hammonds, clones, chops, rebuilds, refurbs, plugins, Leslies, Leslie simulators, free B3s left at the side of the road, etc. Sometimes it seems like half of the active threads at any given time. The last time I can remember a "pop" song having a Hammond solo was Tasmin Archer's Sleeping Satellite (starting at 2:47) back in 1992:

 

[video:youtube]

 

Thirty years ago? So are all you actively gigging organizer people playing mostly older classic rock, blues, etc? Prog rock tribute bands? Or is there some modern genre that uses a lot of Hammond that I am not aware of?

 

FWIW if I had the time, money and space I would love to have a two manual Hammond Clonewheel with a modern Leslie cab, but then again I am a frustrated old prog rocker...Yes covers, anyone?

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21st-century Hammond organ ...

Weird synchonicity. I'd never heard of these guys, but just this morning, I learned I was going to have to do Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" next weekend, in a 4-piece where I'm playing LH bass. I said that this combo is not going to give us something close to the sound of the original, and I went scouting youtube for an example of a cover version done with more traditional live-band arrangement to demonstrate how I think we should do it, and the one I came up with was this one:

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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21st-century Hammond organ ...

 

(More here:

)

 

[video:youtube]

Funny..I've been on a Robben FORD kick on guitar lately.

 

Anyways there has been many hammond organ forums and user groups over the years. They always get dead then after a few years they go offline. People would rather talk clones than real B's and it's always at a general keyboard forum like this one that they go to .

FunMachine.

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I think that, unlike synthesizers, the Hammond+Leslie sound is second only to a grand piano in instant identification by the listener. As a result, it's one of two "standard" keyboard sounds. (There are arguably others, but our beloved ROMplers and pure synths aren't among them.) Among electronic keyboards, it was the first musically viable one to be recognizable upon listening. So, it's a standard metric for keyboard playing. It's no accident that backline suppliers offer a Piano and a Hammond / Leslie.

 

So, what about pipe organs? Nope -- too few, and too expensive. EPs? Closer, but too often associated with "I couldn't afford a piano, so I got this instead," which has been obviated by ROMplers. Synths are too programmable to have a standard sound, ELP notwithstanding. That leaves clavinets (not considered as versatile) and Mellotrons (under-evolved ROMpler).

 

So other than a grand piano, that Hammond sound bubbles to the top. Heck, even the Millennial guy that runs my church's worship considers there to always be room for my B3 sounds -- and those come out of my Kurzweil. :-)

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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With people like Cory Henry being everywhere and Larry Goldings playing with for instance John Legend, I hear the Hammond everywhere today. Among my musical friends, it"s hipper than ever, so I have to disagree. I love the Tasmin Archer song, in the 90"s we also had big hits like 'Don"t Dream It"s Over' and bands like Counting Crows and others making it big with a very Hammond heavy sound.
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The mention of 'Sleeping Satellite' reminds me of the second car I bought. The song has such an unusual and interesting lyrical theme and I"ve always liked it.

 

My vehicle had a decent stereo system (compared to my first car) and that song was on high radio airplay rotation at the time. I remember how nice the cool bass line sounded in my car.

 

Weirdly, I"ve never heard that song again since it left the charts in the early 90"s. I thought the universe had forgotten its existence. Sleeping Satellite, indeed.

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Heck, even the Millennial guy that runs my church's worship considers there to always be room for my B3 sounds -- and those come out of my Kurzweil. :-)
Is that a certain positive? For good reason, I am skeptical of everything Millennial.

Well, he did ban my use of a Keytar as a bass. :idk:

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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There is an organ forum. https://organforum.com/forums/

 

Anyone at KC use it?

 

I frequent a clonewheel group on FB. Today's discussion: whether people showing off their actual B3s counts as Hate Speech and merits banning from the list. :nono:

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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Aside from Hammond/Leslie being one of the most versatile and glorious sounds ever to grace human ears (can you tell I'm a little biased?) the fact that it was a presence and in near constant use in many recording studios (at least from the 60's through ??), it certainly appears on a lot of recordings. I believe a Hammond/Leslie was as much a fixture in recording studios as a piano, at least in a significant number of studios.

 

Also, it's the original "pad" sound (don't even get me started on my discussions with my 30-something worship director at church, who constantly asks for "synthetic" pad sounds vs. my volunteering to provide Hammond/leslie patches in place of those awful sterile sounds).

 

Hammond is the original "synthesizer" with such incredible sonic versatility......straight backup/background sound behind vocals via sustained chords, percussive solo leads, haunting refrains played with C/V, the list goes on and on. So, it's not ONE sound at all, I would classify it more like an entire "bucket" of sounds depending on the mood/genre, etc, of the music you're playing.

 

Lou

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Do I detect some age bias again? That Goldings/Ford vid looks like a meeting of the local geriatric society of which I'm also a proud member. That "glorious Hammond sound" is all about us old guys, not so much the younger crowd although some do appreciate it. I agree the Hammond sound will never go away but it won't be in the prominent position it was in the past. Arianna Grande did her cover of Gimme Some Lovin a few years ago and did it's a stock cover including that iconic Hammond part. I think her vocals don't do it justice but her fans loved it. Here's her vid:

 

 

Spencer Davis has lived on Catalina Island for over 25 years and sadly died last year. I've been going gigs over there for years and knew him. Often I would see him sitting at an outdoor cafe by the Metropole Hotel and everybody knew him, he was just another local. He would also sit in with us when he was feeling well and do Gimme and Tulsa Time. When Arianna's cover came out he received a very substantial check in the mail and had to call his manager to ask what is this for? He never heard of her and then about four months later he got another check. All I can say is an old iconic rock song is worth a lot today. For that much money she must have done quite well with it.

 

This is an example that yes, in the pop realm the Hammond sound is still appreciated for sure but only for certain things. Like jazz and classical, it will settle down to a certain level and probably stay there for decades to come.

 

Bob

Hammond SK1, Mojo 61, Kurzweil PC3, Korg Pa3x, Roland FA06, Band in a Box, Real Band, Studio One, too much stuff...
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The last time I can remember a "pop" song having a Hammond solo was Tasmin Archer's Sleeping Satellite (starting at 2:47) back in 1992:

 

That may be true statement about your memory, but it's not accurate to say the Hammond sound is irrelevant to modern pop. I hear a lot of it still. For whatever reason, your ears aren't picking up on it.

 

The part of your observation that seems valid is the vast gap between how much Hammond players care about the details of their sound and equipment and the importance it holds for everyone else. The internet age has given hobbyists and tinkerers of all stripes infinite space to obsess about their craft. Hammond players get sucked into that pretty easily.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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...the vast gap between how much Hammond players care about the details of their sound and equipment and the importance it holds for everyone else.

Hadn't thought about that, but I concur. Both my geezer band and my church worship team would probably be perfectly happy with 888-00-0000 and a fast Leslie all the time.

 

OT: I never noticed before, Hammond registrations and American Social Security numbers are interchangeable 8/9 of the time. Now I gotta go see what my identity sounds like on s Kurzweil.

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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Thanks also for reminding me of Sleeping Satellite. Love the song, not so keen on the overly literal video. "Yeah, I get that it's an ode to the moon, so let's get Tasmin inside an enormous Orrery. Also, let's completely misinterpret a reference and have a golden eagle flap its wings in the background".

 

Back on topic: is that solo really a Hammond? Sounds a little Vox-y to me.

 

Cheers, Mike.

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Hey Mike,

 

This thread has reawakened my interest in this song and according to Tasmin 'â¦the orrery on an underlit table video was made for the US market as our American label saw us as an alternative act.'

 

Here is the original video - hope it"s not geo-blocked for you:

 

[video:youtube]

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Yeah, maybe that solo could have been Vox-y, but at least it was an organ solo! I just remember it fairly well because I loved this song when it came out, and noticed the solo incidentally. Since then, I haven't heard much Hammond in popular music save for some background work, and definitely not in anything contemporary. But then again, I couldn't name a Taylor Swift song if my life depended on it. Sleeping Satellite was unfortunately the only thing Tasmin Archer charted; it's too bad because she has such a wonderful voice. I hadn't seen either video prior to my linking to the USA version.

 

So as I kinda suspected, Hammond is used in more "classic" songs. These days I am digging more into Tony Kaye-era Yes and Jon Lord/Deep Purple; more distorted (and less Leslie-dependent) tones. I do definitely like Hammond for "pads" because it is a cleaner sound. Years ago I saw ELP play Tarkus in concert, and Emerson had turned to his GX-1 for "Stones of Years" instead of sticking with his Hammond, which I would have preferred. There are even YouTubes of ELP rehearsing where no Moog are set up, and their Brain Salad Surgery pieces actually sound great with just Hammond.

 

Again, I wish I had money/time/space for a decent organ setup...!

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I think it also depends on what you mean by a "pop" song. Is there much B3 on a Lil Nas X record, or a Dua Lipa track? Probably not (but I haven't heard either of those artists, I just know that I'm a 32 year old man and even though pop music was never really for me I'm exceptionally out of touch now). But aside from the Hammond's iconic status as a vintage "vinyl era" instrument, it's a go-to of contemporary rock, funk, reggae, soul, and jam bands -- not just "old guys," young folks who tour full-time and sell out theaters and play big festivals, like Turkuaz, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Grace Potter, Dawes, Goose, Vulfpeck... I could go on. You won't hear any of those bands on Clear Channel top 40 radio, but they're thrilling and delighting audiences and record buyers/streamers all over the place. It's just that the musical landscape is so much broader and more segmented now, given the tight corporate control of radio, algorithmic recommendations of Spotify and Pandora, and how much easier it is to make your record and put it on the internet!

 

Instruments, sounds, and styles go in and out of vogue. Juicy 80s synth patches are really in right now, whereas while I was growing up in the early aughts I remember that being the definition of cheesy. But certain sounds and instruments transcend the time and space that popularized them, and they just become a classic: the drum set. The piano. The acoustic guitar. The saxophone. The cello. And yeah, I'd go out on a limb and say the Hammond organ.

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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There is an organ forum. https://organforum.com/forums/

 

Anyone at KC use it?

 

 

Yes mostly the techs and dealers and gets into mostly hard core stuff not talked about here. 4 or 5 guys from here are on it.

"Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello"

 

 

noblevibes.com

 

 

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I never noticed before, Hammond registrations and American Social Security numbers are interchangeable 8/9 of the time. Now I gotta go see what my identity sounds like on s Kurzweil.

Rats. I don't have anything with drawbars on it anymore. I guess I'll have to download a Hammond App for my phone and try it out. Mine's gonna be mostly sizzle and spice though...

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

-Mark Twain

 

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There is an organ forum. https://organforum.com/forums/

 

Anyone at KC use it?

 

 

Yes mostly the techs and dealers and gets into mostly hard core stuff not talked about here. 4 or 5 guys from here are on it.

Yep, I'm a member there, though I don't ever post in the Hammond section. Great place if you have organ repair questions, and some of the guys on there were Conn techs, or are Allen techs, or Rodgers techs, or you name it. There's usually someone on there with some knowledge about some of the more obscure organs one might come across too. :thu:

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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On the original topic, it seems like I do hear Hammond organ in the background in some newer pop songs, but it seems like it's generally 888 in the background, sort of like a pad when I do hear it. It's also probably not a strict actual organ but more like a layered ROMpler organ or something. So I don't know if that counts necessarily.

 

It is definitely all over the place still in contemporary Christian music, and obviously Gospel, Jazz, Country, etc.

 

 

That said, here's an example of a current pop song that maybe *should* have Hammond organ - good 4 u by Olivia Rodrigo. I was reading this thread on my phone while having dinner and this song came on the radio (it's very popular right now)...just out of curiosity I tried adding some organ (and piano) to it. I'm no pro Hammond player, but this is one way it could sound. It's definitely a rock-leaning pop song as it is so it seems like organ would be a natural fit.

 

The original:

 

[video:youtube]

 

With organ/piano added:

 

Music starts at 0:58 for those who want to bypass the "YouTube subscriber channel talk" stuff. ;)

 

[video:youtube]

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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