Classic Electronic Organs

[Nowhere-Man]

I'm afraid I don't have a great deal of time for modern music.

I miss the opportunity to sing along with it, even though I can't sing.

Alan

"If you can talk, you can sing." If you have YouTube, type in "Can anyone learn to sing?" You will then see a guy with dark hair and a T-Shirt who gives a quick talk on how we can nearly all of us sing.

I put a lot of time and effort into trying to learn to sing as I feel a musician must make an effort to sing (even if it's just backing vocals).

First you have to identify if you're a baritone, tenor, high tenor and so on. For example, Frank Sinatra and Perry Como are baritones. Lennon and McCartney were tenors.

When you find that out, the only way forwards is to use a tape recorder, sing and then play it back. The tricky part after that is trying to ask someone an opinion who isn't going to lie to spare feelings but won't go overboard and tell you it's awful. If it does sound awful, it's possible to change the octaves or change the key.

However, everybody can sing and anyone can learn to sing to a reasonably acceptable level.

[Nowhere-Man]

Not into Kraftwerk then NM? That's shocking    

I like Rock and Roll, Soul, Disco/Funk and more recently blues/rock based country. I also followed Green Gartside of Scritti Politti and was keen on The Pat Metheny Group. America also, I like.

I follow an obscure band you can find on YouTube called The Californians. This group was big around the Midlands in the sixties but never made it nationally. They dabbled in psychedelic material too. I think they had a hit also with "Mandy" in 1969.

[Nowhere-Man]

On the subject of singing, someone told me he'd been doing a small gig in The States at some local venue. He'd practised with a view to throw in a flashy guitar sequence in the middle of one of his songs. Apparently he was on stage and singing away when he heard a girl say, "God, I wish he'd get off the stage!"

That totally destroyed his equilibrium and the guitar sequence winded up a shambles as he was psyched out.

[pwdrive]

I like the rock and roll and other stuff, mainly artists from the other side of the pond, here's a live performance at the BBC Theater in the 70's, the poet laureate of rock and roll himself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81fPN-W6IeQ

At the other end of the scale is the conversation between Joan of Arc and the fire.....by the poet laureate of song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHjnjIbwvGI

Lawrence.

[Nowhere-Man]

I should add the price of electronic organs has tumbled hugely. Should you wish to buy one, decent makes are sometimes even given away. A typical eighties organ will have about 12 different beats (pushbutton) and lots of tabs for different instruments. There is a very small circle of people who play these old organs or work on them to keep them in good shape.

The old tone wheel Hammonds still fetch a lot of money, so that's an exception.

I'm not sure how far synths have now moved on from the one I have which is maybe mid nineties. The latest Korgs probably have more memory, inbuilt portable studio digital recording and far more mixing features.

I am, however, very much against using advanced digital keyboards too soon before basic keyboard skills have been acquired. On mine I did a lot of practice just on electric piano till I could get my two hands to co-ordinate. However, if you use the mixing and layering functions on multi-channels, it's quite easy to make music on synths.

All the Beatles had in the early sixties was amps, electric guitars, bass and an old piano. Check out the pic of McCartney here:

[Mark Hennessy]

On mine I did a lot of practice just on electric piano till I could get my two hands to co-ordinate.

Now that's something I can identify with! Try as I might, I simply can't get my hands to work together. Despite being able to do plenty of other things that require both, like touch-typing (sort of, at least!).

Must try harder

[pwdrive]

We must have worn this record out at the coffee bar we hung out at in my youth, what make of electric organ would you say is playing? it's a classic track from Phil Upchurch and the gang on Sue records, I used to have this record in my collection but it disappeared around 1970 :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGquifizX8


I've still got these two though (more organ stuff) from Mick Weaver aka Wynder K Frog and the boys....

Green Door:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoTDiSaYLBc

I'm a Man:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr4gz1qrCmc



Lawrence.

[Nowhere-Man]

On mine I did a lot of practice just on electric piano till I could get my two hands to co-ordinate.

Now that's something I can identify with! Try as I might, I simply can't get my hands to work together. Despite being able to do plenty of other things that require both, like touch-typing (sort of, at least!).

Must try harder

When you start off, it's easier to do the arpeggio chords with one hand and then record on 1 track. Then, play back and play the melody on top of it.

Later I realised it was only right to learn to co-ordinate the two hands as the sound flows more. I seem to recall I was doing Gary Jules' Mad World to practice it.

[Crackle]

Deep Purple, Nice, The Animals

[Nowhere-Man]

We must have worn this record out at the coffee bar we hung out at in my youth, what make of electric organ would you say is playing? it's a classic track from Phil Upchurch and the gang on Sue records, I used to have this record in my collection but it disappeared around 1970 :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGquifizX8


I've still got these two though (more organ stuff) from Mick Weaver aka Wynder K Frog and the boys....

Green Door:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoTDiSaYLBc

I'm a Man:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr4gz1qrCmc



Lawrence.

I've been having increased problems accessing sites like YouTube on my phone. In fact, even Wilkepedia is a "no-go". Moreover, as I don't have any audio at the library I can't access these videos and tell you what the organ is likely to be. Sorry about that. I was thinking of contacting 3 helpline to try and find out why I'm paying for a mobile internet I can barely use!!