Joe Osborn stands alongside Carol Kaye, Herbie Flowers, and James Jamerson as one of the all-time great session bassists. As his wiki entry indicates, “Many producers and arrangers chose to spotlight his contributions by mixing the bass line more prominently than had been customary, and incorporating brief bass solos into their arrangements.”
Click the link to download a great short article on Osborn from DB mag, 1972. Author is one David Perry: JoeOsborn_Downbeat_1972
I came across a few more EML (Electronic Music Laboratories) bits that I will share with you. I’ve written a little about EML before, as they were based in Connecticut and lets face it, I am never getting out of this state. Anyhow, click here for our first EML article, and click here for coverage of the 1976 EML SynthKey, which was likely the first synth with aftertouch.
I’ve yet to be contacted by anyone who worked at EML in the 70s. Folks, if yr out there, drop a line… the world needs to know…
The EML model 101 synth
The EML Model 100 synth
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Bonus 70’s CT synth-times: The 1976 Synare PS by Star Systems of Stafford Springs CT. Looks pretty righteous… anyone?
How are y’all doing on this snowy day… listening to some mid-seventies Tangerine Dream LPs and flippin thru a giant pile of old DOWNBEAT mags that I picked up at an estate sale this past wknd along with an enormous radio. Here’s a few ARP bits+bobs that caught my eye. Anyone have the above-depicted demo record?
The ARP Odyssey c. 1977
The ARP Minus Noise Mixer c.1976. Anyone know exactly what is the gimmick here?
Herbie Hancock at the 2600
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For previous ARP coverage at PS dot com,
Click Here for our exclusive download of the 1977 ARP Catalog
Click here for ARP endorsers of the 70s
She stood by the TV holding a cup of coffee from the vending machine in the hallway. I was just packing up my toothbrush and she asked me, half-joking, if I’d be coming by this way again. Damn that woman could wear one hell of a Canadian tuxedo. I didn’t know what to say. Sure, I’d been through Tulsa a dozen times or more, but I was on the wrong side of 35, trying to make a living playing an instrument that was completely irrelevant for 99% of music in the world. I might as well of been a fucking kazoo player. I mean, all those goddamn pedals and levers; what do they even DO? Big Billy was a peach for bringin me out on the road again for this tour, but even backwoods Bill was talkin’ about goin disco for his next record. Shit man, ain’t gonna have pedal steel on a disco track. So, Cindy, answer is, I don’t know. You seen my comb?
I know that this will be a polarizing thing to say, but I can’t stand Frank Zappa’s music. I have tried. Oh brother I have tried. Also he seems like a total fkkn prick in every interview I have ever read with him. Like one of those a-holes who acts like he’s having a bad time at the party, but rather than leave the party, dude just hovers around radiating bad vibes.
Now, on the plus side, total prickishness can sometimes turn into comedy gold. As-in this 1977 interview in Downbeat mag. Faced with a fairly straightforward question about the role of electronics in music, Zappa delivers a diatribe which ends in the condemnation of summer-homes. Enjoy…
Above: What the holy F is this thing?
Today: yet another installment in our ongoing series on Keyboard of the 1970s. Click here for part one. As per usual, if you are still using these things today, drop us a line and let us know! Except for the Rhodes. There’s nothing new to say about those fkkn things. So keep yr Rhodes to yrself thanks.
Above: the Univox Compac Piano. We had one of these things for a minute in high school. I think it was $100. Really terrible sound. Click here for previous coverage of this atrocity.
Above: the two worst ads Fender ever ran for the Rhodes. ’77 and ’72.
Above: The Novaline Piano circa ’77. Never seen one. Anyone?
Above: The KORG Maxi-Korg circa ’77. Looks pretty cool. Any of these still working?
Above: Hohner made many keyboards besides the famous Clavinet. For instance,,,
…The Contessa of 1972. Farfisa-type organ with accordion chord-buttons in the left hand. Yikes.
Next time you see one of those shitty old Baldwin living-room-organs at the goodwill, take a 2nd look: it might have the SynthaSound option boards. Wacky sounds ensue.
Above: The ELKA #8609 String Choir. My K2500 has a bunch of ELKA patches and I kinda like em. Anyone use the 8609? How does it compare to other string synths of the era?
How are y’all doing today… wanted to L Y K that P.J. Pacifico’s new EP “Overlooking the Obvious” is out now on Viper Records. I tracked “OTO” last year at Gold Coast Recorders with Kit Karlson producing. Kit also did the wonderful, huge-sounding mix of the album. Garrison Starr provided vocals and frequent GCR visitors Chip Johnson and Tim Walsh feature as well. Tobias Baharian shot this live-in-the studio promo clip for “Bend It Till It Breaks,” and what you are seeing is the actual tracking of the album.
Anyhow, yes that is our timeless RCA BK5 you are hearing on PJ’s voice… once again, I cannot say enough good things about these mics. Pick one up if you can! And thanks to Tobias for so lovingly-depicting our giant pile of vintage gear at GCR!
hello y’all… I am looking to buy a 2nd-hand hardware box that will allow me to input a stereo analog audio signal and get a clean pitch-shifted polyphonic octave-down. I’ve been looking at eventide H3000s on eBay but they are just a bit too expensive for what may be a total boondoggle.
I don’t need uber-fidelity; 44.k sampling rate and 16-bit internal processing is fine. Balanced i/o would be very good but maybe not a necessity?
And pls no speculation or armchair recommendations folks; I am just looking for suggestions from people who have actually used the suggested device personally for this specific task. Thanks for reading – c.
How are y’all doin on this bright+chilly day. Wanted to L Y K that the MXL R40 Ribbon Mics are apparently available again for $69 at musicians friend dot com. Click here to go to their website. The prices on this item fluctuate wildly, so if you’ve been considering buying your first ribbon mic (or maybe a knock-around unit for live sound use….???), this might be the time to move.
While not a great microphone on the level of a good vintage RCA or Beyer, the MXL sounds surprisingly good when mod’d with an aftermarket transformer. We ran an article on this easy+inexpensive process some years ago, and it has proven to be one of the most popular articles on PreservationSound.
How y’all doin on this cold+dark December day… been toiling like a farmer at the PS dot com HQ, tryin to get another mixtape out the door before the bell tolls on ’13. I am more excited about this mixtape than I have been in a while; some really great cuts on here. I was v v fortunate to chance upon some really outstanding collections this past season (special thanks to D.S…) and the best of the best are captured here. As always, if you see me, ask me for a CD of the mix- as always, transcribed fresh from vinyl via my trust Benz Micro cartridge. Hope you all have an excellent NYE, and here’s to a better+brighter one-four.
1. The Equals “Police On My Back” from the comp The Best Of The Equals, EMI/Stateside (year unknown; presumed to be 1968).
2. John Entwhistle “I Wonder” from the LP Whistle Rymes, Track/Decca/MCA 1972.
3. Lee Clayton “Carnival Balloon” from the S/T 1973 MCA LP. (no link available)
4. Sopwith Camel “Fazon” from the LP The Miraculous Hump Returns From The Moon, Reprise 1972.
5. Danny Cox “Hey Jude” from the LP Birth Announcement, Forward/Together Records, 1969. (no link available)
6. The Electric Prunes “I Happen To Love You” from the LP Underground, Reprise 1967.
7. Suzi Quatro “Michael” from the LP Your Mama Won’t Like Me, Arista 1975.
8. John Ussery “Must Have Been The Season” from his self-titles LP, Phonogram 1973.
9. David Wiffen “Climb The Stairs” from the LP Coast To Coast Fever, Liberty 1973. (no link available)
10. Earth Opera “Time And Again” from the s/t LP, Elektra 1968.
11. Longdancer “Too Much Too Soon” from the LP If It Was So Simple, Rocket/MCA 1973.
12. John Entwhistle “My Wife” from the LP Rigor Mortis Sets In, Track/MCA 1973.
13. 999 “Bongos On The Nile” from the LP Concrete, Albion/Polygram 1981. (no link available)
14. Brownsville Station “Rumble” from the comp Non-Dairy Creamer, Warner Bros Records 1971.
15. Black Pearl “Mr. Soul Satisfaction” from the s/t LP, Atlantic 1969.
16. Rare Bird “What Do You Want To Know” from the LP As Your Mind Flies By, ABC 1970. (no link available)
17. Stealers Wheel “Right or Wrong” from the LP Right Or Wrong, A&M 1975.
18. Redeye “Collections of Yesterday And Now” from the s/t LP, Pentagram/Bravo/Viva 1971.
For track notes + more of the greatest album art of all time, click the link below to READ ON…