The Beatles and the Moog on Abbey Road

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by jwjeffrey, Oct 20, 2019.

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  1. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    the synth' on Here Comes The Sun and Because is quite superb !
     
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  2. anth67

    anth67 Purveyor of Hogwash

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    PNW USA
    George's leads on it are genius.
     
  3. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

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    Bretagne
    :unhunh:
     
  4. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    I loved electronic music in the late 60’s and their use of the Moog was pretty unimaginative I thought. The timbre didn’t fit either. But it doesn’t Keep me from enjoying the album.
     
  5. cb70

    cb70 Senior Member

    McCartney used the Moog throughout most of the 70's and it appeared continuously on albums from Red Rose Speedway all the way through McCartney II not to mention it was his main instrument on his Rude Studio recordings.
     
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  6. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    John's white noise oblivion worked well as a special effect I suppose and the little touch on the angelic "Because" fitted the sugary tone of that particular song but I never liked the use of it on "Here Comes The Sun" - I found it a bit cheap and cheesy, tacky. As for the awful "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", the thing is so over arranged that the moog is just another kitsch addition to the overall mess.
     
  7. zobalob

    zobalob Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow, Scotland.
    Yes and it was used on The Notorious Byrd Brothers (McGuinn's Moog) recorded in 1967. Given the rapport that existed between Beatles and Byrds it's almost a certainty that the Beatles knew of it before George set eyes on one in November '68.
     
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  8. The Ole' Rocker

    The Ole' Rocker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Let’s not forget The Monkees using the moog synthesizer on Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. or Simon & Garfunkel using it on Bookends either, all before The Beatles. The Beatles, however, were able to use the moog less as an exploit or novelty and more as a subtle arrangement embellishment, as others have mentioned; limiting how dated the music sounds to this day.
     
  9. kiff

    kiff Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Saw this short YouTuber rundown of early synth work. It was pretty interesting.
     
  10. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    About the only band to use synths tastefully before ELP. Contrast with The Monkees (who I do love) who used it for atonal novelty fx.
     
  11. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    Totally agree. BTW-it’s George on white noise generator. Not that it matters.
     
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  12. anth67

    anth67 Purveyor of Hogwash

    Location:
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    Daily Nightly :ed:
    Yeah, but it works for that tune's exaggerated psychedelia, though. (I love it, maybe the sentimental residue of how weirdly fascinating it was as a little kid watching the TV rerun.)
     
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  13. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    I much prefer its use on those Monkees tunes. They don’t treat it as just a slightly unusual keyboard instrument.
     
  14. Platterpus

    Platterpus Senior Member

    Good video. There are a lot of sources out on the web as to which artist used a Moog on their album first but it gets complicated around 1966 and 1967. Emil Richard's, percussionist, vibes and mallet pounder had a percussive album released in either 1966 or 1967. The album, New Sound Element: Stones, is a percussion freakout with Moog played by Paul Beaver. This album has to be one of the earliest albums to use the Moog. Emil Richards besides his own albums was a session musician who plays on some pop albums from the 60s and up. He did the mallet pounding on Frank Zappa's / Lumpy Gravy album (almost Chinese) and he played vibes on the Shadowfax - Shadowdance album from the early 80s.
     
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  15. RickH

    RickH Connoisseur of deep album cuts

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Yep, such a shame there would no more opportunities to hear The Beatles playing Moog again (or The Beatles playing any other instruments together, obviously)
     
  16. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    That's why I enjoy it much as I do as I said in my previous post: it's "The Beatles" in their "normal", original instrumental roles..no switcheroos with guitar playing, bass, whatever...the group as we fell in love with them from the start focusing around the guy who all those years ago was their newest member. And now...all these years later...dpoing it again.
     
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  17. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    I just wanted to say I love your avatar.
     
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  18. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident

    Compare that with McGuinn's use of it on "Moog Raga". There's a reason why it's only an outtake.
     
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  19. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident

    That is what I listen for, every time I play that song. George's solo is brilliant, as are John's arpeggios. That and all the lovely harmonies. Oh, and the bubbles in the bridge.
     
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  20. Hammerpeg

    Hammerpeg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Manitoba, Canada
    My favourite Mooging on ‘Abbey Road’ is on “Because.” It really pushes the eeriness of the song up a few notches.
     
  21. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    Joyce - The Dubliners
    Beatles - The Overdubbliners
     
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  22. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    The instrumental-backing version of because on the deluxe set has given me a whole new appreciation of the song.
     
  23. uzn007

    uzn007 Pack Rat

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    Is there more than one band called "ELP"? :D
     
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  24. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Ok, melodically
     
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  25. uzn007

    uzn007 Pack Rat

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    Good video, but... "Symph"... ugh...
     
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