Keith Emerson gone....

[Ritchie200]

Lost another great...

Jim

[DummyLoad]

...RIP Mr. Emerson.   

[Willabe]

 

[PRR]

Keith Emerson and Monster Moog synthesiser, May 2010

Gunshot, being investigated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Emerson#Personal_life_and_death

[Platefire]

Never forget the first time I heard Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I was at my parents house in the late 70's and turned on my parents console stereo searching FM for some music new and interesting---then on came E,L & P with all the synth sounds and I was blown away---mission accomplished. I can't even remember what the song was but I think the title ended with "Man" but can't remember the first part? That always left a lasting impression because that song hit the nail right on the head in what music I was searching for. Pray for his family and friends! Platefire

[Ritchie200]

Plate, maybe Lucky Man?  Great song.

Early reports that it is a suicide.  He has been having nerve issues with his right hand that is making it almost impossible to use playing the keyboard.  What a sad ending if true.

Always loved this live version (although cut up by ABC...).  This is Keith in all his glory with the Hammond, mighty Moog, and spinning piano - on a fantastic song.

RIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZK_fFtwKs0

[Platefire]

All I can say to that is Wows and Awesome s and those kind of words. Don't need a guitar player there, they covered all the bases fine. I didn't have no idea they did all that on stage. Some great effort, coordination, expense and talent to pull off all of that.

And yes that was Lucky Man I heard. Thanks, Platefire

[PRR]

Surely Lucky Man.

Hadn't thought about it in decades, but it all comes back, every tweedeedle.

=200

It starts as a simple song with guitar. Layered mass-chorus and reverb. Building, but nothing novel.

Then at 3:20 (where I cued the clip above) Emerson comes in with the mighty moog, and over the top portamento. That was a minor circuit quirk on Moog-type keyboard, almost a fault. There's a trace of it in Carlos' work. Dick Hymen used port to excess, but nobody heard that LP. When Lucky Man hit the radio, heads exploded. (Including Dick's, because Keith's solo strongly echoed Dick's Minotaur.)

Within a year it was over-done and rude.

[Ritchie200]

The Lucky Man story told by Keith was he came into the studio and Greg Lake had laid down the guitar work and they were looking to have him put something on top at the end or possibly all the way through.  The Moog was notorious for not staying in tune and had to be tweaked after it was turned on and then again over time as it drifted.  So Keith listened to the song and when Greg stopped singing Keith went about the chore of making sure the Moog was in tune with Greg's guitar - hence all the octave flips and then a few finger exercise noodling thrown in.  The tape finished and Keith looked up to let them know he was good to go for a take, and they are all giving him enthusiastic thumbs up from the window.  They were recording and that one and only tune-up take is what made it to the album.  Keith was never happy with the result and could not remember how he played it as it was only done acoustically live.  Greg wrote that song when he was 12.  Greg has such an awesome voice.

Jim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nyt57LxWy8

[Ritchie200]

Another one of my favs and used to be the soundtrack to the dancing fountain at EPCOT (they need to bring it back....).  The Yamaha keyboard cost $60,000 in 1973 or around $300,000 in todays dollars.  It actually had tube amp driven speakers.  There were only a few ever manufactured and Keith had two in storage.  A drunk driver lost control and plowed into the building destroying both.  Fortunately these sounds are only a preset away on a modern keyboard - without the analog feel and tube drive of course!

Jim, keeper of useless information...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK92hdp6u18

[Ritchie200]

I posted this a long time ago but I think its worth another look.  Here's Keith explaining how the Moog works at Moogfest a couple of years ago.  I've always heard he was a nice guy and obviously has a sense of humor.  Look at his right hand when he plays.  He has been having problems for years.

Jim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPf6LnN0zS8

[DummyLoad]

my favorite by the group...

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


--pete

[Fresh_Start]

Thanks guys. That is some beautiful music I haven't heard in decades. One of my best friends as a teenager had most of ELP's albums and I never felt the need to buy them myself.

I particularly remember "Tarkus" but we won't go into why...

RIP Keith!

Chip