By DF (208.27.111.121) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 02:42 pm:

Just like bass and snare, should we have a favorite keboard sounds category. Not just favorite keyboard players, but their sounds (setup, models, etc).

Richard Tee's Fender Rhodes. One of the most recognizable sounds in keboard history. Picture a Rhodes with a "light steel pan" touch. I know the analysis is weird, but that's the best I could come up with. RIP.

Paul Griffin's Oberheim OBX Synthesiser. Griff and Richard may be the best keyboard partners ever. They worked well together, and offset each other. RIP.

Jimmy Smith's B3.

Bob James's Yamahas in the 1970s.

Stevie Wonder's Moog. No explanation needed.

Any of Herbie Hancock's synthesisers.

Y'all fill in the rest. Peace.

By Eli (151.197.217.213) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 02:54 pm:

Ron Kersey's clavinet playing on the BHY and B.Eli sessions
Cotton Kent's Fender Rhodes sound on the above.
Leon Huff's Wurlitzer
Thom Bell's concert grand
Stevie's Moog on You and I
Bernie Worrell's Mini Moog bass lines( especially Flashlight) and his Grand approach
David Foster's Midi'ed pad sound.
George Duke's Synclavier patches
Spooner Oldham's grand on Never found a man...Aretha

By STUBASS (152.163.252.68) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 02:56 pm:

MY VOTE...CHARLES EARLAND AND HIS "MONSTER B-3"!!!...SORRY FOR THE JAZZ INPUT!!!...STUBASS

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 03:15 pm:

EW&F'S Larry Dunn on piano, Fender Rhodes AND synthesizers stacked for days!

Thom Bell giving us that Verdi-type intro on the O'Jays "Backstabbers"

Stevie Wonder's Moog synths on "You've Got It Bad, Girl" & "Creepin'"

Jimmy Smith's Hammond B-3 on every record he made!

Sergio Mendes' electric piano on Brasil 66's versions of "Fool On The Hill" & "Norweigan Wood"

Freddie Perren's piano intro on the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back"

All the MFSB keyboardists on their remake of "K-Jee", the O'Jays "I Love Music", Harold Melvin's "Bad Luck" & Teddy's "I Don't Love You Anymore."

Ramsey Lewis' solo on "Sun Goddess" among other great records he made.

Chris Jasper's Moog carrying the melody on the Isley Brothers' "For The Love Of You".

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By john_c (12.2.233.107) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 03:39 pm:

Max Crook's Musitron solo in Del Shannon's "Runaway".

The Raybeat's Acetone organ.

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 03:51 pm:

John,
the instrument used on the Run Away solo was called an Ondiolene.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 03:55 pm:

Ralph:
Thanks for the 411 re: Runaway. I had the same info as John.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Livonia Ken (136.2.1.153) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 04:00 pm:

The masters of the clavinet:

Stevie Wonder
Bernie Worrell
Garth Hudson

...and whoever the MFSB guy was who played on Billy Paul's "Am I Black Enough for You" (was it Ron Kersey? Lenny Pakula?) - I love that track.

Regards,
Ken

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 04:03 pm:

Kevin,
The funny thing about that is the superstition generated by the use of that instrument. The session was done at United Sound, and because the record was such a big hit everyone wanted to record there and use the studio's organ which they mistakingly thought was the source of that unique sound on the Run Away solo. Baseball players aren't the only superstitious types apparently.

By john_c (12.2.233.107) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 04:05 pm:

Ralph,

Thanks for the correction. I know it's about as far away from your beloved B-3 sound that you can get.

John

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 04:07 pm:

Yeah John. I'll stick to the B-3.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 05:28 pm:

Ralph:
Wow...more info I didn't know. I wasn't aware that Runaway was cut at United Sound! A colleague of mine released Del Shannon's Runaway album on CD & he used the 2-track stereo master tape. I always wondered how could that song (and the album, for that matter) could've been in stereo because for most of my life all I've heard was the mono 45.

United Sound was where Jackie Wilson recorded "Lonely Teardrops" in 1958 which was recorded onto three-track tape & a mono machine simultaneously (I have the stereo mix that I later placed on the "Greatest Hits Of Jackie Wilson" CD). By the way, an organ was used on that song as well and it sounded like a baseball stadium organ!
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Rich (162.33.235.218) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 05:31 pm:

Bernie Worrell .... end of story, next topic. No bias over here - LOL

By stephanie (64.63.221.158) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 06:30 pm:

I want to know who played that piano on Run Run Run by the Supremes or was that a machine i dont know how that guy kept up? You all have named some good people I would have to say anything I hear Felix Cavlaire play on and that piano I hear on Lean On Me by Bill Withers is pretty sensitive as well as the Roberta Flack First Time Ever I Saw your Face not the best keyboards but sensitive.
Stephanie

By 65 memories (66.72.190.78) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 07:17 pm:

After Jimmy Smith...
Lymon Woodard and the B3. Lymon was influenced greatly by Smith and had his own unique style. I can still remember those great hot, humid summer nights in the 70's listening to the Lymon Woodard Organization (with Norma Jean Bell) down at the incomparable Cobb's Corner in the Cass Corridor.

By DF (208.27.111.121) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 07:20 pm:

Kashif's synthesiser work on his first album. Why is that album still out of print? Peace

By Sue (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 07:26 pm:

The summers were hot in the '70s here weren't they '65?

No one's mentioned Booker T. Jones' B3 on "Green Onions," and other Stax gems, or Felix Cavaliere's B3 playing on all the Rascals stuff like "Good Lovin'" ...

Johnnie Griffith's deft hand on the organ intro to "Stop! In The Name of Love" and the piano on "Heard It Through the Grapevine," and Joe Hunter's always tasty chops, like the intro to Marvin Gaye's "Pride and Joy."

By Sue (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 07:27 pm:

...and of course the king, Big Funk, Earl Van Dyke, on B3 and everything else-- just name anything from the mid'60s Motown era.

By Livonia Ken (165.121.208.171) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 07:34 pm:

Is that Johnny Griffith laying hard into the organ on Junior Walker & the All-Stars' "Shake and Fingerpop"? I love the sound of that one.

Regards,
Ken

By Eli (151.197.217.213) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 08:44 pm:

Lenny Pakula played on Am I black enough.
He was our organ king!!

By medusa9e2003 (66.73.8.54) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 09:18 pm:

I still have 2 say Gamble & Huff 'I aint Jivin', I'm Jammin'
Anything by Isaac Hayes (keyboards)
Anything by Donny Hathaway (Keyboards)

By Horse (159.53.238.241) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 09:29 am:

I know there is a difference in the terem "keyboard" vs. "piano". But I gotta say piano-wise........ JOE SAMPLE..! acoustic or Fender rhodes.

By Livonia Ken (136.2.1.153) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 10:13 am:

I was just listening to Sam Cooke's take on "Little Red Rooster", and in terms of coaxing sounds out of an organ, a teenage Billy Preston really outdoes himself on that track. He literally makes it crow like a rooster, bark like a dog {insert your own kinky sex joke here}, and plays a great bluesy solo as well.

Regards,
Ken

By STUBASS (64.12.97.7) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 10:43 am:

AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE...BOB JAMES HAS A VERY DISTINCTIVE SOUND!!!...HIS TELEVISION WORK IS DISCERNABLE AND STAND OUT THERE ON IT'S OWN...HARD NOT TO IDENTIFY A BOB JAMES TELEVISION COMPOSITION!!!...SAME WITH JOE SAMPLE... HORSE...VERY DISTINCTIVE SOUND!!!...STU

By R&B (138.238.41.118) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 11:01 am:

LET'S SEE NOW,FOR MY MONEY..JIMMY MCGRIFF,BRO.JACK MCDUFF,STEVIE,HERBIE HANCOCK.

By MEL&THEN SOME (81.174.193.170) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 01:13 pm:

Billy Preston
on
Billy's Bag.
mel.

By douglasm (68.113.13.31) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 01:50 pm:

Anyone mentioned Al Kooper yet?
I also have a liking for organ doodling, like what backs "Mustang Sally", that is the little fills that don't stand out by themselves, but add that little bit of depth to an arrangement that helps make it full.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 02:00 pm:

Doug:
I loved Al's work on the first Blood Sweat & Tears album "Child Is Father To The Man". He's one of the few melodic organists in rock music.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 06:48 pm:

Sue - The organ on "Green Onions" & a few of the other early MGs tracks was a Hammond M3 organ. It doesn't have the pre-sets like the B3 and it has a built in speaker. It's no larger than a piano and sounds great! It can also be found for usually less than $500.00 US.

By the way - Booker T (or Issac Hayes) organ on Otis Redding's "Merry Christmas Baby". It makes it feel like Christmas.

-Steve