The Electronic Concept Orchestra: Moog Groove

Tuna Melt gets it's Groove On... Moog Style!

The Moog Records that littered record store shelves from the late 60s through the 70s were of two different types. One type featured The Moog Synthesizer as a solo instrument and The Moog was used to synthesize, replace and/or duplicate the sounds of an entire band or orchestra. The other type featured The Moog as an instrument playing along with a more conventional Band set-up.

This record is of the Second Variety. What it lacks in Moog Purity, however, it more than makes up for in Soul, Funk and Groove. Granted, there are a few slow points ("Hey Jude" is particularly staid), but on the songs that really jump the bass, guitar and drums add a "human touch" that The Moog is incapable of recreating. Give this copy of Steppenwolf's "Rock Me" a spin and see what I mean.

The Electronic Concept Orchestra: Moog Groove

1. Aquarius
2. Oh Happy Day
3. Hey Jude
4. Both Sides Now
5. Grazing in the Grass
6. Feelin' Groovy
7. Penny Lane
8. Atlantis
9. Rock Me
10. Windmills of Your Mind

Mike Melvoin: Keys to Your Mind

Open Your Mind Up to Tuna Melt!

Mike Melvoin is well known nowadays as "The Plastic Cow," being the artist who released 1970's "The Plastic Cow Goes Moooooog," and for playing the keyboards on The Beach Boy's "Good Vibrations."

On top of that, he's arranged for and worked with such greats as Lou Rawls, Bill Henderson, Peggy Lee, Joe Williams, Billy Ekstine, Barry Manilow, Pat Boone, The Four Freshmen, Jon Davidson, The Partridge Family, Tom Waits and Wayne Newton.

This is a "pre-Moog" record from 1966. It may not have an actual synthesizer on it, but on top of standard keyboard instruments such as the Concert Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Harpsichord, Hammond Organ and even a Tack Piano, he also includes an Ondioline (which he refers to as his "Secret Weapon"). The Ondioline was a vacuum-tube powered keyboard instrument, invented in France in 1941, that was built on springs so that an artist could shake and wiggle it in order to achieve an actual vibrato.

Lots of wiggly jiggly Beatles and Bacarach on this one!

Mike Melvoin: Keys to Your Mind

1. Sweet Talkin' Guy
2. Looking with My Eyes
3. Eleanor Rigby
4. Here, There and Everywhere
5. Paperback Writer
6. Along Comes Mary
7. Summer in the City
8. Are You There
9. For No One
10. You Are My Sunshine
11. I Want to Tell You
12. Keys to Your Mind

Sounds Galactic: An Astromusical Odyssey

Re-Upped and Re-Mastered! An Astromusical Odyssey.

This one was up for a relatively short time on the old site and it's a Really Awesome record, so I figured I'd better post it again.

This record is a Space Age Pop Monster. The back of the cover contains the only clue to it's actual contents in that it sports a line that says "Arrangements JOHN KEATING".

I find it rather hard to believe that Arranging was the only thing John Keating did on this record, though, as it is easily comparable to Keating's "Space Experience" records. It's possible that someone else conducted the orchestra, but it certainly has the John Keating Sound (including a fair amount of synthesizer work).

If you didn't get it before, you now have another opportunity. DO NOT LET THIS ONE PASS YOU BY!

Sounds Galactic: An Astromusical Odyssey

1. Theme from '2001'
2. Spinning Wheel
3. Aquarius
4. Nocturne
5. Across the Universe
6. Up, Up and Away
7. Good Morning Starshine
8. Telstar
9. Clair De Lune
10. Round Trip Mars