Live Set: More Vital Organs

 

Stream the Show

Download the Songs

01 Boston – Foreplay/Long Time

I didn’t think I could come up with anything interesting to say about one of the most played songs ever on the radio, until I learned a bit about Tom Scholz. The Boston guitarist plays the organ here – and a lot more. From All Music:

Tom Scholz, who wrote most of the songs, was a studio wizard and used self-designed equipment such as 12-track recording devices to come up with an anthemic "arena rock" sound before the term was even coined. The sound was hard rock, but the layered melodies and harmonics reveal the work of a master craftsman.

Scholz’ album credits: Arranger, Artwork, Bass, Clavinet, Composer, Design, Engineer, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Bass), Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Rhythm), Keyboards, Liner Notes, Organ, Percussion, Producer, Remastering, Special Effects

 

Misc.:

The Lowrey organ is an electronic organ named after its developer, Frederick C. Lowrey (1871–1955), a Chicago-based industrialist and entrepreneur.[2] Lowrey's first commercially successful full-sized electronic organ, the Model S Spinet or Berkshire, came to market in 1955

The Hammond organ's technology derives from the Telharmonium, an instrument created in 1897 by Thaddeus Cahill.[33] The telharmonium used revolving electric alternators which generated tones that could be transmitted over wires. Hammond was inspired to create the tonewheel or "phonic wheel" by listening to the moving gears of his electric clocks and the tones produced by them.[36] He gathered pieces from a second-hand piano he had purchased for $15 and combined it with a tonewheel generator in a similar form to the telharmonium

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Graves

Love, Love, Love Tobacco and Black Moth Super Rainbow!   One of the things I love about them is their own love and use of vintage organs and synthesizers.

BMSR is mostly Pittsburgh electronic musician Tobacco (Tom Fec), with help from a longtime group of fellow musicians, including his wife, Maureen Boyle, on keyboards. A key part of their sound and a highlight of their live shows is drummer Donna Kyler. She is outstanding.

Richard Holmes - Disc-O-Mite

Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (May 2, 1931 – June 29, 1991) was an American jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genre.[1] He is best known for his 1965 recording of "Misty"

Beach Boys - California Girls

For a long time I didn’t “get” the Beach Boys. Then I listened and fell into this sonic trance.

The "circus" sound is created by the classic Hammond B3 organ playing chords in the right hand and the bassline in the left hand, along with the vibraphone played in the high register.

Wilson conceived "California Girls" during his first acid trip while thinking about women and Western film scores. In a 2007 interview, Wilson explained that he had gone to his piano and "was thinking about the music from cowboy movies. And I sat down and started playing it, bum-buhdeeda, bum-buhdeeda. I did that for about an hour. I got these chords going. Then I got this melody, it came pretty fast after that." 

Angel Olsen - Nothing's Free 

You have to wait two and a half minutes for the organ to come in, but, damn, it’s worth it. 

Alexey Rom – All Star by Smash Mouth played on a 81 key Marenghi  fairground organ built in 1905.  This is the kind of organ that is played not by fingers, but an endless punch card, like a player piano. This guy has access to the organ and wrote the punch card to play Smash Mouth. He has a ton more on his YouTube channel.  :)

Black Pumas – Gemini Sun

Fuck yeah.   Austin's Black Pumas fuse cinematic neo-soul and light psychedelia with a touch of urban grit. Formed in 2018, Black Pumas is a collaboration between producer and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Quesada and singer/songwriter Eric Burton. 

Black Pumas rule. This is one of my favorite kinds of organ sounds – ominous and creepy.

Bob Dylan – Like Rolling Stone

Organ player; Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is a retired American songwriter, record producer, and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears, although he did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity.

Al Kooper was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City,[2] to Sam and Natalie Kuperschmidt,[3] and grew up in Hollis Hills, Queens, New York.

Charles Earland – The Mighty Burner

After playing in the Temple University band, Charles Earland toured as a tenor sax player with Jimmy McGriff for three years, became infatuated with McGriff's organ playing, and started learning the Hammond B-3 at intermission breaks. When McGriff let him go, Earland switched to the organ permanently, forming a trio with Pat Martino and drummer Bobby Durham.

“The Mighty Burner” was Earland’s nickname for the way he “cooked” on the keyboard.

Jimmy McGriff – Funky Junk

One of the all-time giants of the Hammond B-3, Jimmy McGriff sometimes gets lost amid all the great soul-jazz organists from his hometown of Philadelphia. His sound -- deep, down-to-earth grooves drenched in blues and gospel feeling -- made him quite popular with R&B audiences, even more so than some of his peers; what was more, he was able to condense those charms into concise, funky, jukebox-ready singles that often did surprisingly well on the R&B charts. 

Dave "Baby" Cortez - "The Happy Organ"

Organist Dave "Baby" Cortez made his mark in the '50s,'60s, and '70s as a capable, often clever soloist and pop instrumentalist. His flair for catchy melodies, riffs, and hooks resulted in a number one pop and number five R&B hit with "The Happy Organ" in 1959. 

Deep Purple – Hush

Ah yes, back to Deep Purple and organist/composer Jon Lord. Lord has enjoyed an extensive career, before and after Deep Purple, playing with everyone from Whitesnake to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Praise the Lord!

Emerson, Lake and Palmer – Karn Evil 9 1st Impression, Part 2

I really dig Jon Lord’s playing style – but for sheer technical excellence, it’s hard to beat Keith Emerson. The organ playing here is so fast and complex, it’s insane.

Jackie Mittoo - Ghetto Organ

Keyboard virtuoso Jackie Mittoo was among the true legends of reggae -- a founding member of the Skatalites and an extraordinarily prolific songwriter, he was perhaps most influential as a mentor to countless younger performers, primarily through his work as the musical director at the famed Studio One.

(Jazz Organ Trio)

Coming up, the holy trinity of funky jazz organ.

Jimmy McGriff - Funky Junk

 When he joined the United States Army, McGriff served as a military policeman during the Korean War. He later became a police officer in Philadelphia for two years.[1]Music kept drawing McGriff's attention away from the police force. His childhood friend, organist Jimmy Smith, had begun earning a substantial reputation in jazz for his Blue Note albums (the two played together once in 1967) and McGriff became entranced by the organ sound while Richard "Groove" Holmes played at his sister's wedding. Holmes went on to become McGriff's teacher and friend and they recorded together on two occasions in 1973 for two Groove Merchant records.

Jimmy Smith - Root Down (And Get It) (Live)

James Oscar Smith was an American jazz musician whose albums often appeared on Billboard magazine charts. He helped popularize the Hammond B-3 organ, creating a link between jazz and 1960s soul music.

In 2005, Smith was awarded the NEA Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest honor that America bestows upon jazz musicians.

Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata & Fugue D Minor

Welcome to the show. There is a lot of good rock music coming so I won’t play all 9 ? minutes of this, but settle in, fix a drink, and enjoy 

Kansas - Point of No Return

Ah yes, Kansas. THE greatest collection of 70s hairdos in one band – bar none!

Led Zeppelin – Trampled Under Foot

Yet another band where the keyboard playing is the backup duty of the bass player, this being John Paul Jones. A funk rock stomp delight!

Lenny Kravitz – Does Anybody Out There Even Care

This one goes out to Shlep, who brought Lenny Kravitz to Birch Way. I recall this album, and many others, blasting throughout the house . Subtle organ, but beautiful.

Richard Holmes - Disc-O-Mite

Revered in soul-jazz circles, Richard "Groove" Holmes was an unapologetically swinging Jimmy Smith admirer who could effortlessly move from the grittiest of blues to the most sentimental of ballads. A very accessible, straightforward, and warm player, Holmes was especially popular with Black listeners and was well respected on the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey circuit by the time he signed with Pacific Jazz in the early '60s. 

Shirley Scott - Proud Mary

Known as the "Queen of the Organ," pianist and Hammond B-3 master Shirley Scott helped define the sound of small-group soul-jazz. Mixing swinging bebop with gospel and blues traditions, Scott initially came to prominence in the '50s alongside saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, with whom she recorded a string of seminal albums for Prestige, spawning the 1958 hit "In the Kitchen" and proved a lasting template for the organ trio and sax sound.

 Sly & the Family Stone - If You Want Me To Stay (Live)

Sly & the Family Stone harnessed all of the disparate musical and social trends of the late '60s, creating a wild, brilliant fusion of soul, rock, R&B, psychedelia, and funk that broke boundaries down without a second thought. Led by Sly Stone, the Family Stone was comprised of men and women, and Blacks and whites, making the band the first fully integrated group in rock history.

Soul Toronados - Crazy Legs

1960s-1970s funk/soul band from Akron, Ohio, featuring Bobby Heller on Hammond Organ. Really digging these guys.

The clavinet was an electric keyboard created by Hohner, a German company best known for its harmonicas (hint, hint) . Its funky sound was widely used in the '70s. Stevie Wonder's Superstition, a chart-topping hit from 1972, is a textbook example of its sound.

"The clavinet was my electric guitar," Wonder says. "There would've been no other way to get that sound. No other synthesizer had that snap. Other synthesizers are more accessible and not as difficult to keep in tune. But you can bend the notes on them. You can't bend them on a clavinet. Nothing is as raw sounding as a real clavinet."

Sugarloaf – Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You

Denver, Colorado-based psych rock unit best known for their 1970 hit “Green Eyed Lady” This is their lone follow-up hit, and a fun song.

Sorry, acticSupertramp – Dreamer

This is probably my favorite “rediscovery” of this set. Something about Supertramp takes me back to the happiest days of childhood. So dense and detailed. LOVE

Supertramp – Dreamer

Every set has a favorite song, and this is my favorite song of the night. Supertramp, and this song in particular, always takes me back to being a kid, riding in the car, staring out the window, FM radio on. I think I am going to summer school swim lessons at Little Falls Middle School… The showers are cold… 

 The Backyard Heavies - Soul Junction

No info

The Doors – Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)

The song was presented by keyboardist Ray Manzarek to the group during their early years, and due to their dissatisfaction with the melody, they radically changed it.[6][7] The Doors' cover version combines avant-garde [6][8] and carnival music influences [9] with psychedelic elements.

Ray Manzarek also contributed marxophone along with organ and keyboard bass.[14] Manzarek recalled that it was producer Paul Rothchild's idea to provide a marxophone on the track, to which Manzarek ultimately said, "It worked out perfectly, that jingle-jangly sound."

The Harry J All Stars – Liquidator

From 1969, a classic of Jamaican Reggae. This is the equivalent of an “organ palate cleanser”

The Meters – Tippi-Toes

The Meters (later The Funky Meters) are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans by Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), George Porter Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar) and Art Neville (keyboards). The band performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977 and played an influential role as backing musicians for other artists, including Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Dr. John, and Allen Toussaint. Their original songs "Cissy Strut" and "Look-Ka Py Py" are considered funk classics

 

The Monkees – I’m a Believer

The organ here is played by Stan Free. More on All Music, but here is a bit:

Stan Free was a keyboard player whose career cut across several genres and idioms, from jazz in the big-and era to novelty tunes of the 1970s. Born Stanley Free in Brooklyn, NY in 1922, he was a quadruple-threat performer, composer, conductor, and arranger. He was educated as a classical musician, including study at the Juilliard School of Music

The Monks – Oh How To Do Now

One of the strangest stories in rock history, the Monks were formed in the early '60s by American G.I.s stationed in Germany. After their discharge, the group stayed on in Germany as the Torquays, a fairly standard beat band. After changing their name to the Monks in the mid-'60s, they also changed their music, attitude, and appearance radically. Gone were standard oldie covers, replaced by furious, minimalist original material that anticipated the blunt, harsh commentary of the punk era.

The Who – Baba O’riley

For the repeating set of notes (known technically as ostinato) in "Baba O'Riley" that opens and underlies the song, Townshend recorded a Lowrey Berkshire Deluxe TBO-1 organ using its marimba repeat feature to generate them.[7] This modal approach was inspired by the work of minimalist composer Terry Riley.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Lowrey was the largest manufacturer of electronic organs in the world. In 1989, the Lowrey Organ Company produced its 1,000,000th organ.[4] Up until 2011, modern Lowrey organs were built in La Grange Park, Illinois.

The Village Callers – Hector

Somebody in this club is smoking those “funny” cigarettes… 

Three Dog Night- The Family of Man

Combining Hollywood pizazz with soulful swagger, Three Dog Night sounded big and brassy even in their quietest moments. The bold, colorful blend of show biz savvy, punchy horns, and gutsy vocals gave Three Dog Night a remarkable string of Top Ten singles in the early 1970s, hits that helped define the dawning of post-hippie pop music.

Gary Clark Jr and Stevie Wonder – What About the Children

Another new song! From Clark’s 2024 album JPEG Raw. I had originally gone with “Superstition” to feature Stevie Wonder, but I welcome the opportunity to play a new song when I can. I dig the song and Wonder’s voice and his Clavinet playing sound groovy as always. Dude’s in his 80s! 

The clavinet was an electric keyboard created by Hohner, a German company best known for its harmonicas (hint, hint) . Its funky sound was widely used in the '70s. Stevie Wonder's Superstition, a chart-topping hit from 1972, is a textbook example of its sound.

"The clavinet was my electric guitar," Wonder says. "There would've been no other way to get that sound. No other synthesizer had that snap. Other synthesizers are more accessible and not as difficult to keep in tune. But you can bend the notes on them. You can't bend them on a clavinet. Nothing is as raw sounding as a real clavinet."

The Specials – Gangsters

The Specials were the fulcrum of the ska revival of the late '70s, kick-starting the 2-Tone movement that spurred a ska-punk revolution lasting for decades. As influential as they were within the realm of ska, the group and their impact can't be reduced to that genre alone. The Specials were one of the defining British bands of new wave, expanding the musical and political parameters of rock & roll with fiercely socially conscious music you could dance to.

J. Geils Band – Freeze Frame

This song is a fucking party! So fun. The J. Geils Band burst out of nowhere when I was listening to KCLD, out of St. Cloud, MN in the early 80s. Little did I know they were a longtime band, going “new wave” for the moment. Apparently, a lot of other people liked it too, they had their biggest hits with the album, “Freeze Frame”

The Bone Doctor – Baseball Medley 1

Yay for summer and baseball! This guy has a great YouTube channel where he plays classics on his “Mighty Conn Theatre Organ” On YouTube he goes by slowdog294 and can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/@slowdog294

Giorgio Moroder – Tears

I love the website https://www.whosampled.com/ !!!

For the first organ show, I featured DJ Shadow, with “Organ Donor” Using the website, whosampled, I discovered this great song by the master, Giorgio Moroder.

Head East – Never Been Any Reason

The organ is spare and somewhat buried in this track… but I needed the time and damn, what a great song!