Dick Hyman
Band members Related acts
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- Dick Hyman -- Moog modular synthesizer, Baldwin electric harpsichord, Lowrey organ, Maestro Rhythmaster unit, Echoplex tape delay unit, triangle
supporting musicians: (1969) - Chet Amsterdam -- bass - Jay Berliner -- guitar - Art Ryerson -- guitar - Buddy Salzman -- drums, percussion - Walter Sear -- synthesizers
supporting musicians: (1969) - Chet Amsterdam -- bass - Bill LaVorgna -- drums, percussion
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- none known
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Genre: electronica Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman Company: ABC Command Catalog: 938-S Year: 1969 Country/State: -- Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4340 Price: $40.00 Cost: $66.00
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Yeah, I'm kind of surprised this album's in my collection ... Dick Hyman's been recording since the 1940s (as of 2022 he was still releasing music), but much of his catalog is jazz oriented, which is an area that I don't have a great deal of interest in - guess I'm simply too dense to understand the genre's complexities.
As you've probably
guessed, this 1969 album is way different from Hyman's normal repertoire.
Admittedly it was one I picked up for the wild '60s flavored cover art
(courtesy The album's been rediscovered by a younger audience thanks in part to Beck having sampled it for his 1996 "Odelay" LP. I think De La Soul borrowed part of 'Improvisations In Fourths' for one of their albums. Anyhow, the album's even seen a CD reissue, with a couple of bonus tracks.
1.) Topless Dancers of Corfu (instrumental) (Dick Hyman) - 3:01 rating: **** stars Back to the Atari comments; 'Topless Dancers of Corfu' bounced between video game and a Star Wars fight scene complete with waves of laser sword sound effects. Not only was the title a hoot, but the song's old school feel was hysterical. The leadoff track was released as a single, but Hyman actually went top-20 in the States when radio stations started playing the flip side.
- 1969's 'Topless Dancers of Corfu' b/w 'Minotaur' (Command catalog number 45-4126 A/B) 2.) The Legend of Johnny Pot (instrumental) (Dick Hyman) - 2:04 rating: **** stars Showcasing Hyman pounding away on a Lowrey organ, 'The Legend of Johnny Pot' featured one of the album's most conventional and pop-oriented melodies. Perhaps unintentionally, the title was probably responsible for tens of thousands of wasted hours of time - teens and young adults getting stoned while listening to the song. Pirate radio station Radio Veronica appropriated the song for some of its on-the air jungles. 3.) The Moog and Me (instrumental) (Dick Hyman) - 3:00 rating: *** stars Well the title pretty much gave the plot away ... For some reason every time I hear this bouncy track (Hyman using the synthesizer to replicate a human whistle), it reminds me of The Andy Griffith Show being visited by Space Invaders. 4.) Tap Dances In Memory Banks (instrumental) (Dick Hyman) - 2:30 rating: *** stars Another one where the title makes me smile - One of the album's more experimental efforts, Hyman was clearly interested in showcasing the Moog's percussive capabilities. 5.) Four Duets In Odd Meters (instrumental) (Dick Hyman) - 4:28 rating: *** stars More Space Invaders invading your domain ... Hysterical to hear this one on a good stereo, or quality headphones. The Moog was such a Frankenstein-ian instrument you had to admire Hyman's ability to coax anything even close to a melody out of the instrument.
(side
2) Listening the album version of 'The Minotaur' is a pleasure - one of the quickest ways to spend eight minutes I've come across. The track's a lost classic with Hyman going over the edge stretching the Moog's capabilities to new heights, including everything from African rhythms to what recalled air raid sirens. Great melody and (as I mentioned before), you can hear where ELP grabbed some of their inspiration for 'O Lucky Man'. It's also easy to see why radio stations latched on to an edited version of the song for airplay. 2.) Total Bells and Tony (instrumental) (Dick Hyman) - 2:01 rating: *** stars Ah, welcome to the travels of the spaceship Hyman ... = ) 3.) Improvisations In Fourths (instrumental) (Dick Hyman) - 2:24 rating: *** stars Another track where Hyman focuses on the Moog's more experimental capabilities - lower, darker tones; there was more of an industrial feel to 'Improvisations In Fourths'. 4.) Evening Thoughts (instrumental) (Dick Hyman) - 3:30 rating: *** stars The fragile, slightly ominous ballad 'Evening Thoughts' blended a pretty melody with the Moog bird and broken glass sound effects.
© Scott R. Blackerby December, 2024
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Genre: electronica Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: The Age of Electronicus Company: ABC Command Catalog: 946-S Year: 1969 Country/State: -- Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $25.00
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Casual listeners; shoot even dedicated music collectors probably only need one of two Dick Hyman albums in their collections. If for no reason other than it contains the hit 'Topless Dancers of Corfu', 1969's "The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman" is the obvious choice for most folks. If you're looking for a second album to own, 1969's "The Age of Electronicus" is a likely candidate for your discretionary income. To be honest, this set is essentially a continuation of Hyman's then-ground breaking musical experiments with the Moog synthesizer. My sons both call it Atari music and I can see where they are coming from given much of the album reminds me of the late-'70s sound bites that accompanied early video games.
So
what was the major difference with the second album? Whereas the debut
featured a collection of nine Hyman originals, this time out there was only
one Hyman original ('Kolumbo'). The rest of the set featuring
"Hyman-ized" versions of popular pop, soul and rock hits. Today
Hyman's Moog renditions of these pop, rock and soul hits sound hopelessly
old school. The Moog's limited capabilities were certainly cutting
edge in 1969, though today the Atari comparisons are hard to avoid.
Still, there's no way to capture how remarkable these sounds were back in
the late-'60s. Shoot, as a ten year old I remember hearing Wendy
(Walter) Carlos "Switched On Bach" and
The Roger Pola and Eric Goto cover was also kind of cool. Released while his debut electronic album was still on the US Billboard charts, in spite of promotion by ABC Command, this one didn't sell as well, eventually peaking at #110. Similarly the single 'Green Onions' failed to hit the Billboard pop top-100 charts.
1.) Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (instrumental) (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:42 rating: *** stars The Atari comparison sounds apt for Hyman's cover of this Beatles classic. The bleeps and blurps sound positively primitive, but the time and energy that went into assembling this two and a half minutes must have been mind numbing. Hyman included writes up on each song and since they're interesting, I'll include them in the write-ups: "... features a not-quite piccolo sound, a sort-of-bass clarinet sound and a spitting-tobacco kind of sound in which the timbre changes as an individual tone is sustained. A Baldwin electronic harpsichord provides the plectrum effect. The rhythm section recorded after the Synthesizer tracks were completed is composed by Billy LaVorgna on drums and the arranger [Hyman] on triangle. The by-play among the three "horns" is the result of recording each line separately on the multi-track recorded and is particularly effective here in giving the impression of the kind of playful communications three musicians might have with each other." 2.) Give It Up or Turn It Loose (instrumental) (Charles Bobbitt) - 3:09 rating: **** stars The James Brown version is killer, but Hyman's arrangement is pretty tight as well. Say what you will, but propelled by the light saber sound effects, Moog bass line and Bill LaVorgna's drumming, 'Give It Up or Turn It Loose' was damn funky. Wonder if Brown ever heard this version? " ... an experiment in electronic soul, specifically that of James Brown, whose recording is the basic model for this arrangement. The excitement of James Brown's singing and dancing is expressed electronically by the Synthesizer swooshes, sweeps, and explosions of what engineers call ironically "white noise." Live drums play along with the Maestro Rhythmaster, a metronome-like mechanical drum device," 3.) Blackbird (instrumental) (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 3:09 rating: *** stars The album's second Beatles cover also demonstrated some of the Moog's limitations. The sounds; particularly the bird sounds, are pretty primitive. Yes, some of the effects sound like an electronic fart. Still an interesting effort. Wonder if The Beatles ever heard Hyman's rendition? "Blackbird's arrangement of an electronic orchestration of the Beatles' recording. The Synthesizer elaborates on the original sparse elements and dwells unexpectedly on a section of bird calls. The sound of the Baldwin-electronic harpsichord was led through the Synthesizer to provide the moving tenths." 4.) Aquarius (instrumental) (Galt MacDermott - Jerome Ragni - James Rado) - 2:45 rating: **** stars This is one of those '60s counter-culture classics for the middle class, 'Aquarius' has been grossly over-exposed, hence I've never been a big fan of The Fifth Dimension's hit version, or any of the hundreds of other cover versions. Hyman's arrangement stripped the tune back and surrounded it with various electronic burps and bleeps. With kind of a Kraftwerk flavor, it's actually one of the album's better arrangements. The song also appeared as the "B" side on the 'Green Onions" 45. "'Aquarius' demonstrates the Synthesizer's impression at how the inhabitants of Saturn might perform the hit song from the musical "Hair." It should be emphasized that the inhabitants of Saturn are an extremely smooth-skinned race, but the do their best. Bill LaVorgna, however is quite hirsute, is added on drums. The arranger plays electronic harpsichord and Lowrey organ in addition." 5.) Green Onions (instrumental) (Al Jackson - Booker T. Jones - Lewis Steinberg - Steve Cropper) - 7:48 rating: **** stars Initially I was appalled at the thought of Hyman taking a shot at this soul classic. It seemed as if the results would be a desecration ... The funny thing is the 'Green Onions' cover wasn't half bad. Clocking in at almost eight minutes, the remake gave Hyman an opportunity to display a wide array of the Moog's potential (incredibly limited by today's technology), while staying true to the song's original groove. Once again the song's secret sauce came in the form of Bill LaVorgna's rock solid beat. Command released a much shortened version as a single. "'Green Onions' takes as its premises the classic recording by Booker T. & the MG's and goes on from there. The organ-like sound of the first soloist becomes unexpectedly slippery as the Synthesizer's portamento possibilities are explored. The second and third soloists join in until a feeling of New Year's Eve in Times Square reaches us. After some frantic polyphony we return to Booker T in Memphis. (Lowrey organ, drums and electronic harpsichord added.)"
- 1969's 'Green Onions' b /w 'Aquarius' (ABC Command catalog number 45-4129-A/B) # 126 pop
(side 2) 1.) Kolumbo (instrumental) (Dick Hyman) - 7:34 rating: *** stars I've always found the ominous opening painful given the high pitched synthesizer sounds like a dental drill. From there 'Kolumbo' shoots off in a weird African percussion-meets-the-aliens direction. Easily the strangest track on either of the first two albums. I probably wouldn't want to encounter this while stoned. Extra star for just being so weird. "'Kolumbo' was performed simultaneously on the Synthesizer and the Maestro Rhythmaker, the mechanical drum device, the tones of which were fed through an Echoplex-tape reverberation unit. Not only the duration and frequency of reverberation but the fundamental rhythms were altered during he improvised performances so there is an effect of a battery of African drummers following an improvising soloist. The listener can provide his own scenario of what seems to be a musical battle, as a second soloist abruptly materializes, challenging the first man. At the end, the original soloist states a brief epilogue, packs up his horn, and splits." 2.) Time Is Tight (Booker T. Jones) - 3:07 rating: *** stars Not as immediately gripping as 'Green Onions' but the synthesized guitar sounds were cool and the refrain was ear candy " ... begins with a banjo-like effect obtained by running the sound of the electronic harpsichord through the tape reverberation unit. The Synthesizer starts the melody by means of a sine wave programmed to develop an increasingly wide vibrato. (There is a resemblance to a certain type of girl singer who used to work with the big bands.) The other soloist is expressed by use of a pulse wave programmed to incorporate a gradual tumbrel change. Live drums are added." 3.) Alfie (Hal David - Burt Bacharach) - 3:38 rating: ** stars The melody is largely lost amidst the synthesizer bleeps, but since I never liked the Dionne Warwick original very much, I can't say this version is any worse. I can see this making some sea-sick. "The melody undulates over a shifting landscape as the two moons of Mars inscrutably look down. The title translates into Martian as "What's it all about, Alpha Centauri?"" 4.) Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell) - 2:58 rating: ** stars The original melody was buried in Hyman's busy arrangement, though it only occasionally popped out. This was another one that didn't strike a chord with me. Pass. " ... the Joni Mitchell song, developed into a program piece which postulates what might happen if a bagpiper wandered into an orchestral performance of some characteristic nineteenth century music. The Synthesizer constructions a cartoon symphony, playfully adding it's impression of standard instrumentation a honky-tonk piano (actually the electronic harpsichord), "After an elaborate exposition," as Deems Taylor would have explained, "the main theme returns in a great Wagnerian finale, our undaunted bagpiper skirting above the orchestral tiffl."
© Scott R. Blackerby December, 2024
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Genre: bizarre Rating: **** (3 stars) Title: The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman Company: ABC Command Catalog: 938-S Year: 1969 Country/State: -- Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4340 Price: $40.00
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s.
1.) Sabre Dance - 2:30 2.) Chopin Nocturne - 3:14 3.) Warsaw Concerto - 3:25 4.) Polonaise - 2:17 5.) Tschaikosky's Piano Concerto - 2:19
(side 2) 1.) Love for Sale - 3:01 2.) When Your Lover Has Gone - 3:32 3.) People WIil Say We're In Love - 3:32 4.) Somebody Stole My Gal - 2:38 5.) The Bad and the Beautiful - 3:29
(side 3) 1.) England Swings - 2:33 2.) The Shadow of Your Smile (Love Theme from "The Sandpiper") - 3:15 3.) The Phoenix Love The=me - 2:11 4.) Theme from "Zorba the Greek" - 2:22 5.) Yesterday - 2:51
(side 4) 1.) Moonglow Theme (from "Picnic") - 3:05 2.) Liebenstraum - 3:40 3.) Boogie Woogie - 2:51 4.) Theme from "The Apartment") - 3:24 5.)
Mack the Knife (Theme from :The Threepenny Opera") - 2:06
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of Henry
Epstain and Byron Goto). It wasn't
till I played it that I even realized I'd heard the track 'The Minotaur' before.
Hyman's one of the
first well known musicians to embrace synthesizer technology and 1969's
"The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman"
is basically a 'look at what you can do' showcase for
his experiments with the new fangled technology - particularly the Moog
synthesizer. Self-produced, the album featured a series of nine Hyman
originals, including the unexpected hit 'The Minotaur' (which ELP basically
ripped off for their own 'Lucky Man'). An all instrumental set, the
collection bounced all over the musical spectrum from conventional pop ('The Legend of
Johnny Pot'), to outright experimentation ('Four Duets In Odd
Meters'). The sound's certainly somewhat dated, occasionally recalling
an early Atari video game (remember this album's now some 45 + years old)
and cast off Star Wars sound effects, but
the LP has a bizarre charm that's simply hard to adequately describe.
Call it a personal favorite in the bizarre category ... Hyman provided
great liner notes that described what he was trying to do with each
composition. 
begging my parents to let me buy a copy. Thinking if was a classical
album, I can still remember their puzzled
faces when I put the album on the family stereo. And that captures the
album's special niche - what today may sound kitschy was back then simply
ground breaking. The time and energy Hyman and programmer Walter Sear
must have put into mastering the Moog and figuring out how to program these
nine songs was stunning. So in many ways this is more a sound
experiment than an attempt to make something commercially viable. The
results are certainly a mixed bag with the technology showing its
limitations on tracks like The Beatles 'Blackbird' and the tuneless cover of
David-Bacharach's 'Alfie'. Far better are covers of James Brown's 'Give
It Up or Turn It Loose'
and Booker T. & the MG's 'Green Onions'. By
the way, 'Kolumbo' was easily the weirdest track on Hyman's first two
synthesizer albums. An interesting timepiece that will find an
audience among the curious and more daring collectors. 