Crazy Canterbury Organ Sound
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Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26649
Printed Date: February 12 2025 at 04:17
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Topic: Crazy Canterbury Organ Sound
Posted By: Vodkagunblast
Subject: Crazy Canterbury Organ Sound
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 02:53
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Does anyone have any sort of idea what type of organ is used in recordings such as In the Land of Grey and Pink by Caravan or Soft Machine's first few albums? Is it the almighty B3 or some other sort of instrument? I'm in love with that raw edged sound and am desperate for any tidbits of info. Danke schonnnn. |
Replies:
Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 03:37
| I don't know, but that should be a modified/trafficked organ. |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 03:42
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I believe (although I'm not absolutely sure) that David Sinclair used a Hammond; not one of the full console jobs (B3/C3 etc) but the smaller M or L series - the unique sound is down to him not using a Leslie Cabinet (like most players), but a standard guitar amplifier - that way he could use a range of guitar effects pedals, too, such as flangers, wah-wah, phasers etc. ------------- 
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 03:44
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Ah, thanks Jim, I've always wondered that myself, I just love that sound! But what about Mike Ratledge? -------------   
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 03:59
| David Sinclair uses Fuzz organ on "In the land". |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 04:03
...and a fuzz pedal 
A lot of keyboard players used this set up for Hammonds(as opposed to the usual Leslie 145/147) in the early 1970s, so although I'm not familiar with Soft Machine, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Mike Ratledge did the same... -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Jim Garten wrote:Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 04:08
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It seems that he uses a lot of distortion and wah to get that signature Cantebury organ sound.
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 04:09
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Posted By: paulindigo
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 07:19
| Mike Ratledge used a Logan organ. I think all of Canterbury organ players used guitar amps and/or fuzz boxes to get that type of distortion. I remember this topic was covered some months ago, however I can't find the thread. |
Posted By: Myxamatosis
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 07:52
| Didn't Ratledge use a Lowery organ? |
Posted By: robertplantowns
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 08:36
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I'm pretty sure that the organ is a farfisa organ run through a distortion pedal, the "wah" effect is part of the farfisa organ and a run through a wah pedal is not needed to create that effect.
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 10:59
| I thought Ratledge used a Lowery too - have to check details in the Out-Bloody-Rageous biog. |
Posted By: The Rock
Date Posted: July 29 2006 at 09:33
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Hatfield and The North,National Health and EGG's Dave Stewart also used that sound. ------------- What's gonna come out of my mouth is gonna come out of my soul."Skip Prokop" |
Posted By: Jay440
Date Posted: July 31 2006 at 21:09
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So did Supersister. I also wonder about what kind of organ and fuzz pedal was used. As well as what settings were used for the initial tone before going into the Fuzz, as I've heard some live Supersister stuff where there are either two organs used (one normal, one fuzzed) or one used for both sounds. I don't know much about organs...are there any that are capable of switching between two different pre-set sounds? |
Posted By: Ghostnote
Date Posted: July 31 2006 at 23:41
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According to the liner notes of National Healths CD Missing Pieces, Dave Stewart
used a Hammond L122 for his sound.
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Posted By: Australian
Date Posted: August 01 2006 at 03:38
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Not sure to be honest, but I know what you're talking about. Caterbury Scene bands use a lot of organ and the album Third by Soft Macheine comes to mind.
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Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: August 01 2006 at 03:55
Aha - that's the model I've got  -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: Froth
Date Posted: August 13 2006 at 13:23
| Dave Sinclair and Dave Stewart both predominantly used the Hammond A100 with a fuzz box for the solos. Mike Ratledge, who was the first to use a distorted organ had a Lowrey organ (a cheep Hammond) and used a Shaftsbury fuzz box. |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: August 13 2006 at 22:06
what about the wild and crazy organ at the bgiining of "Dreams Wide Awake" by National Health? or the almost equally wild organ at the beginning of the "Hiram Afterglid Meets the Dervish" section from Steve Hillage's "Solar Music Suite"? these are two of my very favorite organ solos -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Froth
Date Posted: August 14 2006 at 13:12
| With stuff like dreams wide awake its just your average hammond but with loads of a effects pedals like wah-wah and envelope filters (what every they are). I dont how Dave Stewart gets that crazy effect in the middle of his song though. Its a shame though, no one uses effect pedals on keyboards anymore... |
Posted By: Tiresias
Date Posted: August 15 2006 at 15:12
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I was wondering the same thing. An ex-keyboard player in my band found a lowrey organ in a trash heap. It worked perfectly ------------- Wh'ghal ng'fth mglw'y Ry'leh, Cthulhu fhtagn... 
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