Best harpsichord use in proto-prog?

 

 

When this subject raised its head a couple of years ago, that was the initial thought. However, inevitably folks provided lists and it became increasingly evident , not so uncommon from the mid to the end fo the 60's, as pop and rock musicians went looking for a new sound to augment the drums, bass, guitar and voice. Then affordable synths arrived, than gave new sounds/colours to music and eventually could also be made to imitate harpsichords or Hammond organs, etc.

 

As I pointed out Elektra Records appeared to hire or buy one in for quite some time, as found on a number of recordings by their artists. You might expect the bigger studios tied to the big record labels (e.g. Decca and EMI in the UK),  were recording serious music as well as pop and rock, and again producers/musicians would find harpsichords "available" in the building. But then looking at the size of  many other record labels and independent recording studios, and I'm left wondering whether they could afford to hire, let alone buy a Moog synthesiser for other than the bands who were guaranteed to make  profit. Hence it is suggested Decca, EMI, RCA, Columbia  had the Moog and other things that took their fancy. BTW  Mellotrons were a different issue, being initially UK built and used, e.g  the Graham Bond Organisation owning and producing one of the first recordings in 1964/5.

 

For "unlikely" I would go for spinette (I can only think of a single use, ie. in conjunction with harpsichord by the Stones on Lady Jane). Vibes/vibephones were less common than harpsichord although more affordable (and transportable - as Ollie Hassall of Timebox and Patto showed). However, typical of PA, suggest an uncommon type of instrument and I guarantee there'll be dozens of responses tell us this is not true.... as occurred with the harmonium some time ago.

 

This probably doesn't count but I like the simulation of the harpsichord on "In My Life" and Paul use of the  clavichord which is a sister instrument of the harpsichord on "For No One". One Beatles track that mixes the harpsichord with some heavy overdriven guitar sounds is "Not Guilty". It's a bizarre mixing of classical and hard rock.

 

Yet another testament to their progressive leanings.

 

 !!

 

Of the classical examples those without brass/strings/woodwind work best in my opinion, i.e. Beatles/because and Renaissance, while in R&B the percussive and/or woodwind examples are best (in the former case, the Yardbirds, in the latter case Traffic and Sweet_water). Generally, folk is the best environment for the harpsichord IMO; Wakeman delivers a superb performance on Cygnet Committee - very novel in his approach far from the traditional use. Hence, this gets my vote.

 

Perhaps surprisingly, the use of harpsichord in Space rock is also quite unique but works very well, especially for Group 1850. It's use in UK psyche is rare, but the unusual, bombastic use in Beatles/pigges is great, but I see it more as a joke.

 

The eclectic environment (woodwind, strings, brass) works very well in US psyche, as opposed to classical. Again, I prefer the more bombastic use in Sweet_water's Storybook.