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Atom Heart Mother score

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Topic: Atom Heart Mother score
Posted By: RedNightmareKing
Subject: Atom Heart Mother score
Date Posted: September 04 2012 at 23:31
A friend of mine expressed interest in playing the whole Atom Heart Mother suite with a local orchestra and his band. This excited the bejeezus out of me, because Atom Heart Mother is one of my favorite Floyd tracks. However, we discussed the orchestral score (and lack thereof). On that note, does anybody know where we can track down a score for AHM?

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I consider drone metal to be progressive...



Replies:
Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: September 05 2012 at 01:06
Some years ago the orchestra of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome has played it live. I don't know how to get in cantact, but they have it for sure.

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I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution


Posted By: jimbrown87
Date Posted: September 05 2012 at 02:19
Transcribe!


Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: September 05 2012 at 02:48
if you look in YT, you'll find a full live philarmonic rendition with Ron Geesin on piano.
 
It's not the score, but seeing it live can maybe give a few hints...


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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword


Posted By: Kazza3
Date Posted: September 05 2012 at 05:44
Ah, if I only had the time I would transcribe it for you, I enjoy transcribing and have done multiple similar things before.. and of course love the piece. But yeah, I'm not sure that you'd be able to find a commercially available score. Those orchestral versions would be useful,  if someone does transcribe it, saves them completely arranging their own orchestral version.


Posted By: RedNightmareKing
Date Posted: September 05 2012 at 19:25
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm considering looking into transcribing the piece, and we'll try to go from there. 

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I consider drone metal to be progressive...


Posted By: TODDLER
Date Posted: September 05 2012 at 21:40
Originally posted by RedNightmareKing RedNightmareKing wrote:

A friend of mine expressed interest in playing the whole Atom Heart Mother suite with a local orchestra and his band. This excited the bejeezus out of me, because Atom Heart Mother is one of my favorite Floyd tracks. However, we discussed the orchestral score (and lack thereof). On that note, does anybody know where we can track down a score for AHM?
 
You've probably tried a number of things and I was going to suggest tracking down the availability of Ron Geesin scores. One of the main melodies within the piece is played on violin, you have the horn charts and some of the repeated sections are like a mini reprise. Geesin might have this all written out and maybe published and available to purchase. I would try that first. I would also attempt contacting him through the e-mail address on his official website. I contacted him in the past and he was very sincere upon getting back to me in a timely fashion and thanking me for appreciating his special talents. He knew I was interested in "Right Through" and "Funny Frown"..so he asked for my postal address, autographed the cd's and mailed them to me. He is an awesome individual.

The sections of A.H.M. that were originally created by Pink Floyd and presented to Ron Geesin by the band were mostlt improvised pieces. They were like fragments that needed to be surrounded by a few signature lines ..which is what Geesin did..however he more or less expanded further with intensity of a Classical mentality.  There is also experimentation towards the end with electronic sounding effects, percussion, mellotron and some in and out fading of notes sustained on horns. That could be a 20th century Avant-Garde style of improv I don't know? It is difficult to say that the particular section was written out as in comparison to a composer like George Crumb or John Cage where upon the average person might think their music sounds like noodling yet is charted out for 5 instruments and to be played exactly the same every performance. I mention all of this because Geesin and Waters shared a common interest in American Electronic composers like Beaver & Krause, Mort Garson, Ruth White and then several American 20th century Avant-Garde composers as well. It has been written in the past that the piece "Leave The Driving To Us" from Mort Garson's "The Wozard Of Is" gave Waters the idea for "On The Run". This could be true due to the fact that Geesin and Waters looked up to the American Electronic/Avant-Garde composers. Waters was experimenting with improvising sounds like Syd Barrett before him and Geesin was composing Avant-Garde string quartet pieces. Some of the transition sections from "Music From the Body" show that this was evident. There is a really interesting interview with Ron Geesin where he discusses the entire recording session of A.H.M. on Y.T. 


Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: September 06 2012 at 15:58
Nah it was just a pure improvisation. They made it up as they went along.

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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: September 07 2012 at 02:04
If you listen to Geesin's solo albums you can get an idea of his composing style which helps in understanding better which parts of the suite are from his pot. When the two met they were both experimenting with tapes, electronics and any possible source of sounds. "Our Song" which opens "The Body" is a perfect example if you think that in the same period Pink Floyd were thinking to an album made only with kitchen's devices which evolved (or better devolved) into Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast.

There is a BBC bootleg with an early live version of AHM. Comparing that with the studio version you can better appreciate the orchestral parts as there are no edits. 

The Italian cover band "Fluido Rosa" sometimes plays parts of it as they don't have the orchestra, but the two girls in the band (one is an excellent saxophonist) sing the choir. 

http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854" rel="nofollow - http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854

  


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I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution


Posted By: Josef_K
Date Posted: September 07 2012 at 09:48
Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

If you listen to Geesin's solo albums you can get an idea of his composing style which helps in understanding better which parts of the suite are from his pot. When the two met they were both experimenting with tapes, electronics and any possible source of sounds. "Our Song" which opens "The Body" is a perfect example if you think that in the same period Pink Floyd were thinking to an album made only with kitchen's devices which evolved (or better devolved) into Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast.

There is a BBC bootleg with an early live version of AHM. Comparing that with the studio version you can better appreciate the orchestral parts as there are no edits. 

The Italian cover band "Fluido Rosa" sometimes plays parts of it as they don't have the orchestra, but the two girls in the band (one is an excellent saxophonist) sing the choir. 

http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854" rel="nofollow - http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854

  

Off topic but I just had to say this. That band is awesome, their cover is incredible!


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Leave the past to burn,
At least that's been his own

- Peter Hammill


Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: September 07 2012 at 09:56
Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

If you listen to Geesin's solo albums you can get an idea of his composing style which helps in understanding better which parts of the suite are from his pot. When the two met they were both experimenting with tapes, electronics and any possible source of sounds. "Our Song" which opens "The Body" is a perfect example if you think that in the same period Pink Floyd were thinking to an album made only with kitchen's devices which evolved (or better devolved) into Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast.

There is a BBC bootleg with an early live version of AHM. Comparing that with the studio version you can better appreciate the orchestral parts as there are no edits. 

The Italian cover band "Fluido Rosa" sometimes plays parts of it as they don't have the orchestra, but the two girls in the band (one is an excellent saxophonist) sing the choir. 

http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854" rel="nofollow - http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854

  


No No No !!!! They had Emerson with his new synths in the studio. It was all made up. It came out of Emerson's sick mind.


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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: September 07 2012 at 10:04
Originally posted by Vibrationbaby Vibrationbaby wrote:

Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

If you listen to Geesin's solo albums you can get an idea of his composing style which helps in understanding better which parts of the suite are from his pot. When the two met they were both experimenting with tapes, electronics and any possible source of sounds. "Our Song" which opens "The Body" is a perfect example if you think that in the same period Pink Floyd were thinking to an album made only with kitchen's devices which evolved (or better devolved) into Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast.

There is a BBC bootleg with an early live version of AHM. Comparing that with the studio version you can better appreciate the orchestral parts as there are no edits. 

The Italian cover band "Fluido Rosa" sometimes plays parts of it as they don't have the orchestra, but the two girls in the band (one is an excellent saxophonist) sing the choir. 

http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854" rel="nofollow - http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854

  


No No No !!!! They had Emerson with his new synths in the studio. It was all made up. It came out of Emerson's sick mind.

They have the drummer Derek Wilson who has played for Emerson


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I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution


Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: September 07 2012 at 10:37
well that explains the whole thing.

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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: September 14 2012 at 11:12
Jan 19th 2013.  Atom Heart Mother performed live by Choir and orchestra in Rome

http://www.atominrome.com" rel="nofollow - www.atominrome.com





-------------
I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution


Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: September 14 2012 at 12:41
Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

If you listen to Geesin's solo albums you can get an idea of his composing style which helps in understanding better which parts of the suite are from his pot. When the two met they were both experimenting with tapes, electronics and any possible source of sounds. "Our Song" which opens "The Body" is a perfect example if you think that in the same period Pink Floyd were thinking to an album made only with kitchen's devices which evolved (or better devolved) into Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast.

There is a BBC bootleg with an early live version of AHM. Comparing that with the studio version you can better appreciate the orchestral parts as there are no edits. 

The Italian cover band "Fluido Rosa" sometimes plays parts of it as they don't have the orchestra, but the two girls in the band (one is an excellent saxophonist) sing the choir. 

http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854" rel="nofollow - http://www.myspace.com/fluidorosaband/music/songs/atom-heart-mother-echoes-15924854

  



Actually, the kitchen utensils idea lead to Dark Side of The Moon, believe it or not.  They were working on that after Meddle.


Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: September 14 2012 at 12:49
Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

Jan 19th 2013.  Atom Heart Mother performed live by Choir and orchestra in Rome

http://www.atominrome.com" rel="nofollow - www.atominrome.com




Blocked in US unfortunately. 


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Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.


Posted By: dbarrios426
Date Posted: March 13 2016 at 19:12
I am currently working on a full transcription of the Atom Heart Mother Suite on I am upload updates of it to musescore.com. If you are interested in assisting me to complete the transcription, you should e-mail me at [email protected] so that I can send you the file. If nobody offers assistance, then you can expect to see a completed version of the score by the middle or end of 2017. Here is a link to what I have thus far: https://musescore.com/user/204693/scores/1089361.


Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: March 13 2016 at 21:33
Google search for "atom heart mother score pdf" and "atom heart mother sheet music" gives lots of results.
I can't read music so I don't know are they good or bad.


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Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)


Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: March 14 2016 at 01:21
The Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome has performed it live a couple of yers ago. Being an Academy they surely have a transcription.

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I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution



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