Music instruments

**disco1999** · April 21st, 2002, 11:47 PM

What music instrument that sounded like a violin was used to make Fly Robin Fly, Get up and boogie, Rasputin, and so many others before the late 70's ?

**sirius** · April 22nd, 2002, 01:44 AM

The violin?
Cosmic Love & Kisses From SIRIUS & DARKTUNES

**maarten** · April 22nd, 2002, 02:17 AM

Hahahaha... good one, Sirius. How about a synthesizer made to sound LIKE a violin?

**Blaxman** · April 22nd, 2002, 08:06 AM

Silver Convention used REAL violins on that records. The strings section was recorded in Munich - Germany.I cant remeber arranger right now, but I'm sure about it.

Peace,

Blaxman

**disco1999** · April 22nd, 2002, 09:10 AM

On 2002-04-22 08:06, Blaxman wrote:
Silver Convention used REAL violins on that records. The strings section was recorded in Munich - Germany.I cant remeber arranger right now, but I'm sure about it.

Peace,

Blaxman

I thought same thing since I doubt the synths of mid 70's would not imitate the violin so well.

**Blaxman** · April 22nd, 2002, 11:19 AM

Disco 1999,

in the 70's, the synthsizer cost was very expensive. I think real musicians was....more "REAL" (I couldnt find other word) and cheaper.I prefer real strings a million times.Even today, but its cost are prohibitive for sure.

Peace,

Blaxman

**sirius** · April 22nd, 2002, 04:17 PM

SynthesizerMusic was really very expensive
in the 70ies...Kraftwerk had their KlingKlang
Studios and their instruments were Top Secret
Strings and orchestra-sound were top at that
time, but for nowadays productions too ex-
pensive. HouseTrax are only sampling the
strings from the 70ies...
Nowadays I love the Orchestral Sounds of
Disco and I´m not anymore into the sampling-
madness of House...
I also love SynthesizerSound, but it should
be Synthi-Sound and not ComputerSound.
If you´re into 70ies-Space-Disco then try
Cerrone(sometimes), Giorgio, Space, and so
many others...
Cosmic Love & Kisses From SIRIUS & DARKTUNES

**Outsider** · April 22nd, 2002, 07:22 PM

One of the many things I like about disco is the use of instruments. Disco isn't about sampling or programming, but about musicianship.

**Funky Dude** · April 23rd, 2002, 12:48 AM

Speaking of synths, I love it when funk/disco groups combine synthesizers with their discrete instruments. My favourite style of synthesizer sound is the early/mid 70's arp synth sound used in early funky disco music such as:

Fred Wesley & The JB's - Blow Your Head 1974
Deodato - Skyscrapers 1973
Dynamic Corvettes - Funky Music Is The Thing 1974
Commodores - Machine Gun 1974
Commodores - Rapid Fire 1974
Commodores - Superman 1974
Kool & The Gang - Spirit Of The Boogie 1975
Van McCoy - Get Dancin' 1975
Brass Construction - Movin' 1975
Rufus & Chaka Khan - Once You Get Started 1974
Jackson 5 - Skywrighter 1973

**Paulo** · April 23rd, 2002, 06:02 AM

On 2002-04-22 19:22, Outsider wrote:
One of the many things I like about disco is the use of instruments. Disco isn't about sampling or programming, but about musicianship.

And no matter how it was slashed in the past and how much it was said to be a disposable kind of music, the musicianship of those producers and musicians was as great as any other other kind of "serious" form of music of the time which had much more credibility than disco...

To be honest I think William Michael Lewis or Boris Midney arrangements are better than any made by Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman.

Also: compared to the 90's dance/house/techno, DISCO is not about DJ's, but about musicians.

**Paulo** · April 23rd, 2002, 06:16 AM

On 2002-04-22 11:19, Blaxman wrote:
in the 70's, the synthsizer cost was very expensive. I think real musicians was....more "REAL" and cheaper.I prefer real strings a million times.Even today, but its cost are prohibitive for sure.

You're right Blaxman. It was only in the early 80's when the new synths became cheaper that they were massively used (instead of buying an electric guitar, now you could buy a synth).

That explains the rise of hi-nrg: since 70's disco was considered cheesy and was commercially dead, then there was no logic paying a fortune to have an orchestra, strings and horns on an album that wouldn't sell. Instead, you had a new inexpensive synth technology that could "replace" the whole orchestra... even the drummer and the percussionist!!!

**Paulo** · April 23rd, 2002, 06:27 AM

On 2002-04-21 23:47, disco1999 wrote:
What music instrument that sounded like a violin was used to make Fly Robin Fly, Get up and boogie, Rasputin, and so many others before the late 70's ?

It was real strings. In the 70's the synth could not reproduce properly the sound of strings or horns. It was easy to tell if it was real strings or a synthesizer.

There was a particular keyboard (the mellotron) which would emmulate the sound of strings or flute or brass... but when you heard it on a record, it was easy to see that it was the mellotron and not a real string section. This keyboard can be massively heard on the first KING CRIMSON albums: IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING, IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON, LIZARD.

**Blaxman** · April 23rd, 2002, 08:28 AM

I also love SynthesizerSound, but it should
be Synthi-Sound and not ComputerSound.

That's right Sirius, it's much better "real Synthesizers than "fake strings".

Blaxman

**Blaxman** · April 23rd, 2002, 08:38 AM

On 2002-04-23 06:16, Paulo wrote:
You're right Blaxman. It was only in the early 80's when the new synths became cheaper that they were massively used (instead of buying an electric guitar, now you could buy a synth).

That explains the rise of hi-nrg: since 70's disco was considered cheesy and was commercially dead, then there was no logic paying a fortune to have an orchestra, strings and horns on an album that wouldn't sell. Instead, you had a new inexpensive synth technology that could "replace" the whole orchestra... even the drummer and the percussionist!!!

It's true and sad. Too bad for the musicians and for the listeners.(I'm definately an old school fan)

Peace,

Blaxman
]

_________________
SENHORES DO GROOVE - BRAZIL

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Blaxman on 2002-04-23 09:07 ]</font>

**Outsider** · April 23rd, 2002, 07:12 PM

On 2002-04-23 06:02, Paulo wrote:
And no matter how it was slashed in the past and how much it was said to be a disposable kind of music, the musicianship of those producers and musicians was as great as any other other kind of "serious" form of music of the time which had much more credibility than disco...

To be honest I think William Michael Lewis or Boris Midney arrangements are better than any made by Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman.

Also: compared to the 90's dance/house/techno, DISCO is not about DJ's, but about musicians.

Exactly. Musicians have to be technically proficient to play disco IMHO. And playing a disco beat on the drums takes a lot of coordination. I know that first-hand.

Layne Staley R.I.P.