Todd Rundgren

[Sgt. Pepper]

Looks like Todd Rundgren put together an All-Star band and decided to re-create King Crimson‘s first classic album. If you listen to it, it’s spot on. I don’t know why we need an exact copy with a different singers voice. Lake killed it the first time. Wetton did a  good job when he sang it live in the early to mid 70’s.

Edited March 19 by Sgt. Pepper

[sparquelito]

If you haven't listened to Todd Rundgren's A Capella  album from around 1985, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen.

Todd digitally sampled his own voice into the keyboards, and then played all instruments on the album using the sounds, tones, snaps, claps, schwooshes, thumps, and clicks of his own voice.

Of course he sang normally for the vocals and the harmonies, but still;
It's brilliant.


 

[Sgt. Pepper]

17 hours ago, sparquelito said:

If you haven't listened to Todd Rundgren's A Capella  album from around 1985, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen.

Todd digitally sampled his own voice into the keyboards, and then played all instruments on the album using the sounds, tones, snaps, claps, schwooshes, thumps, and clicks of his own voice.

Of course he sang normally for the vocals and the harmonies, but still;
It's brilliant.


 

I’ve seen Todd and have most of his and Utopia’s stuff. I don’t have that one. I tried listening to it on Spotify, but after a few songs I couldn’t take it anymore. Oops . . . Wrong Planet, S/A?, Hermit, and AWATS are my favorites. I think Todd sometimes like to test his fans to see what they will put up with.

[Sgt. Pepper]

7 minutes ago, ghost_of_fl said:

I think he likes getting as close as possible on covers, just as a flex:

 

I have that album. I rarely if ever play it. Why did The Beatles get 2 cover on that album? Did Todd use a Theramin on that song like the Boys did? Side 2 is no covers, just Todd being Todd. My cousin preordered the album.

Edited March 19 by Sgt. Pepper

[Sgt. Pepper]

2 minutes ago, ghost_of_fl said:

There is only one thing on the planet that sounds like a Theremin and that's a Theremin.  

Sweetwater has a "Theremini" for $399.00:

LINK

Page was such a skilled Theramin player. I think there are kits you can buy to make one. When me and my wife saw Brian Wilson both times he played Good Vibrations, and the first time she said, what in the hell is that crazy instrument making that sound? She had never seen or heard of one.

Edited March 19 by Sgt. Pepper

[Sgt. Pepper]

Here is the link to Amazon if interested.

https://a.co/d/c4Gotwa

[jdgm]

Arthur Brown is a legendary - and very fine - rock voice.   "Galactic Zoo Dossier" is probably dated now  but a prog-rock classic.

Alan Parsons used him on "Tell-Tale Heart".

[Sgt. Pepper]

Arthur had a Crazy World if I remember correctly.

[jdgm]

Yes that was his 1st LP with the hit "Fire" on it which was HUGE over here in the UK.  The album featured Vincent Crane on organ who went on to form Atomic Rooster with Carl Palmer.

Brown didn't have the necessary "look at me I want to be famous" quality, or not enough of it.  He was not really extrovert - though he had the idea of wearing a flaming crown as the 'God of Hellfire', which was very unwise as he wanted to dance about while singing.  Of course he got burned and that was that.  The album I mentioned "Galactic Zoo Dossier" was made about 3(?) years later and he named the band Kingdom Come; not to be confused with the 80s metal band.  Brown's Kingdom Come made one further album before he left the music business, returning only occasionally to sing on other people's projects like the Alan Parsons record.  He is a GREAT singer IMO though the track you posted could never beat the original, and doesn't really showcase his ability.

Now back to Todd.....

Edited March 21 by jdgm

[Phil OKeefe]

On 3/18/2024 at 11:35 AM, Sgt. Pepper said:

Looks like Todd Rundgren put together an All-Star band and decided to re-create King Crimson‘s first classic album. If you listen to it, it’s spot on. I don’t know why we need an exact copy with a different singers voice. Lake killed it the first time. Wetton did a  good job when he sang it live in the early to mid 70’s.

 

Very cool! 

Todd likes to do  spot-on covers from time to time. That's a habit I picked up from him. It's a fantastic ear training exercise to take a song you know and try to record a cover of it (notes, tones, phrasing, etc.) as exactly as possible. If you have never heard his Faithful album, you should check it out sometime. 

 

 

Oops - I see others beat me to it! 

[RBSinTo]

On 3/19/2024 at 4:49 PM, Sgt. Pepper said:

Page was such a skilled Theramin player. I think there are kits you can buy to make one. When me and my wife saw Brian Wilson both times he played Good Vibrations, and the first time she said, what in the hell is that crazy instrument making that sound? She had never seen or heard of one.

Chief,

I guess neither of you ever saw  the sciece-fiction film "The Day the Earth Stood Still", which had a Theramin in its music.

"Gort barrada klaatu nikto."

RBSinTo

 

Edited March 20 by RBSinTo

[Phil OKeefe]

On 3/18/2024 at 2:36 PM, sparquelito said:

If you haven't listened to Todd Rundgren's A Capella  album from around 1985, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen.

Todd digitally sampled his own voice into the keyboards, and then played all instruments on the album using the sounds, tones, snaps, claps, schwooshes, thumps, and clicks of his own voice.

Of course he sang normally for the vocals and the harmonies, but still;
It's brilliant.


 

 

Why am I not surprised to see that Todd has a white lab coat ala EMI studios staff circa the 50s and 60s?