Music Playlist: Songs With Theremin

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• 1 - wally bangs

  Feb 16, 2005 at 10:22 am

  Cool post. There is some debate over whether the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" actually used a theremin. From this website:
  http://www.electrotheremin.com/etfaq.htm
  
  "Did the Beach Boys use a theremin on the recording, Good Vibrations?
  
  No. The instrument was not a real, traditional, two antenna-type theremin. It was the Electro-Theremin, a mechanical instrument developed for Paul Tanner by Bob Whitsell in 1958. In addition to Good Vibrations, two other Beach Boys tunes used Tanner and his Electro-Theremin, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, and Wild Honey. Also, there appears to be another (possibly unreleased) tune, Inspiration, that Tanner recorded in 1966 for the Beach Boys."
  
  Whatever they used, I think it was used to even better effect a year earlier on "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times".

• 2 - Mark Saleski

  Feb 16, 2005 at 10:34 am

  love the theremin.
  
  i did a quick search because there used to be this site with an interactive theremin on it (probably done with java).
  
  anyhow, i stumbled apon Alice Malloy's Theremin Bra.
  
  man, it's a big 'ole world out there.

• 3 - Eric Olsen

  Feb 16, 2005 at 10:46 am

  super cool Robert, thanks! How did you find all those songs?
  
  And very interesting about "Good Vibrations" Wally, thanks

• 4 - Shark

  Feb 16, 2005 at 11:37 am

  I've got some even more obscure Theremin info:
  
  There's a nice song written as an homage called "Mr. Theremin".
  
  It's on the album, "The Big Idea" by Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin.
  
  (No, not the Eurythmics Dave Stewart, the other one -- y'know -- keyboard player from two of the greatest bands in history, Hatfield & the North -- and National Health.)
  
  That should win a few bar bets, eh?
  
  

• 5 - Robert Burke

  Feb 16, 2005 at 1:08 pm

  I do most of the research on the Internet and some from library books. I am not always dead on, as the "Good Vibrations" information shows. But hey, electro-theremin is close enough for me.
  
  If you like this kind of stuff, I have a drop down box on my site (Rhapsody Radish) that says "Songs That Feature..." It contains this list plus a bunch of others like, Tuba, Kazoo, Fretless Bass, 3/4 Time, Talkbox, Whistling, Unintelligible Lyrics, Accordian, etc.
  
  I am working on Songs that feature "Musical Saw" now.
  

• 6 - Nick Jones

  Feb 16, 2005 at 1:34 pm

  It may or may not be a Theremin, but the opening Theme of The Return of the Living Dead has that Theremin sound along with other instrumentation.

• 7 - wally bangs

  Feb 16, 2005 at 5:16 pm

  "Good Vibrations" was said to have used theremin so many times it became pop folklore and I agree that electro-theremin is close enough. The only reason I knew about it was because 1. I'm a Beach Boys fanatic and 2. there was a theremin craze in Nashville a few years back. Robert Moog came to Vanderbilt one afternoon and showed off a couple of the one's he currently manufactures. The audience got to get up on stage afterwards and play around with them.
  One big omission from your list (and I know it wasn't meant to be an exhaustive one) has to Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's use of the theremin, always a highlight of their live shows - hell every moment is a highlight for them.

• 8 - Robert

  Feb 16, 2005 at 8:23 pm

  Thanks for he info. So much music so little time!
  
  I did the musical saw playlist today, only found 12 songs with it available on Rhapsody at the moment. My favorite are a few tracks off of Tom Waits "The Black Rider" album.
  I have a hard time telling the saw from the theremin. Very similar sound. If anyone can point me to songs with musical saw I would be VERY grateful.
  
  So far I have:
  
  1. November - Tom Waits
  2. Tides of the Moon - Mercury Rev
  3. Down In The Light Of The Melon Moon - Flatlanders
  4. The Old Homestead - Neil Young
  5. James K. Polk - They Might Be Giants
  6. Lonestar Hitchhiker - Don DiLego
  7. Flash Pan Hunter - Tom Waits
  8. Right Where I Belong - Flatlanders
  9. Black Box Theme - Tom Waits
  10. Pay The Alligator - Flatlanders
  11. South Wind Of Summer - Flatlanders
  12. I Thought The Wreck Was Over - Flatlanders
  13. In the Aeroplane Over The Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
  14. Cyberpunk - Billy Idol

• 9 - Shark

  Feb 17, 2005 at 8:12 am

  re: "Mr. Theremin" by Stewart-Gaskin
  
  I dug out my old Stewart-Gaskin album, The Big Idea, and reprint the lyrics below.
  
  (Interesting side note: Stewart was one of the early [rock] innovators on the synthesizer.)
  
  

  
  
  - Mr. Theremin -
  
  Music/lyrics - Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin
  
  
  "Spare a thought for the dreamer,
  open up the hall of fame,
  hold your breath and remember Mr. Theremin's name.
  Like an old magician, sounds of wonder he made,
  and the ghosts of the great musicians
  smiled down where he played.
  
  Wherever he took his show
  people stopped and stared;
  he waved his hands and strange music filled the air.
  
  ...
  
  Now the last of the dreamers lie sleeping underground,
  though their dreams are half-forgotten and their voice has no sound,
  their songs are all around.
  Mr. Theremin knows, as he stumbles down the lonely road;
  to him it's not a game, and he never even noticed the glory and the fame
  sounds of joy and laughter fill the air--
  let music rest in the hands of those who care.
  
  Hey, Mr. Theremin, won't you play a song for me,
  I've been waiting a lifetime to be in your company,
  please, Mr. Theremin, will this be the final show?
  Though the curtains are falling, we don't want to see you go...
  
  oh no..."
  
  

  
  
  Great stuff.
  
  

• 10 - Robert

  Feb 19, 2005 at 2:38 pm

  That's great stuff! Thanks!

• 11 - Aaman

  Feb 19, 2005 at 7:29 pm

  Portishead - Glory Box from the album "Dummy" uses the theremin effectively in a marvelous song

• 12 - HW Saxton

  Feb 19, 2005 at 10:52 pm

  "Music Out Of The Moon". This LP by Les
  Baxter has theremin all over it.
  Cheeeeezy easy listening to be sure but
  a lot fun because of it's weirdness.
  
  

• 13 - HW Saxton

  Feb 19, 2005 at 11:37 pm

  A real cool tune that features the use
  of a theremin is called: "Sinners". It's
  a slow,creepy rockabilly tune that The
  Cramps used to play at their live shows
  years back. It is on a handful of Cramps
  bootleg LP's/CD's. The original version
  is by this R'n'R band from FLA. called
  Freddie & The Hitchhikers from around
  1959. The original can be found on the
  "Born Bad" LP series (Vol.1).This set of
  LP's features songs The Cramps either
  covered or ripped off (in a good way)for
  their own tunes.
  
  

• 14 - Mike Kole

  Feb 20, 2005 at 9:46 am

  As long as we're talking about bands with Cle origins and the theremin, let's not forget Pere Ubu and Cobra Verde.
  
  Don't know if Chas Smith is still with Cobra Verde, but I love watching him play the theremin, as he dances and gyrates with it, feeling it up for tones, as it were.

• 15 - Eric Olsen

  Feb 20, 2005 at 2:39 pm

  there is an great chapter on the theremin in Mark Prendergast's extraordinary The Ambient Century book, which I reviewed here

• 16 - HW Saxton

  Feb 20, 2005 at 6:07 pm

  Two things. First things first. On the
  Les Baxter LP, the theremin is played by
  Dr. Samuel Hoffman.
  
  2)Hoffman along with Clara Rockmore are
  considered by many musicologists to be
  the only two musicians of the Twentieth
  Century who have shown complete mastery
  over the theremin.
  
  Clara plays tunes by Tchaikovky,Saint-
  Saens,Stravinsky,Ravel and Rachmaninoff
  & a host of other European de-composers.
  She is interviewed in the documentary on
  Leon Theremin ("Theremin")that came out
  in 1995 and also plays briefly.
  
  
  
  

• 17 - Jerkyboy

  Feb 21, 2005 at 7:08 pm

  Hi all, for those of us who don't have Rhapsody (yet) but want to listen to the songs, I've posted this playlist here so you can at least listen to samples. Robert, I've given you due props so I hope it's okay with you.

• 18 - robert

  Feb 22, 2005 at 4:59 pm

  Jerkyboy - Feel free to post any of my playlists all I want is credit and a link to my site. http://www.scopecreep.com/Rhapsody/

• 19 - HW Saxton

  Feb 22, 2005 at 5:24 pm

  RE:Post #13 This does not read properly.
  The use of the theremin on "Sinners" is
  on the original version by 'Freddie And
  The Hitchhikers' and not on the cover
  version by The Cramps.Just thought I'd
  clarify that for anyone interested.
  
  

• 20 - John Billybob

  Oct 06, 2006 at 7:34 am

  "Save a Prayer" from Duran Duran also features a theremin, I believe.

• 21 - alcheMiK

  Jan 21, 2008 at 2:20 am

  I think you'll find that the tunes by Mercury Rev, The Flatlanders, Neil Young, Tom Waits & Fred Eaglesmith all feature the saw, not the theremin. The saw & theremin can sould very similar, but many "roots" musicians favour the favour the more natural sound of the saw, rather than the electronic theremin. The song Electricity by Captain Beefheart & Magic Band features wild theremin played by Dr Samuel Hoffman no less. Cheers.

• 22 - Natalie

  Jul 09, 2009 at 11:42 am

  In the Aeroplane over the Sea is actually a saw, not a theremin. I was really excited because i love the theremin, and that song, but sadly it does not appear to be true. It is a saw.

• 23 - RaygunShaun

  Jul 25, 2009 at 2:05 pm

  As a fellow themed playlist creator and theremin enthusiast, I should note that a lot of the songs in this playlist actually do not feature theremin, but instead use a similar-sounding effect or instrument. For instance, "Little People" is a manipulated guitar effect, "Echoes" is a combination of unconvential odd-sounding studio effects, and "Holes" is actually whistling.

• 24 - RaygunShaun

  Jul 25, 2009 at 2:06 pm

  Correction: "Holes" is the bowed saw, not whistling. My mistake.

• 25 - Doucet

  Dec 03, 2009 at 12:45 pm

  United states of america in a couple of songs they use something that sounds like a theremin
  The blues magoos-tobbaco road
  jefferson airplane-the house at pooneil corners
  fever tree-where do you go
  There are certainly more but I can't remember them right now. I use it myself in my band.

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