Keith Noel Emerson(2 November 1944 – 11 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success withthe Nicein the late 1960s.[1]He became internationally famous for his work with the Nice, which included writing rock arrangements of classical music.[2]After leaving the Nice in 1970, he was a founding member ofEmerson, Lake & Palmer(ELP), one of the earlyprogressive rocksupergroups.
Keith Emerson | |
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![]() Emerson performing inSaint Petersburg,Russia, September 2008 | |
Born | Keith Noel Emerson 2 November 1944 Todmorden,West Riding of Yorkshire,England |
Died | 11 March 2016 | (aged 71)
Resting place | Lancing and Sompting Cemetery,Lancing, West Sussex,England |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, composer |
Years active | 1964–2016 |
Children | 2 |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instrument | Keyboards |
Labels | Edel,Victor,Shout! Factory,Varèse Sarabande,Rhino,Manticore,J!MCO Records,Sanctuary,EMI,Marquee Inc.,Charly,Gunslinger Records,Cinevox |
Website | keithemerson |
Emerson, Lake & Palmer were commercially successful through much of the 1970s, becoming one of the best-known progressive rock groups of the era.[1]Emerson wrote and arranged much of ELP's music on albums such asTarkus(1971) andBrain Salad Surgery(1973), combining his own original compositions with classical or traditional pieces adapted into a rock format.[3]Following ELP's break-up at the end of the 1970s, Emerson pursued a solo career, composed several film soundtracks, and formed the bandsEmerson, Lake & Powell[1]and3to carry on in the style of ELP.[4]In the early 1990s, ELP reunited for two more albums and several tours before breaking up again in the late 1990s. Emerson also reunited The Nice in 2002 and 2003 for a tour.[5]
During the 2000s, Emerson resumed his solo career, including touring with his own Keith Emerson Band featuring guitarist Dave Kilminster, then replaced by Marc Bonilla, and collaborating with several orchestras. He reunited with ELP bandmateGreg Lakein 2010 for a duo tour, culminating in a one-off ELP reunion show in London to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary.[6]Emerson's last album,The Three Fates Project,with Marc Bonilla and Terje Mikkelsen, was released in 2012.[5]Emerson reportedly suffered from depression, and since 1993 developed nerve damage that hampered his playing, making him anxious about upcoming performances. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on 11 March 2016 at his home in Santa Monica, California.[7][8][9]
Emerson is widely regarded as one of the greatest keyboard players of the progressive rock era.[1][10][11][12]AllMusicdescribes Emerson as "perhaps the greatest, most technically accomplished keyboardist in rock history".[13]In 2019, readers ofProgvoted him the greatest keyboard player in progressive rock.[14]
Early life
editEmerson was born on 2 November 1944 inTodmorden,West Riding of Yorkshire. The family had been evacuated from southern England during World War II, after which they returned south and settled inGoring-by-Sea,West Sussex.[15][page needed]Emerson attended West Tarring School (nowWorthing High School) inTarring.[16]His mother Dorothy was not musical, but his father Noel was an amateur pianist and taught Emerson basic piano. When Emerson was eight, his parents arranged formal tuition, learning to play and read music with "local little old ladies" until he was around thirteen, with whom he studied toABRSMGrade 7.[17][18][19][20]Emerson's teacher put him in competitions at the Worthing Music Festival and suggested he finish studying music in London, but Emerson had little interest in classical music at the time and chose jazz piano.[17]His studies inWestern classical musiclargely inspired his own style in his professional career which often incorporated jazz and rock elements.[5]
Although Emerson did not own a record player, he enjoyed listening to music on the radio, particularlyFloyd Cramer's 1961slip note-style"On the Rebound"and the work ofDudley Moore.He used jazz sheet music fromDave BrubeckandGeorge Shearingand learned about jazz piano from books andAndre Previn's version ofMy Fair Lady.[17]He also listened toboogie-woogie,and tocountry-stylepianists includingJoe "Mr Piano" Henderson,Russ ConwayandWinifred Atwell.Emerson later described himself: "I was a very serious child. I used to walk around withBeethoven sonatasunder my arm. However, I was very good at avoiding being beaten up by the bullies. That was because I could also playJerry Lee LewisandLittle Richardsongs. So, they thought I was kind of cool and left me alone. "[18]
Emerson became interested in theHammond organafter hearing jazz organistJack McDuffperform "Rock Candy", and the Hammond became his instrument of choice in the late 1960s. Emerson acquired his first Hammond organ, an L-100 model, at the age of 15 or 16, onhire purchaseand a loan from his father.[21][22]He had saved money to buy a Bird electric organ with built-in speakers on each side, but then spotted a Hammond in the shop and thought it was a better purchase.[17]Emerson's initial plan was for a non-musical career while playing the piano on the side. Upon leaving school he worked atLloyds Bank Registrarswhere he played the piano in the bar at lunch times and local pubs at nights. He was ultimately fired from the bank.[23][16]Emerson played in a local 20-piece swing band run byWorthing Council,performingCount BasieandDuke Ellingtontunes. This led to the formation of the Keith Emerson Trio, with the group's drummer and bassist.[17]
Career
edit1965–1970: Early groups and The Nice
editWhile performing in the Worthing and Brighton area, Emerson played in John Brown's Bodies where members of The T-Bones, the backing band of blues singerGary Farr,offered him a place in their group.[17][23]After a subsequent UK and European tour with the T-Bones, the band split. Emerson then joinedThe V.I.P.'s, which he described as a "purist blues band";[17]his noted flamboyance began when a fight broke out during a performance in France. Instructed by the band to keep playing, he produced some explosion and machine gun sounds with the Hammond organ, which stopped the fight. His band members told him to repeat the stunt at the next concert,[23][24][page needed]where Emerson played the organ back to front.[17]
In 1967, Emerson formedThe NicewithLee Jackson,also of the T-Bones,David O'List,and Ian Hague, after soul singerP. P. Arnoldasked him to form a backing band.[25]After replacing Hague withBrian Davison,the group set out on its own, quickly developing a strong live following. The group's sound was centred on Emerson'sHammond organshowmanship and theatrical abuse of the instrument, and their radical rearrangements of classical music themes as "symphonic rock".[26][27][28][29]To increase the visual interest of his show, Emerson abused his Hammond L-100 organ by, among other things, hitting it, beating it with a whip, pushing it over, riding it across the stage like a horse, playing with it lying on top of him, and wedging knives into the keyboard.[20][30]Some of these actions also produced musical sound effects: hitting the organ caused it to make explosion-like sounds,[31]turning it over made itfeed back,and the knives held down keys, thus sustaining notes. Emerson's show with The Nice has been cited as having a strong influence onheavy metalmusicians.[27]
Away from The Nice, Emerson was involved in the 1969Music from Free Creek"supersession" project that includedEric ClaptonandJeff Beck.For the session, Emerson performed with drummerMitch Mitchelland bassistChuck Raineycovering, among other tunes, theEddie Harrisinstrumental "Freedom Jazz Dance".[32]
Emerson first heard aMoog synthesizerwhen a record shop owner played himSwitched-On Bach(1968) byWendy Carlos,and thought the instrument looked like "an electronicskiffle".[24]He got into contact with keyboardistMike Vickers,who had paid £4,000 to have one shipped from the US, and organised to play it at an upcoming The Nice concert at theRoyal Festival Hallwith theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra,in February and March 1970.[22]Vickers helpedpatchthe Moog, and the concert saw Emerson perform "Also sprach Zarathustra"byRichard Strausswith Vickers behind the machine to swap patches.[22][24]
1970–1979: Emerson, Lake & Palmer
editAfter The Nice split in March 1970, Emerson formed a new band,Emerson, Lake & Palmer(ELP), with bassistGreg LakefromKing Crimsonand drummerCarl PalmerfromAtomic Rooster.After four months of rehearsal, the band played its first shows and recorded its first album, having quickly obtained a record deal withAtlantic Records.ELP became popular immediately after their1970 Isle of Wight Festivalperformance, and continued to tour regularly throughout the 1970s. Not all were impressed, withBBC Radio 1DJJohn Peeldescribing their Isle of Wight set as a "tragic waste of talent and electricity".[33]Their set, with a half-million onlookers, involved "annihilating their instruments in a classical-rock blitz" and firing cannons from the stage,[34]which had been tested out on a field nearHeathrow Airport.[33]
Use of synthesizers
edit- "MonsterMoog"modular synth
- "Tarkus"HammondC3 organ
ELP's record deal provided funds for Emerson to buy his ownMoog modular synthesiserfrom the US, which was a preset model that had fewer leads and punch cards to call up certain patches.[22]He used the patch that Vickers provided, which contained six distinctive Moog sounds and became the foundation of ELP's sound.[24]It was a temperamental device, with the oscillators often going out of tune with temperature change.[24]Emerson was the first artist to tour with a Moog synthesiser. His "Monster Moog", built from numerous modules, weighed 550 pounds (250 kg), stood 10 feet (3 m) tall and took four roadies to move. Even with its unpredictability, it became an indispensable component of not only ELP's concerts, but also Emerson's own.[35]His use of the Moog was so critical to the development of new Moog models that he was given prototypes, such as the Constellation, which he took on one tour,[24]and the Apollo, which had its début on "Jerusalem"onBrain Salad Surgery(1973).[36]As synthesiser technology evolved, Emerson went on to use a variety of other synthesisers, including theMinimoog,Yamaha GX-1,and several models byKorg.
As composer and arranger
editEmerson performed several notable rock arrangements of classical compositions, ranging fromJ. S. BachandModest Mussorgskyto 20th-century composers such asBéla Bartók,Aaron Copland,Leoš JanáčekandAlberto Ginastera.Occasionally Emerson quoted from classical and jazz works without giving credit, particularly early in his career.[37][38]An early example of Emerson's arranging was the song "Rondo" by The Nice, which is a4/4interpretation ofDave Brubeck's 9/8 composition "Blue Rondo à la Turk".[39]During live performances the piece is introduced by an extensive excerpt from the 3rd movement of Bach'sItalian Concerto.[18]
On ELP'seponymous first album,Emerson's classical quotes went largely uncredited. In the 1973 reissue on the group's personal label, Manticore Records, the songs are credited correctly. By 1971, with the releasesPictures at an ExhibitionandTrilogy,ELP began to fully credit classical composers, includingModest Mussorgskyfor the piano piece which inspired thePicturesalbum, and Aaron Copland for "Hoedown" on theTrilogyalbum. Emerson indicated in an interview that he based his version ofPictures at an Exhibitionon Mussorgsky's original piano composition, rather than onMaurice Ravel's later orchestration of the work.[40]
Following ELP's 1974 tour, the members agreed to put the band on temporary hiatus and pursue individual solo projects. During this time, Emerson composed his "Piano Concerto No. 1" and recorded it with theLondon Philharmonic Orchestra.[41]According to Emerson, he was motivated by critical comments suggesting that he relied upon adapting classical works because he was unable to write his own music, and further motivated by the London Philharmonic "who weren't that helpful to begin with" and "had the attitude of 'What's a rock musician doing writing a piano concerto?'"[40]Emerson said, "I wanted people to say, look, I'm a composer, I do write my own music, and what greater challenge than to write a piano concerto."[41]The recording later appeared on ELP's albumWorks Volume 1.Emerson's concerto has since been performed by classical pianists, most notably Jeffrey Biegel, who has performed it several times and recorded it with Emerson's permission.[40][42]
In 1976, while still in ELP, Emerson also released his first solo record, the single "Honky Tonk Train Blues" b/w "Barrelhouse Shake-Down". "Honky Tonk Train Blues", Emerson's cover of a 1927boogie-woogiepiano song byMeade Lux Lewis,reached No. 21 on theUK Singles Chart.[43][44]
Theatrics
editIn addition to his technical skills at playing and composing, Emerson was a theatrical performer.[45]He cited guitaristJimi Hendrixand organistDon Shinnas his chief theatrical influences. While in ELP, Emerson continued to some degree the physical abuse of his Hammond organ that he had developed with The Nice, including playing the organ upside down while having it lie over him and using knives to wedge down specific keys and sustain notes during solos. He also engaged in knife throwing using a target fastened in front of his Leslie speakers.[46]He was given his trademark knife, an authentic Nazi dagger, byLemmy Kilmister,who was a roadie for The Nice in his earlier days.[47]
Emerson toned down his theatrics with the organ when ELP used more stage props for their shows. While touringBrain Salad Surgeryfrom 1973 to 1974, at the end of the show, a sequencer in Emerson's Moog Modular synthesiser was set running at an increasing rate, with the synthesiser pivoting to face the audience while emitting smoke and deploying a large pair of silver bat wings from its back.[48]The same tour featured one of Emerson's memorable live show stunts with ELP, which involved playing a piano suspended as high as 20 feet in mid-air and then rotated end-over-end with Emerson sitting at it. This was purely for visual effect, as the piano was fake and had no works inside, leaving Emerson to mime playing.[49]Emerson was introduced to Bob McCarthy, former circus employee on Long Island, New York who demonstrated the stunt piano for him at his home. It was used for shows atMadison Square Gardenin December 1973 and theCalifornia Jamin April 1974, which was filmed. Emerson said: "After that every TV show I did came the question... Keith, how do you spin around on that piano? I'd say what about my music?'"[50]The stunt caused Emerson to suffer multiple finger injuries and a broken nose.[49]He wished to use it at the band's reunion concert in 2010, but was forbidden by thelocal authoritywho said that the plans did not meet health and safety standards.[50]
1979–1991: Solo and group projects
editAfter ELP disbanded in 1979, Emerson pursued a variety of projects during the 1980s and 1990s, including solo releases, soundtrack work and other bands, including supergroupthe Best.In the early 1990s, Emerson rejoined the reunited ELP, but the group broke up again by the end of that decade.[51]
Solo career
editIn 1981, Emerson released his debut solo album,Honky.Recorded inthe Bahamaswith local musicians, it departed from Emerson's usual style in featuringcalypsoandreggaesongs, and was generally not well received,[52]except in Italy where it was a hit.[51]Emerson's subsequent solo releases were sporadic, including a Christmas album in 1988, and the albumChanging States(also known asCream of Emerson Soup) recorded in 1989 but not released until 1995, after several of its songs had already been re-recorded and released in different versions on ELP's 1992 comeback albumBlack Moon.Changing Statesalso contained an orchestral remake of the ELP song "Abaddon's Bolero" with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and "The Church", which Emerson composed for the 1989Michele Soavihorror film of the same name.[53]
Soundtrack work
editIn the 1980s, Emerson began to write and perform music for films, as his orchestral and classical style was more suited for film work than for thenew wave-dominated pop/ rock market.[52]He was given the script forChariots of Fire,but turned down the offer to score it.[17]Films for which Emerson contributed soundtrack music includeDario Argento'sInferno(1980), the action thrillerNighthawks(1981) starringSylvester Stallone,(1984 film) Best Revenge, notable because he collaborated withBrad Delpfrom the rock bandBostonandLevon HelmfromThe Bandboth on vocals, andGarth Hudsonalso from The Band on accordion, that also featured an instrumental piece called "Dream Runner" that became a standard solo performance piece for Emerson during at ELP shows throughout the next decade,Lucio Fulci'sMurder Rock(1984), and Michele Soavi'sThe Church(also known asLa chiesa) (1989).[54]He was also the composer for the short-lived 1994 US animated television seriesIron Man.[55][56]
1980s and 1990s bands
editStarting in the mid-1980s, Emerson formed several short-livedsupergroups.The first two,Emerson, Lake & Powell(with Lake and ex-RainbowdrummerCozy Powell)[57]and3(with Palmer and American multi-instrumentalistRobert Berry), were intended to carry on in the general style of ELP in the absence of one of the original members.[58]Emerson, Lake & Powell had some success,[57]and their sole album is considered one of the best of both Emerson's and Lake's careers. Stylistically, it was a departure from their 1980s progressive rock peers, Genesis and Asia.[51]Progressive rock analyst Edward Macan wrote that Emerson, Lake & Powell were closer to the "classic ELP sound" than ELP's own late-1970s output.[59]By contrast, 3's only album sold poorly[51][58]and drew comparisons to "the worst moments ofLove Beach"[59](which had been a commercial disaster for ELP[60]).
Emerson also toured briefly in 1990 withThe Best,a supergroup includingJohn EntwistleofThe Who,Joe Walshof theEagles,Jeff "Skunk" BaxterofSteely DanandThe Doobie Brothers,andSimon Phillips.This project focused on covering songs from each of the members' past bands.[61][62]
In the early 1990s, Emerson formed the short-lived group Aliens of Extraordinary Ability withStuart Smith,Richie Onori, Marvin Sperling and Robbie Wyckoff. The group's name came from the application process for a USwork visa,and the members included several British musicians who, like Emerson, had come toLos Angelesto further their careers.[63]The group turned down a record deal withSamsungbecause of Emerson's commitment to an ELP reunion and Smith's involvement with a possible reformation ofThe Sweet.[64]
1991–1998: Reunion with ELP
editIn 1991, ELP reformed for two more albums (Black Moon(1992) andIn the Hot Seat(1994)) and world tours in 1992–1993. After the 1993 tour, Emerson was forced to take a year off from playing due to a nerve condition affecting his right hand (seeHealth issues). Following his recovery, ELP resumed touring in 1996, including a successful US tour withJethro Tull,but broke up again in August 1998.[51]
1998–2016
editEmerson participated in The Nice's reunion tour and a 40th anniversary show for ELP, preceded by a short duo tour with Greg Lake. Apart from these reunions, he continued his solo career, releasing solo and soundtrack albums, touring with his own Keith Emerson Band, and making occasional guest appearances. Starting in 2010, he increasingly focused on orchestral collaborations. A documentary film based on his autobiography was reportedly in production at the time of his death in 2016.
Reunion shows
editIn 2002 Emerson reformed and toured with The Nice, though performing a longer set of ELP music using a backing band including guitarist/vocalistDave Kilminster.[65]During the spring of 2010, he toured with Greg Lake in the United States and Canada, doing a series of "Intimate Evening" duo shows in which they performed newly arranged versions of the music of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Nice, andKing Crimsonas well as Emerson's new original composition.[66][67][68]On 25 July 2010, a one-off Emerson, Lake & Palmer reunion concert closed theHigh Voltage Festivalas the main act inVictoria Park, East London,to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary.[66][69]
Solo career and Keith Emerson Band
editEmerson continued his solo and soundtrack work into the 2000s. His solo releases included the all-piano albumEmerson Plays Emerson(2002),[33]several compilations, and contributions toPink FloydandLed Zeppelintribute albums (seeDiscography). He was also one of three composers who contributed to the soundtrack for the JapanesekaijufilmGodzilla: Final Wars(2004).[54]
Following the August 2008 release of the albumKeith Emerson Band Featuring Marc Bonilla,Emerson also toured with his own self-named band inRussia,theBaltic StatesandJapanbetween August and October 2008. The tour band members wereMarc Bonilla,Travis Davis and Tony Pia.[70][71]
Orchestral collaborations
editJapanese composerTakashi Yoshimatsuworked with Emerson to create an arrangement of ELP's song "Tarkus",which premiered on 14 March 2010, performed by theTokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.[50][72]Yoshimatsu's arrangement has been featured in multiple live performances and two live recordings.[73]
In September 2011, Emerson began working with Norwegian conductorTerje Mikkelsen,along with the Keith Emerson Band featuring Marc Bonilla and theMunich Radio Orchestra,on new orchestral renditions of ELP classics and their new compositions. The project "The Three Fates" was premiered inNorwayin early September 2012, supervised by Norwegian professor and musicianBjørn Ole Raschfor the NorwegianSimax label.[74][75]The work received its UK live premiere on 10 July 2015 at London'sBarbican Centre,with theBBC Concert Orchestra,as part of the celebration of the life and work of Robert Moog.[76]
Emerson made his conducting debut with Orchestra Kentucky ofBowling Green, Kentuckyin September 2013. In October 2014, Emerson conducted the South Shore Symphony at his 70th birthday tribute concert atMolloy CollegeinRockville Centre,New York.The concert also featured the premiere of hisThree String Quartets,[77]and a performance of Emerson's "Piano Concerto No. 1" by Jeffrey Biegel.[78][79][80]
Other appearances and activities
editIn 2000, Emerson was a featured panelist and performer at "The Keyboard Meets Modern Technology", an event honouring Moog presented by theSmithsonianinWashington, D.C.,in conjunction with a gallery exhibition celebrating the 300th anniversary of the piano.[81][82]Emerson later headlined both the first and thirdMoogfest,a festival held in honour ofRobert Moog,at theB. B. King Blues Club & GrillatTimes Squarein New York City, in 2004 and 2006 respectively.[83][84]
Emerson opened theLed Zeppelinreunion/Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concertat theO2 Arenain London on 10 December 2007,[85]along withChris SquireandAlan White(Yes) andSimon Kirke(Bad Company/Free). The supergroup played a new arrangement of "Fanfare for the Common Man".[86]Emerson also made a guest appearance in 2009 onSpinal Tap's albumBack from the Dead,[87]and played on several songs at Spinal Tap's "One Night Only World Tour" atWembley Arenaon 30 June 2009.[88][89][90]
In 2004 Emerson published his autobiography entitledPictures of an Exhibitionist,which dealt with his life up to his nearly career-ending nerve-graft surgery in 1993.[91][92]In 2007, Emerson began working with Canadian independent filmmaker Jason Woodford to make a documentary film based on his autobiography.[93][94]As of March 2016, production was still ongoing and the filmmakers were seeking funding to finish the film, according to the webpage of an artists' management company representing Emerson.[95]
Personal life
editAround the Christmas of 1969, Emerson married his Danish girlfriend Elinor Lund.[96]They had two sons, Aaron and Damon,[97]before they divorced in 1994. Emerson said it was his fault, as he had "fallen in love with someone else."[33][98]Emerson then had a long-term relationship with Mari Kawaguchi.[99]
In April 1975, Emerson's Sussex house burned down and he relocated to London.[100]
Emerson enjoyed flying as a hobby, and he obtained his pilot's licence in 1972. When Emerson moved toSanta Monica, Californiain the mid-1990s,John Lydon,who had openly and harshly criticised ELP during the 1970s when Lydon was a member of the punk bandSex Pistols,was Emerson's neighbour.[33]The two became friends, with Lydon saying in a 2007 interview, "He's a great bloke".[99]In 2002, Emerson was in the process of returning to live in England.[33]
Health issues
editIn 1993, Emerson was forced to take a year off from playing after he developed a nerve-related condition affecting his right hand that he likened to "writer's cramp", and that was also reported as a form of arthritis.[33][101]It marked a low period for Emerson, who was going through a divorce and having financial difficulties. He turned to alcohol, before a course of psychotherapy led to his move to Santa Monica. During his time off, he ran marathons, customised aHarley-Davidsonmotorcycle, and wrote film scores and his autobiography,Pictures of an Exhibitionist,which opens and closes with an account of his illness and subsequent arm operation.[91][92]
In 2002, Emerson had regained the full use of his hands and could play to his usual strength.[33]In 2016, he was corresponding with a carpal-tunnel syndrome expert about his struggle withfocal dystonia,who said "Musicians can't talk about it because they won't get another gig if word gets out that they're in pain so they keep quiet."[102]
In September 2010, Emerson underwent immediate surgery after a routine colonoscopy had revealed a "rather dangerous" polyp in his lower colon.[103]
Death
editEmerson died on 11 March 2016 in Santa Monica, California, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.[7][8][9]His body was found at his Santa Monica home.[104]Following apost-mortem,the medical examiner ruled Emerson's death a suicide, and concluded that he had also hadheart diseaseanddepressionassociated with alcohol.[7][105]According to Emerson's girlfriend Mari Kawaguchi, Emerson had become "depressed, nervous, and anxious" because nerve damage had hampered his playing, and he was worried that he would perform poorly at upcoming concerts in Japan and disappoint his fans.[106][107]
Emerson was buried on 1 April 2016 at Lancing and Sompting Cemetery,Lancing, West Sussex.[108]Although his death had been reported by news sources and an official Emerson, Lake and Palmersocial mediapage as having occurred on the night of 10 March,[8][9]his grave memorial gives his date of death as 11 March 2016.[108][a]
His former ELP bandmates,Carl PalmerandGreg Lake,both issued statements on his death. Palmer said, "Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come."[109]Lake said, "As sad and tragic as Keith's death is, I would not want this to be the lasting memory people take away with them. What I will always remember about Keith Emerson was his remarkable talent as a musician and composer and his gift and passion to entertain. Music was his life and despite some of the difficulties he encountered I am sure that the music he created will live on forever."[110]Lake died later that same year.[111]
A tribute concert featuringBrian Auger,Jordan Rudess,Eddie Jobson,Aaron Emerson,Steve Lukather,Steve Porcaro,Marc Bonilla,andRachel Flowerstook place at theEl Rey Theatre.Proceeds from sales of the DVD go to theDystoniaMedical Research Foundation.[112][113]
Playing style
editEmerson sometimes reached into the interior of his piano and hit, plucked, or strummed the strings with his hand. He said that as a keyboard player, he hated the idea of being "static" and that to avoid it, he "wanted to get inside the piano, brush the strings, stick Ping-Pong balls inside".[114]"Take a Pebble" included Emerson strumming the strings of his piano, a technique pioneered byavant-gardecomposerHenry Cowell,referred to asstring piano.[115]In the Nice's 1968 live performance of "Hang on to a Dream" on the German television programBeat-Club(later released on DVD in 1997), Emerson can be seen and heard reaching inside his grand piano at one point and plucking its strings.[116][117]
In addition to such experimentation, Emerson also incorporated unique musical stylization into his work. Emerson is recognized for having integrated different sounds into his writing, utilizing methods of both horizontal and vertical contrast. Horizontal contrast is the use of distinct styles in a piece of music, combined by alternating between two different segments (in Emerson's case, most frequently alternating classical and non-classical); this technique can be seen in numerous works, such as "Rondo", "Tantalising Maggie", "The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack"and others. Vertical contrast is the combination of multiple styles simultaneously; Emerson frequently played a given style with one hand and a contrasting one with the other. This structure can be seen in works such as" Intermezzo from the Karelia Suite "," Rondo ", and others. Emerson's love of modern music such as Copland and Bartok was evident in his open voicings and use of fifths and fourths," Fanfare "emulated guitar power chords. He also used dissonance, atonality, sonata and fugue forms, exposing rock and roll audiences to myriad classical styles from Bach to Stravinsky.[118]
Instrumentation
editEmerson used a variety of electronic keyboard instruments during his career, including severalHammond organsand synthesisers byMoog Music,Yamaha,andKorg.From time to time he also used other instruments such aspipe organs,agrand piano,aclavinet,and very briefly, aMellotron.[119]During his ELP years, Emerson toured with a large amount of gear, taking thirteen keyboard units to a December 1973 show atMadison Square Garden,[120]and later travelling with a largeYamaha GX-1that required eight roadies to move it.[119]Michael "Supe" Granda ofThe Ozark Mountain Daredevilsrecalled Emerson's organ rig as being "as large as [the Daredevils'] entire stage plot".[121]
Pre-ELP equipment and Hammond organs
editInitially a piano player, Emerson obtained his firstHammond organ,an L-100, after hearing jazz organistJack McDuffand becoming frustrated with brokenhammersinside pianos.[20]Around 1968, during his time with the Nice, he added a second Hammond organ, the more expensive C-3, and placed the two organs sideways and facing each other so he could stand between the two keyboards and play both with his unobstructed body facing the audience.[122]Emerson preferred the sound of the C-3 as being "far superior" to the cheaper L-100, and used the L100 to "throw around and make it feed back".[20][123]Emerson got the L-100 to feed back by placing it close to the onstage speakers and using afuzzbox.[20]He continued to perform physical abuse stunts with the L-100 to some degree throughout his years with ELP.[124]
Throughout his career, Emerson owned a number of L-100 models in various states of repair to support his act. These organs were also specially reinforced and modified to enhance their sound and help prevent damage while on tour, and were reported to weigh 300 to 350 pounds.[125]By contrast, his C-3 organ was not used for stunts and Emerson continued to play his original C-3 for many years, using it on all the ELP albums and tours throughout the 1970s.[124]He also owned several other Hammond organ models in addition to the L-100s and the C-3.[123]When Emerson sold much of his gear in the mid-1990s, his Hammond organs were among the items he kept as being "too personal to let go".[119]The remains of one L-100 that failed and burned during a 1990s ELP show in Boston were donated to theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.[125]
ELP equipment and Moog synthesisers
editWith ELP, Emerson added the Moog synthesiser behind the C-3 with the keyboard andribbon controllerstacked on the top of the organ.[124]The ribbon controller allowed Emerson to vary pitch, volume or timbre of the output from the Moog by moving his finger up and down the length of a touch-sensitive strip. It also could be used as a phallic symbol, and outfitted with a small rocket launcher, it quickly became a feature of the act.[30]He continued to divide his keyboard setup into two banks so that he could play between them with his body in view.[30]When the ultra-compact MoogMinimoogfirst appeared it was placed where needed, such as on top of the grand piano. AHohnerclavinetL, with reversed black and white keys, was also part of Emerson's keyboard rig. Although it could be heard on numerous album pieces, according to Emerson, it was only used for one song, "Nut Rocker"in concert.[119]
During theBrain Salad Surgerytour of 1974, Emerson's keyboard setup included the Hammond C-3 organ, run through multipleLeslie speakersdriven by HiWatt guitar amplifiers, the Moog 3C modular synthesiser (modified by addition of various modules and anoscilloscope) with ribbon controller, aSteinwayconcert grand piano with a Minimoog synthesiser on top of it, an upright acoustic-electric piano that was used for honky-tonk piano sounds, a Hohner Clavinet and another Minimoog synthesiser. Emerson also used a prototype polyphonic synthesiser produced by Moog, which was the test bed for the MoogPolymoogpolyphonic synthesiser. The original synthesiser setup as envisioned by Moog was called the Constellation, and consisted of three instruments – the polyphonic synthesiser, called the Apollo, a monophonic lead synthesiser called the Lyra, and a bass-pedal synthesiser, called theTaurus,but Emerson never used the Taurus.[124]
Pipe organs
editOccasionally Emerson used apipe organ,when available, in live performances and on recordings. He played theRoyal Albert Hall Organat a show with The Nice on 26 June 1968, where the band controversially burned a painting of anAmerican flagonstage to protest against theVietnam War.[126]The stunt caused a storm of objections in the US and The Nice received a lifetime ban from the venue.[25][127]
With ELP, Emerson used theRoyal Festival Hall organfor the "Clotho" segment of "The Three Fates" on the 1970eponymous debut albumby ELP.[128]He played this organ again in 2002 to open The Nice reunion tour show, but according to a reviewer, the organ failed to operate at the expected volume.[65]
TheNewcastle City Hall organwas used for the introductory section ofPictures at an Exhibition,recorded there live on 26 March 1971.[129]Emerson was recorded playing the organ at St. Mark's Church in London for "The Only Way (Hymn)" on the 1971 ELP albumTarkus.[130]
Yamaha Electone GX-1 synthesiser
editAfter founder Robert Moog left Moog Music in the late 1970s, Emerson began to consider using synthesisers made by other companies.[119]Emerson became one of the few buyers of theYamaha GX-1polyphonic synthesiser, which reportedly cost almost $50,000. The GX-1 was subsequently used on the ELP albumWorks Volume 1,particularly on the song "Fanfare for the Common Man",and on tour.[131]It can be seen in ELP'sWorks Orchestral Tourvideo[131]and in promotional photos and videos from 1977 featuring the band playing "Fanfare" outdoors during a snowstorm inMontreal'sOlympic Stadium.[132]Emerson later bought a second GX-1 fromJohn Paul JonesofLed Zeppelin,and used parts from it to repair his original GX-1, which was damaged by a tractor crashing into Emerson's home studio.[119][133]
Emerson sold much of his keyboard equipment in the 1990s when he relocated from England toSanta Monica, California.[119]The John Paul Jones GX-1 was sold to film composerHans Zimmer,while Emerson's original GX-1 was sold to Italian keyboardist Riccardo Grotto.[133][134]
Korg synthesisers
editIn the late 1970s, Emerson also began to use theKorg PS-3300and PS-3100, which at the time were among the world's first fully polyphonic synthesizers. These Korgs appeared on the ELP albumLove Beach,and Emerson continued to use them into the 1980s for his solo albumHonkyand his soundtrack work. He also became an official endorser for the PS-3300 and PS-3100 in the early 1980s.[135][136]
By the late 2000s, Emerson was employing "a host of Korg gear" including theKorg OASYSandKorg TritonExtrememusic workstationsynthesisers.[137]A review of the DVD release of ELP's 2010 one-off reunion show said that the Korg OASYS "appear[ed] to be Emerson's go-to instrument", although he also used a Hammond C-3 and a Moog with a ribbon controller onstage.[138]
Honours and awards
editIn December 1980Contemporary Keyboardmagazine announced, in their Fifth Annual Readers' Poll, that Emerson had—for the fifth time in a row—captured first place in two categories - ' "Overall Best Keyboardist" and "Best Multi-Keyboardist". The five-time wins put Emerson in their "Gallery Of The Greats" for both categories. The same poll also saw Emerson take "Best Rock Organist" for the fourth time and "Best Lead Synthesist".[139]
In March 2010 Emerson received the annualFrankfurt Music Prizefor his achievements, awarded inFrankfurton the eve of the annualMusikmessefair.[140]
In September 2013 Orchestra Kentucky ofBowling Greengave Emerson their Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts and Humanities "for his role in bringing classical music to the masses".[79][141]
In 2014 Emerson was inducted into the Hammond Hall of Fame by the Hammond Organ Company.[55]
Discography
editSolo works
editStudio albums
edit- Honky(1981) (digitally re-mastered 2013)[142]
- The Christmas Album(1988)
- Changing States(1995)
- Emerson Plays Emerson(2002)
- Keith Emerson Band featuring Marc Bonilla(2008)
- The Three Fates Project(withMarc Bonilla,Terje Mikkelsen) (2012)[143]
Live albums
edit- Boys Club – Live from California(withGlenn Hughes,Marc Bonilla) (2009)[144]
- Moscow(with Keith Emerson Band Featuring Marc Bonilla) CD & DVD (2010)[145]
- Live from Manticore Hall(withGreg Lake) (2010)[146]
Soundtrack albums
edit- Inferno(1980)[147]
- Nighthawks(1981)[148]
- Murderock(1984)[149]
- Best Revenge(1985)[150]
- Harmageddon/China Free Fall(1987) — Split album with Derek Austin. Emerson did theHarmageddonsoundtrack while Austin did theChina Free Fallsoundtrack.[151]
- Iron Man Vol. 1(2001)
- La Chiesa(2002) — Music from the 1989 horror filmThe Church,also known asLa chiesa.Also contains material byFabio PignatelliandGoblin.[152]
- Godzilla: Final Wars(2004)[153]
Compilations
edit- Chord Sampler(1984)
- The Emerson Collection(1986)[154]
- At the Movies(2005)[155]
- Hammer It Out – The Anthology(2005)[156]
- Off the Shelf(2006)[157]
Singles
editContributions
edit- "In the Flesh?"(2 versions) and"Waiting for the Worms"onPink Floydtribute albumBack Against the Wall(2005)[159]
- "Black Dog"onLed Zeppelintribute albumLed Box: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute(2008)[160]
- Ayreon- "Progressive Waves" onThe Theory of Everything(2013)[161]
- Spinal Tap- "Heavy Duty" onBack from the Dead
As part of a group
edit- The Nice discography
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer discography
- Emerson, Lake & Powell discography
- 3 discography
- The BestA band includingJoe Walsh,Jeff "Skunk" Baxter,John EntwistleandSimon Phillips,they recorded a DVD of a live concert in Yokohama Japan, on the 26 September 1990 which was published in 2010.
Pieces based on other works
editEmerson occasionallycoveredorsampledother musical works in his compositions. Permission to use pieces was sometimes denied by the composer or his family; for exampleGustav Holst's daughter refused to grant official permission for rock bands to perform her late father's compositionMars, the Bringer of War.[162]However, a number of composers did grant permission for their works to be used.Aaron Coplandsaid that there was "something that attracted [him]" about ELP's version of "Fanfare for the Common Man", and so approved its use, although he said, "What they do in the middle (i.e., the modal section between repeats of Copland's theme), I'm not sure exactly how they connect that with my music".[163]Alberto Ginastera,on the other hand, enthusiastically approved Emerson's electronic realisation of the fourth movement of his first piano concerto, which appeared on their albumBrain Salad Surgeryunder the title "Toccata". Ginastera said, "You have captured the essence of my music, and no one's ever done that before."[164]
With The Nice
edit- "America, 2nd Amendment", fromWest Side Story's"America",byLeonard Bernstein,credited, quotingAntonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9,From the New World,uncredited.[18][165]
- "Rondo", derived fromDave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo à la Turk", uncredited, quoting Bach,Italian Concertothird movement, uncredited.[18]
- "Diary of an Empty Day", fromSymphonie EspagnolebyÉdouard Lalo,credited.[18]
- "Azrael Revisited", quotingSergei Rachmaninoff'sPrelude in C-sharp minor,credited.[18]
- "Ars Longa Vita Brevis"– Bach, the thirdBrandenburg Concerto,Allegro, credited.[18]
- "Intermezzo from the Karelia Suite"–Sibelius,credited.[18]
- "Pathetique", third movement fromTchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, credited.[18]
- "She Belongs to Me",byBob Dylan,credited, quoting Bach, uncredited,[166]and fragments of the theme fromThe Magnificent Seven,byElmer Bernstein,uncredited.[18]
- "Country Pie",byBob Dylan,credited, lyrics partly set to Bach, the sixthBrandenburg Concerto,credited.[18]
With ELP
edit- "The Barbarian", based onAllegro barbaro,Sz. 49, BB 63 byBéla Bartók,uncredited on US release ofEmerson Lake & Palmer(credited on the British Manticore re-pressing of the original LP).[167]
- "Knife-Edge",based on theSinfoniettabyLeoš Janáček,uncredited on US release (credited on the British Manticore re-pressing of the original LP); middle section based on the Allemande fromFrench SuitesNo. 1 in D minor, byJ. S. Bach,uncredited.[167]
- "The Only Way (Hymn)", incorporating (in the song's introduction and bridge) J. S. Bach's 'Organ Toccata in Fand Prelude VI from Book I of theWell-Tempered Clavier', credited onTarkus.[168]
- "Are You Ready Eddy?", based on the tune ofBobby Troup's song "The Girl Can't Help It"and including a quote from theAssemblybugle call,both uncredited (onTarkus).[169]
- Pictures at an Exhibition,byModest Mussorgsky,credited.[18]
- "Blues Variation" fromPictures at an Exhibitionalso contains an uncredited quote of the 'head' ofBill Evans' minor blues piece "Interplay"(1:52), andMiles Davis' "Weirdo" (Ballads and Blues (Miles Davis album)), (akaWalkin') (2:45).[170]
- "Nut Rocker",adapted byKim Fowley,credited, fromTchaikovsky's "March of the Wooden Soldiers", uncredited.[18]
- "Hoedown", fromRodeobyAaron Copland,credited, quoting "Shortnin' Bread"and"Turkey in the Straw",both traditional.[171]
- "Abaddon's Bolero", quoting "The Girl I Left Behind",traditional.[172]
- "Jerusalem",byC. Hubert H. Parry,credited.[173]
- "Maple Leaf Rag",byScott Joplin(inWorks Volume 2), credited.[18]
- "Toccata", from a piano concerto byAlberto Ginastera,endorsed by the composer, credited.[164]
- "Karn Evil 9, 2nd Impression", quoting "St. Thomas",aCaribbeanmelody sometimes attributed toSonny Rollins,uncredited.[174]
- "Fanfare for the Common Man",byAaron Copland,credited.[163]
- Carmina Burana,byCarl Orff,quoted in an extended solo in live recordings from Poland.[175]
- With Emerson, Lake & Powell, the main theme to "Touch & Go" is identical to the English folk song "Lovely Joan",better known as the counterpoint tune inRalph Vaughan Williams'Fantasia on Greensleeves.Not credited.[176][177]
- With Emerson, Lake & Powell, "Mars" is based on the equivalent movement from the suiteThe Planets,byGustav Holst.Credited.[178]
- "Romeo & Juliet" from theRomeo and Julietsuite bySergei Prokofiev,credited.[178]
- "Love at First Sight" intro,Étude Op. 10, No. 1,byFrédéric Chopin,uncredited.[179]
Songs composed by Emerson (alone or with contributions from others)
editBesides hisPiano Concerto,there are several examples of Emerson creativity in original composition. Since the late Sixties he wrote a wide typology of pieces in different musical styles ranging from pop rock songs such asFlower King of Flies,The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack,Happy Freudsto complex pieces including transversal influences from baroque to contemporary and jazz, anticipating the progressive genre (For Example,Five Bridges Suite). During the seventies alongside arrangements of classic tracks and Lake's ballads, a decisive element of EL&P's albums are the compositions featuring music entirely written by Emerson. His trademark is a very varied range of musical approach: songs with a hard rock impact with a jazz flavour such asBitches Crystal,A Time and a Place,Living Sin,examples of country or stride piano such asJeremy BenderorBenny the Bouncer,and adventurous instrumentals difficult to classify in one genre, such asThe Three Fates, Tank, Abaddon's Bolero.The more structured and complex epic tracks such asTarkus, Trilogy, The Endless Enigma, Karn Evil 9, Pirates, Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentlemanare all Emerson’s compositions. As a soloist, after hisPiano Concertoa period of compositions recorded with the orchestra opened during the early Eighties (Inferno, Nighthawks, Orchestral Suite to Best Revenge). In the following decades Emerson composed many pieces for piano, such asThe Dreamer, And Then January, Outgoing Tide, Broken Bough, Soulscapes,displaying an intimate and crepuscular inspiration, also reiterated in orchestral pieces such asGlorietta PassandAfter All of This.Funky and dance rhythms can be found in several songs present in theMurderockandNighthawkssoundtracks, whereas in some tracks ofGodzilla Final Warsthe sound are those of the 2000s. A return to the visionary and tumultuous style of progressive music is represented by the album recorded under the name of the Keith Emerson Band, which includes the long suiteThe House Of Ocean Born Maryco-written with Marc Bonilla.
See the section below for a list of songs composed or co-composed by Emerson.
With Keith Emerson Trio
edit- Winkle Picker Stamp (Emerson)
- 56 Blues (Emerson
With The Nice
edit- Flower King of Flies (Emerson; lyrics: Jackson)
- The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack (O'List, Emerson)
- Tantalising Maggie (Emerson; lyrics: Jackson)
- Dawn (Davison, Emerson, Jackson)
- The Cry of Eugene (O'List, Emerson, Jackson)
- The Diamond Hard Blue Apples Of The Moon (Emerson, O'List, Davison, Jackson)
- Daddy Where Did I Come From? (Emerson; lyrics: Jackson)
- Little Arabella (Emerson; lyrics: Jackson)
- Happy Freuds (Emerson; lyrics: Jackson)
- Ars Longa Vita Brevis: Prelude, 2nd Movement,4th Movement e Coda (Emerson, O'List, Davison, Jackson)
- For Example (Emerson; lyrics: Jackson)
- The Five Bridges Suite: Fantasia, Chorale, High Level Fugue, Finale
- One of Those People (Emerson; lyrics: Jackson)
With Emerson Lake & Palmer/Emerson Lake & Powell/Three
edit- The Three Fates: Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos (Emerson)
- Tank (Emerson, Palmer)
- Rave Up (Emerson, Lake, Palmer)
- Tarkus: Eruption, Stones of Years, Iconoclast, Mass, Manticore, Aquatarkus (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Jeremy Bender (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Bitches Crystal (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- The Only Way/Infinite Space (Emerson, Bach; lyrics: Lake)
- A Time and a Place (Emerson, Lake, Palmer)
- The Old Castle (Emerson, Mussorgsky)
- Blues Variation (Emerson, Lake, Palmer)
- The Curse Of Baba Yaga (Emerson, Lake, Palmer)
- The Endless Enigma (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- The Sheriff (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Trilogy (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Living Sin (Emerson, Lake, Palmer)
- Abaddon's Bolero (Emerson)
- Benny the Bouncer (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Karn Evil 9 1st, 2nd, 3rd Impression (Emerson; lyrics: Lake, Sinfield)
- Piano Concerto n.1: Allegro Giojoso, Andante Molto Cantabile, Toccata con Fuoco (Emerson)
- L.A.Nights (Emerson, Palmer)
- Pirates (Emerson; lyrics: Lake, Sinfield)
- Tiger in a Spotlight (Emerson, Lake, Palmer, Sinfield)
- When The Apple Blossoms Bloom In The Windmills Of Your Mind I'll Be Your Valentine (Emerson, Lake, Palmer)
- Brain Salad Surgery (Emerson, Lake, Sinfield)
- Barrelhouse Shake-Down (Emerson)
- So Far To Fall (Emerson; lyrics: Lake, Sinfield)
- The Gambler (Emerson, Lake, Sinfield)
- Memoirs Of An Officer And A Gentleman: Prologue / The Education Of A Gentleman, Love At First Sight, Letters From The Front, Honourable Company (A March) (Emerson; lyrics: Sinfield)
- Introductory Fanfare (Emerson)
- The Score (Emerson)
- Learning To Fly (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- The Miracle (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Touch And Go (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Love Blind (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Step Aside (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Lay Down Your Guns (Emerson; lyrics: Lake, Gould)
- Vacant Possession (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Lover to Lover(Emerson, Berry, Palmer)
- Desde la Vida (Emerson, Berry, Palmer)
- On My Way Home (Emerson)
- Black Moon (Emerson, Lake, Palmer)
- Paper Blood (Emerson, Lake, Palmer)
- Farewell To Arms (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- Changing States (Emerson)
- Close To Home (Emerson)
- Better Days (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- A Blade of Grass (Emerson)
- Hand of Truth (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- One By One (Emerson, Lake, Olsen)
- Thin Line (Emerson, Wray, Olsen)
- Change (Emerson, Wray, Olsen)
- Street War (Emerson; lyrics: Lake)
- A Cajun Alley (Emerson)
Solo
edit- Inferno (colonna sonora):15 tracks (Emerson; lyrics on Mater Tenebrarum: Emerson/Salmon)
- Nighthawks (colonna sonora):10 tracks (Emerson; lyrics on Nighthawking: Mark Mueller)
- Salt Cay (Emerson)
- Green Ice (Emerson)
- Rum-a-ting (Emerson)
- Jesus Loves Me (Emerson)
- Harmagedon (colonna sonora):6 tracks (Emerson; lyrics on Children of the Light: Tony Allen)
- Murderock (colonna sonora):11 tracks (Emerson; lyrics on 3 tracks: Doreen Chanter)
- Best Revenge (colonna sonora):5 tracks and 1 orchestral suite
- My Name is Rain (Emerson; lyrics: Lorna Wright)
- Snowman's Land (Emerson)
- Captain Starship Christmas (Emerson; lyrics: Lorna Wright)
- Up The Elephant And Round The Castle (Emerson; lyrics: Jim Davidson)
- Empire of Delight (Emerson; lyrics: Peter Hammill)
- Airport Of Silence (Emerson, Tate; lyrics: Troy Tate)
- Last Ride Into The Sun (Emerson, Berry, Palmer)
- La Chiesa (colonna sonora):3 tracks (Emerson)
- Shelter from the Rain (Emerson, Bonilla, Gilbert)
- Another Frontier (Emerson)
- Ballade (Emerson)
- The Band KeepsPlaying (Emerson, Bonilla, Gilbert)
- Interlude (Emerson)
- Vagrant (Emerson)
- Solitudinous (Emerson)
- Broken Bough (Emerson)
- Outgoing Tide (Emerson)
- Roll'n Jelly (Emerson)
- B & W Blues (Emerson)
- For Kevin (Emerson)
- Hammer It Out (Emerson)
- Ballad For A Common Man (Emerson)
- Nilu's Dream (Emerson)
- Lament For Tony Stratton Smith (Emerson)
- And Then January (Emerson)
- Rio (Emerson)
- Soulscapes (Emerson)
- Asian Pear (Emerson)
- Motor Bikin' (Emerson)
- Katoh-San (Emerson)
- Star Strike Theme (Emerson)
- Iron Man (colonna sonora):1 track and 5 suites (Emerson)
- Godzilla Final Wars (colonna sonora):13 tracks (Emerson)
- Land of the Rising Sun (Emerson)
- New Orleans (Emerson)
- Middle of a Dream (Emerson, Bonilla, Hughes)
- The House Of Ocean Born Mary: Ignition, 1st Presence, Last Horizon, Crusaders Cross, Fugue, 2nd Presence, Blue Inferno, 3rd Presence, Prelude To A Hope (Emerson; 3 tracks: Emerson, Bonilla)
- The Art of Falling Down (Emerson, Bonilla)
- Gametime (Emerson, Bonilla)
- One By One (Emerson, Berry)
- What You're Dreaming Now (Emerson, Berry)
- Somebody's Watching (Emerson, Berry)
- Your Mark On The World (Emerson, Berry)
- Sailors Horn Pipe (Emerson, Berry)
- Never (Emerson, Berry)
- Beyond The Stars (Emerson)
- Glorietta Pass (Emerson)
- After All Of This (Emerson)
Literature
edit- Ford, Peter T. (1994).The compositional style of Keith Emerson in Tarkus (1971) for the rock music trio Emerson, Lake and Palmer.Terre Haute: Indiana State University.(Thesis M.A.)
In popular culture
editOn the UK surreal television comedy seriesBig Train,Kevin Eldonportrayed Emerson as aRoman slavefighting his enemies withprogressive rock.[180]
The long-running comic-strip characterKeef da Bladein theGonville and Caius College, Cambridge,student newspaperLachesis(1970s)[181]is based largely on Emerson, the character's name being presumably a reference to his trademark stage antics with knives.
See also
editFootnotes
edit- ^Emerson's death occurred on 10 March local time, which was 11 March in the UK
References
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- ^Lupis, Giuseppe (May 2006).The Published Music of Keith Emerson: Expanding the Solo Piano Repertoire(D.M.A.). University of Georgia. p. 5.OCLC223323019.Retrieved7 January2015.
- ^Lupis, pp. 6–8.
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- ^"25 Giants of Keyboard Music".Keyboard.San Francisco, California:CMP Entertainment Media. January 2000. pp. 32–42.
No one else captured the hearts of fledgling rock keyboardists through the '70s and '80s the way he did.
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Throughout his career with the Nice, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and as a solo artist, Emerson proved himself perhaps the greatest, most technically accomplished keyboardist in rock history.
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- ^abcCateforis, Theo (2011).Are We Not New Wave? Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s.Ann Arbor, Michigan:University of Michigan Press.p. 158.ISBN978-0-472-03470-3.
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- ^Sutherland, Sam (27 January 1973)."Studio Track".Billboard.New York City.p. 28.Retrieved13 March2016.
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- ^Bernstein, David (29 September 2004), "A Comeback for Another Classic Rocker: The Moog Synthesizer",The New York Times"Mr. Emerson's towering, 10-foot-tall, 550-poundMonster Moog,as he called it, was an indispensable part of the group's concerts, even though it was often unreliable and difficult to play. "
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- ^Romano, p.PT42.
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- ^abKeith Emerson (interviewee) (1997).Welcome Back... The ELP Story(Audio documentary).Manticore Records(CD); Ladies of the Lake - A Greg Lake Tribute Site (transcription). a55656 (M-CD102 PRO). Archived fromthe original(Audio CD)on 7 October 2015.Retrieved16 March2016.
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- ^ab"Official Singles Chart Results Matching: Honky Tonk Train Blues".officialcharts.com.10 April 1976.Retrieved17 March2016.
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... I was playing in a band called, Aliens of Extraordinary Ability, with Keith Emerson. We were offered a record deal with Samsung, but Keith decided to go back to Emerson, Lake and Palmer. I then got involved in the reformation of the band Sweet, which ended up not happening.
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He worked on the orchestration of Emerson Lake and Palmer's Work 'Tarkus' with much success leading to multiple Live Performances and 2 Live Recordings.
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Emerson was clearly in charge... even plucking the piano strings at one point.
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Strikingly, he (Emerson) was often using two Hammonds, as can be seen at a Beat-Club performance in 1970/71. Both set up in right angle to stage and facing their keys, with Emerson standing in the middle, playing both of them simultaneously and in this way usually facing the audience. That was his favourite position, no matter if his equipment was left, right, or center of the stage and he continues to act this way in the 90s.
{{cite web}}
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{{cite web}}
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has generic name (help) - ^"Hammer It Out: The Anthology - Keith Emerson".AllMusic.19 July 2005.Retrieved13 March2016.
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... East European elements find their way into his rollicking organ and Moog arrangement alongside American folk tunes like 'Shortnin' Bread' and 'Turkey in the Straw.'
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Once you hear (Abaddon), you know that it's mostly true to classical form, in that the triplet-heavy melody keeps repeating itself, but every time louder and with more bells and whistles, even cranking in a phrase from the folksong The Girl I Left Behind Me before it's all over[.]
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The 'Caribbean solo' of the 2nd Impression was played on a Minimoog (an interpolation of the song 'St. Thomas' by Sonny Rollins).
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Further reading
edit- Emerson, Keith (2003),Pictures of an Exhibitionist: From the Nice to Emerson, Lake and Palmer - The True Story of the Man Who Changed the Sound of Rock,John Blake,ISBN1-84454-053-7
- Forrester, George, Martyn Hanson and Frank Askew.Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Show That Never Ends, A Musical Biography.(2001) Helter Skelter PublishingISBN1-900924-17-X.
- Lupis, Giuseppe (May 2006).The Published Music of Keith Emerson: Expanding the Solo Piano Repertoire(D.M.A.). University of Georgia.OCLC223323019.Retrieved7 January2015.
- Macan, Edward (2006),Endless Enigma: A Musical Biography of Emerson, Lake and Palmer,Feedback Series in Contemporary Music, Vol. 4, Open Court,ISBN978-0-8126-9596-0
- Pethel, Blair (1988).Keith Emerson: The Emergence and Growth of Style: A Study of Selected Works(D.M.A.). Peabody Conservatory of Music.OCLC37599731.Archived fromthe originalon 8 January 2015.Retrieved7 January2015.
External links
edit- Official website(archived)
- Keith EmersonatAllMusic
- Keith Emersondiscography atDiscogs
- Keith EmersonatIMDb
- Keith Emerson InterviewatNAMM Oral History Collection