By pejepeine
Baroque DJ
Someone once mentioned to me the Four Bs of 60s easy listening: Beatles, Bacharach, Bossa and Bach. The first three are fairly easy to explain, and represent wider trends in pop, rock, jazz and Tin Pan Alley song writing, but it’s a little harder to work out why Johann Sebastian became such a huge influence on the decade.
The answer probably lies with Jacques Loussier’s Trio, whose cool jazz versions of Bach pieces sold huge quantities around the world in the early 60s. Loussier played piano, but it seems that the resulting interest in baroque music popularised the harpsichord, which had already been undergoing a revival in classical music that had made new instruments available.
Its unique sound, its ability to instantly conjure up impressions of courtly times gone by and its way of piercing through a wall of instruments led to it becoming widespread in the late 60s pop, especially psychedelia, but also the more symphonic side of soul, soundtracks and easy listening, and although it seems to be almost entirely absent from certain genres, it has never gone away since. I’m also convinced that its mechanical sound, combined with the mathematical perfection of Bach’s works, was a huge influence on early electronic music. Wendy Carlos’s first album, Switched-On Bach, was certainly a further step in the revival that Loussier started.
Most people will think of antique delicacy when a harpsichord is mentioned, but it’s mechanical buzz can also be thrillingly aggressive. To prove it, we’ll kick off with Wynder K. Frog’s Harpsichord Shuffle, a bluesy pop groover in which the harpsichord barges in at the end and kicks the walls down.
It’s also an instrument with whirling, kaleidoscopic possibilities, as shown on György Ligeti’s Continuum, simultaneously frantic and stately, and every bit as mind-bending as any psychedelia.
About that delicacy: Gwenno uses an electric harpsichord on her beautiful Cornish language son Hunros
Next is the unmistakeable harpsichord motif on Van Morrison’s Cyprus Avenue. This is for my mum, who left Belfast five years before Van and was recently brought to tears by Ken Branagh’s film about leaving the place.
Paul Mauriat is one of the kings of the French bargain bins and I encountered plenty of his immense output recently in his home town of Marseille. He was also a genuinely talented and innovative arranger. His harpsichord-laden version of Love Is Blue was an immense global hit, and is one of the touchstones of 60s easy listening - .
Norman Whitfield, Thom Bell and Charles Stepney all brought the harpsichord into soul, as it moved towards the symphonic style and assimilated pop and psychedelic currents. Lesser celebrated is Motown stalwart Hal Davis, who was behind the Jackson 5’s massive hits. The urgency of the harpsichord on Wanna Be Where You Are is the perfect accompaniment for young Michael Jackson’s incredible vocal talent.
The harpsichord was also used widely among film composers, obviously to provide restoration atmosphere for costume dramas, but also adding a smattering of psychedelia or spidery, moody touches. Serge Gainsbourg and Jean Claude Vannier’s theme for Le Horse teams the instrument with a banjo and a funky beat to fine effect.
Brian Auger had never played a harpsichord before The Yardbirds called him into the studio for a session, but his powerful rolling arpeggios and a skittering bongo launched one of the defining harpsi-hits of the 60s. He describes the session here.
Love ballads seem to be suited to the harpsichord, especially the courtly variety. Lady Jane is probably the most famous of these, but I’ve never been able to stand Jagger’s ham. Elton John does a much better job with I Need You To Turn To.
John Barry uses harpsichord in his lovely score for Nic Roeg’s Walkabout which, like the Paul Mauriat tune, I’ve included simply because it somehow managed to engrave itself on my memory without ever really knowing more about it.
In his 80s, Pharoah Sanders topped several end-of -year lists last year with his collaboration with Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra. Its as ambient as it is spiritual, and the great saxophonists meditations are underpinned by a slow, repetitive harpsichord glissando.
We’ll finish with the harpsichord romping merrily in its baroque home turf, with Arcangelo Corelli’s Violin Sonato No 12, D Minor. Op 5. Folia.
Thanks to everyone for their nominations. I made a rash decision to open the remit to include clavinets on Friday, but it didn’t really take off and I soon realised that the clavinet really doesn’t sound that much like a harpsichord at all, so apologies for that.
After The Archicembalo A-List Playlist:
Wynder K. Frog – Harpsichord Shuffle (ShivSidecar)
György Ligeti – Continuum (LoudAtlas)
Gwenno – Hunros (Alaric)
Van Morrison – Cyprus Avenue (UncleBen)
Paul Mauriat Orchestra – Love Is Blue (AltraEgo)
Michael Jackson – Wanna Be Where You Are (magicman)
Serge Gainsbourg/ Vannier – Le Horse (Nicko)
The Yardbirds – For Your Love (AmyLee)
Elton John – I Need You To Turn To (Suzi)
John Barry – Back To Nature (IsabelleForshaw)
Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders – Promises (Movement 1) (Nilpferd)
Corelli – Violin Sonato No 12, D Minor. Op 5. Folia (James Owen4TS)
Baroque and Beyond B-List Playlist:
Laurie Johnson – The Shake (Suzi)
The Kinks – Village Green (MaxVisconta)
The Wombles – Tobermory (Alaric)
Pacific Drift – Tomorrow Morning Brings (FredErickson)
Nick Drake – Fly (UncleBen)
Cher – I Go To Sleep (magicman)
Los Negativos – Quien Aplastó una Mariposa (Maki)
The Stylistics– Na Na is the Saddest Word (Nicko)
Love – The Red Telephone (ShivSidecar)
The Zombies – Imagine the Swan (amylee)
Airto – Andei (Nicko)
Vampire Weekend – Step (LoudAtlas)
Guru’s Wildcard Picks:
Airto – Bebé
Nicko picked one from this album, but this take on Hermeto’s Pascoal’s spiralling Bebé is my favourite.
Dom Um Romao – Family Talk
Joao Donato offers a terrific solo on this breezy, intense latin jazz number.
Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 – Slow Hot Wind
My favourite one-finger harpsichord solo.
Baroque Jazz Trio – Zoma
A one-album project from 60s France, which incorporated Indian, baroque and jazz elements. The harpsichord on this is savage.
A 1740 German model made by Hieronymus Albrecht Hass
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Plectrum spectrum: songs and pieces featuring the harpsichord. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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