I have wondered about this for a time, that is, how many pop (etc.) songs from the 60s did actually feature synths.
While invented in the mid 60s, it took some time for the synthesizer to be a "rock" instrument, and The Monkees apparently pioneered the use at the end of 1967.
So here's the list of tracks that I know and I hope you guys can help me out to make the list as complete as possible. Note that I have specified this as pop/rock/R&B, which kind of leaves out experimental stuff such as "Wonderwall Music" or Klaus Schulze. Also a synth is a synths and not some electronic pre-synth, so no "Good Vibrations" or United States Of America:
Daily Nightly - The Monkees Dolphin's Smile - The Byrds Space Odyssey - The Byrds Save The Life Of a Child - Simon & Garfunkel The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel You Showed Me - The Turtles Food - The Turtles Maxwell's Silver Hammer - The Beatles Octopus's Garden - The Beatles Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles Because - The Beatles
Feel free to add as much as possible. From my impression The Who, Moody Blues, Keith Emerson (The Nice) didn't use synths until the 70s. I might be wrong though. "Space Oddity" by David Bowie is often wrongfully thought to have included a synth, but what was played by Rick Wakeman in that one (Wikipedia says David Bowie, but it was Wakeman who played it) was actually a stylophone.
― Geir Hongro, Monday, 4 February 2008 02:41 (seventeen years ago)
Monkees - Star Collector
― Joseph McCombs, Monday, 4 February 2008 03:37 (seventeen years ago)
You Showed Me - The Turtles
Not doubting you, but where do you hear a synth in this song?
There is a very prominent organ, but no synthesizer.
― Rev. Hoodoo, Monday, 4 February 2008 04:22 (seventeen years ago)
xpost but no synthesizer
at least not to my ears, but that doesn't mean it isnt there
― Rev. Hoodoo, Monday, 4 February 2008 04:23 (seventeen years ago)
the entire debut album by Silver Apples was from '69
― Rev. Hoodoo, Monday, 4 February 2008 04:24 (seventeen years ago)
the united states of america - s/t
probably a bit more underground than what you're hoping for, i suppose.
― nonightsweats, Monday, 4 February 2008 04:31 (seventeen years ago)
That album was already mentioned in Geir's initial post.
Would Jean-Jacques Perrey's 60's work count? It's mostly instrumental music, but it sounds a lot more like pop than avant-garde.
― Tuomas, Monday, 4 February 2008 07:59 (seventeen years ago)
Surely a lot of electronics on that album, but no synths. Just like there were no synths on Stockhausen's 50s work either.
― Geir Hongro, Monday, 4 February 2008 09:42 (seventeen years ago)
The organ does all those upbeats throughout, but the melodic theme played before the "Ooh it's true" part of the verse starts surely must be a synth. The fact that the track following it on the "Battle Of The Bands" album - "Food" - has an even more prominent synth supports this theory too.
― Geir Hongro, Monday, 4 February 2008 10:09 (seventeen years ago)
Not only is there synth on "You Showed Me" (and on "Eleanor" as well), but those parts were played by none other than Paul Beaver!
― C. Grisso/McCain, Monday, 4 February 2008 15:54 (seventeen years ago)
Man this is tough, I didn't even know there was synth in the 60's.
― our work is never over, Monday, 4 February 2008 16:01 (seventeen years ago)
"Mindrocker" by Fenwyck The White Noise "An Electric Storm" lp
― Trip Maker, Monday, 4 February 2008 16:06 (seventeen years ago)
Rolling Stones-"We Love You" "2000 Light Years From Home"
― C. Grisso/McCain, Monday, 4 February 2008 16:10 (seventeen years ago)
Nope, that's a mellotron.
― Sara Sara Sara, Monday, 4 February 2008 16:32 (seventeen years ago)
oh ok.
― C. Grisso/McCain, Monday, 4 February 2008 16:34 (seventeen years ago)
I dunno...it's mostly Mellotron, true; but there's one or two filter-sweep type effects that are clearly electronic.
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Monday, 4 February 2008 17:41 (seventeen years ago)
I can see where you're coming from, but those noises on "2000 light years from home" are just oscillators more than synths. I remember playing with one in a physics lesson in school in the early 80s and making a fair approximation of the sound.
Wikipedia claims that "Cosmic sounds" by The Zodiac was the first record to use a synthesiser. Interesting thought.
― Rob M v2, Monday, 4 February 2008 17:57 (seventeen years ago)
Fair enough, I figured that was the case. (I had a physics class in the early '80s too, but we did nothing cooler than playing with Slinkies!)
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Monday, 4 February 2008 18:04 (seventeen years ago)
I am a bit uncertain about those two Byrds tracks, but the electronic effects are definitely made by some synth-like oscillators and "Moog Raga" (which wasn't released until the late 90s) is obvious evidence that they were playing around with a synth during the recording of that album.
― Geir Hongro, Monday, 4 February 2008 22:57 (seventeen years ago)