"Nothing Left to Lose"
#AlanParsonsProject (1980)
Party Game question from an @accordionnoir radio listener: Is that a real #accordion solo at 1:30? 🪗
It's only 20 seconds long and there's only "keyboard" player man-behind-the-thrown Eric Woolfson listed on the liner notes
Might be a Melodion (reed organ) patch from a Hammond #organ or something?
Who has a gueess? 🎹
https://youtu.be/7LMJyK0lj1U
#ProgRock
@AccordionBruce @accordionnoir I’m not certain, but footage of The Alan Parsons Symphonic Project shows an electronic keyboard being used for that part in a live performance.
@BigJackBrass @accordionnoir
It sounded suspicious to me
Like I said I'd be curious to see what reed-organ patches and expression-pedals they had available back in '79
I see Hammond organ got bought by Suzuki, the maker of the "Melodeon" hand-held melodica mouth-blown mouth organ thing
Not to be mistaken with the 19th century "Melodeon" parlor harmonium reed organ brand popular in across North America 🎹
Modern Hammonds have a "Melodeon" patch, but did vintage ones?
#keyboard #synth
@AccordionBruce @accordionnoir A bit of searching later, I’ve found a couple of mentions of it being an accordion (on the studio recording at least) but not from anything close to a definitive source, nor with any proof. Could just be people assuming it’s an accordion. Unfortunately it’s one APP album I don’t own, so it’s not something I’d previously considered.
@BigJackBrass @accordionnoir
Much appreciation if you find any definitive sources
#Accordion #Historian
@AccordionBruce @accordionnoir
according to wikipedia:
On the "Early studio version" of "Nothing Left to Lose", Woolfson plays the accordion solo (later played on an actual accordion) on a keyboard with a cheap-sounding accordion preset. His melody is vaguely similar to Alan Civil's horn solo in The Beatles's "For No One".
Similarly, the accordion part on "Nothing Left to Lose" is credited in the liner notes to "An unidentified Parisian session player". Newer editions of the liner notes, starting with the 2008 remastered edition, credit a "Harmonized Rotating Triangle" to Stuart Elliott.[2]
not sure of accuracy, just quoting here.
@paul_ipv6 @accordionnoir
Do you have the Wikipedia link?
I looked up the album there but didn’t see that
@paul_ipv6 @accordionnoir
Oh! Weird I looked at that page and must have missed that, though I remember the triangle part
Thanks for your help! Hail to “unnamed Parisian session player!” 🪗
@paul_ipv6 @accordionnoir
The sound does make more sense if it was a French musette accordion, with some reverb or something added
They have that three-reed true musette thing that’s hard to fake but can sound kind of thin if the recording isn’t up to capturing it
@AccordionBruce @accordionnoir
that would explain use of keyboard in concert, if it's hard to mic/mix.
@paul_ipv6 @accordionnoir
Yeah they’re a pain to mic with feedback and all when it’s loud especially
And you also have to strap it on and all for one 30 second solo
Still for all the jokes it always gets huge applause for those in the know once they know what’s coming