In This Issue
Top 21 Electric Piano Performances of All Time
Synth and Software polled our contributors to come up with a list of our favorite 21 electric piano performances of all time.
Today we take Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and other electric pianos for granted. The best sample libraries and even some modeled instruments sound as good as the real thing, and they don’t have all the hassles – squeaks, intonation issues, sluggish keys, bad notes, of course the weight… plus you can edit and double your MIDI parts in a DAW.
While electric piano never went away, for quite a few years it took a back seat to other instruments. Was it overused? Did we just became more interested in the steady diet of amazing hardware and software synths that have come along since the dawn of the digital revolution?
Or perhaps we all got bored with the Yamaha DX-7 “Rhodes” sound that took over the actual hardware in the mid-‘80s?
Who knows, but it’s back. Today the “real” instruments go for a high price on the used market – even as software instruments like Spectrasonics Keyscape and the Orange Tree Famous Model E push the envelope for sampled electric pianos. And that makes us happy, because it’s a wonderful sound.
So we set out to find the best electric performances of all time, which is sort of a fool’s errand since there are so many! Nonetheless, we polled our contributors to come up with a list of our favorite 20 electric piano performances of all time – and OK, we had to add one…
What started out as an exercise turned into a thoroughly enjoyable listening session. We hope you’ll agree because there’s a lot of truly wonderful music on these pages.
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Billy Preston “Get Back” (The Beatles Let It Be)
‘n roll when it’s the Beatles playing it. Did you know that’s Billy Preston playing the Rhodes? (If you’re ever curious where this style of playing comes from, check out Huey “Piano” Smith.)
Michael McDonald/Doobie Brothers “Minute By Minute”
We’ve included both East Coast (Stuff) and West Coast (Tom Scott and the LA Express) studio bands. Michael McDonald has done a lot of session playing, including on early Steely Dan records. People tend to associate him with the West Coast laid-back rock sound that was popular in the late ‘70s. But he’s known best as a member of the Doobie Brothers and as a solo artist. This is McDonald with the Doobie Brothers. It’s a catchy song, and it features his great playing on a subtly phased Rhodes.
Jan Hammer Red Baron (Billy Cobham Spectrum)
Jan Hamer plays the heck out of any keyboard he touches. This track isn’t totally representative of his (or Billy Cobham’s ) with John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, but there’s absolutely nothing wimpy about his playing on this track.
Lyle Mays “August” Street Dreams
Lyle Mays, who died this year far too young, is probably best known for his collaborations with Pat Metheny. But he also has solo albums, including a solo keyboard one that’s totally improvised with no tunes! – and this one, Street Dreams. As with many choices, we could have picked any number of his electric piano performances, even on the same album. This happens to be a really strong one.
Top 20 Electric Piano Performances of All Time – Continue HERE
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Kid A “Everything” Radiohead
One of these has to be not the same as the others, and Radiohead certainly fits that bill. A contributor sums up this track nicely: “I got such a huge hit when I first read your ‘cool electric piano performances’ thing… if not a performance, then the opening to Kid A is one of my fave electric piano parts, and because it’s not just the opening of the song but of the album as well… man, it lays down the mood of the whole affair in one gestural second or so – definitely not obscure or keyboard hero… perhaps even iconic in way.”
The Doors “Riders on the Storm” (Ray Manzarek)
Well, it’s a famous raw rock song that everyone knows. And what list like this would be credible without a famous raw rock song that everyone knows?
David Foster – “My Old Friend’” – Al Jarreau Breakin’ Away
This is the trademark David Foster sound: Rhodes layered with acoustic piano (for some of it). The other part of the sound is the Famous E electric piano that Jay Graydon (who produced the album) discusses in our upcoming interview. Warning: you’ll have the intro to this song stuck in your brain for days – and you won’t mind, because it’s gorgeous.
Richard Tee My Sweetness (Stuff)
As long as we have a West Coast example (Tom Scott and the LA Express), here’s an infectious track with lots of the East Coast session heavies – including Richard Tee’s bluesy gospel-ish playing.
Larry Nash “Love Poem” (Tom Scott LA Express)
Rhodes is an important part of the West Coast sound, and the LA Express was made up of some of the top studio musicians responsible for it. That includes Larry Nash’s lovely playing here.
Top 20 Electric Piano Performances of All Time – Continue HERE
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Dave Grusin “Modaji” One of a Kind
Dave Grusin scored something like 100 films, in addition to being one of the best keyboard players around. You’ll recognize his unmistakable sound here right away.
Max Middleton “Cause We Ended As Lovers” (Jeff Beck Blow By Blow)
After you get over Jeff Beck’s virtuoso guitar playing (yes, he grabs you from the first note), check out Max Middleton’s playing on this classic album.
George Duke “Eat That Question” Frank Zappa Grand Wazoo
This is George Duke burning down the house at age 24. He rose to the very top of the jazz, pop, and R&B worlds as a player and producer. Another overwhelming talent died far too young, at 67 in 2013. The Grand Wazoo may well be Frank Zappa’s best album, so this is the George Duke track we’ve selected.
Greg Phillinganes “Green Flower Street” (Donald Fagen The Nightfly)
There’s no escaping Donald Fagen here! But we can’t leave the great Greg Phillinganes off this list. He first became famous for his playing with Stevie Wonder, but he’s played and recorded with everyone from Michael Jackson to Bruno Mars – and he’s still going strong.
Top 20 Electric Piano Performances of All Time – Continue HERE
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Billy Joel “Just the Way You Are”
The Piano Man is also The Electric Piano Man. It’s a beautiful song that still stands up decades later.
Lots of other people have recorded it, including Cleo Laine (whose version also features a Rhodes).
Herbie Hancock “Butterfly” Thrust
Because you have to include the great Herbie Hancock in any Top X list he could be on. This album is from the classic mid-‘70s era. Funky, funky! (Although maybe not as funky as Watermelon Man).
Bob James “Angela” (Theme from Taxi)
TV theme songs were intended to let people in the next room know the show was on so they’d come in and watch. “Angela” is one of the best and most memorable – and it was a very funny sitcom as well. Who knew it was Bob James? Well, every musician who was around in that era. But everyone recognized the song. It’s lovely! “Angela” also has the distinction of being the only track on this list to use, let alone feature, recorder.
Joe Sample “Street Life” The Crusaders
Ooh! Joe Sample could coax sounds of a Rhodes like no one else. We could have picked any number of songs by The Crusaders, but “Street Life” is an all-time great… actually an all-time great album, not just the song and Sample’s solo. Add Randy Crawford’s vocal, Wilton Felder on bass and sax, the great Stix Hooper’s drums… this is desert island music.
Top 20 Electric Piano Performances of All Time – Continue HERE
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Donald Fagen Peg (Steely Dan Aja)
Did you ever stop to think that Donald Fagen is playing electric piano on “Peg?” There’s so much that’s great about it, not the least of which is Jay Graydon’s famous guitar solo (watch for our interview with him coming shortly). This is Fagen’s unique take on blues. Catchy, and there’s a lot going on here.
Stevie Wonder “You Are the Sunshine of My Live”
Pure genius, one of the best songs ever. ‘Nuff said.
Joe Zawinul Barbary Coast (Weather Report Black Market)
Okay, this is far and the funkiest track in the history of the multiverse, and Joe Zawinul’s ring-modulated electric piano is an important part of what drives you *crazy* with this groove! everyone knows Weather Report and Joe Zawinul, but if not then you do now. Black Market also happens to be a credible contender for Best Album Cover Ever (tied with Jethro Tull’s Stand Up).
And the Top Electric Piano Performance of All Time from the S&S contributors is…
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Chick Corea “Spain”
Chick is arguably even better on electric piano than acoustic. We could have picked anything of his, but “Spain” is his biggest hit, and you don’t have to be a jazz enthusiast to know and love it. Is it really possible for a jazz samba – one with a Joaquin Rodrigo guitar concerto as its intro – to sound absolutely current 49 years after its release? “Spain” is a standard that you’ll hear dozens of students playing when you walk by the practice rooms at any music school.
Everyone plays it, from Stevie Wonder to Al Jarreau.
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