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I think it holds a special place in my heart because I discovered it in my early musical formative years. It's silly - but I love the overall affect and synth sounds. BTW - based on this song, bought Thomas Dolby's 'greatest hits' album, and really, did not like one other song on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BpRgY9GXLO0Anybody else have a 'favorite synth song' to share ?
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Love it Bob - I had seen it once, but it's great to have the link. On the topic of synth music - Kraftwerk are the guys that I think ushered it in also - I could at least love more than one of their songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3f-JwOGO1Areally cool beats and sounds IMHO
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I loved Styx in the late 70's and early 80's when it was o.k. to have a melodic synth solo.
I also remember being mesmerized by The Captain and Tenille and their use of synths. Funky synth bass line in "Love Will Keep Us Together". The Captain always wore that cool hat as well....
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So true. 8:30 has some amazing live stuff. Maybe not 'pop' as the topic implies, but so very good. My list of synth legends from the era would include Dave Stewart (multiple bands) Joe Zawinul Rick Wakeman Alan Zavod .. ahh, too many, not enough time But yeah, Blinded Me with Science had a certain something that worked at the time.
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Since we are posting links, I found this excellent live version of Styx' "Foolin' Yourself" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzqeuH0AVKkWell, the synth stuff sounds spot on, and Tommy Shaw's vocals sound great, but the other singers - well, they're 'pitchy'! But I have to say that the opening and the two other synth solos in this song probably sparked my interest in synths more than anything else. Smiles.. And I always thought up until maybe a year ago when I found this video of The Captain and Tenille doing "Love Will Keep Us Together" that the Captain did all synth duties. However here it appears that Tenille is doing the bassline, which in some versions is a Clavinet, but in some other versions is a mono synth. This recording is a little faster than the radio version, and the bass is a bit difficult to pick out of the mix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjloX_EvYiILet's not forget Edgar Winter's Frankenstein work where he wore the thing and pulled off some pretty cool solos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pnSSHwmu8IEdgar is an interesting character - check out where in this song where he gets on the timbales and trades off with the normal drummer - here he does some rock sax solos as well. The dual leads with the guitar player are pretty funky. I don't know who that guitar player is, but it's surely not Johnny Winter. Anybody know?
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Love it Bob - I had seen it once, but it's great to have the link. On the topic of synth music - Kraftwerk are the guys that I think ushered it in also - I could at least love more than one of their songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3f-JwOGO1Areally cool beats and sounds IMHO Walter (now Wendy) Carlos, of course, blew the scene open as far as public awareness of synth sounds in general. He/she set a standard that still remains. And synths were in increasingly wide use in rock music before Kraftwerk--The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and ELP in the late 60s and early 70s come to mind. But when it comes to completely synthesized public performance, I think KW was and remains in the forefront. Gary Numan and Gino Vanelli had all-synth bands for a while, but they didn't last. Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel Jarre, two of my favorites, started at about the same time, are still at it, and arguably do it better, but don't have much recognition outside of Europe. (I guess that makes me a cult member, heh.) I thought Mr. Dolby did a killer cover of "Puttin' On The Ritz," though.
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Wow - thanks for sharing all your favorites - many of mine mixed in, but lots of "old (done a long time ago)" but "new to me" ones.
And the interesting thing is that, unfortunately or fortunately, discovering old music I like is much easier than discovering new (recently written) music - which makes me feel old, because I want to feel more 'up to date', 'modern' and 'able to change with the times'. But then again - maybe that pattern is inevitable for all people.
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"Be true to your school..."
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Love me some ELP. Lucky Man
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One of my favorites, Steve Winwood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbKNICg-REAIf you get to to about 2.35 the synth solo is worth a listen. bobcflatpicker - what a great track and video. Not what I expected from you - it's a bit light on flatpicking! ROG.
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What, no mention of Roxy Music? Roxy Music - Out of the Blue
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Again - great new sounds (like a 'used' car that's new to me : )
For some reason, I'm locked in the 70's synth sounds, which I'm guessing, makes the music sound somewhat dated because current trendy synth sounds and music are a little more gritty and harsh.
But listening to my old 70's playlist last night - found a few more 70's hits where I love the synth sounds. "Dream Weaver", "You Sexy Thing" - almost all Yes songs - especially like the synth sounds in Roundabout and Close to the Edge, Cars songs.
I think I especially like the slow attack sounds, because they're so different and to my ear 'more soothing' than guitar sounds - the only other acoustic instruments that come to my mind for these nice soft attacks are the violin and trombone (though I'm sure you'll add more). Actually, also - pedal steel (which Steve Howe used quite interestingly - nothing Nashville about it), but Yes is a very acquired taste.
Perhaps mixing some new synth sounds with some old would be a more 'modern' approach.
Where are synth sounds headed next ?
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A
Where are synth sounds headed next ? Judging from listening to what passes for music today, one long and nasty continuous drone with a mechanical beat machine behind it. --Mac
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A
Where are synth sounds headed next ? Judging from listening to what passes for music today, one long and nasty continuous drone with a mechanical beat machine behind it. --Mac and ran thru autotune for good measure
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Don't forget to adjust every parameter in autotune up to full now, heah?
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bobcflatpicker - what a great track and video. Not what I expected from you - it's a bit light on flatpicking! ROG, I like a lot of different stuff, but acoustic music is my favorite. I did think that clip I posted is a great tune, … even if it’s all synths. The Animusic guys are a talented bunch of programmers and musicians.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
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Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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