Music for Many Squarewave Moods

Sorry the beginning got cut off! This is the original demo record for the Lowrey Brentwood electronic organ, introduced in 1960. It is an all electronic instrument, using vacuum tubes to generate square wave tones and add electronic sustain and vibrato. There is no mechanical rotating Leslie speaker in this model, but it was an option in later, more expensive models.

The exclusive use of vacuum tubes (a.k.a. "valves" in British English) -- lots and lots of them! -- produces a much purer and clearer tone than the competing Thomas Transistor Organ, whose demo record I posted a video of earlier. The Lowrey can be considered an early synthesizer, with raw square wave tones reminiscent of the sounds produced by 1980s video games and home computers. As the last song demonstrates, it can even do a fairly convincing imitation of a Hammond type organ, with a nice rich sound.

Side One:
1. On The Sunny Side of the Street
2. 'Til There Was You
Side Two:
1. Flute Dance
2. Were You There (with guitar accompaniment -- they cheated!)
3. The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise

Category:

Music

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[snidleywinterbottom]

i just got the one in the picture

what model is it?

[vwestlife]

It is the Lowrey Brentwood, model MS, introduced in 1960. They also had the Brentwood with Leslie (model MSL, 1962) and Brentwood Deluxe with "Automatic Organ Computer" (model MSO, 1963).

[doctortracy]

Sounds like it's a Brentwood Deluxe to me. Were You There has a 16' Trombone on the upper manual going through an internal Leslie, with the lower manual as stationary - the separation suggests "Deluxe" model. Great organ - practically extinct now though as the tube oscillators are/were unstable, kept breaking down and consequently these organs were forgotten and replaced. Big shame.

[vwestlife]

My dad's Brentwood (regular model) lasted for nearly 40 years with very few repairs. "Were You There" sounds like it came from an entirely different recording session. You don't hear the Leslie effect on any of the other songs, only electronic vibrato.

[doctortracy]

Great organ the Brentwood (MSO). I've got the next model up, the Heritage Deluxe (DSO-1). Everything they built after these models sound pretty nasty - it's only the early valve models that have any character.

All the best

D.T.

[vwestlife]

BTW, I like how you can hear the player changing the voices and turning the vibrato on or off, because it affects the sustain of the previously played notes... it's like a little "preview" of what's coming up next! That's just a little "sonic artifact" that you won't hear with any digital synthesizer today.

[paulj0557]

oops, I meant Leslie's. Many of the earlier Lowrey organs had ceramic heat resistor problems as they reached the 30 year mark. Just replace the 6-8 of them under the chassis for the power supply and amplifier. While you're at it you can get new electrolytic capacitors. The larger can type can be replaced by individual capacitors of the same value and either 'stuffed into the old can, or put on a perforated circuit board and then mounted under the chassis instead of on top.

[paulj0557]

So check out- Adrian Rose Conn Trinidad

Adrian has lots of very nice organ videos and even plays a Lowrey Heritage DSO in a big dining room with a couple of big Lelsies. Just click on his name and look through his videos. The electronic organ can be played by anyone! I learned music the hard way- by ear, but then managed to learn theory at music school for guitar, but my heart is in the organ. If you love music and love what you are hearing on this video then go on Craigslist, get an organ!

[paulj0557]

Ah' pure HEAVEN! I have some favs and I just picked up Harry Wach playing the Thomas 262 Californian ( I have a 263). It's a Cardinal record entitled: Californian Here I Come

Another favorite is John Winters playing the Wurlitzer on a Mount Vernon Record titled: Organ Moods John Winters at the Mighty Wurlitzer

The 'mighty wurlitzer' was an ad campaign applying to all of their organs not just pipe organs. I think he was playing an Orgatron design from the 40's. The most riotous sound of em all!

[Managuense1]

Never heard this tune before but love it!

[snidleywinterbottom]

cool thanks

how much do you think its worth?

[counterman39]

Smooth, soothing, relaxing.  My kind of music.

[g0ojf]

Absolutely great. I must finish off the Lowrey SCT (I think I remember), in my Lowrey collection!