I am a composer/arranger in Japan and would like to have a firm evidence that the "portament" melody line of the "N.B.C. Mystery Movie Theme" had been performed by Clare Fisher by YAMAHA YC-30.
I recently learned this intelligence by an entry of filmusicnow, at Jan 28, 2012 - 6:37 AM found on this discussion board. I greatly appreciate the information and I would like to fix and terminate this issue (whether was it Arp Odyssey, Ondes Martenot, Theremin or YAMAHA YC-30) eternally.
This issue is quite hot in Japan among the old electric instrument enthusiasts recently.
The "portament" melody line had been thought performed by Arp Odyssey for long time, but recently someone has written that it is performed by Ondes Martenot on the Japanese Wikipedia and many has come to believe it.
I cannot think that Mr. Mancini or his son used Onde Martenot in the particular tune. Arp might be used but if the truth is YC-30 sounds, the page should be corrected as soon as possible.
I will appreciate any input/information on the resolution and termination of this ever-lasting question.
I am a composer/arranger in Japan and would like to have a firm evidence that the "portament" melody line of the "N.B.C. Mystery Movie Theme" had been performed by Clare Fisher by YAMAHA YC-30.
I recently learned this intelligence by an entry of filmusicnow, at Jan 28, 2012 - 6:37 AM found on this discussion board. I greatly appreciate the information and I would like to fix and terminate this issue (whether was it Arp Odyssey, Ondes Martenot, Theremin or YAMAHA YC-30) eternally.
This issue is quite hot in Japan among the old electric instrument enthusiasts recently.
The "portament" melody line had been thought performed by Arp Odyssey for long time, but recently someone has written that it is performed by Ondes Martenot on the Japanese Wikipedia and many has come to believe it.
I cannot think that Mr. Mancini or his son used Onde Martenot in the particular tune. Arp might be used but if the truth is YC-30 sounds, the page should be corrected as soon as possible.
I will appreciate any input/information on the resolution and termination of this ever-lasting question.
It was a Yamaha CS-80. It had a ribbon above the keyboard you ran a finger across for that portamento sound. A popular and versatile instrument at the time and Mancini used it often.
A very old and very huge (over 200 lbs.) classic synthesizer. Considered Japan's first great synthesizer. It had some pretty amazing features for its time such as eight voice polyphony, patch memory storage and polyphonic aftertouch. It can generate great analog strings, brass, drones and pads with that instantly recognizable classic polysynth sound. No synth sounds greater. Some examples of its extremely fat sound can be heard in "Blade Runner" and "Mutiny on the Bounty" by Vangelis as well as "Dune" by Toto. The thing that really made this synth sound so powerful was its "natural" detuning....thus its brass and string sounds were unparalleled not only for authenticity, but for pure width! Unfortunately for the CS-80, it was released the same year as the more programmable and cheaper Prophet 5.
With two analog oscillators per voice, the CS-80 has the potential for some really thick sounds! A great VCF (filter) with independent hi pass and low pass resonant filters, a powerful ring modulator and plenty of modulation controls further enhance the CS-80's sonic potential. There are 22 preset sounds (6 user) selected from bright and ugly colored buttons above the keyboard. The keyboard is weighted and has a full 61 keys with performance controllers for vibrato, pitch, brightness and volume. Surprisingly there's also a long ribbon controller for the pitch-bending, located above the keyboard. There is no MIDI or cv/gate control. The only way to MIDI it is via a rather complex retrofit receive-only kit from Kenton.
I am a composer/arranger in Japan and would like to have a firm evidence that the "portament" melody line of the "N.B.C. Mystery Movie Theme" had been performed by Clare Fisher by YAMAHA YC-30.
I recently learned this intelligence by an entry of filmusicnow, at Jan 28, 2012 - 6:37 AM found on this discussion board. I greatly appreciate the information and I would like to fix and terminate this issue (whether was it Arp Odyssey, Ondes Martenot, Theremin or YAMAHA YC-30) eternally.
This issue is quite hot in Japan among the old electric instrument enthusiasts recently.
The "portament" melody line had been thought performed by Arp Odyssey for long time, but recently someone has written that it is performed by Ondes Martenot on the Japanese Wikipedia and many has come to believe it.
I cannot think that Mr. Mancini or his son used Onde Martenot in the particular tune. Arp might be used but if the truth is YC-30 sounds, the page should be corrected as soon as possible.
I will appreciate any input/information on the resolution and termination of this ever-lasting question.
It was a Yamaha CS-80. It had a ribbon above the keyboard you ran a finger across for that portamento sound. A popular and versatile instrument at the time and Mancini used it often.
This instrument proved that Yamaha was always ahead of their time.
The N.B.C. Mystery Movie Show started in 1971 so that the first theme for the show must have a different opening theme or non-CS80 sound.
In Japan, the N.B.C. Mystery Movie theme is well known as the opening/ending theme for "Columbo". The first episode of "Columbo" was broadcast in Japan in 1972, which was "Prescription:Murder".
The station having broadcast the episode was NHK (Japan's National Broadcast) and I remember they used the "N.B.C. Mystery Movie theme" for the run. I do not think that at that time the melody had been performed by CS80 because the machine had not been born yet.
If the N.B.C. Mystery Movie theme had been constantly the same tune, the melody should be replaced sometime after the year CS80 became available.
Or, the early theme had been a different tune than one which we know as N.B.C. Mystery Movie theme, then replaced by the current famous one with CS80 sound after 1977.
I would like to hear your opinions on the above issue.
In the comments following the video, a commenter states that he thinks the electronic instrument playing the melody is a Moog synthesizer. I think he's right.
The session for the 1972-3 season (season two) of the NBC Mystery Movie took place at Universal Studios (along with a pre-recording for a Columbo episode) on 16 June, 1972 (43-piece orchestra). The two keyboardists were Artie Kane and Claire Fisher, though, in those days, Clark Spangler was often the "go-to" synth player for sessions.
This was identified on YT as the S2 opening:
If you listen to the MT from "Cade's County" (from the season before, on CBS) you'll hear the synth sound is very similar (but without the portamento effect). The first version of the Mystery Movie Theme would have been recorded the same year (1971).
You'll note the sound is more articulated, which leads me to believe this was probably played on a monophonic synth (Arp 2600 would be my guess as it would have been easier to transport into the studio than the 2500 model). Listening to the (Sunday) Mystery Movie Theme the glide is very smooth, the tuning, very precise (the 2600 had some kind of controller module, so that would be my guess). Maybe a Minimoog? I know Mike Post and Pete Carpenter used the Minimoog on "The Rockford Files," but that was a couple of seasons later.
Compare to the following season's recording for the Wednesday Mystery Movie. The synth sounds more integrated with the orchestra in the mix (at least to me), the flugelhorn bit from before sounding like it was recorded with trumpets (starting :23). The strings accompanying the synth melody also sound different.
By the final season of the Mystery Movie (1976-77), Mancini used a different synth sound on the melody (note Quincy, M.E. in final rotation):
From what I understand, Vangelis was actually one of the first musicians to acquire the CS-80, after seeing it displayed at a trade show in Japan (probably spring 1977). He reportedly had the keyboard shipped via rail from Japan to the UK as he would have had to wait several months before it's availability in Europe.
Looks like Clark Spangler was the synthesist (listed as organist) on Mancini's Cade's County "Company Town" session (rec. 20th. Century Fox, 26 July 1971), Mancini writing the series theme and recording both it and the underscore for this segment (the series had no pilot, per se). Artie Kane and Jimmy Rowles are also listed (both as piano), though Spangler is the only who is listed as doubling on another instrument. My guess is Spangler also recorded the S1 version of the Mystery Movie Theme as well, the first season of the series including only Columbo, McCloud and McMillan & Wife as Hec Ramsey, a western starring Richard Boone, premiered in S2 (expanding the "wheel" to four alternating series).
So, while this doesn't solve the mystery it does provide a few clues.
By no means definite confirmation, but on 'The Mancini Generation' album, recorded around the same time in 1972, the credits state that Henry used an ARP Synthesizer (programmed by Clark Spangler, as suggested by others in this post). Don't know if this helps?
Mancini's 1972 RCA Victor LP Big Screen, Little Screen has Clare Fischer listed as playing the organ solos on both Cade's County and The NBC Mystery Movie Theme, though evidence supports Clark Spangler being the the synthesist on the original version of the Cade's County MT. Perhaps in S2 Clark programmed the synths but Clare played the parts?
Here's both themes as recorded for the album (RCA Music Center, Hollywood), these versions of the themes being a bit expanded from the originals heard in their respective series:
Mystery Movie Theme
Cade's County
Likely the same synthesizer produced the lead sounds on both tracks.
"I am often asked if the melody of this song was played with a theremin. But when I tried to play it myself, I was convinced that it is not the same. I was convinced that the melody was not right, because the higher register was missing, but only in Etherwave. So this time, I shifted the tuning so that I could play higher notes as much as possible. It was difficult because the pitch was not linear. In fact, it was probably played on a synthesizer, most likely a YAMAHA YC-30. Or some say it was an ARP Odyssey or 2600." by Miquette, Thereminist.
"I am often asked if the melody of this song was played with a theremin. But when I tried to play it myself, I was convinced that it is not the same. I was convinced that the melody was not right, because the higher register was missing, but only in Etherwave. So this time, I shifted the tuning so that I could play higher notes as much as possible. It was difficult because the pitch was not linear. In fact, it was probably played on a synthesizer, most likely a YAMAHA YC-30. Or some say it was an ARP Odyssey or 2600." by Miquette, Thereminist.
It's a bit hard to pin down. The YC-30 slide ribbon certainly seems to allow for the type of portoment smoothness. The Theremin is the smoothest but I agree it would have been difficult to get the melody so perfect. If one could nail down whether Mancini used an ARP or YC-30 for the Thief Who Came To Dinner lead we'd probably have a winner (my vote is the ARP here). Is no one still alive to ask strait up what he used? I think my final guess is the Odyssey Mk I (Model 2800). The control is there and it fits the timeframe of the works.
The YC-30 was used in PHANTASM though!