Mort Garson - R I P

[LPJim]

Mort Garson, composer and early Moog Synthesizer innovator, died on Friday, Jan. 4, 2008, in San Francisco of kidney failure at age 83.

This I learned from a comment posted on Youtube with further information from a link posted on Wikipedia.

Garson was a native of New Brunswick, Canada, and was a co-writer of "Our Day Will Come," a hit song for Ruby and the Romantics in 1963 and covered by many artists, including Herb Alpert and the TJB. Many of his synthesizer experimental concept albums were released by A&M.

These included the twelve-album SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC series (SPs 4211-22), THE WOZARD OF IZ (SP 4156) and ELECTRONIC HAIR PIECES (SP 4209).

Funeral services were held January 12 at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. Garson was survived by his life partner, Florence, a daughter and a grandson.

JB

 

[Dave]

Hey, Jim...: Very sorry to be reading this...! Guess those Zodiac Series albums must have some Val-U, now...!



Dave

 

[LPJim]

I was watching music vids on Youtube last night and found one for "Easy to Be Hard" from ELECTRONIC HAIR PIECES, with the news about Mr. Garson in the comments.

Years ago I purchased the SCORPIO album, since it corresponded to my birth sign, and when the others started showing up in flea markets and record shows at nominal prices I snatched them up. Eventually I had all but LEO, which I bid on and won in a "Goldmine" auction.

Maybe Akarma or another import label will do commemorative reissues. I'd especially like to have WOZARD on CD.

JB

 

[Larry]

He also conducted the Hollyridge Strings on several of their LP's.

 

[Dave]

And Mort was also an arranger with The Sandpipers, Robin Wilson, Jimmie Rodgers and many other artists on A&M...



Dave

 

[LPJim]

"I've Been Over the Rainbow" from WOZARD OF IZ (SP 4156) and sung by Suzie Jane Hokom as Dorothy is now on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7KSZFxzOAo

JB

 

[LPJim]

Youtube has a 9-minute interview with Mr. Garson and his daughter taped about two years before he passed away:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j_-7p1wpVU



JB

 

[Dave]

Yow, "the makings of" "Our Day Will Come"..., Mort's music playing in the background during that first famous moon landing..., so much I got out of that interview...!

--Worth every Giga-Second...!!!



Dave

 

[Mr Bill]

WOW! What a great video clip!!!

--Mr Bill

 

[Dave]

Hey, I forgot about "the looooooonnnnnnnggggggg note" that Garson said he "held" while he played it on his Moog for a commercial...!

Definitely worth seeing for the "interesting by-lines" from the late-Mort...!

-- Thanks for the link to this interview, Jim!



Dave