# Organ music in rock **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 30, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443 "2003-10-30T14:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/61 "2003-11-07T21:18:18Z")
All this talk of Hammond organs and no mention of **Centerfield**? ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/62 "2003-11-07T22:29:22Z")
Some current use of organ… [The Organ](http://www.angelfire.com/indie/infinite/theorgan.html) Sorry in advance for the poop-ups. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/63 "2003-11-08T01:42:50Z")
From the history of the Hammond organ, it’s no wonder that the sound died off in the mid-1970s (probably from competetive pressure with keyboards): > [@](#): > > The Hammond company, which actually closed down for good in 1975, reopened in 1992 with a whole new line of fully digital, MIDI capable organs. From here: [http://theatreorgans.com/grounds/docs/history.html](http://theatreorgans.com/grounds/docs/history.html) As noted before, the Hammond C-3 was identical in tone to the B-3. The only difference was that the C-3 had a full cabinet, as it was more commonly sold as a church model. The B-3 had legs (which many musicians sawed off so their instrument could fit easily in a truck or a van, but never mind, it was still heavy as hell). FISH ---
**Author:** ![burntsand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@burntsand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burntsand)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/64 "2003-11-13T07:10:35Z")
Was the Hammond B-3 the organ heard on Archie Bell & the Drell’s “Tighten Up”? How about Booker T and the M.G.'s “Green Onions”? And incidentally, were the M.G.‘s named after the British sportscar (e.g. Morris’ Garages MGA and MGB)? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/65 "2003-11-13T20:48:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by burntsand \* > \*\*And incidentally, were the M.G.‘s named after the British sportscar (e.g. Morris’ Garages MGA and MGB)? \*\* Either that or [Memphis Group](http://www.rosebudus.com/jones/biography.html). ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/66 "2003-11-14T18:52:31Z")
I’d like to give a few shouts out to **Led Zeppelin** ’s _Your Time is Gonna Come_, _Over the Hills and Far Away_, and _That’s the Way_, which all feature excellent keyboard/organ work. Also **Van Morrison** ’s cover of **Bob Dylan** ’s _It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue_, the keyboard part of which was sampled for **Beck** ’s _Jackass_. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/67 "2003-11-14T19:08:17Z")
_That’s the Way_ is one of my favorite Led Zep songs, but there’s no keyboard work on it (I’m listening to it right now). Mandolin, acoustic 12-string guitar, pedal steel guitar, tambourine. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/68 "2003-11-15T07:53:30Z")
Dont’ forget the opening to Suptramp’s “Bloody Well Right”. Can’t remember if that was a Hammond or a Wurlitzer 200. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/69 "2003-11-15T16:12:52Z")
How about _? and the Mysterians_? Anyhow, the B3 will never disappear from rock music. Perhaps it did die off a bit in the 80s, but I really don’t remember a time when the Hammonds were considered out of fashion. The only problem with them is that they are a bitch to tour with. In the early 90s, Hammond came out with the XB-2, which is a synth-sized digital version of the B3, complete with drawbars, Leslie sim, percussion (not drums, but percussive attack), etc. Korg also had a digital B3 clone (CX-3 maybe?). You know what, for digital replications of a B3, those two keyboards sounded pretty damn close to the real thing. They don’t look nearly as cool, but if you like those Hammond sounds and those drawbars, these are the keyboards to get. ---
**Author:** ![festive\_catfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a4c791/32.png) [@festive\_catfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/festive_catfish)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/70 "2003-11-15T17:50:34Z")
i’m surprised no one has mentioned let it be by the beatles, which featured billy preston on the organ on several tracks. much of highway 61 revisited by bob dylan also features the organ, and it appears a few times on blood on the tracks as well. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/71 "2003-11-16T01:49:05Z")
Organ played by Al Kooper, member of several groups-Blues Project comes to mind. Also earlier in a reincarnation of Royal Teens- “Short Shorts.” ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/72 "2003-11-16T03:31:42Z")
Al Kooper started playing B3 with Bob Dylan. He also was the guiding light behind the first incarnation of Blood, Sweat and Tears and recorded a great live jam with Mike Bloomfield (The Live Adventures of M. B. and A. K.) To hear Al tell it, he snuck into the studio where Dylan was going to be recording and sat behind the B3 because no one else was there. When Bob heard the organ track he loved it and Al had a job. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/73 "2003-11-16T06:10:24Z")
[Stranglers](http://rateyourmusic.com/view_album_details/album_id_is_13943) (1977) [Deep Purple](http://rateyourmusic.com/view_album_details/album_id_is_2291) (1984) Didn’t die completely, but rock with organ usually sounds sixties-ish. ---
**Author:** ![justplainDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@justplainDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justplainDave)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443/74 "2003-11-16T06:22:21Z")
I wouldn’t say the organ hasn’t come back. Bands may not have a full-time organ player, but if you listen to a lot of popular rock bands, some of their tunes do indeed have organ in the background. One band that does have an organ player is Blues Traveler. After the death of their bassist they decided to head in a new direction, by hiring a new bass player and a keyboardist who plays organ a fair amount of time and is very good at it. Needless to say, they have come a long way from the days of “Runaround”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organ-music-in-rock/210443.md?page=3)