Monday, May 26, 2014

The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ - And Theater Organs.
The Hammond Tone Wheel and Leslie Speaker



I went to some special showings of silent movies in our area, many years ago. The theater organ was essential for the original showings.

Some of us remember the soaps on TV having organ background music. The dramatic chord is so well known that I have it on a little sound machine I use in teaching undergraduates.






Hammond organs seem to have 100 different (nearly identical) sounds. But they last forever and are unkillable as an instrument. Many electronic organs have promised everything but they have not lasted long.

This history is fun and reveals hows the Hammond Company succeeded, went bankrupt, and came back as a unit of Suzuki.

Nothing can equal a pipe organ.




I only played classical music and hymns at home when Little Ichabod was growing up. Whenever "Ride of the Valkyries" came on the stereo, I flew him around the room, doing dips and swoops and singing along.