The Beach Boys didn't have a theremin, but I still liked them, because they at least had sense enough to have Paul Tanner play his instrument, the "tannerin," in the song, "Good Vibrations." That's right. You know the solo line, I'm talking about. "ooooo-oo-oo-oooooo-ooo-oo-oo." You know what? Play the song, and you'll pick it up. I think Brian Wilson, occasionally played this tannerin on tour, also. Oh. ..And, I like the Foo Fighters, too. They don't have the theremin or tannerin, but they rock out!
what good songs that you enjoy do have a theremin?
Pamelia Kurstin plays theremin on this brilliant collaboration project called Action Figure Party. The title of the song escapes me. Still, you'll find it on that album.
I heard it was a theremin that was played... that's how I heard of it! What's the difference between the two? BTW, it was Mike Love who plyed it in concerts...
yeh, it's of popular belief that it's a theremin that's heard in "good
vibrations." truth is, it merely mimics a theremin. you see, the
tannerin (built in the 1950s, by paul tanner) has fixed reference points on a
dummy keyboard so the musician knows exactly where notes can be found, and
produces similar sounds that were before, only unique to the theremin (built in
1919, by lev termen). but, then, of course, after the theremin, and before
the tannerin, the ondes martenot was built (in the late
1920s, by lev termen and maurice martenot), which is also often confused with
the theremin. you can hear the ondes martenot being played in radiohead's
song, "the national anthem," on the album, "kid a." after all these years,
tho, there is still no instrument other than the theremin that can be played
without touching. the theremin is 'til this day, the only
"space-controlled" instrument. you have to imagine where the notes are,
and depending on the person and where you are standing in relation to the
instrument, the notes will always be in a different spot each time.
there's a video at blockbuster about theremin...this explanation makes me want to rent it