Emerson Lake & Palmer Tocatta Live 1974 California Jam First Listen Reaction

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[@cartelesargentinos]

Emerson Lake and Palmer had completed “Toccata,” a stand-out track on 1973’s Brain Salad Surgery, before it occurred to anyone that they needed to ask permission to use the song. That led Keith Emerson on a quest. After all, “Toccata” - though it would ultimately include a wash of Emerson’s patented prog-era synthesized effects, and even a drum synthesizer from Carl Palmer - had grown out of the fourth movement of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera’s “First Piano Concerto.” Upon contacting Ginastera’s publishers, Emerson Lake and Palmer were politely informed that he did not allow adaptations of his compositions. Emerson wasn’t quite so easily deterred. “I learned that Ginastera was still alive and living in Geneva,” Emerson tells Broadway World, “so I got his number and called him myself. The next day, I was on a plane to Geneva. I had a nice lunch with Alberto and his wife, and then I played the tape for him.” It’s fair to say that Ginastera, who passed a decade later at 67, had never heard his work quite this way - and Emerson, at first, was horrified by what he perceived to be the great composer’s disdain. “When it was over, he had this strange look on his face,” Emerson adds. “He looked like he was in pain! And he said something like, I can’t remember the exact words but something like ‘That is horrible!’ I thought, oh God, he hates it! And I was ready to go home. But his wife said to us: ‘No, no, no, he says diabolical in a good way, like unbelievable!’ It turns out, he was actually overwhelmed by the recording. In the end, he loved it!”

[@pilesovinyl]

These guys were so over the top with the grandiosity of their prog rock taking it to extremes. I LOVED IT, then and now...just amazing. And I saw them perform this as well. The beauty of this was that they synthesized the guitar and bass, and the drummer had a switch (foot pedal) that kicked on a synthesizer pattern every time he hit a drum head it started a different electronic sound, so as he hit the heads you will hear the patterns starting over.

[@lylesmith3506]

I had the great pleasure of seeing them live. They brought the whole cage and used every bit of it. Emerson and Palmer were voted number one for many years running in their respected fields. Top notch musicians who broke all boundaries. I miss them so much.

[@shimwooley]

Emerson was brilliant !!! I was lucky enough to see them twice.

[@richiewest7495]

Emerson was certainly the one to bring the Moog front and center IMO.

[@ThisTrainIsLost]

Actually it was Walter/Wendy Carlos with the "Switched-On Bach" album and contributions to Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange." The Moog, and especially the Mini-Moog, was a gamechanger in the music world because of rock bands (mainly prog) adopting it so quickly. A related outlier and an early electronic music populariser was Tomita but, I don't recall if he used readymade synths so much as he used electronic methods to build his compositions up note by note. Tomita's debut, "The Snowflakes Are Dancing," was a major hit with its title track being in rotation on radio stations, both indie and mainstream, across the land. There were many electronic bands active as the 60's became the 70's. One excellent example is Syrinx, led by John Mills-Cockell, a band easy to find here on KZbin. Very early FM, with Nash The Slash, is another that can be found here on KZbin.

[@ThisTrainIsLost]

@@edljnehan2811 I remember one bitch about the Moog: it didn't like travelling. At every venue all of the pots had to be recalibrated.

[@davidmckenzie420]

Best trio ever, IMHO. Saw them twice in '74, as a lead up to the Cal Jam. Awesome.

[@johndrx165]

I saw them as my first concert on this tour in 1974. Epic and a very strong memory! One of my favorite songs on Brain Salad Surgery. The video and audio from Cal Jam was damaged. This is an edit. There is a remastered version of just the drum solo pieced from the original. Really needs to be heard in entirety. Carl Palmer does the drum break solo with some musical sound parts taped and manipulated to start and stop by him as he plays.

[@ronfrosig7354]

Analog Synthesizers - Those are Gongs - Palmer was the first Human Drum Machine!!

[@markoliver630]

Carl Palmer is a monster drummer and stills tours to this day.

[@cartelesargentinos]

Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (Catalan pronunciation: [alˈβeɾto eβaˈɾisto dʒinasˈteɾa]; April 11, 1916 - June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.[1]

[@marcelocurigomes8746]

Carl Palmer , vida longa ao mestre !!! 🥁🥁

[@brucebrown73]

If you can imagine they started this band 3 years before this video and were only 20, 22, and 24 years old

[@markoliver630]

Yes Emerson literally helped develop the synth as a instrument.

[@torccchaser6712]

ELP # 1 .the best of the BEST !! Was at that show................so GREAT !

[@reinhardt2002]

Toccata is a contemporary piece for orchestra by Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera (Op. 28 Toccata Concertata). Keith Emerson personally secured songwriter approval for his arrangement. I suggest listening to the studio version VERY LOUD. A true sound experience.

[@richiewest7495]

... and a first SUPERGROUP. All successful in 60's groups. :)

[@oldmanghost219]

Yes Emerson have the original 1968 Moog synthesizer with old-school tech with tubes and all that that had to be warmed up. He took it back to the shop and buy 1973 it was in a bigger cabinet with more capabilities

[@cartelesargentinos]

The Clasic song is of Alberto Ginastera!

[@johnduval633]

The greatest live/talented rock band of all time!!! This was some awesome shit in the 70s

[@robertkern9911]

Yes I always thought it sounded like the music from a battle in LoTr As a projectionist I used to play it every weekend just before the Rocky Horror Picture show while showing a training film from the Navy of Atom bombs going off and destruction everywhere Fit the music perfectly

[@Saffy-yr8vo]

Since you ask saw them just before they broke US Saw them In a small venue in Scotland . Totally blew my mind . However this big venue here leaves me cold. The small venue I was there right in front of Greg. Totally enthralled. Keith out of this world, Carl also. 3 geniuses, simple as that. If you love a band and really ‘get’ them. They never really leave you. And in turn meet you again. I believe music and the love of it is superhuman. There’s a reason it’s so important to us. I think we will find out more soon.

[@hubbsllc]

OK, there's something wrong here. The audio is from the WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS... album but the video is just edits of their California Jam I show at Ontario Motor Speedway. What you're seeing has nothing to do with what you're hearing.

[@darkaether2798]

Seems to be from a few videos stitched together

[@johncase2408]

Can you imagine the depth and complexity of the gear set up for an ELP concert? Quite extraordinary me thinks. Great review!

[@TheresOnlyOneWayToRock]

Oh yeah, one could easily be lost in the ELP rabbit hole for a long long time. Yep gongs. He had chimes, tympanies and a huge church style bell he rang by pulling a rope with his teeth. 👍

[@johnduval6377]

ELP headlined this show which included Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and the Eagles. Damn impressive

[@steveslate3601]

ELP were Way ahead of their time!! Carl's drum kit was a stainless steel set with 1/2 inch shells!! very heavy set!! Hand carved too!!

[@coachhannah2403]

I was 16 and out in the audience somewhere.

[@mv8141]

Most of this video is not from the song. It’s a mishmash of other video pieces put together from this concert. If you want an experience, try Karn Evil 9, part 3 where the actual video of this song will be from this concert.

[@escommentss]

I'll bet this live recording of Toccata is from the "Welcome Back My Friends..." album, overlaid with some Video from CalJam. I believe the video clips are them actually playing one of the Karn Evil 9 impressions, though I can't tell which one. I don't think there were any actual "full" video recordings of Toccata from CalJam, only snippets of it. The Video was shot and broadcasted on ABC's "In Concert" show they used to have on every once in the while in the 1970s.

[@dexters711]

Before Neil Peart....existed a drum god named Carl Palmer..

[@coachhannah2403]

There was lots of streaking all day! It WAS a 12 hour festival...

[@Killroy10096]

Keith was the first to use Dr Moogs invention the Synthesizer. With his Classical background and the amazing Carl Palmer on drums, Greg lake of King Crimson on Bass/Guitar vocals. No log Like Analog.

[@kimmomaki]

people frequently overlook just how talented Greg Lake was playing the guitar (especially electric). Of course, his voice was rightly his claim to stardom, but don't forget the guitar stuff.

[@johnduval633]

Check out 'rondo/Bach live' in 1970 the long version. It will blow your mind!

[@astroworfcraig9164]

There's nobody better when your brain needs rewiring.

[@frederickpando9444]

yes, they are called "Gongs." Paiste 28" and 26" gongs.

[@bobboom6125]

Chris...please checkout the 12 dreams of Dr sardonicus...by Spirit....it's fantastic 😉

[@thomassanchez-oo6sb]

Fast forward 1997 Montreux Jazz Festival Medley part 2✌🏼❤️

[@monahondo]

The first few audio minutes of this recording for this is not from California JAM, It from the triple live album. Also 80% of the video footage is just a mish mash of video from them playing other songs that night. Still fantastic but just wanted to point that out.

[@AJ-xx5ik]

Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy) was DEFINITELY and HUGELY inspired by Emerson Lake and Palmer. Good ear

[@stuarthastie6374]

This must have been before they put it on a record coz there is more.

[@oldmanghost219]

By the way that's mismatched live video with knits match live sound. It doesn't become the actual live video until the drum

[@TRSTEVENS54]

The first third is the studio version dubbed onto a live performance. It's a shame because their show at the California Jam was outstanding, it came during the Bain Salad Tour and they were at their peak. That cut to begin Palmers solo from studio to live was weird. Overall this video was a mess which is sad because the original performance was great. I have some remasters of this concert and the sound here is crap.

[@bobhope3716]

John ! What's going on ? Have you stopped doing live streams ?

[@feralmario310]

ELP !

[@bigcanguy]

Early 70s synths.

[@Helliconia54]

Dare you go down the rabbit hole with Nightwish?

[@torccchaser6712]

sigh..wish u would have saved your comments until the end !

[@margix1172]

check ELP antoine baril one man

[@johnschofield9496]

Whoever " edited" this once fabulous video should be fired. WAY too much editing !

[@ThisTrainIsLost]

This piece of music is quite literally the definition of its title. But you don't have to take my word for it. Just pick up a dictionary.

[@cascabelio]

These videos of people who try to analyze bands that marked generations with their scant musical knowledge make me laugh, as if their transcendence depended on them. Stop being embarrassed and focus on something else.

[@ThisTrainIsLost]

Just btw, are you aware that Keith Emerson committed suicide when a serious illness ended his keyboard playing ability?

[@JohnSlopReacts]

Damn that's sad. Thank you for sharing. Rest in peace to a legend. 😔

[@ThisTrainIsLost]

@@JohnSlopReacts You are very most welcome! An individual can learn something but, if that information is not shared, that individual's society will not advance. Now, to switch gears: At about the eleventh, counting down from the top of the stack of comments, you have a comment suggesting that ELP introduced the listening public to the Moog, paving the way if you will. I disagree and left a comment with my take on the issue. I would like it very much if you could read it but, I suspect that you have a very busy life so I'd rather not be taken as one of our population's pushy people. So, now you know that particular response is out here. Do what you will with that information. Blessèd be, ✌️

[@ThisTrainIsLost]

@@edljnehan2811 Everyone and their monkey's uncle is entitled to their opinion.

[@petersokol1603]

You ever hear of editing…..you picked the worst video of this live.