When did Roger start playing keyboards? Is it something he learnt from experimenting or did he get proper lessons? I know John learnt himself - the infamous electric piano on You're My Best Friend.
Is there any noticeable playing by Roger because I can't think of one song where he does all the keyboards on it? I think I read somewhere that he did the keys as well as percussion on the Band Aid 30 song, can someone confirm this?
Judging from song credits Roger started around 1979/1980 because he is credited with Synthesizers on the Game and some clearer ways to hear his earlier keyboard skills would be on his first solo album since it seems to be about a 50/50 split of Roger and David Richards on keyboard playing on it.
Pokemaniacjunk wrote:
Judging from song credits Roger started around 1979/1980 because he is credited with Synthesizers on the Game and some clearer ways to hear his earlier keyboard skills would be on his first solo album since it seems to be about a 50/50 split of Roger and David Richards on keyboard playing on it.
Actually just thinking about it, I remember him saying they he was the one who brought the synthesiser in the studio.
Young Music Fan wrote:
When did Roger start playing keyboards?
In the studio: 1979, 'Coming Soon' sessions.
Young Music Fan wrote:
Is it something he learnt from experimenting or did he get proper lessons?
Roger's always claimed he's a self-taught musician in all facets, so that includes drumming, singing, playing guitar, bass, stylophone, piano and synthesisers.
Young Music Fan wrote:
Is there any noticeable playing by Roger because I can't think of one song where he does all the keyboards on it?
Confirmed: 'Thank God It's Christmas', 'Nazis 1994', 'Revelations', 'You Had to Be there', 'Everybody Hurts Sometime', 'Loneliness', 'No More Fun', 'Tonight'.
Strongly suspected: 'In the Space Capsule', 'In the Death Cell', 'Action This Day'.
He'd otherwise play alongside someone else (e.g. David Richards). Frederick Mandel recently confirmed Roger had programmed the arpeggiator part on 'Radio Ga Ga'.
Young Music Fan wrote:
I think I read somewhere that he did the keys as well as percussion on the Band Aid 30 song, can someone confirm this?
I read that on Wikipedia but you know it can't always be trusted...
Pokemaniacjunk wrote:
... he is credited with Synthesizers on the Game
He is not: there are no credits on The Game regarding who played what or who sang what.
dastard wrote:
There is a piano on Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll, just right after the guitar solo, for all we know it could be Roger playing that.
Since the chords were so easy, it is also likely that Roger played it himself. The Loser In the End has an organ in it, still could be Roger but it also could be Freddie, no-one knows.
dastard wrote:
Since the chords were so easy, it is also likely that Roger played it himself. The Loser In the End has an organ in it, still could be Roger but it also could be Freddie, no-one knows.
The fact it's easy doesn't count as evidence, otherwise we could say Roy Baker played it or John Anthony or a session musician, as they all could physically do it.
Credits aren't always spot on, but they're the best evidence we've got at this point. Credits mention both Brian and Frederick on piano for that album, and Brian claimed a while back he only played on 'Doing All Right' (on the debut album), which means Frederick played elsewhere.