Coming soon: The ultimate vintage keyboards book

[Alan Lenhoff]

Well, maybe the subject line was a bit immodest. But if you're into vintage keyboards (Hammonds, Rhodes, Wurlis, Clavinets, Minimoogs, combo organs, Pianets, and many more), check out this preview of my new book, "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music": http://www.classickeysbook.com/ . It's a big, beautifully illustrated, hardcover book that celebrates these great instruments and many others. My Australian co-author David Robertson and I each invested 7 years of work into this project to help make this book special.

The book is being released in late November, and is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762 and many other leading booksellers world-wide. To keep up with news about the book -- and to be notified when it's ready to ship -- follow us on Facebook at @ClassicKeysBook.

Alan Lenhoff

[Chuck H]

There are quite a few old school rocker/techs that adore and service these old units. Welcome subject matter in the realm we roam. And thank you for posting this in the correct forum.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Looks like a hit! Just wondering, Chamberlain? One of the more obscure keyboards. If I'm not mistaken we hear some on Magical Mystery Tour, and in more modern times Michael Penn and Aimee Mann recordings.

[Alan Lenhoff]

There are quite a few old school rocker/techs that adore and service these old units. Welcome subject matter in the realm we roam. And thank you for posting this in the correct forum.

Well, I'm one of those old school rockers! (And proud of how much tech work I've been able to handle to keep my vintage instruments singing.)

Alan

[Alan Lenhoff]

Looks like a hit! Just wondering, Chamberlain? One of the more obscure keyboards. If I'm not mistaken we hear some on Magical Mystery Tour, and in more modern times Michael Penn and Aimee Mann recordings.

Chamberlin? Yes! The Mellotron chapter includes predecessors (the Chamberlin) competitors (such as the Orchestron, Birotron and Optigan) and successors (such as the inexpensive "string machine" synths that helped make the expensive, heavy and troublesome Mellotron obsolete. (The other instrument chapters in the book are similarly structured to talk about the similar instruments of the era.)

Harry Chamberlin didn't sell many instruments, but since many were sold to studios, they show up on more recordings than those low sales numbers might suggest.

Alan

[Alan Lenhoff]

Retailers are starting to ship Classic Keys this week! Strong pre-orders have left the book in short supply. (The pre-release orders from retailers greatly exceeded the book's initial print run.) If you've not yet ordered, you may want to shop around to find a retailer who can ship immediately. Otherwise a second printing will be available in mid-to-late January. In the US, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target.com and Books-A-Million (among others) all have supplies. For a preview, go to http://www.classickeysbook.com/. Or check it out on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762 .

Thanks,

Alan Lenhoff

[Alan Lenhoff]

Now available: Classic Keys book, a celebration of vintage rock keyboards

Just wanted to pass along this enthusiastic review of "Classic Keys" in Sound on Sound magazine, the highly regarded music technology publication: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews...W5IpizUul2MpeY

For US buyers, Amazon is still promising pre-Christmas delivery: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1574417762

Alan

[Alan Lenhoff]

Now available: Classic Keys book, a celebration of vintage rock keyboards

After "Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music" quickly sold out at many retailers following its December release, a second printing has arrived. Now available at Amazon.com (at a small discount), BarnesandNoble.com, Target.com, booksamillion.com, and many others. To learn more about this big, beautifully photographed celebration of vintage rock keyboards, go to www.ClassicKeysBook.com .

Alan

[Alan Lenhoff]

Thanks to Marc Myers, music journalist, historian and author, for these kind words yesterday about Classic Keys on his award-winning jazz blog, JazzWax.com:

BOOK OF LOVE: If you love rock and electronic keyboards, Alan S. Lenhoff and David E. Robertson have just published Classic Keys: Keyboard Sounds That Launched Rock Music (University of North Texas Press). The 406-page coffee table book is beautifully written and features page after page of photos of electronic keyboards that gave rock its personality. There are in-depth chapters on the Hammond B-3, the Vox Continental, the Farfisa Compact, the Hohner Clavinet, the Minimoog, the Wurlitzer, the Hohner Pianet and many others. Each chapter is loaded with history about their development, the rock bands that used them and hits that featured them. Enormous fun reading through while listening to vintage vinyl.

ClassicKeysBook.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1574417762/

Alan