Switched-On Bach

Switched-On Bach is a 1968 album by Wendy Carlos on CBS Records . It was the first record to popularise music performed on synthesizers, and resulted in a huge increase in interest in synthesizers, particularly Moog synthesizers. The album was the first classical album to go platinum. It went quickly to the Top 10 in Billboard's pop Top 200 and stayed on the chart for more than a year. In the 1970 Grammy awards, the album took three prizes: Best Classical Album, Best Classical Music Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (With or Without Orchestra) and Best Classical Engineered Recording.

Related Topics:
1968 - Wendy Carlos - CBS Records - Moog - Platinum - Billboard - Grammy

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The album consists of a selection of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed on a Moog Modular synthesizer system (one can be seen at the back of the room on the album cover). Switched-On Bach, or S-OB as Carlos referred to it, was recorded on an 8 track Ampex tape recorder using numerous takes and overdubs. This was long before the days of MIDI sequencers and recording the album was a tedious and time-consuming process.

Related Topics:
Johann Sebastian Bach - Modular synthesizer - Ampex - MIDI - Sequencers

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Carlos followed the release of this album with a number of other classical Moog albums:

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• The Well-Tempered Synthesizer (Columbia 1969)
• Switched-On Bach II (Columbia 1974)
• By Request (Columbia 1975)
• Switched-On Brandenburgs Vol 1 & 2 (Columbia 1979)
 
Switched-On Bach: Influence ►