Paul Beaver
Encyclopedia
Paul Beaver was a jazz
musician and a pioneer in popular electronic music
, using the Moog synthesizer
.
Beaver was the electronic half of a 1965 experimental free-form album for Dunhill Records
with studio drummer Hal Blaine
called "Psychedelic Percussion". (Blaine played drums on most of The Mamas and Papas albums, who also recorded for Dunhill Records, and many other pop-rock studio productions of the 60s.) Beaver also played the Moog on "Star Collector", the final song on The Monkees
' fourth album for Colgems Records
, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, and Jones, Ltd; "Natural Harmony," "Goin' Back," and "Space Odyssey," on The Byrds
' fifth album, "Notorious Byrd Brothers;" and was the Moog performer for The Zodiac : Cosmic Sounds
project for Elektra Records
in 1966.
Later in 1966, Beaver joined with fellow synthesist Bernie Krause
to form Beaver & Krause
, one of the first groups to record pop-commercial electronic music, which later became known as electronica
. Their double album (2 LPs) The Nonesuch Guide to Electronic Music was a landmark work, introducing the public to the specific individual sounds that the Moog could make in great detail.
Beaver & Krause continued releasing electronic albums, first for Mercury Records
' spin-off label, Limelight
, with their album Ragnarok (1968), then three albums for Warner Bros. Records
, In a Wild Sanctuary (1970), Gandharva (1971), and All Good Men (1972). Combining the Moog with acoustic instruments, these albums were effectively the beginning of the "New Age
" musical movement.
The ending of the track, "Spaced" from the Wild Sanctuary album, which features two synthesizers simultaneously gliding up and down to merge into a final single chord, was later re-performed to become the musical soundtrack for the original THX
logo used in movie theaters.
With Ruth White
, Beaver established the The Electronic Music Association in the 1970s. Beaver's health began to deteriorate in 1973, and he died in 1975 at the age of 49.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician and a pioneer in popular electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, using the Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
.
Beaver was the electronic half of a 1965 experimental free-form album for Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
with studio drummer Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
called "Psychedelic Percussion". (Blaine played drums on most of The Mamas and Papas albums, who also recorded for Dunhill Records, and many other pop-rock studio productions of the 60s.) Beaver also played the Moog on "Star Collector", the final song on The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
' fourth album for Colgems Records
Colgems Records
Colgems Records was a record label which existed from 1966 to 1971. It was a joint venture between Screen Gems, the television division of Columbia Pictures, and RCA Records, to issue records by The Monkees and other artists affiliated with Screen Gems. The label would also issue soundtrack...
, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, and Jones, Ltd; "Natural Harmony," "Goin' Back," and "Space Odyssey," on The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
' fifth album, "Notorious Byrd Brothers;" and was the Moog performer for The Zodiac : Cosmic Sounds
The Zodiac : Cosmic Sounds
The Zodiac : Cosmic Sounds was a collaborative concept album on the theme of the signs of the Zodiac...
project for Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in 1966.
Later in 1966, Beaver joined with fellow synthesist Bernie Krause
Bernie Krause
Bernard L. Krause is an American musician, soundscape recordist and bio-acoustician, who coined the term biophony and helped define the structure of soundscape ecology. Krause holds a Ph.D. in bioacoustics from Union Institute & University in Cincinnati.-Biography:Bernie Krause was born in 1938...
to form Beaver & Krause
Beaver & Krause
Beaver & Krause were a musical duo made up of Paul Beaver and Bernie Krause. Their 1966 album The Nonesuch Guide to Electronic Music was a pioneering work in the electronic music genre....
, one of the first groups to record pop-commercial electronic music, which later became known as electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
. Their double album (2 LPs) The Nonesuch Guide to Electronic Music was a landmark work, introducing the public to the specific individual sounds that the Moog could make in great detail.
Beaver & Krause continued releasing electronic albums, first for Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
' spin-off label, Limelight
Limelight
Limelight is a type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illumination is created when an oxyhydrogen flame is directed at a cylinder of quicklime , which can be heated to 2572 °C before melting. The light is produced by a combination of incandescence and...
, with their album Ragnarok (1968), then three albums for Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, In a Wild Sanctuary (1970), Gandharva (1971), and All Good Men (1972). Combining the Moog with acoustic instruments, these albums were effectively the beginning of the "New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
" musical movement.
The ending of the track, "Spaced" from the Wild Sanctuary album, which features two synthesizers simultaneously gliding up and down to merge into a final single chord, was later re-performed to become the musical soundtrack for the original THX
THX
THX is a trade name of a high-fidelity audio/visual reproduction standard for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, and car audio systems. The current THX was created in 2001 when it spun off from Lucasfilm Ltd...
logo used in movie theaters.
With Ruth White
Ruth White (composer)
Ruth White is an American composer known for electronic music compositions. While most of her career was dedicated to educational recordings she is perhaps most famous for being an electronic music pioneer, most notably for her early explorations of sound using the moog synthesizer...
, Beaver established the The Electronic Music Association in the 1970s. Beaver's health began to deteriorate in 1973, and he died in 1975 at the age of 49.