Dowloadable Theremin- REALLY!!!

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 1 Jun 2001 9:15 am

this is one of the coolest things I have seen on the web in a long long time- you will need a PC or MAC with "Shockwave" installed....
download the version for your platform and have fun!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/playground/theremin1.shtml [This message was edited by Dave Van Allen on 01 June 2001 at 10:16 AM.]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 1 Jun 2001 2:25 pm

For those who aren't familiar, the Theremin was the first all-electronic musical instrument. It was developed well over 50 years ago, and it consists of a single-tone electronic oscillator with amplifier. The original had two "antennas" sticking out of the top of what looked like a large table radio. The operator (or musician) would just place his hands near the antennas, and he could "play" songs, or just sound effects. One hand's position controlled the frequency, and the other hand's position controlled the volume. It was (and still is, as far as I know) the only instrument that can be played without touching it. The strange "woo-woo-whoop" sounds were used often as sound effects in early science-fiction movies.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 2 Jun 2001 6:08 am

Groups that have used the Theremin include the Beach Boys on 'Good Vibrations,' Lother And The Hand People and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
The Lothar in Lothar And The Hand People was actually the Theremin, while the hand people were the rest of the band who did actualy play more conventional instruments.
A nice and weird late 1960s band.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are a twist roots-blues-punk-trashy funk garage band with two guitars and a drummer. One guitarist plays slide and harmonica, while Jon plays guitar and theremin, an instrument he is known to wrestle to the ground, which makes for some interesting listening.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 2 Jun 2001 7:08 am

Jason, you never cease to amaze me. Tell me, have you always lived in Australia?

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 2 Jun 2001 6:01 pm

Yeah, I'm feeling a little stifled here too.
I've lived in three different States, been to them all but one and travelled to Papua New Guineau to walk the infamout Kokoda war trail and hang with my Uncle and Aunt at the Police college in Bomona when I was a teen.

When I got to the USA I'm going to go crazy, how much can one person fit into a trip?

Back to Jon Spencer. I love his groups, when he Blues Ex. came out last time they did a kids T.V. music show, here's spencer in tight leather pants howling and yowling in the audience, climbing through the crowd and gyrating like a carzed skinny New York version of Rufus Thomas or James Brown.
Then he got down and did the whole theremin thing, it was fantastic!

There's also this very cool Russion lady whose name I have forgotten, but in the 1940s and 1950s she brought the theremin into Big Band music. A fine singer too, and a real talent, possibly the greatest theremin artist ever. Oh, if only I could remember her name.

My fave theremin film is 'It Came From Outer Space,' inwhich the instrument was effectively used to illustrate scenes with the shape changer aliens. I believ it was also partially filmed in the Joshua Tree State Reservation, where in the late 1960s Gram Parsons and Keith richards used to sit and waych for U.F.O.'s as it was the premiere site for U.F.O. reports at one time.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 3 Jun 2001 3:56 am

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[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 01 May 2002 at 05:43 PM.]

Frank · Post by **Frank** » 3 Jun 2001 9:36 pm

If i`m not sadly mistaken either Poplar Electronics or Expermenter Electronics had a schematic of the thermin in it back in the late 60`s or 70`s

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 4 Jun 2001 2:53 am

Hey Jason,

I'm not sure which of these women are the thereminist you're thinking of, but some of the more notables are Clara Rockmore (considered by many to be the greatest ever), Lydia Kavina and Lucie Rosen. Most of the theremin in the old sci-fi movies of the 50's was played by a fellow named Dr Samuel Hoffman.

And though a little light in the Theremin department, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion record "Orange" is one of my all time favorite cd's.

DVA, Thanks for the link!

Bobby Snell · Post by **Bobby Snell** » 4 Jun 2001 1:53 pm

DVA, thanks for this link indeed!

Jason, perhaps you can set up a lecture tour when you hit the states, and that way you could afford to visit for a long time. Always informative!

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 4 Jun 2001 4:36 pm

Bobby, what an interesting idea, imagine doing that and in every area you could bring in some locals for some Q & A.

Of course this is one of the few places in the world where I have any cred, so I'll guess I'll have to stick to the forum a little longer.

To be honest since I've seen this post I have been wracking my brains trying to find some articles and notes I'd take on the theremin, I'm trying to imagine the instrument in a Western Swing big band and it seems just kooky enough to work!

Sam Marshall · Post by **Sam Marshall** » 5 Jun 2001 7:33 pm

There was a movie that was about the history of the Theramin. I can't recall its name. It was wasn't a blockbuster by any means.

It turns out that the guy who invented the Theramin ended up being a Russian spy. He lived in New York City, I believe. He disappeared and was found maybe 40 years later living back in Russia. I think he was a master of eavesdropping electronics.

I believe that the Russian lady who was the Theramin virtuoso (mentioned above) was reunited with this guy in the movie.

Sam in AZ

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 5 Jun 2001 8:30 pm

It's late; I must be a little fuzzy here; I thought you all were talking about vitamins or some kind of flu medicine.......

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 6 Jun 2001 7:25 am

Sam, I have seen that very documentry film that you are referring to.
I made some notes and did a web search and found nothing on the singer. I was heartbroken.
I suppose it's time to do a search again, but I just cannot find my notes or remember her name (for shame!)

The K.G.B. got him and basically imprisoned him and he was forced to make bugging equipment for nearly fourty years.
This man was a composer and inventor, and during the cold war they had him hidden away making these devices. He did move to New york and as far as I know he still lives there.

I forgot something in one of my earlier posts.
Led Zeppelin actually started using a theremin onstage in the early 1970s, if you ever see a copy of the Zep film 'The Song Remains The Same,' it features a lot of dopey concept imagery, but more importantly there's a lot more footage from a 1973 concert.
There's an extended sequence where guitarist Jimmy Page uses a theremin with delay sequencer, or some kind of delay pedal, to great effect during their live version of 'Dazed And Confused.'
Very impressive.

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The future ain't what it used to be