F A M O U S E X A M P L E S
One of the most known example is the Internal 44 "Pizzagogo" factory preset use on the Enya's "Orinoco Flow" (Track 7) top hit. The large pizzicato strings section you can hear during almost all the song is effectively the mentioned D-50 patch (reverb has certainly been increased):
You find also this pizz strings sound on the "Cursum Perficio" song (Track 2). The background warm strings pads you can hear on "Storms In Africa" (Track 4), "Exile" (Track 5) or "The Longships" (Track 10) have certainly been played with a D-50.
Paula
Abdul "Forever Your Girl" (Virgin ©1988)
Another
D-50 factory preset (Internal
15 "Horn Section") has been used as a lead synbrass sound on
the 1988 Paula Abdul's top hit "Straight Up" (Track 7):
ABWH
(BMG ©1989)
Rick
Wakeman used a D-50 jointly with an old Moog, an Oberheim Matrix-1000 and
a Roland D-110 (among other material) on this great Progressive Rock revival
album with a funny history: it gathers the 1970's "Yes" group musicians
(Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe). As "Yes"
name also belonged in the late 80's to Chris Squire and Alan White who didn't
play on this album, they couldn't publish it as a "Yes" album. They
thought at first to name it "The Affirmative" or "No",
but they finally decided to use the abreviation "ABWH".
As Rick Wakeman is the specialist to use several synths simultaneously mixing
different textures, it's difficult here to detect the "D-50 parts".
But I'm nearly sure that it appears in the rich brass riffs from the song
"Fist Of Fire" (Track2 - I let you also appreciate the great Moog
solo line!):
D-50 brass sounds may also appear in the third part of "Brother Of Mine"
(Track 3), in "Birthright" (Track 4), "Teakbois" (Track
7) and "Order Of The Universe" (Track 8). Warm strings pads from
"Brother Of Mine" or "Birthright" sound typically D-50.
Some digital lead sounds from "Themes" (Track 1) or "Birthright"
are certainly including D-50 patches mixed with other synths.
Anyway, If you are a D-50 lover and a Rock Progressive fan, you must own this
album!!
Michael
Jackson "Bad" (Epic ©1987)
I
read several articles mentioning that the D-50 has been considerably used
on this Michael Jackson's album. I may think that it has essentially been
mixed with other synth/samplers sounds. Most flagrant example of D-50 use
here is the "Liberian Girl" (Track 4) top hit slow:
I'm nearly sure that several of the background lead sounds and also the warm
strings pad that appear here are D-50 patches.
Jean
Michel Jarre "Révolutions" (Disques Dreyfus ©1988)
Certainly
one of the best reference for D-50 users: JMJ simply used that synth for over
80% of this album. Here are just some examples:
- "Révolution industrielle: Ouverture" (Track 1):
you can clearly hear a modified version of the Geerdes "Machine
Run" patch as rythmic loop FX in the introduction. Roland PND-50-01
"Griitttarr 2"
patch is used as a lead sound.
Orchestral strings are played using PA-Decoder "ORCHESTER
PHILAMON" patch:
-
"Révolution industrielle: Part 1" (Track 2): Michael
Hotop's SoundSet 8 patches "YAMATANO
OROCHI" and "--KOKUBOSTRINGS--"
have been used in this part. The first one during the introduction as a strange
background FX and the second one as a rythmic strings section for the end
of this song:
-
"Révolution industrielle: Part 2" (Track 3): Leister
Volume 3 patch "Analog
Chop" is used for a complex sequenced line:
-
"Computer Week-End " (Track 8): EMC Volume 1 patch "Ocean
Scenario" is used as a voicey lead sound with plucked attack:
And these are only a few examples...
Jean
Michel Jarre "En Attendant Cousteau" (Disques Dreyfus ©1990)
Another
JMJ album where are appearing some D-50 sounds.
Roland PN-D50-04 "Marshy
Zone" patch has been used in "Calypso Part 2" (Track 2)
as the introduction special oceanic FX:
A slightly modified version of Internal
14 "Arco Strings" factory preset has also been used in the "Calypso
Part 3" (Track 3) song.
Michel
Jonasz "La Fabuleuse Histoire de Mr. Swing" (Warner ©1988)
A
2 CDs live album recorded by french singer Michel Jonasz in 1988. It gathers
only original songs written especially for this spectacle. Stéphane
Montanaro and Larry Cohn were both keyboardists on stage. They worked during
three months with Michel Jonasz before the tour began in such a way to elaborate
all musical arrangements. They principally used Roland D-50 and Yamaha DX7
synthesizers on this album, sometimes mixing both together.
You can hear the Internal
31 "Breathy Chiffer" factory preset as a flutey lead sound in
the beginning of the "Mister Swing" (CD1 - Track 2) song. In the
same song, you also have in the middle part a solo line played with the Internal
52 "Hollowed Harp" factory preset mixed with a DX7 brass sound:
"Le
Temps Passé" (CD2 - Track 2) includes another good example of
the famous D-50 pizzicato strings section use. You can also hear the Roland
PN-D50-01 "Pulse Pad"
patch as a large pulsey pad in the beginning of the piano solo part:
A
typically D-50 bowed strings section has been used during the introduction
of "A Chaque Saison Qui Passe" (CD2 - Track 5):
And these are only a few examples. As I already said, almost all songs on
this great opus are using D-50 patches.
Chicago
"19" (Warner ©1988)
An
agreable pop/funk album as Chicago knows to do it (with, as always, some great
ballads too). D-50 has been largely used here - essentially for electric pianos
and soft background pads. You can for example here the Bo Tomlyn's "Top
40" patch "OB
A-3 Pad" during the introduction of "I Don't Wanna Live Without
Your Love" (Track 2):
Miles
Davis "Amandla" (Warner ©1989)
Marcus
Miller (one of the principal keyboards programmer from this Miles' album)
used the D-50 for some songs. For example, you can hear the Internal
21 "DigitalNativeDance" factory preset during 9 seconds as the
pad background+rythmic loop FX in the introduction of Catembé (Track
1):
François
Feldman "Une Présence" (Mercury ©1989)
I
have no confirmations about it, but I'm nearly sure that the D-50 has been
used on this french pop album. Listen to the pizzicato strings sounds from
"Les Valses de Vienne" (Track 2) or "Petit Franck" (Track
7):
They typically sound D-50, isn't it? Some synth arrangements on this album
are really interesting and if you can recognize DX7 bass lines or electric
pianos, I also suppose that the D-50 has been used for some aerial pads or
digital percussions.
"Nikita"
Soundtrack by Eric Serra (Gaumont/Virgin ©1990)
Eric
Serra used several synths, samplers and drum machines on this Luc Besson's
film soundtrack. You can hear the D-50 Internal
11 "Fantasia" factory preset as the belly pad intro of "Rico's
Gang Suicide" (Track 1). A warm analog pad has been used in the "TIPOKMOP"
(Track 11) song, doubled then with a large strings pad:
Dave
& Don Grusin "Sticks And Stones" (GRP ©1988)
Even
if this cool Jazz/Funk album essentially sound Yamaha DX7, Dave &
Don used a D-50, notably for several flute lead lines as in "Sailing
At Night" (Track 3):
ABWH
"An Evening Of Yes Music Plus..." (Voiceprint ©1993)
This
is the 2 CDs live tour from ABWH album. They also played
on it some of old Yes 1970's songs. Rick Wakeman used a Roland D-50 jointly
with a Korg T3 and an Ensoniq VFX (among other material) during this tour.
Each musician also performed during this concert a solo song. Rick played
a medley including the "Catherine Parr" song (CD1 - Track 4). He
used the D-50 Internal
16 "Living Calliope" factory preset for a very impressive virtuoso
solo line:
Seal
(ZTT Records ©1991)
First
Seal's album produced by Trevor Horn (ex-Buggles member). If some strings
pad seem to have been played with a D-50, you can clearly recognize the Internal
37 "Soundtrack" patch during the whole "Violet" (Track
9) song:
Foreigner "Inside Information" (Atlantic ©1987)
I
read articles mentioning that Foreigner used a D-50 on this album.
I listend to it carefully and may say: "it's possible..." Introduction
from "I Don't Want To Live Without You" (Track 4) really sounds LA
synthesis:
I also think that the introduction from "Say You Will" (Track 3) includes a D-50 patch, perhaps mixed with a DX7 sound:
OMD
"The Best of OMD" (Virgin ©1988)
This
Orchestral Manoeuvres compilation album included some original new songs.
You can clearly recognize the Internal
21 "DigitalNativeDance" attack during the bridge of one of these
songs named "Dreaming" (Track 15):
I also think that the harp glissandos you can hear in the introduction and
the pizz strings background rythmic in the 2nd verse are D-50 presets.
Many thanks to the Internaute
who kindly mentioned this song to me!!
Gary
Numan "Metal Rhythm" (IRS Records ©1999)
This
british synth pop album previously contained ten songs in its 1988 edition.
Gary Numan reedited it in 1999 with three more orginal songs and two special
remixes added. He largely used the D-50 on it. Here are three examples:
Internal
37 "Soundtrack" patch has been used for the "America"
(Track 5) introduction:
You can clearly recognize - among other sounds - the Internal
11 "Fantasia" patch during the "Cold Metal Rhythm"
(Track 9) introduction:
And here is another use of the Internal 21 "DigitalNativeDance"
patch in the "Children" (Track 12) instrumental song:
Serge Gainsbourg "Le Zénith de Gainsbourg" (Philips ©1989)
Serge
Gainsbourg keyboardist used a Roland D-50 jointly with a Yamaha DX7
(and certainly other material) on this live album recorded at the
Zénith (Paris) in 1988. You can for example recognize the Internal
16 "Living Calliope" patch during the "Hey Man Amen" (Track 4) introduction:
The Cars "Door To Door" (Elektra/Asylum Records ©1987)
Another great Pop-Rock/New Wave album where the D-50 has been largely used. From the beginning, you can hear again the famous Internal 21 "DigitalNativeDance"
song during the introduction of "Leave Or Stay" (Track 1):
Another use
is during the great ballad "Fine Line" (Track 4). The organ sound
played during all the song and the breathy pipe type sound you can hear
at the end of each chorus are clearly D-50 patches:
At the end from "Go Away" (Track 10) you can clearly recognize a typical D-50 special sound FX:
Many thanks to the Internaute
who kindly mentioned this album to me!!
Mike Francis "Flashes Of Life" (RCA ©1988)
Mike
Francis is an italian Pop/Dance singer who is known for his 1982 top
hit "Survivor". He largely used D-50 factory presets on his 1988
album "Flahses Of Life". You can for example clearly recognize
the Internal
37 "Soundtrack"
patch (among a lot of other D-50 sounds) during the instrumental break from "Don't Start Givin' Up" (Track 2):
The rythmic comping pad played during "I Don't Care" (Track 8) is the Internal 27 "Nylon Atmosphere" patch:
And these are only a few examples...
Many thanks to the Internaute
who kindly mentioned this album to me!!
Rick Astley "Whenever You Need Somebody" (SBME Special MKTS ©1987)
Another use from the famous Internal
11 "Fantasia" patch is during the Rick Astley "You Move Me" (Track 9) introduction:
Many thanks to the Internaute who kindly mentioned this album to me!!
Charlelie Couture "Solo Girls" (Chrysalis France ©1988)
French singer Charlelie Couture used a D-50 on this album. You can hear the Internal
11 "Fantasia" and the Internal
44 "Pizzagogo" patches between verses from the "Aime Moi Encore Au Moins" (Track 9) song:
Pacifique "Quand Tu Serres Mon Corps" (Vogue ©1989)
This french group used a D-50 for his late 80's top hit single "Quand Tu Sers Mon Corps". You can clearly recognize the Internal 27 "Nylon Atmosphere" patch during the introduction:
It also seems that they played the Internal 11 "Fantasia" patch as a melodic background line during the chorus. This song has been included in their 1990's album "California".
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