Christine's keyboard equiptment--Tango in the Night Album & Tour through The Dance

[Alexbt]

Hi all, first time post here.

I was wondering if by any chance that anyone knew what Christine used to record with on Tango in the Night as a keyboard.

From watching the Tango tour DVD and The Dance DVD, it is quite obvious that she was playing a Yamaha KX88 Midi Controller board.

However, this keyboard has no internal sounds, so she had it running through another keyboard or MIDI module.

Any ideas at all of what she was using?

The stuff from The Dance sounded pretty damn good, so I'm assuming that she updated whatever synth module she was using. (I don't know why she played the grand instead of the KX88, since it sounded just as good.)

I plan on recording some covers of Tango stuff, and any help would be much appreciated .

[David]

Originally Posted by Alexbt

I was wondering if by any chance that anyone knew what Christine used to record with on Tango in the Night as a keyboard.

I assume that one of the instruments she used was the DX-7; she's got one in the Big Love video, & it seems there would have been no sense in setting her up behind one just for show -- they're small & plastic & not that impressive-looking. So I betcha she was drawing patches from the DX-7 for the album. It was still a very popular recording synthesizer in 1986, when Tango was recorded.

From watching the Tango tour DVD and The Dance DVD, it is quite obvious that she was playing a Yamaha KX88 Midi Controller board. However, this keyboard has no internal sounds, so she had it running through another keyboard or MIDI module. Any ideas at all of what she was using?

Dan Garfield, who was the keyboard tech (& backup player) on the two Fleetwood Mac tours with Vito & Burnette during those years, sold his Roland MKS-20 module on eBay about five years ago. I saw the auction online because the description said something like "used on Fleetwood Mac's world tour in 1987-88," so I e-mailed the seller, assuming it was Dan.

The stuff from The Dance sounded pretty damn good, so I'm assuming that she updated whatever synth module she was using. (I don't know why she played the grand instead of the KX88, since it sounded just as good.)

Brett Tuggle says that in 1997, Christine had an EMU Emulator 4 Turbo & various other modules in her racks, many of which she actually never used for the set.

I plan on recording some covers of Tango stuff, and any help would be much appreciated.

Good luck on that tall order. Keep in mind that much of what sounds like keyboard on that album (& the previous Mac studio album) is actually guitar. Also, it's my guess that producer/arranger Buckingham was still using the Fairlight on Tango for complex special effects & voicings.

[HomerMcvie]

Dan Garfield, who was the keyboard tech (& backup player) on the two Fleetwood Mac tours with Vito & Burnette during those years, sold his Roland MKS-20 module on eBay about five years ago. I saw the auction online because the description said something like "used on Fleetwood Mac's world tour in 1987-88," so I e-mailed the seller, assuming it was Dan.

David, just out of curiosity, do you remember how much it sold for?
Or did you buy it?

[David]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

David, just out of curiosity, do you remember how much it sold for?
Or did you buy it?

Nope, I wasn't the buyer. I don't remember what it went for, but I think you can pick up those boxes pretty cheaply these days -- they're mostly superseded, despite how good they may still sound.

[macfan 57]

Originally Posted by David

Keep in mind that much of what sounds like keyboard on that album (& the previous Mac studio album) is actually guitar. Also, it's my guess that producer/arranger Buckingham was still using the Fairlight on Tango for complex special effects & voicings.

OK, I've wondered about this. I always love to listen to Christine's keyboards on Fleetwood Mac albums. It's very easy from Future Games through Rumours & Chris & Stevie's songs on Tusk. But, it's gets harder on Mirage & almost impossible on Tango. Does anyone know if her keyboards are on Tango at all?

[fleetfootmike]

The MKS-20 is the rack mount version of the RD-1000 digital piano: 8 presets - three pianos, two electric pianos, clavi, vibraphone, harpsichord. I would guess it was Chris' main source of piano sounds.

While she may have been using a DX-7, I'd be inclined to suspect she used the rack version, just to reduce stage clutter.

[Alexbt]

Originally Posted by fleetfootmike

The MKS-20 is the rack mount version of the RD-1000 digital piano: 8 presets - three pianos, two electric pianos, clavi, vibraphone, harpsichord. I would guess it was Chris' main source of piano sounds.

While she may have been using a DX-7, I'd be inclined to suspect she used the rack version, just to reduce stage clutter.

That would be quite convenient, as I have the TX7, which is the DX7 rack version.

Finding patches for it that she would have used is another story all together. Specifically I want to work on Everywhere and Little Lies, two songs that are quite synthy.
Here is what I'm hearing:

Everywhere:

Far left - Verse / Synth strings
Center - Intro / digital EP doing triplets down
Left - Intro / digital EP (similar) doing triplets up
Right - Various Pads
Far right - Synth String part

Also, at the end, I'm pretty damn sure that the things on the end "Bum bum bum" etc are synth.

What I'm most concerned with is finding a good DX7 sound that grabs that texture, if I can't find the acutal thing (which would be cool).

In the Tango DVD it sounds like it may have been programmed because it's out of sync with the band.

I thought the Dance might be the same, but if not, Brett is doing a pretty good job playing it. (He often doesn't play her parts accurately enough for my tastes... I could do a better job.)

Little Lies:

This song is much more tricky because I do know that Lindsey's doing synth guitar stuff.

Left & Center: Pads on the intro
Left: Verse Low Vibe/Bell like tone
Right: DX Rhodes

On the chorus, there's a lot on stuff going on, and I haven't determined exactly yet what everything is. In the Tango DVD, I don't think she's actually playing most of what's being heard. I don't know if it's programmed or her keyboard tech is playing with her, but from what I can see it looks like she's just playing the pad that's low in the mix.

[fleetfootmike]

Originally Posted by Alexbt

That would be quite convenient, as I have the TX7, which is the DX7 rack version.

Finding patches for it that she would have used is another story all together. Specifically I want to work on Everywhere and Little Lies, two songs that are quite synthy.
Here is what I'm hearing:

Everywhere:

Far left - Verse / Synth strings
Center - Intro / digital EP doing triplets down
Left - Intro / digital EP (similar) doing triplets up
Right - Various Pads
Far right - Synth String part

Also, at the end, I'm pretty damn sure that the things on the end "Bum bum bum" etc are synth.

What I'm most concerned with is finding a good DX7 sound that grabs that texture, if I can't find the acutal thing (which would be cool).

In the Tango DVD it sounds like it may have been programmed because it's out of sync with the band.

I thought the Dance might be the same, but if not, Brent is doing a pretty good job playing it. (He often doesn't play her parts accurately enough for my tastes... I could do a better job.)

Little Lies:

This song is much more tricky because I do know that Lindsey's doing synth guitar stuff.

Left & Center: Pads on the intro
Left: Verse Low Vibe/Bell like tone
Right: DX Rhodes

On the chorus, there's a lot on stuff going on, and I haven't determined exactly yet what everything is. In the Tango DVD, I don't think she's actually playing most of what's being heard. I don't know if it's programmed or her keyboard tech is playing with her, but from what I can see it looks like she's just playing the pad that's low in the mix.

...and you wonder why we (Fleetfoot Mike) stick to 75-82 Our Christine only has two hands

It's also why I'm less keen on Tango and later tours: prior to that, the Mac were a good, honest, live act: the band on stage (with the rare and forgiveable exception of Ray Lindsey on acoustic on Gypsy/GYOW/SHN and Chris's tech on synth on Tusk) were the band, not the band plus session musicians.