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A Brief History on Rick Wrights Organs/Synths Used In Pink Floyd From 1964-1989
The first Farfisa that Rick procured in 1964 was a single manual model of the Combo Compact Farfisa but in 1966 he switched to a Farfisa Compact Duo. He often combined the sound with the Binson Echorec which is an important key in the ethereal sound they obtained in the 60s.
Rick began using the Hammond Organ along with other synths in the late 60s alongside the Farfisa. (Pictured playing H, Farfisa in the back) The Hammond was used in universally every album after Saucerful of Secrets.
Hammond M-102 played on obscured by clouds+
Hammond M-102 played on obscured by clouds+
+Hammond RT-3 used in the making of Dark Side of The Moon and the iconic Pompeii concert. The Hammonds remained in his rig until 2007, specifically the B-3/C-3 models.
The Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer are the two main electric pianos used by Rick to get the classic Pink Floyd sound, but the Rhodes specialized in a more jazzy sound contrasting to the more rhythmic parts on the Wurlitzer.
The Fender Rhodes is used on the album Animals as well as Hey You on The Wall album. It gives an almost wind like sound which I adore.
The Wurlitzer, specifically Wurlitzer EP-200, was used on songs like Have A Cigar, Money, Time, and more funk sounding songs. The EP-200 was often used for studio sessions and the EP-200A model used for live performances.
The VCS 3 is a notable synthesizer used on Any Colour You Like and was fed through a tape loop to create the climactic keyboard solo.
Hohner Clavinet D6 is used to get a bass sound in a more reggae style but is used on songs like Have A Cigar and part 8 of Shine On You as well as the Wurlitzer. Hohner is also played on the solo album from Wright called Wet Dream (stream baby!!).
The most interesting to me is the Solina String Ensemble used to create an orchestra like sound through keys. The ARP Solina was used for string overdubs on Wish You Were Here as well as on the album Animals.
The intro to Shine On You is a great example of the way the sound of the instrument protracts.
The Moog Minimoog (adorable asf) was used in 1973-1977 and was a key piece of Ricks rig on Dark Side of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, and on the Animals album and tour. You can hear the horn sound on Raving and Drooling and in the melodic section of Dogs.
Dont worry, almost done! In the meantime heres one or my favorite Rick moments that showcases his talent in jazz instruments as well as the keys! Biding My Time is a wonderful song featuring the piano, trumpet, and Hammond!
The Prophet 5 is a huge piece in The Wall making and tour! The synth was extremely popular in music at the time and can be heard on the solo in Run Like Hell. It was another esteemed instrument for its string effects.
The Roland JX-10 was made by essentially two Roland JX-8P synthesizers being put together in the 1980s. The instrument is used in the late 80s āversion 2 Pink Floydā, an instrument typical to the time for them just like the reverbed drums. He also played on the Run Like Hell solo
Here are some pretty classic photos I found that displays the huge set up Rick had during live performances. You can see all the different pieces of the Pink Floyd key puzzle. (I missed some elements here but I didnt want to bore you at once, Iāll add more later!)
