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The Melody Lingers On John Seng Available on CD CD $17 UK Customers Only (PPD): CD 12 GBP |
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The Melody Lingers On John Seng Available on CD CD $17 UK Customers Only (PPD): CD 12 GBP |
1 Powerhouse
2 Love Song
3 Girl Talk
4 If
5 Fiddle Faddle
6 We’ve Only Just Begun
7 Pick Yourself Up
Nutcracker Suite
8 Overture Nutcracker Suite
9 March
10 Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
11 Chinese Dance
12 Dance of the Reed Flutes
13 Waltz of the Flowers
14 On A Clear Day
15 People 1
6 La Valse
Billboard magazine described Seng’s talent as “a refreshing modern approach to a traditional instrument.”
After working as staff organist for the NBC studios in Chicago, Seng spent eleven years concertizing and consulting for two major organ manufacturers in the USA and logged more than two million air miles in the process. During this period, he also arranged and edited approximately one hundred music albums that dealt with the organ.
Seng was also involved in the writing and production of radio and TV commercials. His numerous credits in this area included national themes for McDonald’s and United Airlines. His Columbia record album “Dream Awhile” was used as theme music on the Today Show for seven years and has received more air play than any organ record.
Seng appeared as guest performer on the Today Show, the Tonight Show, the Breakfast Club and as guest soloist at Chicago’s orchestral Hall. In February of 1972 he became the second organist to ever play a solo theatre organ concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Some years later his development work on the world’s first polyphonic synthesizer, the Yamaha GX-1 won him international acclaim from the entire music industry as well as his fellow musicians. Kojak, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Magnum PI, Nero Wolf, Alien, Superman, The Empire Strikes Back and The Chosen are numbered among the television and film keyboard credits of this musician.
Seng’s obituary in Theatre Organ Magazine occupied more pages that that of any other organist, including that of the great George Wright. His performances at the Cap’n’s Galley Pizza and Pipes in Redwood City were legendary and it was usual to see the front tables occupied by professional organists with mouths agape at Seng’s talent.
A NOTE FROM JOHN SENG
“On a Clear Day” from the well-known Broadway Show of the same name is played is both rubato and beguine fashion and is intended to soothe the listener after the more exciting moments on this recording. “People,” from the Broadway musical “Funny Girl” represents one of the early sixties’ ballads which shortly sent radio listeners into several distinct directions. “Easy Listening,” “Rock and Roll,” “Country and Western” would never again cross paths on the air waves.
A well known musician once said to me, “A recording is not a natural thing. It is rather a moment squeezed out of real time, encapsulated and preserved”. Duke Ellington proclaimed, “My best album is my next album”. The moments preserved on this recording represent a period from 1963 to 1971. They are in no chronological order and were never intended to be an album. In the thirteen years I spent enlarging, refining and developing the Mundelein instrument, it never occurred to me that there might be a time when the instrument would be a mere skeleton of itself. Unfortunately, this has come to pass. I was eventually left with a collection of professionally done test recordings. What you are about to hear is the best of what existed in those collections. I sincerely hope you enjoy them. The song may be ended but, due to technology, the memory lingers on!
Editor‘s Note: We at Pipe Organ Presentations read the above for the first time when preparing this CD. We had already decided on the titles of “The Song is Ended” and “The Melody Lingers On” for the two CDs of John Seng which we have released and we wonder whether his last line is pure coincidence or whether it’s a message from beyond the grave. Whichever, we are sure you will be entranced by Seng’s orchestral technique on this CD.