'Hot Butter' was the alias of American keyboard virtuoso Stan Free. Free had been a member of the pioneering Moog synthesizer ensemble, the 'First Moog Quartet', and, during their 1969 tour of the States, they had used "Popcorn" as an encore. In 1972, remembering the positive response the song had received, Free released it as a single, and it became a worldwide hit, peaking at No. 5 in the UK and No. 9 in the USA. It was one of the first pop hits to be entirely played by a synthesizer.
Since then the spacey pop instrumental has appeared in many computer games and film soundtracks and, in 2005, 'Crazy Frog' had a No. 12 hit in the UK with a cover version. The song was written by the German performer Gershon Kingsley, who was the leader of the 'First Moog Quartet' and the first person to use the Moog synthesizer in live performance. He told Reuters in a telephone interview: "I am glad I was born in Germany and partook of German culture.
"Because, whether you're talking about Beethoven, Goethe or Wagner, it's unique in the history of humankind. 'Popcorn' is a classical melody, it could easily be incorporated into a Bach piece. It's so transparent - it's like why you can't change a Mozart melody. It took me five minutes. But I could never do it again." Unfortunately for Kingsley, he discovered that he had unwittingly sold half the publishing rights to the song before it became a hit.
"It took a long time to get over that," he told Reuters. Kingsley was close to 50 years old by the time the tune became a hit, prompting disbelief among many that he had written it. He recalled: "When I went to pick up my first gold record in Germany, they said to me, 'YOU wrote Popcorn?'" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn_%28instrumental%29
14 Comments (since 2 May 2014)
leejohnson
'Hot Butter' was the alias of American keyboard virtuoso Stan Free. Free had been a member of the pioneering Moog synthesizer ensemble, the 'First Moog Quartet', and, during their 1969 tour of the States, they had used "Popcorn" as an encore. In 1972, remembering the positive response the song had received, Free released it as a single, and it became a worldwide hit, peaking at No. 5 in the UK and No. 9 in the USA. It was one of the first pop hits to be entirely played by a synthesizer.
leejohnson
Since then the spacey pop instrumental has appeared in many computer games and film soundtracks and, in 2005, 'Crazy Frog' had a No. 12 hit in the UK with a cover version. The song was written by the German performer Gershon Kingsley, who was the leader of the 'First Moog Quartet' and the first person to use the Moog synthesizer in live performance. He told Reuters in a telephone interview: "I am glad I was born in Germany and partook of German culture.
leejohnson
"Because, whether you're talking about Beethoven, Goethe or Wagner, it's unique in the history of humankind. 'Popcorn' is a classical melody, it could easily be incorporated into a Bach piece. It's so transparent - it's like why you can't change a Mozart melody. It took me five minutes. But I could never do it again." Unfortunately for Kingsley, he discovered that he had unwittingly sold half the publishing rights to the song before it became a hit.
leejohnson
"It took a long time to get over that," he told Reuters. Kingsley was close to 50 years old by the time the tune became a hit, prompting disbelief among many that he had written it. He recalled: "When I went to pick up my first gold record in Germany, they said to me, 'YOU wrote Popcorn?'" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn_%28instrumental%29
AndyWilkinson
One of the first singles I ever got.
roseyrhymes
great one!
thesunneversets
Sounded like the future.
HawklordElf
This was a big hit one year that we went to Ibiza. The hotel opposite ours once played it 24 times consecutively!
pez
@AndyWilkinson snap!
BeeBee
Reminds me of being a kid all over again!......also reminds me of my Binatone TV Tennis game!
Bilbobraggins
I'd completely forgotten about this as well, thanks!
titusfrancis54
Nice HOT butter on skulls! This is Moog synthesizer based...POP music! ☺ty
bingsy22
Totally love. I've put this on a mix or two. :)
lynn200
agree with all the above...incredible find..