Kit has awesome technique, great phrasing, feel and has a unique approach to his pitch bending. He is a brutal player, one can hear legendary guitar player Terje Rypdal has been an influence alongside Jan Hammer (according to kit in an interview)
yep, Jan was always my favorite (especially First Seven Days) but later on Kit completely stunned me, he’s right there with Jan. Actually, the best minimoog solo Ive ever heard is Eddie Del Barrio on one of the Caldera albums, Sky Islands, check out the solo at the end of “Himalayas” it’s jaw dropping
One of progs astounding duos far ahead of their time. Kit using his mutitrack all in realtime. Notice no earpieces, no click, no midi just pure brilliant skill. Only two keyboard players had the instantly recognizable sound on the moog. Jan Hammer and kit. His use of the Echoplex and wah pedal made his Debussy like motifs haunting .I wish the world could have seen the magic that was HTM in the early 70's. I witnessed their concerts twice in Charlottesville before they were signed. Kit is a criminally under rated and unknown keyboard innovator, producer, composer ,digital artist. Thank you for putting up these timeless sonic works of art.
You're very welcome Brian, and thank you for saying all of that. It's always good to know that I'm not alone in my thinking about Kit. I fully agree with everything you just said. -Dean
Yes... your comment just made me aware of the fact that Kit not only uses the moog modulation wheel for an effect (which produces a vibrato on all oscillators at the same time), but also at some moments, does the vibrato or detuning effect on just one oscillator for a different interesting effect (and difficult to achieve manually because the knobs are small, and you need that you leave it tuned once done.)
Grew up on Labyrinth. My late oldest brother, Steve, was taking lessons from Kit for awhile after this record came out, and I was spinning it with my buddies, playing chess and learning to play guitar/music. This is awesome to see. Huge impact on me, between this record and the Happy the Man stuff. Kit's composition and playing on this bunch of music is some of the most brilliant rock ass music I've ever heard in my life, and I'm getting up there and always listening for something that comes close! He was a local guy at this point, where I come from, but I was too young to have gotten to catch him at this phase out performing.
I thought I would never get to see this again. Coco showed this video to me and and friend of mine back in 1984 and since then it has taken on an almost mythical status in my memories. I've pestered Kit in the past about releasing it and he said he really wasn't interested. I thought at that point I was doomed to never seeing it again. Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting! SO looking forward to seeing the rest of it as soon as it comes online.
You're very welcome. Getting ready to load another one right this second. The plan is to post one song at a time over the year and then the full concert as one full movie on a separate youtube channel. But yes, meantime just stay posted to this one and you'll see each track one at a time slowly, and as a much better quality than the full concert will be later. :)
Wow! It's amazing that you have a copy of this. I love Happy the Man. I heard Coco Roussel is still playing every month, and I also just saw him perform an incredible set in Los Angeles with a band called The Stratos Ensemble. :)
Wiwwwwww.just discovered this on a prog list .. Dawn new generations won t ever listen to this????????? Stunning .big fan of tony banks genesis etc myself
First heard Kit and Coco on Damian Einstein's fantastic radio show around 1984ish at the second WHFS in Annapolis, Md. 99.1 after DE's father had sold the original 102.3 in Bethesda. Kit and Coco were the leaders of this style at the time. Talented musicians with terrific sensibility, too bad it didn't catch on. Tremendous time signatures.
Thanks so much for sharing. I was fortunate to see HTM twice in 1979, in Browns Mills, NJ. They were among the final shows that the band performed before calling it a day.
I think this is brilliant. Kit is very trustworthy. Even if I may not care for a particular direction (Rare) I know enough to walk away and come back later. Always proves to be a worthwhile destination.
interesting tune. And the reel to reel playing a background to go by. I used to be into this type of creative musical journey but stopped in 2002. Still have all my equipment but rhe hard drive I had been using let go and all my music is on it. Big downer. ... Been a Kit Watkins fan since I heard WAIT way back in time. He was with Camel back then. Wish there'd have been more songs like that with out of this world keyboard soloing!
Kit, is out of this world and Labryinth is masterful composiing. I enoy everything that Kit writes, basically. You shhould listen to the Montana Percussion Ensemble perform Labryinth.
Getting ready to load another one right this second. The plan is to post one song at a time over the year and then the full concert as one full movie on a separate youtube channel. But yes, meantime just stay posted to this one and you'll see each track one at a time slowly, and as a much better quality than the full concert will be later. :)
Hi just answering everyone back who was wondering how Kit was able to perform the material at this concert. Yes he indeed pre-recorded his parts with other keyboards on reel-to-reel tape and then he played mini moog and rhodes over that at the concert. And yes, this was the pre-midi sequencer period, so absolutely everything pre-recorded was performed by hand. Kit actually had that much precision.
Getting ready to load another one right this second. The plan is to post one song at a time over the year and then the full concert as one full movie on a separate youtube channel. But yes, meantime just stay posted to this one and you'll see each track one at a time slowly, and as a much better quality than the full concert will be later. :)
Such a great performance! Thank you so much for sharing! I wonder how these tracks were done live. We see Kit playing a minimoog and Fender Rhodes while hearing multiple layers of hammond, strings, Yamaha CP(?). I guess part of these tracks are on the tape we see spinning next to Kit. I wonder if Kit still plays his Minimoog proggy style sometimes.
Hi just answering everyone back who was wondering how Kit was able to perform the material at this concert. Yes he indeed pre-recorded his parts with other keyboards on reel-to-reel tape and then he played mini moog and rhodes over that at the concert. And yes, this was the pre-midi sequencer period, so absolutely everything pre-recorded was performed by hand. Kit actually had that much precision.
This Los Angeles guitarist of Swiss progressive rock band Flame Dream old bandmate, and dear French talented friend Coco Roussel. Longtime no see Coco in my SoCal, anyone know where is he?
Could it be that they played sync along his master track? the overall sound is very clean as listening to the album apart addings, and there are really more keyboards to listen than to see, acoustic piano, organ, string machine, clavinet... he have only 2 hands!
Hi just answering everyone back who was wondering how Kit was able to perform the material at this concert. Yes he indeed pre-recorded his parts with other keyboards on reel-to-reel tape and then he played mini moog and rhodes over that at the concert. And yes, this was the pre-midi sequencer period, so absolutely everything pre-recorded was performed by hand. Kit actually had that much precision.
Yes; also that keyboards/piano seems to be re-recorded, specially the piano that sounds like a cheaper vertical one, instead of be taken directly from master tapes. The live precision of both is incredible. I thought it's usually easier to play over drums than play drums (and more keys) live over only keyboards recording.
Nope that was just an urban myth, as people where not used to fast shredders at the time, All of kits solos was played at 100% speed. Several live concerts out there of him playing those fast 32 notes with neck-breaking precision. One of the greats.
@@snuppssynthchannel actually, the famous producer Ken Scott, who did HTM’s first album, was the one who claimed he sped up some of Kit’s solos, so it was something more than a rumor. But yes, the answer is seeing Kit live, he did actually play those blistering solos in real time. He was unbelievable!!
My favorite Minimoog player ever. Yes, I love Jan, George, Herbie, Chick, Barry Miles, David Sancious, etc.....but Kit is out of this world.
Kit has awesome technique, great phrasing, feel and has a unique approach to his pitch bending. He is a brutal player, one can hear legendary guitar player Terje Rypdal has been an influence alongside Jan Hammer (according to kit in an interview)
yep, Jan was always my favorite (especially First Seven Days) but later on Kit completely stunned me, he’s right there with Jan. Actually, the best minimoog solo Ive ever heard is Eddie Del Barrio on one of the Caldera albums, Sky Islands, check out the solo at the end of “Himalayas” it’s jaw dropping
@@jamiepastman5594 Yes. How about Eddie's solo album?!!
One of progs astounding duos far ahead of their time.
Kit using his mutitrack all in realtime. Notice no earpieces, no click, no midi just pure brilliant skill. Only two keyboard players had the instantly recognizable sound on the moog. Jan Hammer and kit. His use of the Echoplex and wah pedal made his Debussy like motifs haunting .I wish the world could have seen the magic that was HTM in the early 70's. I witnessed their concerts twice in Charlottesville before they were signed.
Kit is a criminally under rated and unknown keyboard innovator, producer, composer ,digital artist. Thank you for putting up these timeless sonic works of art.
You're very welcome Brian, and thank you for saying all of that. It's always good to know that I'm not alone in my thinking about Kit. I fully agree with everything you just said. -Dean
Yes... your comment just made me aware of the fact that Kit not only uses the moog modulation wheel for an effect (which produces a vibrato on all oscillators at the same time), but also at some moments, does the vibrato or detuning effect on just one oscillator for a different interesting effect (and difficult to achieve manually because the knobs are small, and you need that you leave it tuned once done.)
Grew up on Labyrinth. My late oldest brother, Steve, was taking lessons from Kit for awhile after this record came out, and I was spinning it with my buddies, playing chess and learning to play guitar/music. This is awesome to see. Huge impact on me, between this record and the Happy the Man stuff. Kit's composition and playing on this bunch of music is some of the most brilliant rock ass music I've ever heard in my life, and I'm getting up there and always listening for something that comes close! He was a local guy at this point, where I come from, but I was too young to have gotten to catch him at this phase out performing.
Kit is a human with a cyber-extension called Mini-Moog. Best solos ever performed on that instrument.
I thought I would never get to see this again. Coco showed this video to me and and friend of mine back in 1984 and since then it has taken on an almost mythical status in my memories. I've pestered Kit in the past about releasing it and he said he really wasn't interested. I thought at that point I was doomed to never seeing it again. Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting! SO looking forward to seeing the rest of it as soon as it comes online.
You're very welcome. Getting ready to load another one right this second. The plan is to post one song at a time over the year and then the full concert as one full movie on a separate youtube channel. But yes, meantime just stay posted to this one and you'll see each track one at a time slowly, and as a much better quality than the full concert will be later. :)
Such a great song from a great composer
Wow! It's amazing that you have a copy of this. I love Happy the Man. I heard Coco Roussel is still playing every month, and I also just saw him perform an incredible set in Los Angeles with a band called The Stratos Ensemble. :)
Wiwwwwww.just discovered this on a prog list .. Dawn new generations won t ever listen to this????????? Stunning .big fan of tony banks genesis etc myself
First heard Kit and Coco on Damian Einstein's fantastic radio show around 1984ish at the second WHFS in Annapolis, Md. 99.1 after DE's father had sold the original 102.3 in Bethesda. Kit and Coco were the leaders of this style at the time. Talented musicians with terrific sensibility, too bad it didn't catch on. Tremendous time signatures.
Thanks so much for sharing. I was fortunate to see HTM twice in 1979, in Browns Mills, NJ. They were among the final shows that the band performed before calling it a day.
i was there!
I was too, great show! Also saw the One Truth Band, Mahavishnu John's band that year. Great memories. ..
One of my all time favorite albums(Labyrinth) right behind Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow and Genesis Lamb lies down on Broadway
I think this is brilliant. Kit is very trustworthy. Even if I may not care for a particular direction (Rare) I know enough to walk away and come back later. Always proves to be a worthwhile destination.
please post the entire concert !!!! THANKS
This is GREAT
interesting tune. And the reel to reel playing a background to go by. I used to be into this type of creative musical journey but stopped in 2002. Still have all my equipment but rhe hard drive I had been using let go and all my music is on it. Big downer. ... Been a Kit Watkins fan since I heard WAIT way back in time. He was with Camel back then. Wish there'd have been more songs like that with out of this world keyboard soloing!
Kit, is out of this world and Labryinth is masterful composiing. I enoy everything that Kit writes, basically. You shhould listen to the Montana Percussion Ensemble perform Labryinth.
Thank you and please post more! I also wish there more live videos of Happy The Man.
Getting ready to load another one right this second. The plan is to post one song at a time over the year and then the full concert as one full movie on a separate youtube channel. But yes, meantime just stay posted to this one and you'll see each track one at a time slowly, and as a much better quality than the full concert will be later. :)
Thank you!!
Oh !....thanks a billion !
It looks like an early form of Looping that is going on here. Nice!
Hi just answering everyone back who was wondering how Kit was able to perform the material at this concert. Yes he indeed pre-recorded his parts with other keyboards on reel-to-reel tape and then he played mini moog and rhodes over that at the concert. And yes, this was the pre-midi sequencer period, so absolutely everything pre-recorded was performed by hand. Kit actually had that much precision.
Fabulous Drummer/Percussionist!
Thanks! This is incredible! Please post everything you can!
Getting ready to load another one right this second. The plan is to post one song at a time over the year and then the full concert as one full movie on a separate youtube channel. But yes, meantime just stay posted to this one and you'll see each track one at a time slowly, and as a much better quality than the full concert will be later. :)
Coco Roussel was the drummer of Stradyvarius, a French group from the 70s
Thanks so much for posting this very rare footage! Much obliged! 😊😀😀😀😀
Thank you for posting these! :-)
Such a great performance! Thank you so much for sharing! I wonder how these tracks were done live. We see Kit playing a minimoog and Fender Rhodes while hearing multiple layers of hammond, strings, Yamaha CP(?). I guess part of these tracks are on the tape we see spinning next to Kit. I wonder if Kit still plays his Minimoog proggy style sometimes.
Hi just answering everyone back who was wondering how Kit was able to perform the material at this concert. Yes he indeed pre-recorded his parts with other keyboards on reel-to-reel tape and then he played mini moog and rhodes over that at the concert. And yes, this was the pre-midi sequencer period, so absolutely everything pre-recorded was performed by hand. Kit actually had that much precision.
I think this pre-recorded piano sounds more like a vertical piano, different than the grand piano heard on the original album
This Los Angeles guitarist of Swiss progressive rock band Flame Dream old bandmate, and dear French talented friend Coco Roussel. Longtime no see Coco in my SoCal, anyone know where is he?
Could it be that they played sync along his master track? the overall sound is very clean as listening to the album apart addings, and there are really more keyboards to listen than to see, acoustic piano, organ, string machine, clavinet... he have only 2 hands!
Hi just answering everyone back who was wondering how Kit was able to perform the material at this concert. Yes he indeed pre-recorded his parts with other keyboards on reel-to-reel tape and then he played mini moog and rhodes over that at the concert. And yes, this was the pre-midi sequencer period, so absolutely everything pre-recorded was performed by hand. Kit actually had that much precision.
Yes; also that keyboards/piano seems to be re-recorded, specially the piano that sounds like a cheaper vertical one, instead of be taken directly from master tapes. The live precision of both is incredible. I thought it's usually easier to play over drums than play drums (and more keys) live over only keyboards recording.
look close and you will see reel to reel to kits side.
So were Kit's HTM solos double speeded or not?
Nope that was just an urban myth, as people where not used to fast shredders at the time, All of kits solos was played at 100% speed. Several live concerts out there of him playing those fast 32 notes with neck-breaking precision. One of the greats.
@@snuppssynthchannel actually, the famous producer Ken Scott, who did HTM’s first album, was the one who claimed he sped up some of Kit’s solos, so it was something more than a rumor. But yes, the answer is seeing Kit live, he did actually play those blistering solos in real time. He was unbelievable!!
Drums are poorly recorded. Barely hear them which is a shame.