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The Tornados - Telstar

The Tornados

Telstar

Released: October 3rd, 1962

Tracks The Tornados

The events we write about at Gaslight Records happened in some form or another 50 years ago to the day. Roll along with us and imagine you are back in 1974.

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It almost sounds as if you're listening to Pink Floyd's The Wall at the beginning of this track. Looped, warped machinery crackles and splutters for the opening 15 seconds until the upbeat tune kicks off, and then we're left confounded as to the point of the ominous intro.

The tune is spritely and triumphant sounding once in full swing– nice early use of synthesised organ sound. Theme music for some lighthearted space-age TV series would perhaps be the best way to describe/situate this. The other thing to say would be that the Flaming Lips owe a debt of gratitude to the sounds pioneered here by the Tornados. The great difference being that Wayne Coyne's voice and spectral lyrics would have knocked this number out of the park; whereas The Tornados simply float it along and abandon the notion of vocal hooks altogether.

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