Moog’s greatest hit dies at 97

Moog’s greatest hit dies at 97

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norman lebrecht

December 15, 2019

The unassuming Gerhson Kingsley, a German refugee raised on an Israeli kibbutz, scored an unlikely Top Ten hit in 1969 with ‘Popcorn’, an electronic melody written on a Moog synthesizer. In several countries it reached #1.

He released about 30 more albums, including one titled Shabbat for Today.

Wonder why it never caught on?

Maybe it was down to the preacher.

Comments

  • I did not realize that piece was so early.

    He was doing Kraftwerk before Kraftwerk was doing Kraftwerk.

    Based on his Wiki bio it looks like he had an full and productive musical life.

    I wonder what the circumstances were that he managed to get out of Germany before his parents and brother did.

  • Anna Jaloway says:

    Gil Trythall had a Moog country hit with Switched on Nashville

  • Gerald Martin says:

    Very interesting to hear (Popcorn)— but that is NOT the version that was so ubiquitous in the U.S., where the performance was credited to “Hot Butter”. (I still have the L.P.). I like the composer’s version more.

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