Malcolm Cecil
Malcolm Cecil | |
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Background information | |
Born | London, England | 9 January 1937
Died | 28 March 2021 | (aged 84)
Genres |
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Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Malcolm Cecil (9 January 1937 – 28 March 2021) was a British
Early life
Cecil was born in
Cecil moved to South Africa before relocating to San Francisco in the mid-1960s. After a stint at the Los Angeles recording studio of Pat Boone, Cecil settled in New York City and began to modulate.[4]
Career
With
Cecil and Margouleff began constructing "The Original New Timbral Orchestra" (TONTO) in 1968.[4] It became the largest analog synthesizer,[8][9] as well as the most advanced one at the time. It had a height of 6 feet (1.8 m), a maximum diameter of 25 feet (7.6 m), and a mass of one ton.[10] The massive synthesizer with Malcolms revolutionary newly designed joy stick modular and pioneering a way to make the multiple keyboards to play more than one key at a time and could talk to each other for the first time made revolutionizing the way Synthisizers could be played forever. TONTO's debut was the pair's first album Zero Time (1971).[4] Their unique sound made them highly sought-after and they went on to collaborate with, amongst others, Quincy Jones,[4] Bobby Womack,[8] the Isley Brothers,[4] Billy Preston,[9] Gil Scott-Heron, Weather Report,[8] Stephen Stills,[9] the Doobie Brothers,[8] Dave Mason,[10] Little Feat,[8] Joan Baez,[4] and Steve Hillage.[7] TONTO also appeared in Phantom of the Paradise (1974), although Cecil was reportedly incensed because he had not approved of its use in the film and only used it as a prop. .[4]
The vocalist Gil Scott-Heron, who wrote that he considered Cecil a creative genius,[11] along with keyboardist Brian Jackson enlisted Cecil and his TONTO synthesizer for the production of their collaborative album, 1980. Scott-Heron and Jackson were featured on the album cover with the synthesizer.[12] TONTO was described as "revolutionary" by Rolling Stone, but it eventually fell behind more modern synthesizers that were simpler to utilize.[8]
Later life
Cecil sold TONTO in 2013 to the National Music Centre in Calgary.[10] Through John Leimseider, the museum finished a complete restoration of the synthesiser five years later, with Leimseider dying shortly afterwards.[10][13] TONTO continued to be on display there at the time of Cecil's death.[9]
Cecil died on 28 March 2021. He was 84 and suffered from an unspecified long illness prior to his death.[14][15]
Malcolm was survived by his wife of 63 years, Poli Cecil, and their son, Milton "Moonpup" Cecil.
Honours and recognition
Cecil was nominated for and won a
Discography
- As leader/co-leader
Solo
With TONTO's Expanding Headband
- As sideman
- 1961: It's Morrissey, Man! – Dick Morrissey Quartet[19]
- 1961: The Tony Crombie Orchestra[20]
- 1961: Let's Take Five – Emcee Five[21]
- 1962: Bebop from the East Coast – Emcee Five[22]
1971: Dixie Chicken - Little Feat
- 1971: Where Would I Be? – Jim Hall Trio[7]
- 1973: 3+3 – The Isley Brothers[7]
- 1974: Live It Up – The Isley Brothers[7]
- 1975: The Heat Is On – The Isley Brothers[7]
- 1976: Harvest for the World – The Isley Brothers[7]
- 1978: Secrets – Gil Scott-Heron (with Brian Jackson)[7]
- 1980: 1980 – Gil Scott-Heron (with Brian Jackson)[7]
- 1980: Real Eyes – Gil Scott-Heron[7]
- 1981: Reflections – Gil Scott-Heron[7]
- 1982: Moving Target – Gil Scott-Heron[7]
- 1983: Shut 'Um Down; Angel Dust (singles) – Gil Scott-Heron[23]
- 1994: Spirits – Gil Scott-Heron[7]
- 1996: A Jazzy Christmas – Bill Augustine[7]
- 2009: A Jazzy Christmas 2 – Bill Augustine[7]
- 2011: We're New Here – Gil Scott-Heron (with Jamie xx)[7]
Production, programming, and/or engineering
As producer, programmer, and/or engineer:[24]
With Stevie Wonder
- 1972: Music of My Mind[7]
- 1972: Talking Book[7]
- 1973: Innervisions[7]
- 1974: Fulfillingness' First Finale[7]
- 1991: Jungle Fever[7]
Various
- Dave Mason – It's Like You Never Left (1973)[7]
- Mandrill – Beast From The East (1975)[25]
- Billy Preston – It's My Pleasure (1975)[7]
- Billy Preston – Billy Preston (1976)[7]
- Steve Hillage – Motivation Radio (1977)[7]
- Savoy Brown – Kings of Boogie (1989 – recording engineer)[7]
- Neil Norman – Greatest Science Fiction Hits lV (1998)[7]
- Pete Bardens – Watercolours (2002)[7]
References
- ^ The Jazz Couriers at David Taylor's British jazz web site Archived 8 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ronnie Scott at David Taylor's British jazz web site Archived 26 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 9781317410232.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Roberts, Randall (29 March 2021). "Malcolm Cecil, synthesizer pioneer and Stevie Wonder collaborator, dies at 84". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ISBN 9781311441546.
- ISBN 9781847676436.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "Malcolm Cecil – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Blistein, Jon (29 March 2021). "Malcolm Cecil, Producer for Stevie Wonder and Co-Creator of Revolutionary TONTO Synth, Dead at 84". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d Irwin, Corey (28 March 2021). "Malcolm Cecil, Stevie Wonder Producer, Dies at 84". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d Porter, Martin; Goggin, David (13 November 2018). "TONTO: The 50-Year Saga of the Synth Heard on Stevie Wonder Classics". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ISBN 9781847677440.
- ^ Suskind, Alex (11 June 2013). "Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson". Wax Poetics. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Hussey, Allison (28 March 2021). "Malcolm Cecil, Synth Pioneer and Stevie Wonder Producer, Dies at 84". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ a b c Brandle, Lars (29 March 2021). "Malcolm Cecil, Synth Pioneer and Stevie Wonder Collaborator, Dies at 84". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "Malcolm Cecil, influential producer and Stevie Wonder collaborator, has died". NME. 29 March 2021.
- ^ "16th Annual Grammy Awards (1973)". The Recording Academy. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ISBN 9780879309992.
- ^ Domanick, Andrea (12 February 2020). "Best concerts in L.A. this week: Courtney Barnett, Mac DeMarco, Ginuwine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ISBN 9780140515213.
- ISBN 9781881993032.
- ^ Gramophone. Vol. 40. General Gramophone Publications Limited. 1962. p. 36.
- ^ "Bebop from the East Coast 1960/1962". BBC Music Magazine. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ Jones, Jackie (25 June 2007). "20 People Who Changed Black Music – Revolutionary Poet Gil Scott-Heron, the First Rap Rebel". Miami Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Malcolm Cecil – Discogs". discogs. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ "Malcolm Cecil – Discography". TONTO Studio. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
External links
- Malcolm Cecil discography at Discogs
- Malcolm Cecil at IMDb
- Malcolm Cecil Interview at NAMM Oral History Program (2016)
- Malcolm Cecil obituary in New York Times (2021)