The five greatest songs to use a theremin
Most songs, particularly those of the rock genre, are typically comprised of drums, bass, guitar and vocals. While these four instruments have created some of the best songs of all time, artists can achieve vastly unique sonic credibility by adding something a bit different.
One particularly fascinating instrument for throwing into a mix is the theremin, as it can provide an eerie element to a seemingly ordinary track and works without any physical contact by its performer. It was invented by Leon Theremin, who patented it back in 1928.
The theremin senses the relation of the performer’s hands with two metal antennas – one to determine the frequency of the note and the other to determine its volume. This relationship produces an electronic signal, which is then sent to a speaker via amplification.
A spooky sound is created using a theremin and has been employed in many sci-fi features, including First Man and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Many artists and bands have also used it in their hit tracks, so let’s take a run through five of the best uses of the theremin on record.
The five greatest songs to use a theremin
‘Velouria’ – Pixies
Black Francis had become interested in science fiction, particularly space travel, aliens and flying saucers. His interest is evident from the use of the sci-fi-sounding theremin in ‘Velouria’.
This is the third track from Pixies’ third studio album Bossanova. Francis said of the song, “It’s folklore based; the Rosicrucians of 1920s San Jose California had some pretty interesting ideas”.
‘Whole Lotta Love’ – Led Zeppelin
Jimmy Page decided to use the instrument during the ‘freakout’ section of their iconic tune after hearing the band Spirit use one. The theremin can be heard to great effect in Zeppelin’s Royal Albert Hall performance.
‘Whole Lotta Love’ opens Led Zeppelin II, and many of the lyrics were adapted from Willie Dixon’s song ‘You Need Love’, although he was uncredited until a lawsuit was settled in 1985.
‘Incense’ – Erykah Badu
Kirsten Agresta played the theremin on Badu’s 2010 album New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh. Agresta’s A&R rep said, “She was going to play the harp on the song, but she changed her mind at the last minute”.
Badu collaborated with several high-profile hip-hop producers over the internet, including J Dilla, Questlove and Madlib. The album was praised for its analogue sound and loose structure.
‘Good Vibrations’ – The Beach Boys
Paul Tanner built a theremin-like instrument in the 1960s called ‘The Box’ that Brian Wilson would use on the classic Beach Boys tune. Sadly, ‘The Box’ was destroyed in an earthquake in 1971.
‘Good Vibrations’ helped to subvert the expectations of pop music, which had become somewhat formulaic in the 1960s. Brian Wilson wrote the tune about cosmic vibrations and extrasensory perceptions.
‘BU2B’ – Rush
Clockwork Angels producer Nick Raskulinecz said, “we took the theremin, plugged it into an amp, put some delay and a phaser on it, and did a solo. I think [Geddy Lee] might have played one back in the ’70s. His performance is cool. He did it once, and it worked out great”.
‘BU2B’ came as the B-side to the first single from Rush’s 2010 album, ‘Caravan’. The title means “brought up to believe”. Alex Lifeson said of his guitar solo in the song, “At first we experimented with something more traditional, but it just sounded, I don’t know, ordinary. So we decided to punctuate points in the solo section with a more screaming guitar presence. I think it worked”.
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