Bob Moog flips Bruce Swedien the "Bird"!

[Bruce Swedien]

Bob Moog flips Bruce Swedien the "Bird"!

by Bruce Swedien

Let me begin by saying that I miss Robert Moog VERY, VERY much!!! He was a real Studio 'PAL" of the highest order!!!

The following is a true “Studio Tale”. Some of the dates may be off a bit, but every attempt was made by the author to be accurate. The places, locations and the participants are absolutely precise!

It happened during the summer of 1970 (I think!)....

I was recording an album at Marty Feldman’s great studio in Chicago - Paragon Studios. I was working with the incredible Saxaphone Virtuoso Eddie Harris. Robert Moog was working with us. Bob made some very extraordinary electronic devices for Eddie. Bob and Eddie had done a lot of experimental stuff that never went into production. Bob’s favorite was a four-oscillator synthesizer for Eddie. Eddie used it for years and we made several records with it. It was unique! But then, everything that Eddie, Bob and I did for those recordings was unique!

Paragon was a walk-up three story recording studio. You came in at the street and then walked up one flight to the Paragon Recording Studio offices. Then up one more flight of stairs to the studio. And what a studio!

That walk-up was a real pain-in-the-ass! The interesting thing was that after the initial walk-up, people griped and moaned about it, but then after an hour or two workng in those great sounding rooms, with all that great Marty Feldman equipment, there were nothing but smiles and happy faces all around!

Marty Feldman was an excellent small airplane pilot! Recording was Marty’s first love but flying small airplanes was a close second love! The console in Marty’s studio was a great sounding desk built by legendary audio design engineer Daniel Flickinger. Marty had designed the control room with all the audio outboard gear installed above the engineers head just like the pilot’s cockpit in an airplane! It worked quite well as I recall....

We had been working all night on the Eddie Harris album. We had started at 8:00 pm the night before. I was burned, but that is the way it is sometimes! Besides the Eddie Harris album was fantastic! That was all that mattered to me....

I was scheduled to start work on a religious record with Dale Evans singing at 10:00 in the morning! Eddie and his crew and Bob Moog were packing up all their stuff. The musicians and the Religious Record Label Folks had arrived at about 10:00 am. Dale Evans was there with husband Roy Rogers in tow.

(Interesting side-note - the label folks had warned me not to ask about “Trigger”, Roy Rogers legendary Palomino horse. They said to me that if “Trigger” was mentioned in conversation, not to say that he was “Stuffed”. No, he was “Mounted”, I think they said to say!)

Marty called me on the studio ‘phone and asked me if he could bring them all up into the control room. I said “Sure!” we were done with Eddie’s stuff and they were packing up the gear out in the studio.

So, picture this - In the Paragon Control Room - Myself, seated at the legendary Flickinger..... Marty Feldman behind me, waiting to make sure our clients were all happy. Three dudes, very restrained, in handsome three-piece suits with ties, from the religious record label. Plus Dale Evans and Roy Rogers waiting for something to happen.... The mood in the control room was somber and prayerful. It was a Religious Record Date. It was almost a prayer meeting, but not quite...

All of a sudden, the control room door bashed open with a big Whoosh!, and Robert Moog, looking all dignified, (the father of the synthesizer), burst in!!! He ran around to the front of the console directly in front of me, and made a very obscene gesture directly at me. (You know the one! With his right hand and his middle finger up! I think it’s called “Flipping Someone The Bird!”)

As Bob Moog flipped me the "Bird", he stuck his tongue out at me as far as it would go, and at the same time made a ridiculous face!!!

Everyone in the control room froze in abject horror! You could have heard a pin drop!!!!

Then Robert Moog, the father of the synthesizer, the ultimate in dignified demeanor, spun on his heel and left without saying a word!!! Leaving me to explain to the emotionless religious folks what had happened!!!

Of course behind me, Marty Feldman was absolutely convulsed with roaring laughter!!!!

Perhaps you should have been there to properly appreciate the situation. It was incredible!!!!

Bruce Swedien

[Lek]

awesome story!

[brad347]

If you wrote a book, I would buy it.

(Bruce has it's called MAKE MINE MUSIC and its a great read!)

[John Noll]

Same Marty Feldman, the late actor/comedian?

[johnnyrock]

I am currently ROTFLMAO, I think you just sold another book. That's an awesome story.

Thanks Mr Swedeian

Jeff Maguire

[Bruce Swedien]

Originally Posted by John Noll

Same Marty Feldman, the late actor/comedian?

No, It's Marty Feldman, the late, great studio owner( Paragon in Chicago), a fantastic studio.....

Bruce Swedien

[GearHunter]

Well, we all know Trigger was stuffed. I don't care what they wanna call it, that dead horse was stuffed with enough saw-dust and peanut shells to start a country-westen saloon!

I'm not gonna even ask what they did to Roy!

Funny story, Bruce! Love it!