From the BBC Archives. Some now classic synths in use, in their day here. Plus a short demo of the Fairlight CMI.
Enjoy…
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The Fairlight CMI was based on a Fairlight Qasar M8 developed by an Australian.
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Indeed so. Its from Oz…
The (first) key moment (IMO) is this - “In the summer of 1979, (Peter) Vogel demonstrated the Fairlight CMI at the home of English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel…”
Gabriel use the CMI on PG3 - and later on PG4. He set up a company to import, market & sell CMI’s - so he could get one…!!
Kate Bush used a Fairlight on Never For Ever - I presume because she saw and/or heard what Peter Gabriel had done with it…
In Summary - Influence & Legacy of the Fairlight
A truly amazing bit of kit… (IMO… YMMV…)
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Indeed - the three incarnations of the CMI came to define the sound of the 80s (for better or worse!). Many of its sounds ended up on the sample memories of later cheaper classic synths like the Korg M1, so its influence lasted long beyond its lifetime.
I believe you can buy a Fairlight simulator for your phone that does basically everything the £50 000 original could do forty years sgo!
Time to suggest more classic Fairlight tracks - I’ll propose It Couldn’t Happen Here from the Pet Shop Boys Actually.
Mark
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