Anthony George Banks (born 27 March 1950) is an English musician, songwriter and film composer primarily known as the keyboardist and founding member of the rock band
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
. Banks is also a prolific solo artist, releasing six solo albums that range through progressive rock, pop, and classical music.
Banks co-founded Genesis in 1967 while studying at
Charterhouse. He was their keyboardist and one of their principal songwriters and lyricists. He became a frequent user of the
Hammond T-102 organ,
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. ...
,
ARP Pro Soloist
The ARP Pro Soloist was one of the first commercially successful preset synthesizers. Introduced by ARP Instruments, Inc. in 1972, it replaced the similar ARP Soloist (19701971) in the company's lineup of portable performance instruments.
Histo ...
and
Yamaha CP-70 piano. In the band's earliest years Banks would play acoustic guitar for some of the mellow and pastoral songs.
In 2010, Banks was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
as a member of Genesis. In 2011, he was included on
MusicRadar
MusicRadar is a music website that offers information pertaining to artists and their music. The site features music gear news and reviews, artist interviews and online music and production tutorials. It is owned by British media company Future ...
's list of the 27 greatest keyboard players of all time.
In 2015, he was named "Prog God" at the
Progressive Music Awards.
Early life
Anthony George Banks was born on 27 March 1950 in
East Hoathly with Halland,
East Sussex
East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East ...
as the youngest of five children. He cites his mother, a pianist, as being particularly into music, and first listened to classical music albums that she owned from around six before he moved to musical theatre compositions by
Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Banks's elder brother introduced him to a wider variety, naming "
Sixteen Tons" sung by
Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final ...
as one of the songs, and said, "By 1961, and for the next five to six years, I was music mad!"
[ Banks started piano lessons at school at eight with the headmaster's wife, but did not enjoy tuition at first because he was "quite forced into it" by his parents until he grew to enjoy it.] He considered himself an average piano player, and learned to recite pieces by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...
and Maurice Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...
, his two favourite piano composers, by ear.[ At 13, he began lessons with an unsuitable teacher who made him lose interest in classical music, but he then started to recite songs by ear that he heard on the radio. Months later, he acquired a new piano teacher who sparked his interest in classical compositions once more, which became a deciding factor for Banks's decision to pursue a career in music.][ In addition to the piano, Banks taught himself to play the guitar.
At seven, Banks began six years of study at Boarzell Preparatory School, a boarding school in Hurst Green. In September 1963, Banks began study at ]Charterhouse School
(God having given, I gave)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, president ...
, a private school in Godalming
Godalming is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settlement ...
, Surrey. He studied classical piano as an extracurricular subject. Shortly after his arrival he befriended fellow pupil and future Genesis bandmate Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
, initially over their general distaste for the school's environment. They went on to play in Garden Wall, a school band with drummer Chris Stewart. In early 1967, they merged with guitarists Mike Rutherford
Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford (born 2 October 1950) is an English guitarist, bassist and songwriter, co-founder of the rock band Genesis. Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks are the group's two continuous members.
Initially servin ...
and Anthony Phillips
Anthony Edwin Phillips (born 23 December 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, producer and singer who gained prominence as the original lead guitarist of the rock band Genesis, from 1967 to 1970. He left in July 1970 and learned to play mo ...
, two members of Anon
Anon may refer to:
People
* Anon Amornlerdsak (born 1997), a Thai footballer
* Anon Boonsukco (born 1978), a professional footballer from Thailand
* Anon Nampa, Thai human rights activist
* Anon Nanok (born 1983), a football Defender from Th ...
, another school band, to record a series of demos which led to the formation of their new band Genesis.
Banks originally planned to study mathematics in higher education. After leaving Charterhouse, Banks began studying chemistry at Sussex University
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
but soon switched to physics and philosophy.[ After a year at Sussex, he took a leave of absence in 1969 to explore a career with Genesis since the group had split but decided to reform and become a full-time professional band. Banks never returned to the university.][Gallo]
Career
1967–2007: Genesis
Banks's elaborate arrangements and keyboard solos – such as the piano introduction to "Firth of Fifth
"Firth of Fifth" is a song by the British progressive rock band Genesis. It first appeared as the third track on the 1973 album '' Selling England by the Pound'', and was performed as a live piece either in whole or in part throughout the band's ...
" and the instrumental sections of "The Cinema Show
''Selling England by the Pound'' is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released in September 1973 on Charisma Records. It reached in the United Kingdom and in the United States. A single from the album, " I K ...
", " Watcher of the Skies", and "Supper's Ready
"Supper's Ready" is a song by the progressive rock band Genesis, recorded for their 1972 studio album ''Foxtrot''. At 23 minutes in length, it is the band's longest recorded song and almost takes up the entire second side of the vinyl. Frontman ...
" – helped to establish Genesis's sound. In addition to playing keyboards, Banks contributed (along with Anthony Phillips
Anthony Edwin Phillips (born 23 December 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, producer and singer who gained prominence as the original lead guitarist of the rock band Genesis, from 1967 to 1970. He left in July 1970 and learned to play mo ...
, Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis ...
and Rutherford) to Genesis's 12-string acoustic passages in songs such as " The Musical Box", " Entangled", "The Cinema Show", and the beginning part of "Supper's Ready". Banks also was an occasional back-up vocalist and sang co-lead vocals on "Shepherd", an unreleased track from 1970 which finally surfaced on the '' Genesis Archive 1967–75'' boxed set. Notable Banks-penned Genesis songs (post Peter Gabriel) include "Mad Man Moon", "One for the Vine" and the anthemic ballad " Afterglow", which remained a popular coda to the Banks-driven medleys that the group played during live shows for years.
In 1997, Banks turned down an invitation to play on Steve Hackett's solo album '' Genesis Revisited'' as he disliked going over past material and an appearance would have added confusion to the fact that Genesis were close to putting out ''Calling All Stations
''...Calling All Stations...'' is the fifteenth and final studio album by English rock band Genesis. It was released 1 September 1997 by Virgin Records, and is their only album featuring Scottish singer Ray Wilson as frontman following the depa ...
''.[
After Genesis split in 1998, Banks's career stagnated, and he considered retirement from music. It was during this time that he began composing, titling an early piece "Black Down" which led to his decision to pursue orchestra composition.]
1978–present: Solo projects
Rock albums
Banks first thought of making a solo album in 1975, following Gabriel's departure from Genesis. He had a group of songs in development at the time which were used on '' A Trick of the Tail'' (1976), their first album recorded without Gabriel, including "Mad Man Moon" and sections of "Entangled" and "Ripples".[
In 1979, after Genesis had entered a break in activity, Banks and Rutherford travelled to Polar Studios in Stockholm and recorded their first studio albums. Banks's album, '']A Curious Feeling
''A Curious Feeling'' is the debut solo album from English keyboardist Tony Banks. It was recorded at ABBA's Polar Music Studios during a brief hiatus for Banks's main group Genesis and released in 1979 on Charisma Records. It is one of only t ...
'', was released first in October of that year. It was originally meant to be based and titled after the short story ''Flowers for Algernon
''Flowers for Algernon'' is a short story by American author Daniel Keyes, later expanded by him into a novel and subsequently adapted for film and other media. The short story, written in 1958 and first published in the April 1959 issue of '' ...
'' by Daniel Keyes, and Banks had written a complete set of lyrics for the story, but shelved the idea after he was made aware of an upcoming musical about the book. In addition to keyboards Banks plays the guitar and bass as he wanted the album to be "As personal as possible".[ He enlisted Kim Beacon of String Driven Thing as vocalist.][
In June 1983, Banks released his second studio album, '' The Fugitive''. It remains unique as his only album to feature him as lead vocalist on all of the songs; a role he considered after recording guide vocals for Collins to sing for "Me and Sarah Jane" and "]Keep It Dark
"Keep It Dark" is a song by British band Genesis, released on 23 October 1981 in the UK as the second single from ''Abacab''. It reached number 33 in the UK Singles Chart.
Song information
A light rock song, it describes a man who has been t ...
" on the Genesis album '' Abacab'' (1981).[ Banks has employed guest vocalists on his solo albums; these have included ]Fish
Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...
, Nik Kershaw
Nicholas David Kershaw (born 1 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer.
Kershaw came to prominence in 1984 as a solo artist. He released eight singles that entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during th ...
, Toyah Willcox, Jack Hues
Jeremy Allan Ryder, better known as Jack Hues, (born 10 December 1954) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician, who is best known for forming and fronting the 1980s English new wave band, Wang Chung. Hues was also a member of the one-o ...
and Jim Diamond.
In 1988, Banks recorded a pop and rock-oriented album under the group identity Bankstatement, featuring guitarist and co-producer Steve Hillage
Stephen Simpson Hillage (born 2 August 1951) is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s. Besides his solo recordings he has been a m ...
and singers Alistair Gordon and Jayney Klimek
Jayney Miriam Klimek (born 18 August 1962 in Melbourne, Australia), is a Berlin-based Australian-born singer-songwriter.
Early years
Jayney Miriam Klimek was born on 18 August 1962 and grew up in Melbourne. Her father, Alfons Klimek, and mo ...
, plus additional musicians. Banks felt inspired to pursue the project having witnessed Rutherford enjoy the success of his own group, Mike + the Mechanics.[ Their eponymously-titled album was released in 1989. Banks also performed lead vocals on the song "Big Man."
Banks released his fourth studio album, '' Still'', in April 1991 featuring ]Fish
Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...
and Nik Kershaw
Nicholas David Kershaw (born 1 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer.
Kershaw came to prominence in 1984 as a solo artist. He released eight singles that entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during th ...
. In contrast to his previous use of one or two vocalists on an album, he chose a greater number for ''Still'' as he saw little point in restricting himself and selected different people for tracks they suited best.[ As on the previous album, Banks took the lead vocal on one track (Hero For an Hour)
Banks formed his second group project outside Genesis in 1994. He initially wanted to name the band Incognito, but found out there was another group with the name and chose Strictly Inc.][ It featured him with Wang Chung vocalist Jack Hues, and their eponymously-titled album saw a UK release in September 1995.
In 2004, after recording his classical album ''Seven'', Banks expressed an interest in recording another rock solo album but decided that the environment was becoming increasingly difficult in terms of securing a deal; yet the likelihood of it solely being an independent or online release did appeal to him. He added: "I'm not trying to prove anything. I haven't got to convince anybody. I don't have to worry about reviews or anything like that. You are just doing it for people who are familiar with what you are doing".][
]
Film scores
In 1978, Banks and Rutherford were asked by musician and producer Rupert Hine to write music for the horror film '' The Shout'' (1978), after David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
was originally booked but failed to attend sessions. Hine recommended Genesis, and organised recording in a church without Collins as he was unavailable at short notice. The main theme that they developed was later featured on "From the Undertow" on Banks's solo album ''A Curious Feeling''.
Banks's first major film score was for the 1983 loose remake '' The Wicked Lady'' (1983), for director Michael Winner
Robert Michael Winner (30 October 1935 – 21 January 2013) was a British filmmaker, writer, and media personality. He is known for directing numerous action, thriller, and black comedy films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including several c ...
. The soundtrack was released in April 1983 on Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most im ...
.
Around 1983, Banks was asked by director Peter Hyams to score the soundtrack to '' 2010: The Year We Make Contact'' (1984), the sequel to the popular science fiction film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968), having liked his work for ''The Shout''. However, the "masses" of music Banks had written was poorly received by Hyams which led to his departure from the project, leaving Banks disappointed. With months to spare, Banks accepted the job of scoring another science fiction film, ''Lorca and the Outlaws
''Starship'', also known as ''Lorca and the Outlaws'', and ''2084'', is a 1984 science fiction film directed by Roger Christian from a screenplay by Christian and Matthew Jacobs, and starring John Tarrant, Deep Roy, Donogh Rees, and Cassandra ...
'' (1984), which came with no salary. Its low budget prevented Banks from using a professional studio, so he wrote the music using his own 16-track machine.[ Banks was also a contender to compose the music for '']The Terminator
''The Terminator'' is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor ( Linda Hamilton), wh ...
'' and was sent the script.
His next soundtrack was the drama film '' Quicksilver'' (1986). Banks recalled the directors were more supportive towards him and the process went smoothly, but disliked their demand for more straightforward songs on the soundtrack in order to have a hit single that they could release.[ Among the tracks recorded was "]Shortcut to Somewhere
Shortcut to Somewhere was the second single released from Genesis keyboard player Tony Banks's 1986 album ''Soundtracks''. The A-side, which had been part of the soundtrack for the film '' Quicksilver'', featured Fish on vocals, his only comme ...
", a collaboration with Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becoming the most ...
singer Fish
Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...
, which became the only single from Banks's solo career to chart in the UK when it reached number 75.
Selections of music written for ''Lorca and the Outlaws'' and ''Quicksilver'' were later released on Banks's compilation album ''Soundtracks
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of ...
'' (1986).[
]
Classical albums
Banks became interested in the music of Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
after hearing it in the film '' Death in Venice'' (1971). He also cites Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major compo ...
and Erik Satie
Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...
as composers whose music he has enjoyed. He identifies Symphony No. 4 in A minor and Symphony No. 7 in C major by Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...
, and Symphony No. 5 in D major by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...
as favourite pieces. Critics have noted that Vaughan Williams and film composer John Barry are notable influences on his own orchestral compositions. Banks has acknowledged similarities in style between his orchestral works and those of Vaughan Williams, Sibelius and Barry.
In March 2004, Banks released his fourth studio album, and first of entirely classical music, entitled '' Seven: A Suite for Orchestra'' on Naxos Records
Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...
. He had the idea for the album around six years prior to starting working on it, and felt encouraged after hearing the orchestral arrangements of his compositions for the soundtrack to ''The Wicked Lady''. It features seven compositions performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symp ...
with Banks on the piano for three tracks with conductor Mike Dixon.
On 26 March 2012, Banks's second classical album was released (also on Naxos), entitled '' Six Pieces for Orchestra'', performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech: ''Filharmonici města Prahy'') is a classical orchestra, predominantly composed of Czech classical, jazz and guest musicians.
The history of the orchestra goes back to the Film Symphony Orchestra ...
conducted by Paul Englishby. Tracks are: "Siren" featuring Martin Robertson on alto saxophone, "Still Waters", "Blade" with Charlie Siem
Charles Maximilian Siem (born 14 January 1986) is an English contemporary classical violinist.
Life and career
Charlie Siem was born in London, England, to Kristian Siem, a Norwegian businessman, and his South African-born wife. He has three s ...
on violin, "Wild Pilgrimage", "The Oracle" and "City of Gold".
Banks's third classical music album, ''Five
5 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
5, five or number 5 may also refer to:
* AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era
* 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era
Literature
* ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram
* ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
'', was released in February 2018. As he related in the album's booklet, "In 2013, I was approached to write a piece for the following year's Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is a British music festival, held annually in Cheltenham in the summer months (June, July) since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004. ...
, which I readily agreed to as this seemed a good opportunity for me to have one of my orchestral pieces played live, which had not happened before...since then I have written more music, creating this suite...". It features five pieces performed by The Czech National Symphony Orchestra
The Czech National Symphony Orchestra (ČNSO or CNSO) ( cs, Český národní symfonický orchestr) is a Czech symphony orchestra based in Prague. The orchestra principally gives concerts at the Smetana Hall, Municipal House (''Smetanova síň ...
and Choir conducted by Nick Ingman, and Banks on piano and celeste.
Other recent projects includes writing music for operatic tenor John Potter and to a Shakespeare sonnet.
Reception
Music historian Wayne Studer has referred to Banks as "the most tasteful keyboardist of prog rock." Scott Solida of MusicRadar
MusicRadar is a music website that offers information pertaining to artists and their music. The site features music gear news and reviews, artist interviews and online music and production tutorials. It is owned by British media company Future ...
also described him as "tasteful and often restrained", whose "playing was always in service to the song." Solida added, "Banks exhibited a sense of arrangement and purpose so often missing in the excesses of his peers." In 2018, Philip Wilding of ''Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...
'' described Banks as "the most overlooked solo artist from Genesis".
Banks has pioneered many unique keyboard and synthesizer sounds throughout his career; one of his achievements was the technique of using the trigger output of a Linn LM-1 drum machine to have the hi-hat pattern trigger an ARP Quadra synthesizer, creating such parts as the pulsating drum sound in "Mama
Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to:
Roles
*Mother, a female parent
* Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority
*Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels
Places
* Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlemen ...
" (from 1983's ''Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
'') and "By You" on '' The Fugitive'' (1983). Another unique synth technique was used on the track " Who Dunnit?" from the 1981 album '' Abacab''; a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the American company Sequential. It was designed by Dave Smith and John Bowen in 1977, who used microprocessors, then a new technology, to create the first polyphonic synthesizer with f ...
was programmed with a few sounds, and the patches were switched manually (via the panel preset tabs) while he played.
Known for his lack of flamboyance on stage, Banks did wear a snorkel for performances of "Who Dunnit?" on the '' Abacab'' tour.[
]
Instruments
Banks, who has played the piano for many years, achieved a distinctive sound by running all of his keyboards (as well as his 12-string guitar) into a mixing board and then running the signal output of the board into a Leslie speaker
The Leslie speaker is a combined amplifier and loudspeaker that projects the signal from an electric or electronic instrument and modifies the sound by rotating a baffle chamber ("drum") in front of the loudspeakers. A similar effect is provided ...
(both the mixer and the rotary speaker were homemade). This can clearly be heard on everything Banks plays on the ''Genesis Live
''Genesis Live'' is the first live album from the English rock band Genesis, released on 20 July 1973 on Charisma Records. Initially recorded for radio broadcast on the American rock program ''King Biscuit Flower Hour'', the album is formed fr ...
'' album.
Banks's earliest setup included a Hammond L-100 organ, a Hohner Pianet N and a Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. ...
MkII, all of which (as well as grand piano) are first heard on the ''Trespass
Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels, and trespass to land.
Trespass to the person historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, woundi ...
'' album. Banks used the Pianet as both a substitute for a grand piano, and also as a lead instrument, with the use of a fuzz box (also homemade, similar to the Fender Blender). He would often duel with Hackett's guitar, as heard on tracks like " The Musical Box", " The Return of the Giant Hogweed", and "Supper's Ready
"Supper's Ready" is a song by the progressive rock band Genesis, recorded for their 1972 studio album ''Foxtrot''. At 23 minutes in length, it is the band's longest recorded song and almost takes up the entire second side of the vinyl. Frontman ...
". Banks in 1974 switched from his Pianet to an RMI 368 Electra Piano and Harpsichord, which was soon integrated into the sound of Genesis, as first heard at various points on ''The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
''The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'' is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 18 November 1974 by Charisma Records and is their last to feature original frontman Peter Gabriel. It ...
'' (1974) album. It was often effected with the homemade fuzz box and an MXR Phase 100 – later these pedals were inserted in the panel of the Electra Piano.
In 1978, the RMI was replaced with the Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano.
The first synthesizer used by Banks was the monophonic ARP Pro Soloist
The ARP Pro Soloist was one of the first commercially successful preset synthesizers. Introduced by ARP Instruments, Inc. in 1972, it replaced the similar ARP Soloist (19701971) in the company's lineup of portable performance instruments.
Histo ...
, which Banks first acquired in 1973 along with a Hammond T-102 and a Mellotron M400 for the '' Selling England by the Pound'' album, replacing the Hammond L122 and the Mellotron MkII. With the release of the '' Trick of the Tail'' album in 1976 and onward, Banks made use of the ARP 2600, a semi-modular synthesizer, in the studio but never live. On 1978's '' ...And Then There Were Three...'' the Polymoog
The Polymoog is a hybrid polyphonic analog synthesizer that was manufactured by Moog Music from 1975 to 1980. The Polymoog was based on divide-down oscillator technology similar to electronic organs and string synthesizers of the time.
Histo ...
(one of the first polyphonic synthesizers) was integrated into Banks' expansive array, which enabled more expressive and highly layered "colorful" textures along with his unique use of MXR Phase 100 and Boss
Boss may refer to:
Occupations
* Supervisor, often referred to as boss
* Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier
* Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization
* Fire boss, a ...
CE-1 Chorus effects pedals on the Hammond T-102 organ. During this time, he also added a Roland RS-202
The Roland RS-202 was a polyphonic string synthesizer, introduced by Roland in 1976. It was the successor to the Roland RS-101, released in 1975.
The synthesizer operated using sawtooth wave oscillators, which used a frequency divider in a similar ...
string and brass synthesizer to mainly replace the Mellotron, though not used live. He also briefly used a Fender Rhodes
The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...
electric piano. He also acquired a Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano, which, when put through a Boss chorus, would become a signature part of Banks' 1970's - 80's sound.
He used this technique all the way up to ''Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
'' in 1980, when he made a major overhaul of his rig, dropping the ARP 2600, the ARP Pro-Soloist, the Mellotron and the RS-202 in favour of a Yamaha CS-80, a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the American company Sequential. It was designed by Dave Smith and John Bowen in 1977, who used microprocessors, then a new technology, to create the first polyphonic synthesizer with f ...
, an ARP Quadra and a Roland VP-330
The Roland VP-330 is a paraphonic ten band vocoder and string machine manufactured by Roland Corporation from 1979 to 1980. While there are several string machines and vocoders, a single device combining the two is rare, despite the advantage ...
. On '' Abacab'' in 1981, the organ was no longer featured; organ sounds were emulated using a Sequential Circuits
Sequential is an American synthesizer company founded in 1974 as Sequential Circuits by Dave Smith. In 1978, Sequential released the Prophet-5, the first programmable polyphonic synthesizer; it became a market leader and industry standard, used ...
Prophet 10 synthesizer through the Boss CE-1. For the album ''Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
'' in 1983, he replaced the Polymoog with an E-mu Emulator digital sampler. He also added a NED Synclavier II, which also has had prominent features in Banks' career, such as on "Home by the Sea
"Home by the Sea" and "Second Home by the Sea" is a suite of two songs by English rock band Genesis. It first appeared on their eponymous album in 1983. The lyrics were written by keyboardist Tony Banks and the music was written by the whole ba ...
". His final changes in this rig were replacing the E-mu Emulator with an E-mu Emulator II
The Emulator is a series of digital sampling synthesizers using floppy disk storage, manufactured by E-mu Systems from 1981 until 2002. Though not the first commercial sampler, the Emulator was among the first to find wide use among ordinary mu ...
+ and the Roland VP-330 with a Yamaha DX7
The Yamaha DX7 is a synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1989. It was the first successful digital synthesizer and is one of the best-selling synthesizers in history, selling more than 200,000 units.
In the early 1980 ...
for '' Invisible Touch''. Since the '' We Can't Dance'' (1991) album, Banks has favoured Roland
Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...
and Korg
, founded as Keio Electronic Laboratories, is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners. Under the Vox brand name, th ...
synthesizers, such as Roland JD-800
The Roland JD-800 is a digital synthesizer that was manufactured between 1991 and 1996. It features many knobs and sliders for patch editing and performance control — features that some manufacturers, including Roland, had been omitting in the ...
and Korg Wavestation
The Korg Wavestation is a vector synthesis synthesizer first produced in the early 1990s and later re-released as a software synthesizer in 2004. Its primary innovation was Wave Sequencing, a method of multi-timbral sound generation in which d ...
.
Evolving technology and sampling has allowed him to use a smaller rig of 4 or 3 keyboards with an array of rack mounted synth modules to emulate many of the earlier sounds. His concert rigs since ''When in Rome 2007
''When in Rome 2007'' is a live DVD by British rock band Genesis recorded at Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy, on 14 July 2007, during the Turn It On Again Tour. The concert was directed by David Mallet. The collection was released on 26 May 2008 in ...
'' include Korg Wavestation and Roland A-90 keyboard acting as MIDI
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and ...
controllers for rack mounted Korg Wavestation SR, Roland JD-990
The Roland JD-990 Super JD is a module version of Roland JD-800 synthesizer with expanded capabilities, which was released in 1993. JD-990 is a multitimbral synthesizer utilizing 'wave-table' sample-based synthesis technology. It is equipped with ...
, Yamaha TX7, E-mu Proteus
The E-mu Proteus was a range of digital sound modules and keyboards manufactured by E-mu Systems in the late twentieth century.
History
E-mu Systems came to prominence in the early 1980s with their relatively affordable Emulator sampler, and s ...
I and II, and E-mu EIV, as well as Korg OASYS
The Korg OASYS is a workstation synthesizer released in early 2005, 1 year after the successful Korg Triton Extreme. Unlike the Triton series, the OASYS uses a custom Linux operating system that was designed to be arbitrarily expandable via s ...
as a master keyboard.
Personal life
Banks married Margaret McBain on 29 July 1972. They had a one-day honeymoon as Banks was too busy with finishing the Genesis album ''Foxtrot''. Banks said: "The band felt sorry for me so they paid for her to come on the next tour".[ The couple have two children.
]
Discography
Genesis
Solo albums
Studio albums
*''A Curious Feeling
''A Curious Feeling'' is the debut solo album from English keyboardist Tony Banks. It was recorded at ABBA's Polar Music Studios during a brief hiatus for Banks's main group Genesis and released in 1979 on Charisma Records. It is one of only t ...
'' (1979)
*'' The Fugitive'' (1983)
*'' Still'' (1991)
*'' Seven: A Suite for Orchestra'' (2004)
*'' Six Pieces for Orchestra'' (2012)
*''Five
5 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
5, five or number 5 may also refer to:
* AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era
* 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era
Literature
* ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram
* ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
'' (2018)
Soundtracks
*''The Wicked Lady
''The Wicked Lady'' is a 1945 British costume drama film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a nobleman's wife who becomes a highwayman for the excitement. The film had one of the top audiences for a f ...
'' (1983)
*''Soundtracks
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of ...
'' (1986)
Compilations
*''A Chord Too Far
''A Chord Too Far'' is a box set from the English keyboardist Tony Banks, released on 31 July 2015 on Cherry Red Records. The set includes tracks from each album from his solo career, spanning from 1979 to 2012.
Track listing
All songs performe ...
'' (2015)
*''Banks Vaults: The Albums 1979–1995'' (2019)
Bankstatement
*''Bankstatement
''Bankstatement'' is a studio album by Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks, issued under a band name and released in 1989. The other band members were singers Alistair Gordon and Jayney Klimek. Banks had the idea for ''Bankstatement'' after hearing ...
'' (1989)
Strictly Inc.
*'' Strictly Inc'' (1995)
Singles
*"For a While" (1979)
*"For a While" (reissue) (1979)
*"The Wicked Lady" (1983)
*"This Is Love" (1983)
*"And the Wheels Keep Turning" (1983)
*"You Call This Victory" (1985, feat. Jim Diamond)
*"Shortcut to Somewhere
Shortcut to Somewhere was the second single released from Genesis keyboard player Tony Banks's 1986 album ''Soundtracks''. The A-side, which had been part of the soundtrack for the film '' Quicksilver'', featured Fish on vocals, his only comme ...
" (1986, feat. Fish
Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...
)
*"Throwback" (1989)
*"I'll Be Waiting" (1989)
*"I Wanna Change the Score (1991, feat. Nik Kershaw
Nicholas David Kershaw (born 1 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer.
Kershaw came to prominence in 1984 as a solo artist. He released eight singles that entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during th ...
)
*"The Gift" (1991, feat. Andy Taylor)
*"Still It Takes Me By Surprise" (1992, feat. Andy Taylor)
*"Only Seventeen" (1995)
*"Walls of Sound" (1995)
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Tony
1950 births
21st-century organists
Alumni of the University of Sussex
Art rock musicians
Atlantic Records artists
British male organists
Charisma Records artists
English classical composers
English classical pianists
English film score composers
English male film score composers
English organists
English rock keyboardists
English rock pianists
English songwriters
Genesis (band) members
Giant Records (Warner) artists
Living people
Male classical pianists
People educated at Charterhouse School
People from East Hoathly
Polydor Records artists
Progressive rock keyboardists
Virgin Records artists