Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Difficult to list all the players, 'cos in the '60s and '70s everyone used a Hammond, a Rhodes or a Mellotron (with the odd Farfisa or Continental here and there). ? The rock music of the time was shaped around these tones as much as it was by the electric guitar. Hammond in particular fared well because it could keep up with loud, distorted guitars.
But these early electronic keyboards were such unwieldy beasts to transport and carry, as well as being temperamental to keep running in some cases, that as soon as synths appeared almost everyone swapped over (while roadies breathed sighs of relief). They weren't the same (much like a Rhodes piano or the electric guitar weren't real replacements for their acoustic counterparts), but to make up for it they offered a wide range of completely new tones that shaped the next generation of music.
Also they were more versatile so you needed less of them.
Prior to the introduction of instruments like the DX-7 if you wanted a Rhodes sound you had to have a Rhodes on stage. If you wanted a Clavinet sound you had to have a Clavinet on stage. Etc etc.
This is Rick Wakeman in concert in the 70s
He'd need less space and inflict less damage on his roady's back these days.
Also those MiniMoogs were monophonic and had to be programmed manually if you wanted a different sound.
I don't think the modern stuff sounds quite as good, but it's far more practical.
