Fender Rhodes

-electric piano-

Photo: Fender Rhodes Information site

There are very few keyboard instruments that are so cult proclaimed as the Fender Rhodes Electric piano. For inveterate soul and funk lovers, the name Rhodes in itself is able to produce several quite, hard controlled feelings. For there is a lot of people who has fallen for the Rhodes extremely hot design, and of course it's funky and groovy sounds. Since the first Rhodes was produced in the early 60s, the Fender Rhodes has been a natural part in a variety of music styles. The instruments ability to adjust itself and its sound is probably what has made the instrument so popular. The Fender Rhodes has namely the ability to range from the soft but yet so funky tone on the soul master Donny Hathaway's recordings, to a more fat and almost growling sound on the recordings of e.g. Nils Landgren Funk Unit. The ability of the instrument to produce a wide variation of sounds and grooves has made it popular and common in variety of genres, but in particular soul, jazz and funk music.

The Rhodes was invented by a man named Harold Rhodes (b. 1910). He early discovered that the established music schools was not always open for their students whishes regarding the education. Therefore, he developed his own teaching method and opened several own music schools all over America where his methods were taught. When the second world war began, he started to experiment with different smaller piano models, which mainly were supposed to be used as entertainment for the allied soldiers. The model he developed was called, the Army Corps piano and was a small and very compact piano which was very easy to transport. After the war Harold Rhodes turned to the music industry who was willing to mass-produce his piano. Harold Rhodes was though used doing things his own way, and therefore he decided to build and start up his own factory in order to manufacture his pianos. In the mid 1940s he established the Rhodes Piano Corporation with himself as the only owner. By the end of the 1950s, the company was sold to a man named Leo Fender, the owner to the famous Fender Guitar company. Therefore the company also changed its name to Fender Rhodes in 1959. 1959-1965 is however a dark period in the Fender Rhodes history, and during this period of time only one model is available for the market. In 1965 the Fender Rhodes company is bought by CBS and it is under the ownership of CBS as the first real Rhodes electric piano is about to be manufactured. With models as the Suitcase, the world is now getting more and more interested in the unique and peculiar little piano, and the popularity of the Fender Rhodes is increasing rapidly. However, it was during the seventies the real breakthrough was about to come for Rhodes with models as the Stage Piano Mark 1.

Fender Rhodes model Mark 1b. Photo: Fender Rhodes Information site

Several big and well known keyboard artists like Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea and Joe Zawinuhl soon became dedicated Rhodes enthusiasts which strongly led to the increasing popularity of the Fender Rhodes. During the seventies and the early eighties several new models were introduced, e.g. the Mark II (the improved version of Mark I) and the smaller and lighter Rhodes 54, just to mention a few. Also the name Fender Rhodes were changed to only Rhodes in 1974. The reason to that was that CBS didn't considered that Leo Fender had contributed that much either to the design or the development of the piano during his years as owner. Therefore he should not receive any credit for that. In 1987 the company is once again sold, this time to the Japanese keyboard company Roland. Roland releases a couple of different models e.g. a couple of digital pianos with a built in Rhodes as the Rhodes Mk-80 released in 1989. This does however not impress Harold Rhodes who starts a long process in order to get the rights back for his own name. In the mid 90s, after long negotiations with Roland he finally receives the right to his own name. Harold Rhodes has since then stated that he has far driven plans to manufacture and produce a new piano model. Tragically, Harold Rhodes did however pass away in december of 2000 and therefore it remains to be seen if a new model will be released. If so it would be the first new Rhodes model since 1989.

Roland Mk 80 Rhodes at Glimåkra Folkhögskola, Sweden.

Discography:

For the Rhodes lover there are several recordings that includes plenty of Rhodes playing. The recordings that are recommended below are only to be seen as a small selection, and are mainly considered to be a first introduction to the wonderful world of Rhodes.

Nils Landgren Funkunit: "Paint It Blue", "Live at the Montreux Jazz festival"

Count Basic: "Life Think It Over", "Movin´ In the Right Direction", "Live"

Passport: "Passport to Paradise"

Incognito: "Tribes, Vibes & Scribes", "Positivity", "Beneath the Surface"

Joe Sample & the Soul Committee: "Did You Feel That"

Crusaders: "Street Life"

Donny Hathaway: "Extension of a Man", "In Performance"

Jamiroquai: "Emergency on Planet Earth", "the Return of the Space Cowboy"

Weather Report: "8:pm"

Chick Corea: "Return to Forever"

Herbie Hancock: "Headhunters", "the Return of the Headhunters"

Erykah Badu: "Live"