Hello again, audio adventurers. Finnley the Dolphin here, diving into another curious corner of recorded sound. This time, we’re heading back to 1971 and splashing down in an unlikely place — your local Radio Shack.
The record spinning in stores back then was Big Band Moog by Keith Droste. Released on Radio Shack’s own Realistic label, this LP wasn’t just for listening. It was created to show off the latest in quadraphonic sound, using the EV-4 matrix format, also known as Stereo-4. With Moog synthesizers, brass sections, and a full lineup of Chicago studio musicians, the album was designed to move sound around a room and catch the attention of shoppers.
So grab your headphones or cue up your quad setup if you have one. We’re about to explore a record that was part demonstration, part production, and all part of the early push for immersive home audio.
Big Band Moog is a 1971 quadraphonic LP recorded by keyboardist and arranger Keith Droste and released on the Realistic label as part of its Audiophile Series. The album combines traditional big band instrumentation with electronic elements including Moog synthesizer, Hohner Clavinet, Echoplex tape delay, and a modified Lowrey organ.
Droste performed all electronic keyboard parts and arranged the material, which includes both popular cover songs and original compositions. The recordings were designed to demonstrate quadraphonic sound separation, making them well suited for in-store audio displays and promotional purposes. The tracklist includes the following:
Side A
A1: Aquarius – 3:50
A2: Walk On By – 2:47
A3: When You Come Along – 3:40
A4: Moog In My Soul – 2:50
A5: Sounds Like Love – 3:54
Side B
B1: T’Ain’t Necessarily Soul – 3:30
B2: Michelle – 3:20
B3: Smoke Gets In My Moog – 3:58
B4: Star Spangled Soul – 3:40
B5: Pressure Cooker – 3:35
Arrangements focus on spatial effects and movement across a four-speaker sound field. Tracks such as “Aquarius” and “Michelle” are reinterpretations of familiar songs using synthesizer textures and layered instrumentation, while original titles like “Moog In My Soul” and “Pressure Cooker” incorporate rhythmic motifs and harmonic structures intended to highlight channel separation and immersive playback.
The album was encoded in the Stereo-4 quadraphonic format, also known as EV or EV-4. This matrix-based system was developed in 1970 by Leonard Feldman and Jon Fixler and became one of the first commercial quadraphonic systems for LP records. It was adopted and promoted heavily by Radio Shack and Electro-Voice. Stereo-4 encoding folded four audio channels into a two-channel stereo signal using phase and level manipulation. With a proper EV decoder, the original four-channel sound could be reconstructed during playback.
One feature of the EV-4 format was its compatibility with other matrix systems, such as Sansui’s QS and the DY system from Dynaco. This made it more versatile for consumers, and some EV decoders were even marketed as capable of creating simulated 4-channel effects from standard stereo sources. In 1973, Electro-Voice entered into a brief partnership with Columbia/CBS to create a decoder that could process both EV and SQ encoded records. Although this effort did not result in wide adoption, it illustrated the growing need for format flexibility in the developing quadraphonic market.
Although EV-specific hardware is no longer produced, many modern home theater receivers equipped with Dolby Pro Logic or Pro Logic II systems can still partially decode matrix-encoded quadraphonic records. While the effect is not identical to the original four-channel playback, it can still offer enhanced spatial imaging and an approximation of the intended surround field. For more technical information about the Stereo-4 system and how it relates to similar formats, see the earlier post at: https://finnleysaudioadventures.com/2025/03/16/heathkit-4-channel-sound-produced-by-enoch-light-and-the-light-brigade-1971-quadraphonic-ev-4/
The production of Big Band Moog was handled by Sonart Productions, a Chicago-based studio founded by Hans Wurman, who also served as the Moog consultant and one of the recording engineers. Wurman was already known for his work on electronic adaptations of classical music and had experience with the Moog synthesizer. The other recording engineer on the project was Chuck Lishon. The record was manufactured by Ampex and pressed by RCA, indicating a coordinated effort between the label, the studio, and the hardware manufacturers to produce a demonstration-quality release.
The album was distributed through Realistic, Radio Shack’s proprietary brand for audio equipment and accessories. It was used widely in Radio Shack retail stores as demonstration software for quadraphonic systems, particularly those using the EV-4 format. The album was also offered in department store bundles alongside Ampex tape players, further extending its role as a marketing asset. It was released in multiple formats, including Stereo-4 encoded LP, matrix cassette, discrete and matrix 8-track cartridges, and possibly additional tape variants. Its primary purpose was to support Radio Shack’s 4-channel stereo adapters and speaker systems through audio demonstration.
Musicians featured on the recording include a number of established Chicago-area studio players, many with experience in jazz, commercial recording, and orchestral performance. In addition to Keith Droste on keyboards and arrangement, the personnel list includes Hans Wurman and Chuck Lishon as engineers, John Frigo and Bob Surga on bass, and Bob Roberts (also known as Bobby Roberts) on guitar. Drummers Jim Slaughter and Marty Claussen provided rhythm, while Lenny Druss performed on baritone saxophone. Trombone parts were played by Bill Porter and Ed Avis. Trumpet players included Chuck Colgras, Dick Judson, Ed Shedoski, Gary Slavo, and Rudy Stauber.
These musicians were part of a larger network of professionals who contributed to studio sessions and commercial music projects in Chicago during this time. Their participation in Big Band Moog reinforces the album’s role as a professionally executed project, rather than a low-budget or amateur production. The album’s arrangements required precision and balance, particularly to take advantage of the spatial properties offered by quadraphonic playback.
Big Band Moog was released under catalog number 50-2022 as part of Realistic’s Audiophile Series. Realistic, a brand used by Radio Shack for both hardware and media, released a variety of audio recordings from the early 1960s through the 1980s. While most of the label’s catalog consisted of sound effects, demonstration tones, and budget compilations, a small number of titles featured original studio recordings. Big Band Moog is one such title, produced specifically for quadraphonic demonstration and never reissued in any later format.
Due to its limited release, specific format, and role as a promotional item, the album has become a collector’s item among enthusiasts of early synthesizer music and vintage quadraphonic sound. It represents a period in which music, audio technology, and retail marketing were closely intertwined, and when experimental recordings were used as practical tools for demonstrating consumer electronics.
That wraps up today’s swim through Big Band Moog — a record that may have been overlooked in the history of electronic music, but one that played an important role in how listeners first experienced surround sound at home.
It’s a great example of how audio wasn’t just about music, but about demonstrating the potential of new technology, especially in retail environments like Radio Shack.
Whether you’re here for the quadraphonic formats, the vintage synthesizer textures, or just collecting offbeat records with a story, Big Band Moog has something to offer. It’s a reminder that even promotional albums can open up whole new sound worlds, especially when companies, engineers, and musicians are all experimenting together.
Until next time, keep your fins tuned and your speakers aligned. This is Finnley, signing off from another audio adventure.
Sources:
Glinsky, Albert. Switched On: Bob Moog and the Synthesizer Revolution. Oxford University Press, 2022.
Moog, Bob. Synthesizers and Computers. H. Leonard Publishing Corporation, 1985.
“Radio Shack Plans Quad Sampler to Sell Hardware.” Billboard, 30 Oct. 1971, pp. 26, 33
“Ampex Ties In With May Co. to Push Quad Hardware and Software.” Billboard, 20 Nov. 1971, p. 37.
“Radio Shack Uses 4-Channel LP in 1,200 Stores to Demonstrate Systems.” Billboard, 4 Dec. 1971, pp. 22, 28.
“Realistic.” Discogs, https://www.discogs.com/label/163934-Realistic. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
“John Frigo.” Discogs, https://www.discogs.com/artist/274253-John-Frigo. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
“Hans Wurman.” Discogs, https://www.discogs.com/artist/165497-Hans-Wurman. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
“Bob Roberts (5).” Discogs, https://www.discogs.com/artist/1384584-Bob-Roberts-5. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
