Fairlight CMI
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Fairlight CMI (short for Computer Musical Instrument) is a digital synthesizer, sampler, and digital audio workstation introduced in 1979 by Fairlight. It was based on a commercial licence of the Qasar M8 developed by Tony Furse of Creative Strategies in Sydney, Australia. It was one of the earliest music workstations with an embedded sampler, and is credited for coining the term sampling in music. It rose to prominence in the early 1980s and competed with the Synclavier from New England Digital.
The first buyers of the new system were Peter Gabriel, Richard James Burgess, Todd Rundgren, Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran, producer Rhett Lawrence, and Stevie Wonder. Among the first commercially-released albums to incorporate it were Kate Bush's Never for Ever (1980), programmed by Richard James Burgess and John L. Walters, and Jean Michel Jarre's Magnetic Fields (1981). Jarre also made extensive use of the instrument on his The Concerts in China (1982) and Zoolook (1984) albums. Alan Parsons made substantial use of it on his 1980s albums for the thick, layered sounds, on "Sirius" and "Eye in the Sky". It was used on The Buggles' last album, Adventures in Modern Recording and, after his time with The Buggles, Geoff Downes went on to use it with Yes and Asia. Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey" and its parent album Security (1982) also feature the instrument, as does U2's The Unforgettable Fire (1984) album.
Artists having used the Fairlight CMI
- a-ha
- ABC
- Afrika Bambaataa
- Al Di Meola
- Alan Parsons
- Art of Noise
- Asia
- Azul y Negro
- Babyface
- Baltimora
- BBC Radiophonic Workshop
- Billy Ocean
- Bill Sharpe
- Brian Eno
- Brian Wilson
- Bryan Adams
- Cabaret Voltaire
- Chick Corea (Elektric Band)
- Cinemaspop (Spanish 80's Techno-pop band including Ollie Halsal)
- Clive Smith
- Coil
- Mike Cotten The Tubes
- Daniel Balavoine
- Darren Hayes (formerly of Savage Garden)
- David Crocombe
- David Gilmour
- David Vorhaus
- Deadmau5
- Deborah Gibson
- Def Leppard
- Depeche Mode
- Devo
- Dire Straits
- Dollar
- Duran Duran
- Ebn Ozn
- Eddie Jobson
- Elvis Costello
- Eros Ramazzotti
- Eurythmics
- Fleetwood Mac
- Foetus
- Foreigner
- Franco Battiato
- Geoff Downes
- Hall & Oates
- Hans Zimmer
- Heaven 17
- Herbie Hancock
- Howard Jones
- How to Destroy Angels
- Hubert Bognermayr
- The Human League
- Icehouse
- Ice-T
- Isadar
- James Stroud
- Jan Hammer
- Jane Child
- Japan
- Jean Michel Jarre
- Jefferson Starship
- Jermaine Jackson
- Jethro Tull
- John Foxx on The Garden and The Golden Section
- John L. Walters
- John Justin & The Thunderwings
- John Paul Jones
- Jon Anderson
- Jon Astley
- Joni Mitchell
- Julian Lennon
- Kate Bush
- Keith Emerson
- Kids in the Kitchen
- Kim Wilde
- Klaus Schulze
- Lindsey Buckingham
- Loverboy
- Madonna
- Malcolm McLaren
- Mecano
- Michael Jackson
- Miguel Bosé
- Mike Oldfield
- Ministry
- Mr. Mister
- Neneh Cherry<ref>As heard, for instance, on her 1988 hit "Buffalo Stance".</ref>
- New Musik
- New Order
- Spencer Nilsen
- Objetivo Birmania
- Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
- Paula Abdul
- Paul Davis
- Peter Gabriel
- Pete Townshend on All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes
- Petra
- Pet Shop Boys
- Pooh
- Prince
- Public Image Ltd.
- Philip Barrett (Doktor Phil)
- Queen
- R.E.M.
- Rammstein
- Richard James Burgess
- Rick Wright
- Rick Wakeman
- Robert John "Mutt" Lange
- Rockwell
- Romeo's Daughter
- Ryuichi Sakamoto
- SPK
- Scritti Politti
- Shona Laing ("Soviet Snow")
- Sparks
- Ste van Holm
- Steve Winwood
- Stevie Wonder
- Stewart Copeland
- Stock Aitken Waterman
- Roger Waters
- Rush
- Styx
- Sundae Club
- Supertramp
- Suzanne Vega
- Tasmin Archer
- Tears for Fears
- Telex
- The B-52's
- The Beach Boys
- The Blue Nile
- The Cars
- The Police
- The Young Gods
- They Might Be Giants
- Thomas Dolby
- Thompson Twins
- Todd Rundgren
- Tony Mansfield
- Triumph
- Tropico de Cancer
- U2
- Vince Clarke
- Vincent Gallo
- Wang Chung
- Yazoo
- Yello
- Yellow Magic Orchestra
- Yes
- ZZ Top
- Zee}}
Devo used the CMI extensively on their 1984 album, Shout, but only occasionally after that (mostly being used by frontman Mark Mothersbaugh's music composing company, Mutato Muzika). It also appears as a prop in their home video release, We're All Devo, where it is used by Timothy Leary's character.
Jan Hammer's music video for the Miami Vice theme song features a CMI. It also makes an appearance being operated by Nick Rhodes in Duran Duran's video "The Reflex". Al Di Meola's Sequencer video has many shots of the Fairlight CMI and its software. You can see Fairlight CMI (series II presumably) in the music video "Etude" by Mike Oldfield (track from the album The Killing Fields, can be seen on the Elements DVD). It can also be seen in the Queen documentary "Magic Years" and on the back cover of Mecano's live album.
Herbie Hancock made an appearance on Sesame Street in the early 1980s demonstrating the Fairlight.
Jean Michel Jarre's 1983 album Zoolook and the single of the same name features the Fairlight's extremely famous Sararr lead throughout the song, predominately in the chorus and with the sampled voices.
David Hirschfelder made extensive use of the Fairlight CMI while recording with John Farnham for the 1986 album Whispering Jack.
Hans Zimmer used the CMI III to make the soundtrack for the oscar-winning 1988 film, Rain Man.