Lets talk Tonto.

OK, Kemosabe !

No, not the Lone Ranger’s trusty Native American side kick played by Jay Silverheels in the TV series that ran from 1949 to 1957.(Was it really that old ?)

Lets talk about The Original New Timbral Orchestra – that T.O.N.T.O.

‘It is the first and largest multitimbral polyphonic analog synthesizer, capable of producing many tone colours with different voices simultaneously.’

Beginning with a single Moog Series III Modular in 1968, creators Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff continued to expand TONTO with modules from different manufacturers, along with custom additions designed by Cecil. It marked the first attempt at creating a universal language for different synthesizers to communicate with each other, which was revolutionary.

Or so it says on the tin !

I know you can probably get an app for your phone that does a similar thing these days but this was over fifty years ago and it was ground breaking stuff !

Malcolm Cecil was a British jazz bassist who played with Ronny Scott before forming the band Blues Incorporated with Alexis Corner. He was also an ex RAF radar technician and innovative engineer.

Robert Margouleff was originally a film producer and part of  Andy Warhol’s ‘Factory’. He was also one of  Robert Moog’s first customers when he paid US$36,000 for the early Series III.

Together they formed Tonto’s Expanding Head Band and created ‘Zero Time’ released in 1971.

This fell on the ears of a certain Mr. Stevie Wonder who had become frustrated with Motown Records who would take his songs, arrange and record them, then return the ‘product’ for Stevie to add vocals too. This new synthesised sound gave Wonder more control of his own arrangements and involved him more in the recording process.

T.O.N.T.O. – all 25 feet diameter of it – was initially assembled in Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village NY  before being moved to LA’s Record Plant Studio B.

In the early 70s, the trio produced ‘Music Of My Mind,’ ‘Talking Book,’ ‘Innervisions’ and ‘Fulfillingness’ First Finale’ with Wonder playing most of the instruments and the lads knob twiddling sometimes in real time, like demented hippies in a telephone exchange. Patching you through Mr Wonder !

Countless classic tunes came from this period including ‘Superstition’ and ‘Living For The City’ but unfortunately Cecil and Margouleff got little recognition or royalties for their contribution.

Tonto’s Expanding Head Band went on to make a less successful second album and collaborate with a who’s who of  musicians including The Isley Brothers, Weather Report and Devo.

Malcolm Cecil is no longer with us and Robert Margouleff is in his eighties.

T.O.N.T.O. (the machine) is now housed in Canada’s National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta and still playable if you’re game.

So as the Lone Ranger and Tonto ride off into the sunset on their trusty steeds Silver and Scout, farewell cow pokes (and knob twiddlers !)

(Post by John Allan from Bridgetown, Western Australia – August 2024)