The Sounds Of Tomorrow

Featuring keyboardist Max Crook and drummer/keyboardist Scott Ludwig, the Sounds of Tomorrow were possibly the first two-man electronic pop group. They've not really been recognized as such, however, because they did not release any recordings while active, even though Crook was heard on one of the most popular rock & roll singles of the early '60s. For Crook was the inventor of the Musitron, the modified Clavioline that took the soaring, unearthly organ-like solo on Del Shannon's "Runaway." Crook also played the Musitron on the recording of "Runaway," as he did on a few other Del Shannon records in the early '60s. Although he was (and largely remains) a fairly anonymous figure to most pop fans (and even most Del Shannon fans), Crook deserves considerable credit for coming up with an innovative electronic keyboard sound that creatively embellished Del Shannon's early work.

Crook also performed on his own, and in late 1964, he hooked up with Ludwig to form the Sounds of Tomorrow in Michigan. Ludwig had also modified a Clavioline to create an instrument of his own, the Sonocon, giving the Sounds of Tomorrow electronic keyboards with no other parallel in rock music. In their performances, Crook would play four different keyboards (including the organ and electric piano as well as the Musitron), while Ludwig played two or more keyboards and drummed at the same time. This originality went virtually unnoticed, however, as the Sounds of Tomorrow never got a record deal, and did most of their gigs in Michigan at frat parties, clubs, and weddings. In 1968, Ludwig added a Moog synthesizer to their arsenal, and was later told by Bob Moog that this probably marked the first instance of the Moog being used in live performances.

The Sounds of Tomorrow stopped performing live at the end of the '60s, when Crook moved to California, though they continued to record at times in the early '70s. Previously unissued recordings (some live) spanning 1964-1972 were assembled for the 2005 CD compilation The Sounds of Tomorrow. Though these largely consisted of corny cocktail-rock-like instrumentals designed to showcase their inventions, they possess some historical interest as a document of an act that was among the first to perform and record with these instruments.