ScuzzBlog: Diaries May 2019
Entry 29th May 2019: Post 01: Movement MCS - Sweet Dreams was made by this
Movement MCS - Sweet Dreams was made by this
Unusual, but today I feature a computer I don't actually own. I
wish I did cus I think it's probably worth a few bob. I was watching
the Eurythmics video Sweet Dreams and marvelling at the computer
style music machine Dave Stewart was playing. The date is around
1982/83 and I was so intrigued I did a search and found that the
computer was a Movement Systems Drum Computer made in the UK. He
was kinda keen on the kit which used sampled drum sounds and then
manipulated them accordingly.
The day had started with me looking at floppy drives and then
tripping upon the 'Floppotron' which is a whole bank of floppy
drives, scanners and hard drives wired up to make music. The music
track in question was ' Sweet Dreams '... which led me to The
Eurythmics. I give you the links. Note that the one hand banging
at the start replicates that on the original video. Nice touch.
' The Floppotron - Sweet Dreams '
' YouTube - Eurythmics Sweet Dreams '
' Vince Clarke's Movement MCS '
The Movement MCS Percussion Computer is a rare British made drum
machine produced in 1981 originally. Cost around £2000 and made
in Bridgwater Somerset. Was used by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics
and can be seen on the video Sweet Dreams. A version of the machine
was sold to Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode/Yazoo/Erasure fame for £500.
The machine uses 8-bit drum samples combined with analogue synthesized
drum sounds.
Movement MCS Wiki
Please note that the images are not mine. It is quite difficult
finding any pictures of the computer. Shame really.
On a side note I do have the Album Sweet Dreams=are made of this,
the single of which reflects a view of a world gone mad but is
still the dream of most ... Anyhooo. At the time I was less well
off than my sister. She worked for a computer company in Brum
and I was at School of Architecture in Perry Barr. I spent a bit
of time at home during the days and would often trip into her
room to play River Raid on her Atari. At the same time I would
play her albums and this one was always a favourite. That and
Human League and ABC.
Movement MCS - Sweet Dreams was made by this
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