Mort Garson

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Mort Garson was a Canadian composer and pioneer of electronic music. Born in 1924 in Saint John, New Brunswick, he studied music at Juilliard in New York and worked as a pianist and arranger before becoming a busy session musician after World War II.

Garson helped write several early hits, including “Dynamite” for Brenda Lee and “Theme for a Dream” for Cliff Richard. He became known for his easy-listening and pop arrangements, working with many artists such as Doris Day, Mel Tormé, Glenn Yarborough, and the Lettermen. He also arranged music for The Sandpipers and other groups, and produced easy-listening albums with lush string arrangements.

In 1967, Garson met Moog engineer Paul Beaver and became one of the first to use the Moog synthesizer. He made history with The Zodiac: Cosmic Sounds, the first West Coast album to use the Moog, released in 1967. He then created a series of 12 zodiac albums for A&M Records, each themed around a different astrological sign and featuring original electronic music.

Garson explored other Moog-centered projects, including Electronic Hair Pieces and The Wozard of Iz, a psychedelic take on The Wizard of Oz. In 1971 he released Black Mass under the alias Lucifer. He also made Music for Sensuous Lovers in 1972 and scored a variety of films and TV programs.

One of his best-known projects is Mother Earth’s Plantasia (1976), a collection of Moog pieces written for growing plants. Although it was little known at first, Plantasia gained a cult following and was reissued in later years, helping Garson’s name live on in electronic music history.

Garson’s music was used in film and television, including the Apollo 11 moon landing broadcasts. He also wrote the score for the 1974 Little Prince soundtrack and contributed to the music for many TV specials and documentaries. He died in 2008 in San Francisco from kidney failure, at age 83.

Garson’s work helped bring electronic sounds into mainstream music and television, and his Plantasia album remains his most famous work. His influence continues to be felt in samples and references in later music.