Although considered a novelty act, Hot Butter was a pioneering Moog synthesizer studio project led by keyboardist Stan Free (April 12, 1922 – August 17, 1995). Originally a jazz musician, Stan Free had recorded several albums as a leader and worked as a studio musician on sessions by pop acts include The Four Seasons, The Association, and The Monkees. Focusing his attention on the Moog synthesizer, he conceived an instrumental studio project in 1971 that also featured musical input from John Abbott, Bill Jerome, Steve Jerome, Danny Jordan, and Dave Mullaney. Recording under the name Hot Butter, they released their debut album, Popcorn, in 1972. Chiefly made up of instrumental cover versions, the group’s version of electronic music pioneer Gershon Kingsley’s “Popcorn” was a surprise international hit and sold nearly two million copies. The album also featured Hot Butter’s unique versions of instrumental hits such as “Apache” and “Telstar.” A second album, More Hot Butter, followed in 1973, but the group’s focus on instrumental covers quickly wore out its welcome with the general public and after a series of non-album singles, the group called it quits in 1978. Stan Free died on August 17, 1995, at the age of 73.
