Hold Your Head Up – organ solo
We visited the incredible keyboard playing of Rod Argent back in December when I recorded the killer solo from the Zombies Time of the Season. After the Zombies disbanded in 1968, Rod Argent formed the eponomously named group, Argent. (I used the word correctly — look it up!). Their third album, All Together Now, released in 1972, struck gold, literally, selling over a million records and catapulting Hold Your Head Up to #5 in the US.
I have loved this solo since the first time I heard it. It was a good bit of work. It’s extremely fast and at times bluesy but very atonal and it moves around in novel ways. I like how it seems like it’s almost going to end and then it turns and builds again, and again, and again. All right, so here we go… Rod in the left channel, me in the right, please enjoy the killer solo from Hold Your Head Up.
(Purchase the original on Amazon, iTunes.)
A Killer Solo a Week for a Year 
I like them all, but this really is one of the best!!!
Thank you.
Great version..I have to learn this solo for an internet collab so was doing googling & found this..NICE!
Hi Norm, thanks very much for your kind words. If you’d like I can run off some sheet music for the solo or if you use Logic I can send you the project. If you don’t use Logic I’d be willing to run off a couple MP3s that are 50% slower and 25% slower than the original for you to practice with — I find that approach really helpful for learning a complex solo and bringing it up to speed.
Hi! By chance do you have the sheet music? Would love to learn it!
-S
That’s very kind! We all use ProTools but an mp3 would be killer..
Slowed down would be awesome!
I use a Nord Stage keyboard & just acquired VB3 software which is great!
Here’s my e-mail
normswwworld@gmail.com
Was a midi ever done for this solo?
jimhump@nutelecom.net
Would you like to be a part of our collab?
We could just use your part & you will be credited for these..
Would just need to know your tempo..
If you want to hear what we do check this out…All the other parts are finished except the solo..
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_7801001
Nothing short of incredible! Anyway We did an amazing recording of this song but the keyboard player never learned his parts. Anyway you would like to do them? The tempo is like the original and I might be able to plug in the parts you already have. You will have part of the song and you can do what you like with it as long as everyone is credited involved. Thanks so much.
Greg
I sent you the music to HYHU. did you receive it? I just want to make sure it didn’t go into spam.
I didn’t receive it 😦
I think I would your keyboard challenge. If you still remember, where did you get the scores? It’s going to take me as long to find the music as it will to learn it.
gg is my name.
Fabulous solo! I know parts of it, my new band is going to do this one – how can I get a copy of the sheet music from you? Also – you wouldn’t happen to have sheet music for the “Hush” solo or “Smokin’,” would you? I want to really nail these and the sheet music would be just an awesome aid to my ears! Thanks in advance for any help.
Gary
Gary, if you get any of this sheet music, can you forward it to me-my email is Tunermike47@aol.com. Thank you.
Hi, I am a playing keyboardist, and would appreciate the midi file or Logic file or other score-capable document for “Hold Your Head Up”. Maybe I can reciprocate with something, i have many sheet music scored and fake books in digital form, Real Books, etc. Hate to say, but asap would be doubly appreciated because I have to play it soon, and they’d prefer if I don’t improvize over it, and i will not have time to transcribe w other projects going. Enough whining. THANK YOU. My email is nmcq333@gmail.com
Neil McQueen! Fancy meeting you here! This guy never responded so I had Craig McDonald help me with the solo..It was for an internet collab..Didn’t have time to learn it.. My organ parts were a Nord Stage..his solo parts were VB3.
http://www.ourstage.com/t/JSDOCWLJBCNI?u=6b162
Norm
Hello was hoping you could run off some sheet music for this amazing solo. I have not found any thing close as this. I MUST LEARN THIS SOLO!
Thank you in advance.. Dusty
my email: cassy.gurl@hotmail.com
Was a midi ever done for this solo? At least I could open it up in cakewalk and print the sheet music. Thanks
I have been looking for for any type of sheet music for the solo. Is that available
Excellent, any chance of doing Rod Argent solo on “She’s Not There”? by the Zombies?
How fantastic is this “Killer Solo’s” site, awesome idea and to think I’ve spent countless hours trying to figure out keyboard licks by ear and just when ya think you’ve got it under control the guys in the band say, ” lets do Argent.” Thanks for any and all info…Keeper of the Keys- Denny Miller from the Great Lakes Smoking Guns 420, Classic Rock, Blues, Funk and Country too Band.
Dennis, thank you for posting, if you have a transcription of the Argent solo let me know, I will pay you for it. I realize that about two thirds of the way in the solo, Argent overdubs a second solo to make things even more complicated.
My email address is Tunermike47@aol.com
Dennis, I was thinking about the organ solo in “Time Of the Season”-That’s the one with the double organ solo. Let me know if you have transcription to this one…Thanks again..
Rod Argent never got back to me as to how I could obtain a sheet music PDF file of a note for note transcription of his great organ solo on Hold Your Head Up. If possible, can you E Mail it to me or direct me to a note worthy source? I would be willing to pay if the transcription is spot on. Please get back to me at gc551@AOL.com
Does anyone out there have the sheet music to Argent’s solo on “Hold Your Head Up” and/or Zombies solo on “Time of The Season”? I have been trying to learn these since 1974 but with little success…..
Does anyone out there have the sheet music to Argent’s solo to “Hold Your Head Up” and/or “Time of The Season”? I have been trying to learn these since 1974 but with little success…..
How about doing the organ solo on Brian Auger’s tune Second Wind sometime soon?
Magnificent version, KS! I was looking for it for a while and Uau! So nice! Could you send me the sheet music or midi file, pls? Best regards from Argentina!
When are you going to send me a PDF of the Note for note transcription of Argents Hold Your Head Up organ solo? Respectfully. gc551@aol.com
Killer solos: please forward the sheet music of the organ solo transcription to Argent’s tune Hold Your Head Up. Thanks gc551 .
killersolos, is it possible to acquire a copy of the sheet music for the organ solo?
killersolos, very nicely done! I am the keyboard player for FARE TRADE (faretradetix.com), a long-time Buffalo, NY cover band, performing mostly Skynyrd. We also cover the epic classic rock tunes, such as Lazy, Foreplay/Longtime, and Smokin’, to name a few. Doing this solo justice has proven to be quite the challenge. Would you be willing to provide me with either the sheet music or a midi file of the solo? The midi file would allow me to create a musical score.
Can only echo what the other guys have said, you are doing a crazy good job on this project, if there is any chance of posting a sheet music version of this solo it would be greatly appreciated.
Absolutely Awesome! I read that you had offered to share the logic file for Hold Your Head Up. Would you possibly still have that? I am trying to learn it and it’s hard to figure out. Thanks so much!
ditto for me-I would be absolutely thrilled to get hold of the solo in sheet music or logic-tried to play this in my cover band 42 years ago but I am afraid it was a dismal failure.
hello my name is Ramon I have being traing to get the sheet music for this and other organ solos, how can I do it
Ramon, still no success trying to get it, sorry…
Anyone who would attempt to play this penultimate Agent classic, let alone nail it has got my vote. How do you decide which songs to offer in pdf. Does it have to do with copyrights? If you ever offer this in pdf. along with Supertramp and Frampton electric piano solos I would be happy to pay for each. I have already paid about 10 bucks a pop for note for note song transcriptions elsewhere.
Hi – I’d love to have a transcription of this solo. My band has just coincidentally decided to play this song and help with the solo would greatly appreciated . Get back to me if it’s possible.