Roland Jupiter-8 – 20 Hidden 80s Synth Gems (Queen, Prince, Tears for Fears + more!)

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In this Synth Icons episode, Andy Whitmore powers up the legendary Roland Jupiter-8 to uncover 20 hidden 80s synth gems. From shimmering pads and string intros to bold brass, sequences and moody bass lines, every sound you hear comes straight from Andy’s own Jupiter-8 – no plugins, no emulations, just authentic analogue.

🎧 Riffs & tracks featured:

• Queen – I Want to Break Free (strings intro, solo + sequence stabs)
• Howard Jones – What Is Love? (brass & synth solo)
• Duran Duran – Save a Prayer (sequence and lead lines)
• Prince – 1999 (Jupiter-8 brass intro)
• Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me) (brass lick)
• Michael Jackson – Thriller (intro pad)
• Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls (strings + bass)
• Tears for Fears – Mad World (bass intro & organ part)
• Tears for Fears – Pale Shelter (bass intro)
• Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World (main pad)

Each part is played note-for-note from the original recordings, showing why the Jupiter-8 became one of the most loved polysynths of the 80s.

🎹 More Synth Icons episodes:

• Hohner Clavinet D6 – Famous Riffs You Instantly Know
• Roland Jupiter-4 – Famous Riffs You Know (But Didn’t Realise Were Jupiter-4)
• Korg M1 – Famous Riffs You Know (But Didn’t Realise Were M1)
• Yamaha DX7, Prophet-5 and more classic synth deep-dives

✏️ 1-to-1 lessons & mentoring
If you want one-to-one lessons on how to program or produce in Logic Pro – or you’d like help programming synths, analogue or VST – head over to Andy’s website and get in touch.

📲 Connect with Andy

• YouTube: @AndyWhitmore
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andywhitmore2014/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndyWhitmoreMusic
• TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@andywhitmore9583

If you enjoy this Jupiter-8 special, follow the Synth Icons podcast, leave a rating or review, and let Andy know which synth – or which artist – you’d like to hear next.

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