Lucky Man

The story of Lucky Man is fascinating, partly because its origin dates back to when Greg Lake was just twelve years old. It was the first piece he composed after receiving his first guitar, and it was born with basic chords like D, A minor, E minor, and G. This initial version, closer to an acoustic ballad, stayed with him. In fact, it was rehearsed with King Crimson in early 1968. However, when it was considered for inclusion on the debut album of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the band felt it didn't quite fit with the rest of the material. It was in the studio that Lake, along with Carl Palmer, worked on it, adding layers of bass, acoustic and electric guitars, and vocal harmonies to give it a fuller sound.

What truly distinguishes Lucky Man and made it a landmark is the inclusion of the Moog synthesizer solo at the end. It was Keith Emerson who recorded it in a single take, marking one of the earliest prominent uses of this instrument in a rock composition. The solo, which starts with a low hum in D before ascending two octaves with distinctive use of the slide control, showed keyboardists of the era that it was possible to compete with guitars for prominence. The song, released in December 1970 by Island Records and Cotillion Records, reached notable positions on charts like the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and also had a presence in Canada and the Netherlands.

Its impact was such that a reissue in 1973 put it back on the charts.