Since the 60’s, musicians have debated about how “Moog” should be pronounced.
Some think it should be pronounced with an “ooh” sound, like moo. Others rhyme it with vogue.
Dr. Robert Moog preferred the latter:
“It rhymes with vogue. That is the usual German pronunciation. My father’s grandfather came from Marburg, Germany. I like the way that pronunciation sounds better than the way the cow’s ‘moo-g’ sounds.”
So, why the confusion?
Maybe this 1970 Moog pop album, The Plastic Cow Goes Moooooog, has something to do with it:
Girl group synth geek twins (!) Tegan & Sara put this question to rest (hopefully!) by calling up Moog Music to check:
Do you know any Minimoooooog players?
thats was pretty sad hands down one the wrost vid everyone thats reads goes of look a Moog and than they see the way itspelled and just want to say moo and put a g on the end of it cuz it sounds funny but serouisly the reason i commented was also hands down for the hottest twins i seen
I have friends who know the correct pronunciation and insist on saying Mooooooog. "It sounds better!" they say. Drives me crazy, almost as much as "vinyls" for LPs.
@johndoe, do they speak english on your planet?
I'd seen the documentary on Moog so I knew the answer but I still, like Sara (Tegan?) prefer to say 'Mooooog'. If it were my surname I'd prefer 'Moag' but for a cute little analogue synth… def Moooooooooooooog, best friend of Korg 😉
I prefer the Moo-g version myself. Besides, Moog Cookbook just doesn't work as well if it's pronounced "Moe-g Cookbook." Even Moog-master Roger Joseph Manning Jr. in interviews jumps back and forth between pronunciations.