If you've ever watched a movie from the 60's-- you've heard this device. Amazing for it's time.
Posted on 01/07/2018 6:00:47 AM PST by goldendelicious
British T.V. personalities, Eric Robinson and David Nixon, introduce us to an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard otherwise known as the 'Mellotron.'
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
If you've ever watched a movie from the 60's-- you've heard this device. Amazing for it's time.
Useful when it didn’t become the center of music. The real musical advances were when Eric Clapton cranked his Les Paul and Marshall combo to 11 and overdrove the vacuum tubes in his amp and inside the mixing board, and when Dave Davies cut his speaker cone with a razor blade on ‘You Really Got Me’.
It was used quite a bit by the Moody Blues.
I agree, like the way Rick Wakeman used it on David Bowie's Space Oddity, and later with Yes. Wakeman talked about how difficult it was to keep the Mellotron working though. It's probably not the kind of instrument that does well traveling from gig to gig.
and early King Crimson
I believe Elton John used it on some of his earliest albums, too.
Not to mention Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album...
Great piece of music history.
We had a Baldwin Fun Machine. The primary set of keys could be set to play different instruments, like Piano, Guitar and others, while another set of keys could be set to play different kind of rhythm. Years ago, when my nephews children were younger, I gave to them thinking one of them my learn to play it. They still have it, but it’s just furniture.
Is that similar to the “moog synthesizer”?
Right. In the court of the Crimson King!
Fascinating. The headline made me think of a early synthesizer precursor that was about twenty-five years ahead of this instrument however, the Theremin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_sg59bD3jY
I’m fortunate to have IK Multimedia’s SampleTron in my studio.
The Moody Blues were pioneers with it. Their guy could keep it working.
Actually, it was a tape machine that played different tapes for different sounds.
Next up! The Glokenspiel!
Anyone who enjoys quirky keyboards will love the Brooklyn Organ Synth Orchestra (yes, there’s a Mellotron):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeujZtBvMFY
The Beatles were early adopters as well.
CC
I can remember when Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” in the early 70’s. Multiple Full synthesizers to include a voice capacity, that were triggered to the speakers on the buildings from floats and people in costume as they approached. Way ahead of its time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PspoegnDbY
rwood
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