Crossposted at Dailykos.com
Back during the British Invasion, in the mid to late 1960′s, the better bands wanted to bring something else to the audience than guitar and drums. Some use the Theremin, like the Beach Boys, some used a Moog, like the Beatles, and other used the Mellotron, like the Moody Blues.
Of the three, the Theremin is the oldest, but the Mellotron used more conventional technology. The Moog was something different. If there is interest, I will post about them another time.
The Mellotron is a pretty conventional tape player, except it has dozens of separate players with tape loops that are key activated. Think of it as an organ, but instead of tone generators, each keystroke plays prerecorded tapes of other, real instruments.
They are complicated and very prone to breakdown. But they have a wonderful tenor, when a master plays one. Such a master was Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues.
Mike actually was an engineer who worked for the company that made them, so could always make them work. He hooked up with some of the best musicians of his time as ended up as a founding member of the Moody Blues.
They did OK, but not well. Donovan Leitch himself wrote the album liners to their first record in 1966, but it was not that good. It was called Go Now, and was forgettable. Interestingly, Denny Lane went on to be the lead guitarist for Wings years later. Then a revolution happened.
Justin Hayward and John Lodge replaced Denny Laine and Clint Warwick and magic happened. The classic Moody Blues appeared, and we all should rejoice because of it. That is some wonderful stuff.
I call them Mark II, and that is when Days of Future Passed was originated. It was the first, and very clumsy attempt at their music. But it was good!
Then, In Search of the Last Chord came to us. Warp engines on a record in 1967! You listen and decide.
Back to the Mellotron.
It was very difficult to control, very 1960′s technology, and difficult to make sound right. But when properly done, just wonderful. Here is a link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPLWB…
for the violin sound of a Mellotron. I am sorry that I could not embed it. Pinder liked violins. Rick Wakeman had one set to the Morman Tabernacle Quire.
The other thing that made them better than the Moog at the time was that, since multiple tape feeds could be input into a single mixer, Mellotrons were polyphonic, (able to play more than one note at a time). The Moog, with only one oscillator, could play only one note at a time. It gets technical, but the Mellotron, with all of its technical difficulties, was the best string sound until the AARP Sting Ensemble synthesizer, as poor as it was, took over in the mid 1970′s.
I would enjoy any input on this subject from readers.
Warmest regards,
Doc
Tags: Art, Mellotron, Mike Pinder, Music, The Moody Blues
6 Comments
Ya know, Doc, I love the Moody Blues. I have most all of their albums. You have a lot to say about it. My daughter has a theremin; I have tapes and obscure vinyls of their music (both individually and groups). BUT, you need to learn the protocol on this site. When you go to post a diary, only show a little bit, an incitement, on the front page. Use the “more” function on the diary page. Then, if one wants to explore your diary they can. It makes it so much more pleasant for all our visitors!
Best Wishes & Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,
Scotia48
Scotia’s right. I’ve been editing and adding the “more” function to your posts for months and haven’t said anything.
It’s easy to use. Write your first paragraph or two. Then, where you would break it if you were posting on dKos, you just click the “more” button and it automatically does the rest, putting the code into the post for you.
Sorry that I did not conform with the expectations.
Yeah, you two are right.
As crowed as this site is, and and as fast as new entries scroll off, there must be a need for a panic button to keep posts from the millions that want to post.
You two are within your right to say what you please, but to say that I am taking up your space is not realististic. I will make you a deal, and I now remember that I was right the last time, so here it goes:
No one except the three (used to be four, but I am quitting) of you read this site, so please have fun with each other in your mutual admiration. I am gone. Please cancel my low user ID.
If either of you two, and your site is just your two, want something to energize it, just call me. I sent it to one of you when I thought that this site might be OK.
But it is not OK. It is a little cyber talk crypt for three or four folks, and I nonrespectifallly revove my handle from Politicocck, and never want to be associated ever again wiht wuch a senseless blog.
Thanks for the opportunity, it was a wanodrful idea, but neither of you could make it happen.
Sad thoughts, and your blog is sort of gone, since I was the other one.
I wish you well, but this sort of is bad.
Doc
Doc, I’m sorry that you think that we didn’t live up to your expectations. I’m sorry that you are angry at what I thought was a reasonable request to behave in the same manner that everyone else here does, and I wish you well wherever you choose to post.
Oh good gawd, grow up, Translator. Time and time again, you come on here, ask for instructions on how to shoot yourself or something equally bad, or you post diatribes against us, then come round a few hours later so remorseful over and over and over and over again, and you are so certain you can run this so much better than a few females.
The fact you can’t even take a suggestion says it all.
We told you next time this happens, you’re nuked.
Well, you’re nuked.
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