Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

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billylentz
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Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

Post by billylentz »

Hi, guys!

I was wandering who provided the recordings used on the mellotron.

I understand it used prerecorded bits of tapes, right? Someone actually played the flutes sounds we hear on "Strawberry fields", for example.

Isn´t that an interesting thought? I wander if it´s possible to trace who did it.

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Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

Post by robbmacc »

Interesting. Never thought of that.
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walrus gumboot
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Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

Post by walrus gumboot »

No one actually...the Mellotron was devised to mimic an orchestra and had pre recorded loops of all the instrument. John simply selected "flute" and played the keyboard.
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20YearsAgo
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Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

Post by 20YearsAgo »

walrus gumboot wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 12:35 pm No one actually...the Mellotron was devised to mimic an orchestra and had pre recorded loops of all the instrument. John simply selected "flute" and played the keyboard.
I think Billylentz was asking who played on the "pre recorded loops" within the mellotron itself. The manufacturers of the instruments must've gone out and hired musicians to play on the tapes they'd put within the mellotron.
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DeeBee
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Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

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Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

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Lord Reith
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Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

Post by Lord Reith »

Some anonymous flute player has an uncredited contribution to Strawberry Fields!
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paul62
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Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

Post by paul62 »

The likely answer to the question would be: members of the orchestra led by Eric Robinson, someone who worked for the BBC as a conductor and presenter of music. Robinson gave financial support to the development of the 'tron:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Ro ... conductor)

It's possible that musicians who'd been hired by George Martin for session work may have been part of Robinson's circle of musicians that might have played the notes for the Mellotron tapes, I suppose...Mark Lewisohn needs to get on the case, on the double!!
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Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

Post by Nimbus »

Oh, I do love the sound of the Mellotron, especially the strings sample. 'Changes' by Black Sabbath has to be one of my favourites, such a rich, yearning sound. Here's a list of popular songs featuring the mellotron, but oddly, only two Beatles songs are listed (SFF & Bungalow Bill). There must be more surely.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_M ... recordings
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Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?

Post by beatlepaul »

The classical guitar at the start of Bungalow Bill is a mellotron loop.
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