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.
Cheers!
Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?
Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2021 11:54 am
by robbmacc
Interesting. Never thought of that.
Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?
Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2021 12:35 pm
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.
Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?
Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2021 1:58 pm
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.
Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?
Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:06 pm
by DeeBee
Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?
Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:47 pm
by [flabbyroad]
Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?
Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 12:26 am
by Lord Reith
Some anonymous flute player has an uncredited contribution to Strawberry Fields!
Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?
Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 1:22 am
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!!
Re: Who played on the original mellotron tapes?
Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:30 am
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.