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{{Short description|Musical instrument}}
{{About|the Mellotron keyboard|the Mellotron book|Mellotron (book)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox instrument
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
| name = Mellotron
{{good article}}
| names = Novatron
{{Infobox synthesizer
| image = Mellotron.jpg
| image_capt = A Mellotron Mark VI | synth_name = Mellotron
| background = keyboard | names = Novatron
| classification = ] | image = Mellotron.jpg
| inventors = Frank, Norman and Lesley Bradley | image_caption = A Mellotron Mk VI
| synth_manufacturer = Bradmatic/Mellotronics (1963–70)<br />Streetly Electronics (1970–1986, 2007–present)
| developed = 1962
| range = G2 - F5 | background = keyboard
| related = ], ] | classification = ]
| inventors = Frank, Norman and Les Bradley
| dates = 1963 (Mk I)<br />1964 (Mk II)<br />1968 (M300)<br />1970 (M400)<br />2007 (M4000)
| keyboard = 1 or 2 × 35 note manuals (G2–F5)
| polyphony = Full
| oscillator = ]
| synthesis_type = ]
| related = ], ]
}} }}
{{refimprove|date=August 2012}}
{{tone|date=August 2012}}
{{Listen|filename=NS2 Tron.ogg|title=Mellotron Strings|description=The distinctive "3 violins" sound of a Mellotron <small>(here sampled on a ])</small>|format=]}}

The '''Mellotron''' is an ], ] ] originally developed and built in ], England, in the early 1960s. It superseded the ], which was the world's first ] keyboard intended for music. The concept of the Chamberlin was itself modeled after the ] invented by engineer Charlie Douglass in order to insert prerecorded laughs into TV and radio programs more easily in the then-developing field of ].

The heart of the instrument is a bank of parallel linear magnetic audio tape strips. Playback heads underneath each key enable the playing of pre-recorded sounds. Each of the tape strips has a playing time of approximately eight seconds, after which the tape comes to a dead stop and rewinds to the start position. A major advantage of using tape strips, as opposed to tape loops or cassettes (compare to the ]) is that the Mellotron can reproduce the "attack" transient of the instruments recorded on the tape. A drawback is the short "decay" time of the note.

A consequence of the eight second limit on the duration of each note is that if one wants to play chords that last longer than eight seconds, one must release different notes in sequence in a process that has been compared to a spider crawling across the keyboard.

The MKI, MKII, and MKV models contained two side-by-side keyboards: the right keyboard accessed 18 "lead/instrument" sounds such as ], ]s, and ]; the left keyboard played pre-recorded musical rhythm tracks in various styles.

The tape banks for the lighter-weight M400 models contain only three selectable sounds including (typically) strings, ], and an eight-voice ]. The sound on each individual tape piece was recorded at the pitch of the key to which it was assigned. To make up for the fewer sounds available, the M400 tapes came in a removable frame that allowed for relatively quick changes to new racks of sounds.

== History ==
<!--{{Sound sample box align right|Audio sample:}}
{{Listen
|filename=Mellotron examples.ogg
|title=Examples of Mellotron tape banks
|description=Examples of the Mellotron Flute, Mixed Strings, and Eight-Voice Choir tape banks.
|format=]}}
{{sample box end}}-->
Although tape samplers had been explored in research studios,<ref>''e.g.'', ]'s 1955 keyboard-controlled "Special Purpose Tape Recorder", which he used when recording his classic "Dripsody"</ref> the first commercially available keyboard-driven tape instruments were built and sold by California-based ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Chamberlin|title=The Chamberlin history|author=Clavia|accessdate=17 August 2012}}</ref>

The origin of the Mellotron can be traced to when Chamberlin's sales agent, Bill Fransen, brought two of Chamberlin's Musicmaster 600 instruments to England in 1962 to search for someone who could manufacture 70 matching tape heads for future Chamberlins. He met Frank, Norm and Lesley Bradley of tape engineering company Bradmatic Ltd, who said they could improve on the original design. Harry Chamberlin was unhappy with the fact that someone overseas was copying his idea, and that one of his own people was the reason for this, but a deal was eventually struck between Chamberlin and the Bradley brothers.<ref name="clavia">{{cite web|url=http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Mellotron|title=History of the Mellotron|publisher=Clavia|accessdate=2012}}</ref> This resulted in the formation of a subsidiary company named Mellotronics, which produced the first Mellotrons in ], ], England. The music sessions for Mellotrons were recorded by the Eric Robinson Organisation at IBC Studios, 35 Portland Place in London England. Mellotronics had offices there and the recordings were made using a customized 9 into 3 recording desk built by IBC's Denis King. Magician ] partly funded it. Manufacturing company Bradmatic later took on the name ]. By the early 1970s 100 of the instruments were assembled and sold by ] under exclusive license. Many years later, following financial and trademark troubles through a U.S. distribution agreement, the Mellotron name became unavailable and resided with the American based Sound Sales, and later manufactured by Bomar Fabricating Ltd. while Streetly manufactured instruments after 1976 were sold under the name Novatron.


The '''Mellotron''' is an ] musical instrument developed in ], England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a ], which pulls it across a ]. As the key is released, the tape is retracted by a spring to its initial position. Different portions of the tape can be played to access different sounds.
Throughout the 1970s, the Mellotron had a major impact on ], particularly the 35 note (G-F) model M400. The M400 version was released in 1970 and sold over 1800 units, becoming a trademark sound of the era's progressive bands. The earlier 1960s MK II units were made for the home and the characteristics of the instrument attracted a number of celebrities. Among the early Mellotron owners were ]<ref>{{cite book|last=Aronson|first=Theo|title=Princess Margaret : A Biography|publisher=Regnery Pub|year=1997|page=231|isbn=9780895264091}}</ref>, ]<ref name="sellers">{{cite book|last=Evans|first=Peter|title=Peter Sellers -the mask behind the mask|publisher=Frewin|year=1968}}</ref>, ] of ]{{cn|date=September 2012}} and ] founder ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planetmellotron.com/oddballs.htm|title=Oddball Owners|author=Andy Thompson|accessdate=14 September 2012}}</ref> According to ], Princess Margaret "adored it; he ] ] positively loathed it, and was supremely bored whenever she went near it."<ref name="sellers"/>


The Mellotron evolved from the similar ], but could be mass-produced more efficiently. The first models were designed for the home and contained a variety of sounds, including automatic accompaniments. Bandleader ] and television personality ] helped promote the first instruments, and celebrities such as ] were early adopters. It was adopted by rock and pop groups in the mid to late 1960s. One of the first pop songs featuring the Mellotron was ]'s "]" (1966). ] used it on tracks including the hit single "]" (1967).
Mellotrons were normally pre-loaded with string instrument and orchestral sounds, although the model 400's tape bank could be removed with relative ease by the owner and loaded with banks containing different sounds including percussion loops, ]s, or ]-generated sounds, to generate ] electronically generated sounds in the days before polyphonic synthesizers.


The ] keyboardist ] used it extensively on the band's 1967 album '']'' as well as the group's following six albums. During the 1970s, the Mellotron became common in ], used by groups such as ], ] and ]. Later models, such as the bestselling M400, dispensed with the accompaniments and some sound selection controls so it could be used by touring musicians. The instrument's popularity declined in the 1980s after the introduction of polyphonic ]s and ], despite high-profile performers such as ] and ] continuing to use the instrument.
In the late 1990s, a ]-based company began producing new Mellotrons. These new MKVI Mellotrons were similar to the M400, with some modifications. The company also released sample discs featuring ] files of each individual note sampled from an original Mellotron. These files, when played using a ], enable keyboardists to recreate a part of the sound of the original Mellotrons using cheaper and more reliable modern keyboards.


Production of the Mellotron ceased in 1986, but it regained popularity in the 1990s and was used by bands such as ], ], ], and ]. This led to the resurrection of the original manufacturer, Streetly Electronics. In 2007, Streetly produced the M4000, which combined the layout of the M400 with the bank selection of earlier models.
In 2009, Streetly Electronics released the M4000.<ref></ref> The most recent machine to offer a cycling mechanism, an updated design of the system used in the 1960s MK 1, MK 2 and M300 machines.


==Operation== ==Operation==
]
{{unreferenced|section|date=September 2012}}
The Mellotron uses the same concept as a ], but generates its sound using analogue recordings on ]. When a key is pressed, a tape connected to it is pushed against a playback head, as in a ]. While the key remains depressed, the tape is drawn over the head, and a sound is played. When the key is released, a spring pulls the tape back to its original position.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=17}}
]
]
The unique sound of the Mellotron is produced by a combination of characteristics. Among these are tape replay artifacts such as ] and ], the result being that each time a note is played, it is slightly different from the previous time it was played, somewhat like a conventional instrument. The notes also interact with each other so that chords or even just pairs of notes have an extremely powerful sound. The type of attack of the pressure pad pushing the tape and engaging the tape head is often considered a characteristic part of the Mellotron sound.


A variety of sounds are available on the instrument. On earlier models, the instrument is split into "lead" and "rhythm" sections. There is a choice of six "stations" of rhythm sounds, each containing three rhythm tracks and three fill tracks. The fill tracks can also be mixed together.<ref name="mkiism">{{cite book
The adjustments of mechanical parts, such as pinch rollers, pressure pads and tape head azimuth, combined with equalization of recordings sourced from different tape libraries make some notes sound brighter or smoother than others. This quality makes each and every Mellotron instrument unique, and is a large factor in why all Mellotrons will sound different in music recordings, despite the same sound (like the 3 violins) being used. The use of tube pre-amplifiers (MK II Mellotron used by King Crimson), transistorized pre-amplifiers (MK II Mellotron used by Moody Blues) or modified instruments (Mellotron MK V prototype used by Yes / Rick Wakeman) also enhances the sonic colours of each instrument.
|url = http://www.cem3374.com/docs/Manuals/Misc/Mellotron_MkII_SM.pdf
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111218174345/http://www.cem3374.com/docs/Manuals/Misc/Mellotron_MkII_SM.pdf
|url-status = dead
|archive-date = 18 December 2011
|title = Mellotron Mk II Service Manual
|publisher = Streetly Electronics
|access-date = 5 November 2013
}}</ref>{{rp|17–18}} Similarly, there is a choice of six lead stations, each containing three lead instruments which can be mixed. In the centre of the Mellotron, there is a tuning button that allows a variation in pitch (tempo, in the case of the rhythm tracks).<ref name="mkiism" />{{rp|19}} Later models do not have the concept of stations and have a single knob to select a sound, along with the tuning control. However, the frame containing the tapes is designed to be removed, and replaced with one with different sounds.<ref name="reid2007" />


Although the Mellotron was designed to reproduce the sound of the original instrument, replaying a tape creates minor fluctuations in pitch (] and ]) and amplitude, so a note sounds slightly different each time it is played.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=16}} Pressing a key harder allows the head to come into contact under greater pressure, to the extent that the Mellotron responds to ].{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=230}}
Another factor in the strangely haunting quality of the Mellotron's most frequently heard sounds is that the individual notes were recorded in isolation. For a musician accustomed to playing in an orchestral setting, this was unusual, and meant that he had nothing against which to intonate. Thus, the ] of the Mellotron is always somewhat questionable when it is used in the context of other instruments. Perhaps for this reason, and perhaps also to allow easy transposition of the instrument's limited range, the pitch control is placed closest to the keyboard on the M400 model.


Another factor in the Mellotron's sound is that the individual notes were recorded in isolation. For a musician accustomed to playing in an orchestral setting, this was unusual, and meant that they had nothing against which to intonate. Noted cellist Reginald Kilbey refused to downtune his ] to cover the lower range of the Mellotron, and so the bottom notes are actually performed on a ] (His refusal was based on the fact that him playing these notes on his cello would be robbing a double bassist of the session fee. When the double bassist turned up for the next session it was found to be Kilbey with a different instrument, thereby collecting a double fee for both appearances). According to Mellotron author ], one note of the string sounds contains the sound of a chair being scraped in the background.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=17}}
This temperament issue has led to the Mellotron being regarded, rather unfairly, as a difficult instrument to tune. There certainly could be mechanical problems that would also contribute to this. The original varispeed servo design was poor, for instance, but later improved dramatically. The tapes would stick inside their frames and refuse to rewind if the frame became distorted due to careless handling of the machine. Smoke, temperature, and humidity also played a huge factor as well. Such problems gave rise to ]'s widely circulated quote, "Tuning a Mellotron doesn't." Properly maintained though, the machines behave a lot better than their reputation suggests.


When the Chamberlin was first developed, the initial recorded sound used was that of three violins, thereby committing the instrument range to G2 to F5, being the range of the ]. Unfortunately, as with the cello, many other instruments did not conform to this range. The noted solo ] (which appears on the introduction to ]) actually comprises recordings from an alto flute and a soprano flute, which accounts for some of the odd tuning that appears when chords are played. Other sounds such as the ] opted for a layered effect where instruments were recorded within their correct range. Others recorded more recently, such as the ] opt instead to drop the tuning on the lowest notes by pitching them electronically. The Mellotron ] was recorded in two halves: four men in one studio, and four women in another adjacent, thereby allowing for the actual recording of three sounds concurrently. In this, the male singers from the Ted Taylor Choir were allowed to drop the highest notes back to the previous ] as they were considerably out of their natural range.
Although they enabled many bands to perform string, brass and choir arrangements, which had been previously impossible to recreate live, Mellotrons were not without their disadvantages. Above all, they were very expensive: they sold for £1,000 (approximately £{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|1000|1965|r=-3}}}} today){{Inflation-fn|UK}} in the mid-1960s, and the official Mellotron site gives the 1973 list price as US$5,200 (approximately ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|5200|1973|r=-3}}}} today).{{Inflation-fn|US}} Like the ], they were a ]'s nightmare&nbsp;&ndash; heavy, bulky and fragile. The tape banks were also notoriously prone to breakages and jams and those groups who could afford to, like ], typically took two or more Mellotrons on tour to cope with the inevitable breakdowns.


]
The original Mellotrons (MkI/MkII) were not intended to be portable&nbsp;&ndash; they often become misaligned when jostled even lightly&nbsp;&ndash; but later models such as the M300, M400 and MKV were designed for portability.
The original Mellotrons were intended to be used in the home or in clubs and were not designed for touring bands. Even the later M400, which was designed to be as portable as possible, weighed over {{convert|122|lb|kg}}.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=23}} Smoke, variations in temperature, and humidity were also detrimental to the instrument's reliability. Moving the instrument between cold storage rooms and brightly lit stages could cause the tapes to stretch and stick on the capstan. Leslie Bradley recalls receiving some Mellotrons in for a repair "looking like a blacksmith had shaped horseshoes on top".{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=233}} Pressing too many keys at once caused the motor to drag, resulting in the notes sounding flat.<ref name="reid"/> ] stated that "uning a Mellotron doesn't".<ref name="fripp">{{cite AV media notes|others=King Crimson|title=The Night Watch|year=1997|publisher=Discipline Global Mobile}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Kraftwerk: Music Non-Stop|first1=Sean|last1=Albiez|first2=David|last2=Pattie|publisher=Continuum|year=2011|page=129|isbn=978-1-4411-9136-6}}</ref> Dave Kean, an expert Mellotron repairer, recommends that older Mellotrons should not be immediately used after a period of inactivity, as the tape heads can become magnetised in storage and destroy the recordings on them if played.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=233}}


==History==
The American Mellotron distributor, Sound Sales, produced their own Mellotron model, the 4-Track, in the early 1980s. At the same time Streetly produced a road cased version of the 400&nbsp;&ndash; the T550 Novatron. By the mid 1980s, both Sound Sales and Streetly Electronics suffered severe financial setbacks, losing their market to synthesizers and solid-state electronic ], which rendered the Mellotron essentially extinct.
]
Although tape samplers had been explored in research studios, the first commercially available keyboard-driven tape instruments were built and sold by California-based ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Chamberlin|title=The Chamberlin history|publisher=Clavia|access-date=17 August 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105234944/http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Chamberlin|archivedate=2012-11-05}}</ref> The concept of the Mellotron originated when Chamberlin's sales agent, Bill Fransen, brought two of Chamberlin's Musicmaster 600 instruments to England in 1962 to search for someone who could manufacture 70 matching tape heads for future Chamberlins. He met Frank, Norman, and Les Bradley of tape engineering company Bradmatic Ltd, who said they could improve on the original design.<ref name="clavia">{{cite web|url=http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Mellotron|title=History of the Mellotron|publisher=Clavia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105234938/http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Mellotron|archive-date=5 November 2012}}</ref> The Bradleys subsequently met bandleader ], who agreed to help finance the recording of the necessary instruments and sounds. Together with the Bradleys and television celebrity ] (Robinson's son-in-law), they formed a company, Mellotronics, in order to market the instrument.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=44–46}} Robinson was particularly enthusiastic about the Mellotron, because he felt it would revitalise his career, which was then on the wane. He arranged the recording sessions at ] in London, which he co-owned with George Clouston.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=64–66}}


The first model to be commercially manufactured was the Mk I in 1963. An updated version, the Mk II, was released the following year which featured the full set of sounds selectable by banks and stations.<ref name="clavia"/> The instrument was expensive, costing £1,000 ({{Inflation|UK|1000|1963|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}), at a time when a typical house cost £2,000–£3,000.<ref name="shennan"/>
All models, when installed permanently in a studio, provided a very realistic effect. Many examples abound, such as ]'s '']'' album. Despite their shortcomings, Mellotrons were (and still are) prized for their unique sound, and they helped pave the way for the later sampler.


Fransen failed to explain to the Bradleys that he was not the owner of the concept, and Chamberlin was unhappy with the fact that someone overseas was copying his idea. After some acrimony between the two parties, a deal was struck between them in 1966, whereby they would both continue to manufacture instruments independently.{{sfn|Brice|2001|p=107}} Bradmatic renamed themselves Streetly Electronics in 1970.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=44}}
Many bands such as ] have toured using samplers to avoid transporting and maintaining original Mellotrons on the road.


]
== Use in popular music ==
In 1970, the model M400 was released, which contained 35 notes (G–F) and a removable tape frame. It sold over 1,800 units.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=233}} In the early 1970s, hundreds of the instruments were assembled and sold by ] under exclusive licence.<ref name="reid"/> Following a financial and trademark dispute through a US distribution agreement, the Mellotron name was acquired by American-based Sound Sales.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Sound Sales brings Mellotron to the United States|journal=Music Trades|volume=126|issue=1–6|publisher=Music Trades Corporation|year=1978|page=69|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ptzjAAAAMAAJ}}</ref> Streetly-manufactured instruments after 1976 were sold under the name '''Novatron'''.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=44}} The American Mellotron distributor, Sound Sales, produced their own Mellotron model, the 4-Track, in the early 1980s. At the same time Streetly Electronics produced a road-cased version of the 400&nbsp;– the T550 Novatron.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}} By the mid-1980s, both Sound Sales and Streetly Electronics suffered severe financial setbacks, losing their market to synthesizers and solid-state electronic ], which rendered the Mellotron essentially obsolete. The company folded in 1986, and Les Bradley threw most of the manufacturing equipment into a ].{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=57}} From 1963 until Streetly's closure, around 2,500 units had been built.{{sfn|Holmes|2012|p=448}}
===1960s and the psychedelic era===
British multi-instrumentalist ] may have been the first rock musician to record with a Mellotron, beginning in 1965. The first hit song to feature a Mellotron MKII was "Baby Can It Be True", and Bond performed live with the machine in televised performances.


Streetly Electronics was subsequently reactivated by Les Bradley's son John and Martin Smith.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=33}} After Les Bradley's death in 1997, they decided to resume full-time operation as a support and refurbishment business. By 2007, the stock of available instruments to repair and restore was diminishing, so they decided to build a new model, which became the M4000. The instrument combined the features of several previous models, and featured the layout and chassis of an M400 but with a digital bank selector that emulated the mechanical original in the Mk II.<ref name="reid2007"/>{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=45}}
] of ] had done an 18-month stint as an employee of Streetly Electronics as a quality control and test driver. He later made the mellotron a "signature sound" for the Moody Blues (at a later time, the instrument was even called the "Pindertron"). Pinder used it extensively and systematically on almost each of their songs from 1966 to 1972 ("]", "]", "]", "]", etc. Pinder claims to have introduced John Lennon and Paul McCartney to the Mellotron,<ref></ref> though they had heard of it before Pinder's mention. Pinder tried to convince the Beatles to begin to use the instrument on their songs.


==Notable users==
After visiting the Mellotron studios on August 12, 1965, John Lennon bought one for use in his Weybridge home, and it was received on August 16, 1965. ] first use of Mellotron sounds was on the song "]" where they used reel to reel recorders to record Mellotron brass and string sounds which, along with other sounds, were then brought into the studio. The heavy weight of the Mellotron prevented the machine from easily being transported. The Beatles hired in a machine and subsequently (and more prominently) used it on their ] single "]" (recorded November–December 1966).<ref></ref> The Beatles continued to compose and record with various Mellotrons for the albums '']'', '']'', and '']'' (White Album).
] ''(pictured in 1970)'' made significant use of the Mellotron in the 1960s and 1970s, played by ] ''(left)'']]
The first notable musician to use the Mellotron was variety pianist ], who was specifically hired by Robinson in 1962 to promote the use of the instrument. He toured with a Mk II Mellotron and made numerous appearances on television and radio.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=59}} Unwin claimed that the automatic backing tracks on the Mk II's left-hand keyboard allowed him to provide more accomplished performances than his own basic skills on the piano could provide.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=69}}


The earlier 1960s Mk II units were made for the home and the characteristics of the instrument attracted a number of celebrities. Among the early Mellotron owners were ],<ref>{{cite book|last=Aronson|first=Theo|title=Princess Margaret: A Biography|publisher=Regnery Pub|year=1997|page=|isbn=978-0-89526-409-1|url=https://archive.org/details/princessmargaret00aron/page/231}}</ref> ],<ref name="sellers">{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Roger|title=The life and death of Peter Sellers|publisher=Arrow|page=939|year=1995|isbn=978-0-09-974700-0}}</ref> ]<ref name="shennan">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+gave+Lennon+a+few+rock+tips%3B+Chief+feature+writer+Paddy+Shennan...-a0188212501|title=I gave Lennon a few rock tips|first=Paddy|last=Shennan|work=Liverpool Echo|date=31 October 2008|access-date=8 November 2013}}</ref> and ] founder ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planetmellotron.com/oddballs.htm|title=Oddball Owners|first=Andy|last=Thompson|publisher=Planet Mellotron|access-date=14 September 2012}}</ref> (whose Mellotron was installed in the Church of Scientology's head UK office at ]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mellotronics.com/clients.htm|title=Clients|publisher=Streetly Electronics|access-date=8 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109011947/http://www.mellotronics.com/clients.htm|archive-date=9 November 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> According to ], Princess Margaret "adored it; (]) positively loathed it".<ref name="sellers"/>
Their manager ] also purchased one, but later gave or sold it to ] in 1967. Paul McCartney purchased two EMI models, Ringo Starr never purchased his own. Collectively, these Mellotrons were featured on Beatles solo efforts such as Harrison's "]", Lennon's "]", "]", etc. and McCartney's '']'' and '']'' (which features both instrumentation and sound effects).{{fact|date=August 2012}}


After Mellotronics had targeted them as a potential customer, the BBC became interested in the possibilities of the instrument, hoping it would allow them to increase throughput at the ]. Two custom-made models loaded with sound effects were acquired in 1963, but the Radiophonic Workshop were unenthusiastic and problems with fluctuating tape speed and noise meant the sound was not up to professional broadcast quality. They ended up in the BBC FX library.{{sfn|Niebur|2010|p=126}}
Ian McDonald of ], Rick Wakeman of ], and Tony Banks of ] also became major Mellotron users at this time, infusing the violin, cello, brass, flute and choir sounds as a major texture in the music of their respective bands.


{{Listen|filename=NS2 Tron.ogg|title=Mellotron Strings|description=The distinctive "3 violins" sound of a Mellotron <small>(here sampled on a ])</small>|format=]}}
Other artists using the Mellotron on hit records in this period included ] (all studio and live albums between 1972 and 1976), ] ("Changes," "Care Of Cell 44," "Hung Up On A Dream"), ] ("Celeste," "Breezes of Patchule"), ] (several Mike D'abo-era recordings, including "So Long Dad," "There Is A Man," "Ha Ha Said The Clown", "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James"), ] ("]," "]," "]"), ] ("Anthem"), ] ("World," "Every Christian Lion-Hearted Man Will Show You," "To Love Somebody"), ] ("House for Everyone," "Hole In My Shoe"), ] ("Happiness Stan"), ] ("]," "], "]," "]" and "]"), ] ("Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)"), ] (on their album '']''), ] ("]," "Anyone for Tennis," "Doing That Scrapyard Thing"), ] ("Myrah"), Simon Dupree and the Big Sound ("Kites"), ] ("The Moonbeam Song"), ] ("Phenomenal Cat," "Autumn Almanac," "Sitting By The Riverside," "All Of My Friends Were There," "Animal Farm," "Starstruck," "Days"), ] ("Space Oddity"), and ] ("]").
British multi-instrumentalist ] is considered the first rock musician to record with a Mellotron, beginning in 1965. The first hit song to feature a Mellotron Mk II was "Baby Can It Be True", which Bond performed live with the machine in televised performances, using ]s to trigger the tapes from his ].{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=91}} Manfred Mann then included multiple Mellotron parts on their single, "]".{{sfn|Cunningham|1998|pp=126–27}}


{{Reduced pull quote|right|There's one thing I can do /<br />Play my Mellotron for you /<br />Try to blow away your city blues|Mike Pinder|"One Step Into the Light" on '']''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metrolyrics.com/one-step-into-the-light-lyrics-moody-blues.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607130104/http://www.metrolyrics.com/one-step-into-the-light-lyrics-moody-blues.html|archive-date=2017-06-07|url-status=unfit |title=One Step Into The Light Lyrics |first=Michael|last=Pinder |date=1978 |work=Octave|via=MetroLyrics.com |access-date=16 October 2014}}</ref>}}
===1970s and progressive rock===
] worked at Streetly Electronics for 18 months in the early 1960s as a tester, and was immediately excited by the possibilities of the instrument.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=88–89}} After trying piano and Hammond organ, he settled on the Mellotron as the instrument of choice for his band, ], purchasing a second-hand model from Fort Dunlop Working Men's Club in Birmingham{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=169}} and using it extensively on every album from '']'' (1967) to '']'' (1978).{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=94}}
The Mellotron was widely used to provide backing keyboard accompaniment by many of the ] and ] groups of the 1970s and, alongside the ], it was crucial to shaping the sound of the genre. Notable examples include: '']'' by ], "]" and "]" by ], "]" by ], "]" (played by ]) by ], '']'' by ], '']'' by ], '']'' by ], '']'' and '']'' by ], seven albums from '']'' through '']'' by ], "]" (live performances), "]" and "]" by ], '']'' by ], '']'' by ], '']'' by ], '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' (along with Orchestron), '']'', '']'' (Birotron), and '']'' by ], '']'' through '']'' by ], all of ]'s albums, ]'s ], and ], "]" by ], ] by ] and '']'' by ] as well as various works by ].


Pinder says he introduced ] and ] to the Mellotron, and convinced each of them to buy one.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=94}} The Beatles hired a machine and used it on their single "]", recorded in various takes between November and December 1966.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=146}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mikepinder.com/mellotron.shtml |title=Mellotron |first=Mike |last=Pinder |publisher=Mike Pinder (Official Web Site) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070620130649/http://www.mikepinder.com/mellotron.shtml |archive-date=20 June 2007 }}</ref> Author Mark Cunningham describes the part in "Strawberry Fields Forever" as "probably the most famous Mellotron figure of all-time".{{sfn|Cunningham|1998|p=127}} Although producer ] was unconvinced by the instrument, describing it "as if a Neanderthal piano had impregnated a primitive electronic keyboard",{{sfn|Brice|2001|p=107}} they continued to compose and record with various Mellotrons for the albums '']'' (1967){{sfn|Everett|1999|p=247}} and '']'' (1968, also known as "the White Album").{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=248}} McCartney went on to use the Mellotron sporadically in his solo career.<ref>{{cite book|last=Benitez|first=Vincent P.|title=The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years|year=2010|publisher=Praeger|location=Santa Barbara, CA|isbn=978-0-313-34969-0|pages=23, 47, 86, 139}}</ref>
Even artists as diverse as ] utilized it on "You Ain't Foolin' Me" and "Blue Ridge Mountain Sky" from their 1974 album, ].


The instrument became increasingly popular among rock and pop bands during the psychedelic era, adding what author Thom Holmes terms "an eerie, unearthly sound" to their recordings.{{sfn|Holmes|2012|pp=448–49}} ] of ] played a Mellotron on several of his band's songs over 1967–68. These include "]", where he used the instrument to create a ]-sounding horn section,<ref>{{cite book |first=Stephen |last=Davis |title=Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones |publisher=Broadway Books |location=New York, NY |year=2001 |isbn=0-7679-0312-9 |pages= |url=https://archive.org/details/oldgodsalmostdea00step/page/209 }}</ref> "]",<ref>{{cite book|title=Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out|page=301|first=Gordon|last=Thompson|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-195-33318-3}}</ref> "]"{{sfn|Holmes|2012|p=448}} and "]".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet – Legendary sessions|page=|first=Alan|last=Clayson|publisher=Billboard Books|year=2008|isbn=978-0-823-08397-8|url=https://archive.org/details/rollingstonesbeg00clay/page/246}}</ref>
The Mellotron was also used extensively by pioneering German electronic band ] through their prime, including solo work by ]. Their albums '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'' as well as Froese's ''Epsilon in Malaysian Pale'' provide archetypal examples of Mellotron playing.


] played the Mellotron on several ] albums, and said that "Tuning a Mellotron doesn't "<ref name="fripp"/>]]
Continuing from the late 1950s, the American ] instruments continued to be used as well. And often, like the Mellotron, these were used as an orchestral backdrop too. In the view of many musicians of the time, the two instruments were considered as interchangeable, since both instruments did orchestral sounds, and both were limited to eight seconds, and it did not matter necessarily which was available at a studio. This also led to confusion occasionally as to which instrument was being used.
The Mellotron became a key instrument in ]. ] bought two Mellotrons when forming in 1969.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://faculty-cervero.ced.berkeley.edu/crimtron.htm|title=Crimson's trons|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> They were aware of Pinder's contributions to the Moody Blues and did not want to sound similar, but concluded there was no other way of generating the orchestral sound.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=116–117}} The instrument was originally played by Ian McDonald,{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=118}} and subsequently by Robert Fripp upon McDonald's departure. Later member ] recalled he did not particularly want to play the Mellotron, but felt that it was simply what he needed to do as a member of the band.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=187}}


] bought a Mellotron from Fripp in 1971, which he claimed was previously used by King Crimson, to use with ]. He decided to approach the instrument in a different way to a typical orchestra, using block chords, and later stated that he used it in the same manner as a ] on later albums.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=200–201}} His unaccompanied introduction to "]" on the album '']'' (1972), played on a Mk II with combined strings and brass, became significant enough that Streetly Electronics provided a "Watcher Mix" sound with the M4000.<ref name="reid2007"/> Banks claims to still have a Mellotron in storage, but does not feel inclined to use it as he generally prefers to use up-to-date technology.{{sfn|Jenkins|2012|p=246}} ]'s ] bought an M300 primarily to use for string sounds,{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=133}} and continued to play an M400 live into the 2000s as part of a reformed band.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=148}}
Further to this confusion was the 1976 sale of the name "Mellotron" to the Mellotron distribution company via a legal blunder in writing the international distribution contracts. As a result the name "Mellotron" could not be used and the name "Novatron" was adopted for instruments produced after 1976. Novatrons are identical to Mellotrons but with the name "Novatron" badged on the control panel. Other than this, Novatrons continued in the same design specs as Mellotrons.


] played Mellotron on ]'s 1969 hit song "]". Having previously found it difficult to keep in tune, Wakeman had discovered a way to do so using a special fingering technique.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jan/08/the-day-i-played-mellotron-for-david-bowie-space-oddity |title=The day I played the Mellotron for David Bowie |author=Rick Wakeman |date=8 January 2017 |work=The Guardian |access-date=5 February 2017}}</ref>
Also around this time, it became occasionally difficult to obtain service for Mellotrons as parts and service were intermittently available. Presumably this occurred out of legal wrangling over details between the British and American based companies and distributors.


The Mellotron was used extensively by German electronic band ] through the 1970s,{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=39}} on albums such as '']'' (1973),{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=39}} '']'' (1974),<ref>{{cite book|page=129|title=European Film Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tpwu4wK5I44C|first1=Miguel|last1=Mera|first2=David|last2=Burnand|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7546-3659-5}}</ref> '']'' (1975),{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=64}} '']'' (1976),{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=70}} and '']'' (1977).{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=70}} In the late 1970s, French duo ] used a Mellotron during the recording of their second album, ''Trip in the Centre Head''.<ref name="OuestFrance">{{cite news|url=https://larochesuryon.maville.com/sortir/infos_-musique.-space-art-pionniers-de-l-electro-a-la-francaise_54135-3092333_actu.Htm|title=Musique. Space Art, pionniers de l'electro à la française|language=French|trans-title=Music. Space Art, pioneers of French electro|work=Ouest France|first=Philippe|last=Richard|date=29 November 2016|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref> In 1983, the band's ] asked Mellotronics if they could produce a digital model, as the group migrated towards using samplers.{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=119}}
Other alternate versions of the Mellotron, Novatron and ] were touted by competitors in the early to mid-1970s. One of these was the Vako ] which used light scanning technology of disks with pre-recorded orchestral looped sounds on them. This was basically a professional and updated version of the ] ] toy keyboard with slight improvements in sound quality and easier portability. The disk based system and its looped sounds were advertised as an advantage over the 8 second limits of the Mellotron and Chamberlin.
Another was the ] which featured improvements in the Mellotron and Chamberlin designs such as a robust cabinet, endless looping tapes (to surmount tape return jams), and a special ] technician-designed electronic attack and decay for each note. A Mellotronics / Birotronics partnership was proposed and investigated between the two companies but the ], was eventually never released to the buying public despite its use by ], ], ] and ] who, preceding ], was one of the main investors.


Although the Mellotron was not extensively used in the 1980s, a number of bands featured it as a prominent instrument. One of the few UK ] bands to do so was ], who featured it heavily on their platinum-selling 1981 album '']''. ] has stated they used the Mellotron because they were starting to run into limitations of the cheap monophonic synthesizers they had used up to that point. He bought a second-hand M400 and was immediately impressed with the strings and choir sounds.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=401}} ]'s ] recalls seeing bands using Mellotrons when growing up in the 1970s, and thought it would be an interesting addition to the group's sound. He bought a second-hand model in 1982 for £165, and first used it on the album '']'' (1983).{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=387}} ]'s ] bought a second-hand M400 and used it primarily for visual appeal rather than musical quality or convenience.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=455}}
===1980s and post-punk===
The advent of cheaper and more reliable ] and preset "string machines" saw the Mellotron's popularity wane by the end of the 1970s. Following the impact of ], the Mellotron tended to be viewed as a relic of a pompous era, as general obsolete technology. This was also due to the unavailability of new machines as both U.S. and U.K. manufacturers and distributors had declared bankruptcy, and older broken machines could not be serviced.


The Mellotron resurfaced in 1995 on ]' album '']''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AVQbF9lTBwgC|title=The Mojo Collection: 4th Edition|publisher=Canongate Books|year=2007|page=622|isbn=978-1-84767-643-6}}</ref> The instrument was played by both ] and ] on several tracks, but a particularly prominent use was the cello sound on the hit single "]", played by Arthurs.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov12/articles/classic-tracks-1112.htm|title=Oasis "Wonderwall" : Classic Tracks|first=Richard|last=Buskin|magazine=Sound on Sound|date=November 2012|access-date=2 September 2013}}</ref> It also notably appears on their 2000 single "]". ] asked Streetly Electronics to restore and repair a model for them in 1997,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/oct07/articles/mellatronm4000.htm|first=David|last=Etheridge|magazine=Performing Musician|title=Mellotron M4000|date=October 2007|access-date=3 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104063749/http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/oct07/articles/mellatronm4000.htm|archive-date=4 November 2013}}</ref> and recorded with it on several tracks for their album '']'' (1997).<ref>{{cite book|title=Radiohead and the Resistant Concept Album: How to Disappear Completely|page=30|first=Marianne Tatom|last=Letts|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=2010|isbn=978-0-253-00491-8}}</ref> The French electronic duo ] extensively used a M400 on their two first albums '']'' in 1998 and '']'' in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.planetmellotron.com/reva3.htm#air|first=Andy|last=Thompson|publisher=Planet Mellotron|title=AIR}}</ref>
The belief that newer machines rendered older machines obsolete and uncool also encouraged many Mellotron, Chamberlin, Optigan, Orchestron, and Birotron owners to sell off or pitch their machines to the scrapheap. Rick Wakeman burned his two single Mellotron M400's in a bonfire in 1982. Three destroyed Birotrons were also found in a garbage bin around the late 1980s or early 1990s.
Optigans were often thought to be non-working because they would make no sound when turned on (unless a disk was on the turntable inside) and so these too were pitched into the garbage or sent to Goodwill stores. Orchestrons and Chamberlins that needed servicing were also consigned to the trashheap, their owners not willing to spend any more time or money repairing them.


]'s ] is a fan of the Mellotron, saying it characterises the sound of the band.{{sfn|Jenkins|2012|p=251}} ]'s ] has acquired one of King Crimson's old Mellotrons<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/adam-holzman-straddles-prog-rock-and-jazz-fusion/152915|title=Adam Holzman straddles Prog Rock and Jazz Fusion|magazine=Keyboard Magazine|first=Tony|last=Orant|date=20 September 2013|access-date=3 February 2014}}</ref> and, in 2013, gave a demonstration of the instrument in celebration of its 50th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/steven-wilson-review-of-the-concert-at-het-depot-in-leuven-on-24th-october-2013/|title=Steven Wilson – review of the concert at the Depot in Leuven|first=Philippe|last=Blackmarquis|work=Peek a Boo Magazine|date=30 October 2013|access-date=3 February 2014}}</ref>
Because of this, there are few Mellotron and Mellotron-related instruments used in recordings of the 1980s. The few instruments that are used are generally only partially operational and the lush chords and atmospheres that highlighted the music of the 1960s and 1970s are gone largely because of broken tapes, missing notes etc.


==Competitors==
One of the few UK ] bands to utilise the Mellotron was ], who featured it heavily on their platinum-selling 1981 album '']''. ] used its haunting quality to great effect on Decades from their seminal 1980 album '']''. It was also used by British bands ], ], ], and ], but these were in a minority. It was also used by ] (Life Is What You Make It), ] (Novatron string swells in Dance Hall Days), and in New Order's song ] from '']''. In the U.S., Los Angeles ]/] band ] made frequent use of a Mellotron, as did Los Angeles film/TV score and session musician ]. ] also used the Mellotron during their tours in the early 1980s.
Alternatives to the Mellotron were manufactured by competitors in the early to late 1970s. The ] ] was a toy keyboard designed to be used in the home, which played back sounds using ]s.{{sfn|Vail|2000|pp=97–98}} This was followed by the Vako ] in 1975, which used a more professional-sounding version of the same technology. It was used by ].{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=97}} The ] was a similar concept based around ], used by Wakeman.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=232}}


==List of models==
===1990s resurgence, rebirth and beyond===
* '''Mk I''' (1963) – double manual (35 notes on each). Very similar to the ] Music Master 600. About 10 were made.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
{{original research|section|date=September 2012}}
* '''Mk II''' (1964) – double manual. 35 sounds on each manual. Organ-style cabinet, two 12-inch internal speakers and amp. Weight 160&nbsp;kg.<ref name="clavia" /> About 160 were made.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
{{refimprove|secion|date=September 2012}}
* '''FX console''' (1965) – double manual with sound effects. Designed to be quieter and more stable than the Mk II, with a different DC motor and a solid-state power amplifier.<ref name="reid" />
The Mellotron experienced a revival of sorts in the 1990s. A groundswell of music lovers, students, and musicians took an interest in Mellotrons and related paraphenalia, buying up old instruments, parts, advertisements, record LPs by "Mellotron bands", and seeking out otherwise obscure or unknown Mellotron recordings. ]
* '''M300''' (1968) – 52-note single manual with 35 note melody section and smaller left-hand accompaniment section, some with pitch wheel-control, and some without. About 60 were made in two versions.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
While a few bands and musicians (like Paul Weller, Oasis, Julian Cope and Radiohead) managed to resurrect the actual Mellotrons, a plethora of newer bands began using the "static character" samples of the instrument made possible due to the release of Mellotron sounds in software form. Although the powerful sound dynamics due to wow and flutter and random tape slither movement were lost, samples greatly appealed to many musicians who could not find, afford to buy, properly play, or correctly repair the surviving original Mellotrons.
* '''M400''' (1970) – 35-note single manual. The most common and portable model. About 1,800 units were made. It has three different sounds per frame.<ref name="clavia" />
The use of digital samples has also resulted in occasional cases or incidents of trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and likelihood of confusion. This technically occurs when the word "Mellotron" is used in song titles, band names, and CD liner notes to capitalize on, or exploit the name when no actual Mellotron instrument is played on or associated with the recording. Instead digital samples are used but no mention of the software source or sample manufacturers is referred to or credited, arguably increasing the potential to deceive the listener.
* '''EMI M400''' (1970) – a special version of the M400 manufactured by EMI music company in Britain under licence from Mellotronics. 100 of this model were made.<ref name="reid">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Aug02/articles/mellotron.asp |title=Rebirth of the Cool : The Mellotron Mk VI |first=Gordon |last=Reid |magazine=] |date=August 2002 |access-date=31 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927112746/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Aug02/articles/mellotron.asp |archive-date=27 September 2013 }}</ref>
* '''Mark V''' (1975) – double-manual Mellotron, with the internals of two M400s plus additional tone and control features.<ref name="reid" /> Around nine were made.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
Examples include ] (album) by ] , Mellotron (song) by ], Mellotron, ] the metal band, Instrumental With Mellotron by Hayden, ] liner notes in many Dave Fridmann productions ], and the band 'Dead Mellotron'.
* '''Novatron Mark V''' (1977) – the same as the Mellotron Mark V, but under a different name.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''Novatron 400''' (1978) – as above; a Mellotron M400 with a different name-plate.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''T550''' (1981) – a flight-cased version of Novatron 400.<ref name="reid" />
* '''4 Track''' (1980) – very rare model; only about five were ever made.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''Mark VI''' (1999) – an improved version of the M400. The first Mellotron to be produced since Streetly Electronics went out of business in 1986.<ref name="reid" />
* '''Mark VII''' – basically an upgraded Mark V. Like the Mark VI, produced in the new factory in Stockholm.<ref name="mellotron.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.mellotron.com|title=Mellotron Mark VI, Mark VII, M4000D|publisher=Mellotron (official site)|access-date=25 February 2014}}</ref>
* '''Skellotron''' (2005) – an M400 in a transparent glass case. Only one was made.<ref name="reid2007" />
* '''M4000''' (2007) – one manual, 24 sounds. An improved version of the Mk II with cycling mechanism. Made by Streetly Electronics.<ref name="reid2007">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct07/articles/mellotronm4000.htm|title=Streetly Mellotron M4000|magazine=]|first=Gordon|last=Reid|date=October 2007|access-date=2 September 2013}}</ref>


===Related products===
The name "Mellotron" is a recognized trademarked name referring historically only to the actual physical tape based machine, and historically to any sounds produced first hand from the instrument, and to and from the companies that manufacture or are legally and historically associated with manufacturing them. Mellotron sample users are technically not entitled to use the name "Mellotron" because (like Coca-Cola) it refers to both a physical manufactured product and to the name of the company.
* M4000D (2010) – a single-manual ] product that does not feature tapes. Made at the Mellotron factory in Stockholm.<ref name="mellotron.com" />
Further to this, additional legal restrictions and complications exist due to an inadvertent sale of the Mellotron trademark name to the Mellotron distributorship. This happened in 1976 when Streetly Electronics licensed Mellotron USA to use the name and a legal blunder in assigning the name was discovered.
* ] MEL9 Tape Replay Machine (2016) – simulator pedal
The name 'Mellotron' as legally defined in association with the original patents of the Chamberlin, only applies to the actual mechanical tape based machines and does not extend to any computer based digital technology. The question of mis-representation or not is legally addressed on an individual basis.
Fewer than 1000 working Mellotrons are estimated to exist,{{cn|date=August 2012}} suggesting that most Mellotron sounds heard in music produced from this era are not from actual Mellotrons, but from digital samples. The TRUTH IN MUSIC ACT Senate Bill legislation Number 929 (session of 2005 referred to consumer protection and licensure) is a related law enforced in accordance with this.{{cn|date=August 2012}}

The ] (digital technology versus analog technology) discussion also became extended to include Mellotrons during this time. The use of sampled Mellotron vs using a real Mellotron became an point of discussion both in magazines and online articles. Digital sample users champion the convenience, inexpense, and commerciality of the digital samples in a computer. Purists champion preserving the original instrument from extinction including use of original, unaltered sounds from the tapes, and mechanical attributes of the machine itself as an important point of integrity for reference regarding historical accuracy.

The website Planet Mellotron ] details musicians using the original instrument versus musicians using digital samples.
The related instruments such as the Chamberlin, Optigan, Orchestron, and Birotron also received revived interest during this time, but aside from the Optigan, they proved difficult to find for most musicians. This generally resulted in the same few Orchestron and Chamberlin owners doing most of the session work with these instruments on records. The Birotron was considered hopelessly impossible to find by this time. The acknowledged rarity of these instruments, and even then, after locating at least one of them, and then the struggle in getting them to completely function properly paved the way for the acceptance of (legal and illegal) digital samples of these instruments. Although the samples were of dubious quality (especially to those players who could cite the tonal differences), they filled a need at the time. As a result there is a wide range of varying quality examples of excellent to poor performing instruments, and also a wide range of good to bad sampled sounds in music of the 1990s to the present. This is due to tape or disk condition, instrument condition, and whether the sampled sounds were corrupted by digitally pitching up or down or altering them to compensate for missing notes that had broken or erased tapes. A lack of knowledge for adjustment of the machines and poor analogue to digital conversion is also a factor.

Bands using either the actual instrument (usually rented) or samples include ] on ], ], ] (on ]), ], ] (on ]), ], Zechs Marquise, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] (in the song "Army Ants" from their 1994 album ].), ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]; their song ] is a good example, using the 8 voice choir tape set, ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Anekdoten utilizes the Mellotron heavily in their recordings. French electronic musician ] was particularly vocal in his love of the instrument, using it extensively in his 1997 ] tour, and often describing it as the "] of electronic music". Avant-garde singer-song writer Tom Waits has also used the Mellotron on several albums such as ''Frank's Wild Years'', ''Bone Machine'', ''Black Rider'', ''Mule Variations'', ''Alice'', ''Blood Money'', ''Real Gone'' and ''Orphans''. Rockbeat poet Joe Linus used an original model M400 on his 2004 album ''Gunpowder Tea'' on track #7 (''Ladybug Lady'').
], in 2002, used Mellotron samples in the recording of their album '']''. ] used the Mellotron extensively throughout many of the Eels albums, most notable in the song "Souljacker, pt 2" with E (Eels leader) and a Mellotron and is also featured in the song "Dust of Ages". Film composer ] has used Mellotron samples in his scores for ] and ]. American metal band ] has used the sound in their music, most notably on the song "Roulette". On ]'s 2005 album '']'', track 6 is titled "Mellotron Scratch" and includes lyrics about the sound of a Mellotron causing a baby girl to cry. ] used a Mellotron sound for the song "Little Motel". ]'s ] prominently used the Mellotron's haunting choral sounds on ]'s 2003 album '']''. British indie rock band ] also use a real Mellotron on their albums '']'' (recorded at ] in Hornsey) and '']''. ] also used a Mellotron on the song "Ask Me Anything" on their 2006 album '']''. ] utilized the Mellotron on their 2007 album '']'', most prominently on the songs "Cardiff-by-the-Sea" and "A Soundtrack for This Rainy Morning". ] uses the GForce M-Tron software instrument on most of his current recordings. He triggers it from a Starr Labs ] which gives completely different musical results from the traditional keyboard approach. ] has a version of their song "Porcelain Heart" which consists entirely of Mellotron samples entitled "Mellotron Heart". This version was featured only on special editions of their 2008 album '']''. A progressive rock group from Finland, Nurkostam, is also known for using a lot of Mellotron sounds on their recordings. Founded in 2008, ] is a UK-based festival celebrating music inspired by both the Mellotron and the Chamberlin. The ] band ] also made great use of the Mellotron on their 2008 album '']''. Dutch indie rock band ] uses a Mellotron M400 on their live shows and album ''For The Boatman''. Canadian indie band Water Closet Phobia relies heavily on Mellotron sounds for texture, background sonic filler, and a plethora of odd sound effects. Psychedelic pop group Magic Hero vs. Rock People employed the instruments' sound extensively on their 2008 debut album. British rock band ] has made extensive use of Mellotron samples throughout their career, both live and in the studio, though perhaps most prominently on their 2007 album '']''. Also in 2007, the Canadian band ] used Mellotron samples for their song "Good News First" on their '']'' CD.

By the year 1999, availability of original Mellotrons had vastly declined. Discoveries of some commercial software sample sets using digitally pitched notes and magnetized tapes (revealed in A and B comparisons) caused a greater purist demand for authentic Mellotrons. As a result of this demand, (and because old models could not be located for re-sale), new Mellotron models were put into production: the American/Swedish Mellotron MK 6 model and the British Streetly Mellotron M-4000 model. Both resemble the M400 design, but with modern improvements to make them more reliable and roadworthy. An example of this is the recent purchase of a Mellotron M4000 for use by the band Arcade Fire who use it in the soundtrack for the 2009 movie '']''. Another example is Oasis' band member Noel Gallagher's purchase of a Mellotron MK 6 model in 1999 followed by his purchase of an original MK 2 model. Other bands such as A-ha (MK6 model), The Kooks (M4000) and Radiohead (original M400) are also part of this wave of musicians. Older musicians also continue to use real Mellotrons, one being Paul McCartney who still uses his on solo albums and in collaboration with Youth in his Fireman releases. Newer bands such as Sanctuary Rig use the M400 in their studio releases.<ref></ref>

Of all the disk and tape instruments, the Mellotron has made the strongest comeback. The other related instruments such as the ], ], ], and ] live on (if at all) only as restored original instruments. No modern reproductions of these exist. The Mellotron is arguably the most ubiquitous and the ] almost a myth. The others fall neatly in between these two extremes, but all provide unique qualities and variations of sound colour like the Mellotron. Although the sounds from each instrument are similar, none of them truly duplicate each other. The resurgence in the Mellotron and the related tape and disk keyboards has caused a greater appreciation for their place in music history as well as being remarkable examples of mechanical engineering.

Because of this, the demand for Mellotrons and the other related instruments continues to remain high well into the 21st century.

== List of models ==
{{refimprove section|date=August 2012}}
* Mark I (1963) - double manual (35 notes on each). Very similar to the ]. About 55 were made.{{cn|date=August 2012}}
* Mk II (1964) - double manual. 18 sounds on each manual. Organ style cabinet, two 12 inch internal speakers and amp. Weight 160kg.<ref name="clavia"/> About 300 were made.{{cn|date=August 2012}}
* FX console (1965) - double manual with sound effects. About 60 were made.
* M300 (1968) - 52 note single manual, some with pitch wheel-control, and some without. About 60 were made.
* M400 (1970) - 35 note single manual. The most common and portable model. About 1800 units were made. It has three different sounds per frame.<ref name="clavia"/>
* EMI M400 (1970) - 100 of this model were manufactured by EMI music company in Britain under license from Mellotronics. See M400.
* Mark V (1975) - double manual. It's basically two M400's in one. Around 28 were made of this one, not including a special one-off machine made for Rick Wakeman.
* Novatron Mark V (1977) - this is the same as the Mellotron Mark V just under a different name. About two were ever made - one owned by Paul McCartney and the other by Patrick Moraz.
* Novatron 400 (1978) - the same with this one; it's a Mellotron M400 with a different name-plate.
* T550 (1981) - this extremely rare model is a flight-cased version of Novatron 400. Four were made. Used by Tangerine Dream.
* 4 Track (1981) - very rare model. About five were ever made of this model.
* Mark VI (1998) - an improved version of the M400. The first Mellotron to be produced since Streetly Electronics went out of business in 1986.
* Mark VII - this is basically an upgraded Mark V. Like the MkVI, this one is produced on the new factory in Stockholm.<ref name="mellotron.com"></ref>
* Skellotron (2005) - an improved m400 with a new look. Made by Streetly Electronics.
* M4000 (2007) - one manual, 24 sounds. An improved version of the MkII with cycling mechanism. Made by Streetly Electronics.

== Related products ==

* Band Master Powerhouse (1975) An 8 track drum machine manufactured by Bandmaster in Scotland and sold by Streetly Electronics.
* Studio Symphony (1985) A one-off model with digital memory (no tapes). Only one experimental company model was made by Mellotron USA.
* M4000D (2010) - a single manual ] product that does not feature tapes. Made at the Mellotron factory in Stockholm.<ref name="mellotron.com"/>

==Sources==
*''Mellodrama'', documentary film by ]
*''Mellotron: The Machine and the Musicians That Revolutionised Rock'', by ], Desert Hearts, ISBN 978-1-898948-02-5.
*''The Mellotron Book'', by Frank Samagaio, ProMusic Press, ISBN 978-1-931140-14-0


==See also== ==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ], another instrument used to imitate orchestral ensembles
* ]
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|2}} {{Reflist|30em}}
;Books
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book
|first=Nick
|last=Awde
|title=Mellotron: The Machines and the Musicians that Revolutionised Rock
|publisher=Bennett & Bloom
|year=2008
|isbn=978-1-898948-02-5
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Richard
|last=Brice
|title=Music Engineering
|publisher=Newnes
|year=2001
|isbn=978-0-7506-5040-3
}}
* {{cite book|last=Cunningham|first=Mark|title=Good Vibrations: A History of Record Production|year=1998|publisher=Sanctuary|location=London|isbn=978-1860742422}}
* {{cite book
|first=Walter
|last=Everett
|title=The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|year=1999
|isbn=978-0-19-802960-1
}}
* {{cite book|first=Thom|last=Holmes|title=Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture ''(4th edn)''|year=2012|publisher=Routledge|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-415-89636-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/electronicexperi00holm}}
* {{cite book
|first=Mark
|last=Jenkins
|title=Analog Synthesizers: Understanding, Performing, Buying – From the Legacy of Moog to Software Synthesis
|publisher=CRC Press
|year=2012
|isbn=978-1-136-12277-4
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Louis
|last=Niebur
|title=Special Sound: The Creation and Legacy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|year=2010
|isbn=978-0-19-536840-6
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Paul
|last=Stump
|title=Digital Gothic: A Critical Discography of Tangerine Dream
|publisher=SAF Publishing Ltd
|year=1997
|isbn=978-0-946719-18-1
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Mark
|last=Vail
|title=Keyboard Magazine Presents Vintage Synthesizers: Pioneering Designers, Groundbreaking Instruments, Collecting Tips, Mutants of Technology
|publisher=Backbeat Books
|year=2000
|isbn=978-0-87930-603-8
}}
{{refend}}


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
*] broadcast a documentary "Sampledelica! The History of the Mellotron" on 3 June 2006, repeated 7 January 2007.
* * {{cite journal|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0076ylh|title=Sampledelica! The History of the Mellotron|first=Mark|last=Radcliffe|journal=]|publisher=]|date=3 June 2006|access-date=5 November 2013}}
*{{cite magazine|title=The Mellotron|page=24|magazine=Music Technology|date=April 1989|volume=3|issue=5|issn=0957-6606|oclc=24835173}}
{{refend}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{commons category|Mellotrons}} {{Commons category|Mellotrons}}
* - US manufacturers and trademark owners * – US manufacturers and trademark owners
* - Streetly Electronics, UK manufacturers * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229165944/http://www.mellotronics.com/ |date=29 December 2020 }} – Streetly Electronics, UK manufacturers
* - List of Mellotron recordings and album reviews * – List of Mellotron recordings and album reviews
* – History and inner workings by self-confessed Mellyholic Norm Leete
*
*
* - Mellotron documentary by Dianna Dilworth
*
* {{cite web|last=Snyder|first=Bob|title=Mellotrons, Chamberlins, and their Sounds|url=http://members.cox.net/tapereplay/ |accessdate=5 July 2010|date= June 13, 2009}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.outofphase.fr/introduction-mellotron/ |title=Mellotron Introduction |work=Out Of Phase |date=5 April 2018 |access-date=2022-08-14}}


{{Experimental musical instruments}}
{{Richard Wright}}
{{Electronic rock}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 03:21, 3 January 2025

Musical instrument

Mellotron
A Mellotron Mk VI
ManufacturerBradmatic/Mellotronics (1963–70)
Streetly Electronics (1970–1986, 2007–present)
Dates1963 (Mk I)
1964 (Mk II)
1968 (M300)
1970 (M400)
2007 (M4000)
Technical specifications
PolyphonyFull
OscillatorAudio tape
Synthesis typeSample-based synthesis
Input/output
Keyboard1 or 2 × 35 note manuals (G2–F5)

The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. As the key is released, the tape is retracted by a spring to its initial position. Different portions of the tape can be played to access different sounds.

The Mellotron evolved from the similar Chamberlin, but could be mass-produced more efficiently. The first models were designed for the home and contained a variety of sounds, including automatic accompaniments. Bandleader Eric Robinson and television personality David Nixon helped promote the first instruments, and celebrities such as Princess Margaret were early adopters. It was adopted by rock and pop groups in the mid to late 1960s. One of the first pop songs featuring the Mellotron was Manfred Mann's "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James" (1966). The Beatles used it on tracks including the hit single "Strawberry Fields Forever" (1967).

The Moody Blues keyboardist Mike Pinder used it extensively on the band's 1967 album Days of Future Passed as well as the group's following six albums. During the 1970s, the Mellotron became common in progressive rock, used by groups such as King Crimson, Yes and Genesis. Later models, such as the bestselling M400, dispensed with the accompaniments and some sound selection controls so it could be used by touring musicians. The instrument's popularity declined in the 1980s after the introduction of polyphonic synthesizers and samplers, despite high-profile performers such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and XTC continuing to use the instrument.

Production of the Mellotron ceased in 1986, but it regained popularity in the 1990s and was used by bands such as Oasis, the Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, and Radiohead. This led to the resurrection of the original manufacturer, Streetly Electronics. In 2007, Streetly produced the M4000, which combined the layout of the M400 with the bank selection of earlier models.

Operation

The internal operations of a Mellotron. Pressing a key (1), causes two screws (2) to connect a pressure pad (3) with the tape head (5), and the pinch wheel (4) with the continuously rotating capstan (6). Tape is pulled at a constant speed, counterbalanced by a tension spring (8–10) and stored temporarily in a storage bin (7) until the key is released.

The Mellotron uses the same concept as a sampler, but generates its sound using analogue recordings on audio tape. When a key is pressed, a tape connected to it is pushed against a playback head, as in a tape deck. While the key remains depressed, the tape is drawn over the head, and a sound is played. When the key is released, a spring pulls the tape back to its original position.

A variety of sounds are available on the instrument. On earlier models, the instrument is split into "lead" and "rhythm" sections. There is a choice of six "stations" of rhythm sounds, each containing three rhythm tracks and three fill tracks. The fill tracks can also be mixed together. Similarly, there is a choice of six lead stations, each containing three lead instruments which can be mixed. In the centre of the Mellotron, there is a tuning button that allows a variation in pitch (tempo, in the case of the rhythm tracks). Later models do not have the concept of stations and have a single knob to select a sound, along with the tuning control. However, the frame containing the tapes is designed to be removed, and replaced with one with different sounds.

Although the Mellotron was designed to reproduce the sound of the original instrument, replaying a tape creates minor fluctuations in pitch (wow and flutter) and amplitude, so a note sounds slightly different each time it is played. Pressing a key harder allows the head to come into contact under greater pressure, to the extent that the Mellotron responds to aftertouch.

Another factor in the Mellotron's sound is that the individual notes were recorded in isolation. For a musician accustomed to playing in an orchestral setting, this was unusual, and meant that they had nothing against which to intonate. Noted cellist Reginald Kilbey refused to downtune his cello to cover the lower range of the Mellotron, and so the bottom notes are actually performed on a double bass (His refusal was based on the fact that him playing these notes on his cello would be robbing a double bassist of the session fee. When the double bassist turned up for the next session it was found to be Kilbey with a different instrument, thereby collecting a double fee for both appearances). According to Mellotron author Nick Awde, one note of the string sounds contains the sound of a chair being scraped in the background.

When the Chamberlin was first developed, the initial recorded sound used was that of three violins, thereby committing the instrument range to G2 to F5, being the range of the violin. Unfortunately, as with the cello, many other instruments did not conform to this range. The noted solo flute (which appears on the introduction to Strawberry Fields Forever) actually comprises recordings from an alto flute and a soprano flute, which accounts for some of the odd tuning that appears when chords are played. Other sounds such as the brass opted for a layered effect where instruments were recorded within their correct range. Others recorded more recently, such as the bass clarinet opt instead to drop the tuning on the lowest notes by pitching them electronically. The Mellotron choir was recorded in two halves: four men in one studio, and four women in another adjacent, thereby allowing for the actual recording of three sounds concurrently. In this, the male singers from the Ted Taylor Choir were allowed to drop the highest notes back to the previous octave as they were considerably out of their natural range.

The Mellotron M400 has a removable tape frame that can be replaced with another containing different sounds

The original Mellotrons were intended to be used in the home or in clubs and were not designed for touring bands. Even the later M400, which was designed to be as portable as possible, weighed over 122 pounds (55 kg). Smoke, variations in temperature, and humidity were also detrimental to the instrument's reliability. Moving the instrument between cold storage rooms and brightly lit stages could cause the tapes to stretch and stick on the capstan. Leslie Bradley recalls receiving some Mellotrons in for a repair "looking like a blacksmith had shaped horseshoes on top". Pressing too many keys at once caused the motor to drag, resulting in the notes sounding flat. Robert Fripp stated that "uning a Mellotron doesn't". Dave Kean, an expert Mellotron repairer, recommends that older Mellotrons should not be immediately used after a period of inactivity, as the tape heads can become magnetised in storage and destroy the recordings on them if played.

History

A Mellotron M400 tape frame as removed from the instrument

Although tape samplers had been explored in research studios, the first commercially available keyboard-driven tape instruments were built and sold by California-based Harry Chamberlin. The concept of the Mellotron originated when Chamberlin's sales agent, Bill Fransen, brought two of Chamberlin's Musicmaster 600 instruments to England in 1962 to search for someone who could manufacture 70 matching tape heads for future Chamberlins. He met Frank, Norman, and Les Bradley of tape engineering company Bradmatic Ltd, who said they could improve on the original design. The Bradleys subsequently met bandleader Eric Robinson, who agreed to help finance the recording of the necessary instruments and sounds. Together with the Bradleys and television celebrity David Nixon (Robinson's son-in-law), they formed a company, Mellotronics, in order to market the instrument. Robinson was particularly enthusiastic about the Mellotron, because he felt it would revitalise his career, which was then on the wane. He arranged the recording sessions at IBC Studios in London, which he co-owned with George Clouston.

The first model to be commercially manufactured was the Mk I in 1963. An updated version, the Mk II, was released the following year which featured the full set of sounds selectable by banks and stations. The instrument was expensive, costing £1,000 (equivalent to £26,449 in 2023), at a time when a typical house cost £2,000–£3,000.

Fransen failed to explain to the Bradleys that he was not the owner of the concept, and Chamberlin was unhappy with the fact that someone overseas was copying his idea. After some acrimony between the two parties, a deal was struck between them in 1966, whereby they would both continue to manufacture instruments independently. Bradmatic renamed themselves Streetly Electronics in 1970.

The simplified control panel of the M400

In 1970, the model M400 was released, which contained 35 notes (G–F) and a removable tape frame. It sold over 1,800 units. In the early 1970s, hundreds of the instruments were assembled and sold by EMI under exclusive licence. Following a financial and trademark dispute through a US distribution agreement, the Mellotron name was acquired by American-based Sound Sales. Streetly-manufactured instruments after 1976 were sold under the name Novatron. The American Mellotron distributor, Sound Sales, produced their own Mellotron model, the 4-Track, in the early 1980s. At the same time Streetly Electronics produced a road-cased version of the 400 – the T550 Novatron. By the mid-1980s, both Sound Sales and Streetly Electronics suffered severe financial setbacks, losing their market to synthesizers and solid-state electronic samplers, which rendered the Mellotron essentially obsolete. The company folded in 1986, and Les Bradley threw most of the manufacturing equipment into a skip. From 1963 until Streetly's closure, around 2,500 units had been built.

Streetly Electronics was subsequently reactivated by Les Bradley's son John and Martin Smith. After Les Bradley's death in 1997, they decided to resume full-time operation as a support and refurbishment business. By 2007, the stock of available instruments to repair and restore was diminishing, so they decided to build a new model, which became the M4000. The instrument combined the features of several previous models, and featured the layout and chassis of an M400 but with a digital bank selector that emulated the mechanical original in the Mk II.

Notable users

The Moody Blues (pictured in 1970) made significant use of the Mellotron in the 1960s and 1970s, played by Mike Pinder (left)

The first notable musician to use the Mellotron was variety pianist Geoff Unwin, who was specifically hired by Robinson in 1962 to promote the use of the instrument. He toured with a Mk II Mellotron and made numerous appearances on television and radio. Unwin claimed that the automatic backing tracks on the Mk II's left-hand keyboard allowed him to provide more accomplished performances than his own basic skills on the piano could provide.

The earlier 1960s Mk II units were made for the home and the characteristics of the instrument attracted a number of celebrities. Among the early Mellotron owners were Princess Margaret, Peter Sellers, King Hussein of Jordan and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard (whose Mellotron was installed in the Church of Scientology's head UK office at Saint Hill Manor). According to Robin Douglas-Home, Princess Margaret "adored it; (Lord Snowdon) positively loathed it".

After Mellotronics had targeted them as a potential customer, the BBC became interested in the possibilities of the instrument, hoping it would allow them to increase throughput at the Radiophonic Workshop. Two custom-made models loaded with sound effects were acquired in 1963, but the Radiophonic Workshop were unenthusiastic and problems with fluctuating tape speed and noise meant the sound was not up to professional broadcast quality. They ended up in the BBC FX library.

Mellotron Strings The distinctive "3 violins" sound of a Mellotron (here sampled on a Nord Stage 2)
Problems playing this file? See media help.

British multi-instrumentalist Graham Bond is considered the first rock musician to record with a Mellotron, beginning in 1965. The first hit song to feature a Mellotron Mk II was "Baby Can It Be True", which Bond performed live with the machine in televised performances, using solenoids to trigger the tapes from his Hammond organ. Manfred Mann then included multiple Mellotron parts on their single, "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown".

There's one thing I can do /
Play my Mellotron for you /
Try to blow away your city blues

— Mike Pinder, "One Step Into the Light" on Octave

Mike Pinder worked at Streetly Electronics for 18 months in the early 1960s as a tester, and was immediately excited by the possibilities of the instrument. After trying piano and Hammond organ, he settled on the Mellotron as the instrument of choice for his band, the Moody Blues, purchasing a second-hand model from Fort Dunlop Working Men's Club in Birmingham and using it extensively on every album from Days of Future Passed (1967) to Octave (1978).

Pinder says he introduced John Lennon and Paul McCartney to the Mellotron, and convinced each of them to buy one. The Beatles hired a machine and used it on their single "Strawberry Fields Forever", recorded in various takes between November and December 1966. Author Mark Cunningham describes the part in "Strawberry Fields Forever" as "probably the most famous Mellotron figure of all-time". Although producer George Martin was unconvinced by the instrument, describing it "as if a Neanderthal piano had impregnated a primitive electronic keyboard", they continued to compose and record with various Mellotrons for the albums Magical Mystery Tour (1967) and The Beatles (1968, also known as "the White Album"). McCartney went on to use the Mellotron sporadically in his solo career.

The instrument became increasingly popular among rock and pop bands during the psychedelic era, adding what author Thom Holmes terms "an eerie, unearthly sound" to their recordings. Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones played a Mellotron on several of his band's songs over 1967–68. These include "We Love You", where he used the instrument to create a Moroccan-sounding horn section, "She's a Rainbow", "2000 Light Years from Home" and "Jigsaw Puzzle".

Robert Fripp played the Mellotron on several King Crimson albums, and said that "Tuning a Mellotron doesn't "

The Mellotron became a key instrument in progressive rock. King Crimson bought two Mellotrons when forming in 1969. They were aware of Pinder's contributions to the Moody Blues and did not want to sound similar, but concluded there was no other way of generating the orchestral sound. The instrument was originally played by Ian McDonald, and subsequently by Robert Fripp upon McDonald's departure. Later member David Cross recalled he did not particularly want to play the Mellotron, but felt that it was simply what he needed to do as a member of the band.

Tony Banks bought a Mellotron from Fripp in 1971, which he claimed was previously used by King Crimson, to use with Genesis. He decided to approach the instrument in a different way to a typical orchestra, using block chords, and later stated that he used it in the same manner as a synth pad on later albums. His unaccompanied introduction to "Watcher of the Skies" on the album Foxtrot (1972), played on a Mk II with combined strings and brass, became significant enough that Streetly Electronics provided a "Watcher Mix" sound with the M4000. Banks claims to still have a Mellotron in storage, but does not feel inclined to use it as he generally prefers to use up-to-date technology. Barclay James Harvest's Woolly Wolstenholme bought an M300 primarily to use for string sounds, and continued to play an M400 live into the 2000s as part of a reformed band.

Rick Wakeman played Mellotron on David Bowie's 1969 hit song "Space Oddity". Having previously found it difficult to keep in tune, Wakeman had discovered a way to do so using a special fingering technique.

The Mellotron was used extensively by German electronic band Tangerine Dream through the 1970s, on albums such as Atem (1973), Phaedra (1974), Rubycon (1975), Stratosfear (1976), and Encore (1977). In the late 1970s, French duo Space Art used a Mellotron during the recording of their second album, Trip in the Centre Head. In 1983, the band's Christopher Franke asked Mellotronics if they could produce a digital model, as the group migrated towards using samplers.

Although the Mellotron was not extensively used in the 1980s, a number of bands featured it as a prominent instrument. One of the few UK post-punk bands to do so was Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, who featured it heavily on their platinum-selling 1981 album Architecture & Morality. Andy McCluskey has stated they used the Mellotron because they were starting to run into limitations of the cheap monophonic synthesizers they had used up to that point. He bought a second-hand M400 and was immediately impressed with the strings and choir sounds. XTC's Dave Gregory recalls seeing bands using Mellotrons when growing up in the 1970s, and thought it would be an interesting addition to the group's sound. He bought a second-hand model in 1982 for £165, and first used it on the album Mummer (1983). IQ's Martin Orford bought a second-hand M400 and used it primarily for visual appeal rather than musical quality or convenience.

The Mellotron resurfaced in 1995 on Oasis' album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? The instrument was played by both Noel Gallagher and Paul Arthurs on several tracks, but a particularly prominent use was the cello sound on the hit single "Wonderwall", played by Arthurs. It also notably appears on their 2000 single "Go Let It Out". Radiohead asked Streetly Electronics to restore and repair a model for them in 1997, and recorded with it on several tracks for their album OK Computer (1997). The French electronic duo Air extensively used a M400 on their two first albums Moon Safari in 1998 and The Virgin Suicides in 1999.

Spock's Beard's Ryo Okumoto is a fan of the Mellotron, saying it characterises the sound of the band. Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson has acquired one of King Crimson's old Mellotrons and, in 2013, gave a demonstration of the instrument in celebration of its 50th anniversary.

Competitors

Alternatives to the Mellotron were manufactured by competitors in the early to late 1970s. The Mattel Optigan was a toy keyboard designed to be used in the home, which played back sounds using optical discs. This was followed by the Vako Orchestron in 1975, which used a more professional-sounding version of the same technology. It was used by Patrick Moraz. The Birotron was a similar concept based around 8-track cartridges, used by Wakeman.

List of models

  • Mk I (1963) – double manual (35 notes on each). Very similar to the Chamberlin Music Master 600. About 10 were made.
  • Mk II (1964) – double manual. 35 sounds on each manual. Organ-style cabinet, two 12-inch internal speakers and amp. Weight 160 kg. About 160 were made.
  • FX console (1965) – double manual with sound effects. Designed to be quieter and more stable than the Mk II, with a different DC motor and a solid-state power amplifier.
  • M300 (1968) – 52-note single manual with 35 note melody section and smaller left-hand accompaniment section, some with pitch wheel-control, and some without. About 60 were made in two versions.
  • M400 (1970) – 35-note single manual. The most common and portable model. About 1,800 units were made. It has three different sounds per frame.
  • EMI M400 (1970) – a special version of the M400 manufactured by EMI music company in Britain under licence from Mellotronics. 100 of this model were made.
  • Mark V (1975) – double-manual Mellotron, with the internals of two M400s plus additional tone and control features. Around nine were made.
  • Novatron Mark V (1977) – the same as the Mellotron Mark V, but under a different name.
  • Novatron 400 (1978) – as above; a Mellotron M400 with a different name-plate.
  • T550 (1981) – a flight-cased version of Novatron 400.
  • 4 Track (1980) – very rare model; only about five were ever made.
  • Mark VI (1999) – an improved version of the M400. The first Mellotron to be produced since Streetly Electronics went out of business in 1986.
  • Mark VII – basically an upgraded Mark V. Like the Mark VI, produced in the new factory in Stockholm.
  • Skellotron (2005) – an M400 in a transparent glass case. Only one was made.
  • M4000 (2007) – one manual, 24 sounds. An improved version of the Mk II with cycling mechanism. Made by Streetly Electronics.

Related products

  • M4000D (2010) – a single-manual digital product that does not feature tapes. Made at the Mellotron factory in Stockholm.
  • Electro-Harmonix MEL9 Tape Replay Machine (2016) – simulator pedal

See also

References

  1. ^ Awde 2008, p. 17.
  2. ^ Mellotron Mk II Service Manual (PDF). Streetly Electronics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 December 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  3. ^ Reid, Gordon (October 2007). "Streetly Mellotron M4000". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  4. Awde 2008, p. 16.
  5. Vail 2000, p. 230.
  6. Awde 2008, p. 23.
  7. ^ Vail 2000, p. 233.
  8. ^ Reid, Gordon (August 2002). "Rebirth of the Cool : The Mellotron Mk VI". Sound on Sound. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  9. ^ The Night Watch (Media notes). King Crimson. Discipline Global Mobile. 1997.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. Albiez, Sean; Pattie, David (2011). Kraftwerk: Music Non-Stop. Continuum. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-4411-9136-6.
  11. "The Chamberlin history". Clavia. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  12. ^ "History of the Mellotron". Clavia. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012.
  13. Awde 2008, pp. 44–46.
  14. Awde 2008, pp. 64–66.
  15. ^ Shennan, Paddy (31 October 2008). "I gave Lennon a few rock tips". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  16. ^ Brice 2001, p. 107.
  17. ^ Awde 2008, p. 44.
  18. "Sound Sales brings Mellotron to the United States". Music Trades. 126 (1–6). Music Trades Corporation: 69. 1978.
  19. ^ Vail 2000, p. 232.
  20. Awde 2008, p. 57.
  21. ^ Holmes 2012, p. 448.
  22. Awde 2008, p. 33.
  23. Awde 2008, p. 45.
  24. Awde 2008, p. 59.
  25. Awde 2008, p. 69.
  26. Aronson, Theo (1997). Princess Margaret: A Biography. Regnery Pub. p. 231. ISBN 978-0-89526-409-1.
  27. ^ Lewis, Roger (1995). The life and death of Peter Sellers. Arrow. p. 939. ISBN 978-0-09-974700-0.
  28. Thompson, Andy. "Oddball Owners". Planet Mellotron. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  29. "Clients". Streetly Electronics. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  30. Niebur 2010, p. 126.
  31. Awde 2008, p. 91.
  32. Cunningham 1998, pp. 126–27.
  33. Pinder, Michael (1978). "One Step Into The Light Lyrics". Octave. Archived from the original on 7 June 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2014 – via MetroLyrics.com.
  34. Awde 2008, pp. 88–89.
  35. Awde 2008, p. 169.
  36. ^ Awde 2008, p. 94.
  37. Everett 1999, p. 146.
  38. Pinder, Mike. "Mellotron". Mike Pinder (Official Web Site). Archived from the original on 20 June 2007.
  39. Cunningham 1998, p. 127.
  40. Everett 1999, p. 247.
  41. Everett 1999, p. 248.
  42. Benitez, Vincent P. (2010). The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. pp. 23, 47, 86, 139. ISBN 978-0-313-34969-0.
  43. Holmes 2012, pp. 448–49.
  44. Davis, Stephen (2001). Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones. New York, NY: Broadway Books. pp. 209–10. ISBN 0-7679-0312-9.
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