Excellent film, well presented. Nice bunch of people - amazing what happens in this neck of the woods. Shine on you crazy diamonds, mine's a pint Martin
The small list mentioned were examples of contemporary artists that have introduced the Mellotron on their tracks. The narrator mentions that when they launched the M-Tron you could hardly give a Mellotron away. "Those choirs and strings that had become so out of fashion for so long are now essential for any sonic arsenal and when introduced to a contemporary track can Immediately add a certain degree of nostalgia and longing that rarely fails what we call the goosebump test". He then mentions to not just take his word for it, instead to listen to the music of contemporary artists they featured. It would've been impossible for him to mention all the classic artists that brilliantly used the Mellotron throughout the years. But that would make for a wonderful idea for its own UA-cam video! Call it something like "The Legendary Sounds Of The Mellotron And The Legends That Used Them". That would be so fun!
Mike Pinde he was the master of the tron !the one and only one to play it the way he did.fautless.he had a " philosophical view" on thé instrument ," this is playing others musicians recorded instrument"!!!!!ALL thé users thought thèse machines ,mainly thé 400,MK5 ,as a gimmick machine ,with trickeries ,liké they would use the next synthesizers,bbc machines were built that way with many noises recorded for adding in films .Mike Pinder did used it as a Real instrument inwhich hé could pour feeling !
It almost makes you believe this story to be proof positive that the magnetic tape industry is not kaput. If any tape-based keyboard were in demand among specific groups of musicians who weren't satisfied with digital samples, that's enough demand for a product which otherwise appears to be "yesterday's news".
John Paul Jones played the the meletron on the Rolling Stones tunes for The Satanic Majesty's album and is credited for it in the liner notes. 2000 light years from home, She's Like A Rainbow ect.
This film is really about the British Tron story. The M4000D isn’t covered because it’s a digital hardware instrument, it's not made in the UK and IIRC it wasn’t released at the time we made this film. The story of the company behind that instrument is largely covered in the documentary ‘Mellodrama’ which is a great documentary (although I’m not sure if it goes into how they acquired the trademark) but sadly omits the lineage tracing the Bradley Brothers’ original Mellotron right through to John Bradley and Streetly Electronics’ offerings today. Streetly Electronics M4000 is an engineering marvel and keeps alive the whole tape replay instrument philosophy. And it’s British :-)
When I started playing, first piano in the 70's, then synths in the 80's, I always looked at the Mellotron as a horrible sounding instrument. I can respect the guys who designed and built it, but the chosen sounds were, to my ears, just harsh and lifeless. I never understood, even today, why anyone likes the Mellotron sound.
I loved the, "we get them in all sorts of shapes, good, bad and bloody awful."
Thank you for the Graham Bond mention. He often gets overlooked :)
I'm a guitar-player...........and I think this video was very interesting and very well-done.
The Rhyme Of The Ancient Sampler! There is nothing like it!
Excellent film, well presented. Nice bunch of people - amazing what happens in this neck of the woods. Shine on you crazy diamonds, mine's a pint Martin
They forgot to mention Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues, he used one, he used to work in the factory building them.
The small list mentioned were examples of contemporary artists that have introduced the Mellotron on their tracks. The narrator mentions that when they launched the M-Tron you could hardly give a Mellotron away. "Those choirs and strings that had become so out of fashion for so long are now essential for any sonic arsenal and when introduced to a contemporary track can Immediately add a certain degree of nostalgia and longing that rarely fails what we call the goosebump test". He then mentions to not just take his word for it, instead to listen to the music of contemporary artists they featured. It would've been impossible for him to mention all the classic artists that brilliantly used the Mellotron throughout the years. But that would make for a wonderful idea for its own UA-cam video! Call it something like "The Legendary Sounds Of The Mellotron And The Legends That Used Them". That would be so fun!
Mike Pinde he was the master of the tron !the one and only one to play it the way he did.fautless.he had a " philosophical view" on thé instrument ," this is playing others musicians recorded instrument"!!!!!ALL thé users thought thèse machines ,mainly thé 400,MK5 ,as a gimmick machine ,with trickeries ,liké they would use the next synthesizers,bbc machines were built that way with many noises recorded for adding in films .Mike Pinder did used it as a Real instrument inwhich hé could pour feeling !
Great little doc. I used to have two white M400s. I sold them both in the mid 1980s for less than $400 each. Face palm.
I live in Streetly, grew up in Streetly, I must have seen these guys. Awesome history.
Absolutely love the M-Tron for Reason!
Great story. I'm a mellotronic guy. I especially love the king crimson sound
Wonderful instrument, great information.
The M400 in my avatar I sold in '16, but my Tron-in-ROM still plays as well as ever with the samples preserved against wear.
Great documentary. Informative and engaging. I'm in love with this machine. Well done.
Wonderful Eye opening History of a Much loved iconic instrument
Brilliant!, very well made.
Great little docu-promo film, thanks
Great documentary. It does a great job of making me want to by your M-Tron plugin too.
Awesome channel,
and amazing VSTi you chaps make.
Brilliant little doc ...thx
I have been incorporating more Mellotron into my musical arrangements as of lately… Fascinating story behind the instrument…☮🔥
Will do, thanks guys!
Beautiful! My old 400 is in the shed waiting repairs! :-(
John Bradley and his team are thé ones and only ones to fix it correctly ,they did on my MK2 in 1995 and it still works quietly !!!! Streetly .
Wow, what a wild story!
3:20 You can hear the opening bars of "Nights in White Satin."
Interesting stuff in there, learned a lot too.
"never been another instrument quite like it"? Except the Chamberlin, it's predecessor, which the Mellotron was a copy of. Great photos!
This is the TRON sequel we should have got...
It almost makes you believe this story to be proof positive that the magnetic tape industry is not kaput. If any tape-based keyboard were in demand among specific groups of musicians who weren't satisfied with digital samples, that's enough demand for a product which otherwise appears to be "yesterday's news".
"Tuning a Mellotron doesn't." (Robert Fripp)
I can just hear Robert Fripp saying that... Funny guy!
Robert Fripp also owns a Mk. II. Steven Wilson borrowed it to use on his 2013 album The Raven that Refused to Sing.
Do you own a working Birotron? Do you have any (still playable) sound (cartridge) from this machine?
Obviously a plug for M-Tron, but a very nice documentary --concise history of the tron
Very hard to find a Mellotron Mark II
11.16. what is that tune that is playing
What's the song around eight minutes in?
Song at 11:15?
John Paul Jones played the the meletron on the Rolling Stones tunes for The Satanic Majesty's album and is credited for it in the liner notes. 2000 light years from home, She's Like A Rainbow ect.
what about the Mellotron M4000d?
This film is really about the British Tron story. The M4000D isn’t covered because it’s a digital hardware instrument, it's not made in the UK and IIRC it wasn’t released at the time we made this film. The story of the company behind that instrument is largely covered in the documentary ‘Mellodrama’ which is a great documentary (although I’m not sure if it goes into how they acquired the trademark) but sadly omits the lineage tracing the Bradley Brothers’ original Mellotron right through to John Bradley and Streetly Electronics’ offerings today. Streetly Electronics M4000 is an engineering marvel and keeps alive the whole tape replay instrument philosophy. And it’s British :-)
bravo.
Jean Michel Jarre was a regular Mellotron user
One word...WAKEMAN !!!!!
Так вот на чём играл Элис Купер в своей вещичке про скелетов.☻
When I started playing, first piano in the 70's, then synths in the 80's, I always looked at the Mellotron as a horrible sounding instrument. I can respect the guys who designed and built it, but the chosen sounds were, to my ears, just harsh and lifeless. I never understood, even today, why anyone likes the Mellotron sound.
looneyburgmusic Well, I don’t get the 80s synths, all the sounds are so lifeless