Pop Focus: The Mellotron!

Before synthesizers and samplers, there was the Mellotron.

A distinctive presence on many psychedelic tracks of the 1960s, pop music wouldn't have evolved the same way without this strange beast, which used tape loops triggered by a piano keyboard to emulate various instrumental and orchestral sounds.

Think of the "flutes" at the beginning of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" and you'll hear a Mellotron in your head.

Other tunes featuring the instrument include the Beatles' "Flying"; the Stones' "Like a Rainbow" and "2,000 Light Years from Home"; numerous songs from the Zombies' Odessy and Oracle LP; "Julia Dream" and others by Pink Floyd; several Moody Blues songs, including "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday)," and Led Zeppelin's "Rain Song."

See the videos below for some cool explanations and demonstrations of how this unique instrument worked and sounded -- including a demo by Sir Paul McCartney.

Here's a cool BBC Radio documentary about the Mellotron, as well.















1 comment:

  1. Ha, Lennon in his little Davy Crockett outfit, now that's a best photo ever. I wonder at times how many clothes the Beatles had back then as they always seemed to wear something different.

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