Mellotronists

Did Brian have the Mark II in the summer of '67 when the tracks for
Wild Honey were recorded? What other Mk 2's came to the States back in
the 60's? I would imagine very few considering the shipping costs &
expense and all...

The album also has some odd oscillating synth sounds moving up and
down an octave on the title track.

--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "mellotrongirl" 
<mellotrongirl@...> wrote:
>
> Did Brian have the Mark II in the summer of '67 when the tracks for
> Wild Honey were recorded? What other Mk 2's came to the States back in
> the 60's? I would imagine very few considering the shipping costs &
> expense and all...

Curt Boettcher was using a Mellotron as early as November,1966
on "Musty Dusty" by Ballroom. Unreleased, that track (and a
few others using the tron ended up on the Sagittarius album (1968)
The tron also appears on the 1968 recordings by The Bards,
produced by Boettcher. These were all recorded in LA.

phil

--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "mellotrongirl" 
<mellotrongirl@...> wrote:
>
> Did Brian have the Mark II in the summer of '67 when the tracks for
> Wild Honey were recorded? What other Mk 2's came to the States back in
> the 60's? I would imagine very few considering the shipping costs &
> expense and all...

Curt Boettcher was using a Mellotron as early as November,1966
on "Musty Dusty" by Ballroom. Unreleased, that track (and a
few others using the tron ended up on the Sagittarius album (1968)
The tron also appears on the 1968 recordings by The Bards,
produced by Boettcher. These were all recorded in LA.

phil

In a message dated 2/3/2006 9:12:49 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
mellomancinci@... writes:

Sandy Salisbury who was in both the Millenium and The Ballroom confirmed  
with me that Curt Boettcher used a chamberlin, not a tron, on all of the  
recordings he produced.  There is also chamberlin on the "Save It For a  Rainy Day" 
(1966) album by Jan & Dean, "Tanyet" by the Ceyleib People, and  "Don't It Make 
You Wanna Go Home" (1969) by Joe South. The chamberlin string  sound is 
nearly identical to that of the MK II mellotron.  The earliest  MK II tron 
recordings which were made in the United States were by the Tokens  on their 
"Intercourse" album of 1968 (they confirmed via email they did order  a Mark II from 
England late in 1967) followed by the Fuse album
with  Rick Nielsen later of Cheap Trick playing mellotron.  The very first 
M400  recordings in the United States were on Big Star's eponoymous first album, 
 Ardent Studios in Memphis bought the first white M400 sold in the United  
States (verified from Terry Manning, engineer on both of Big Star's first two  
albums and the one who played tron on Big Star's "Give Me Another  Chance.")
 
   Mike Pinder supposedly donated one of his MK II's from the  Moodies to the 
Beach Boys in the mid Seventies.  I listened to all of  their albums and 
there is no audio evidence it was ever used by them on  record.  However, Elton 
John did record a track off his "Blue Moves"  album at the Beach Boys Brother 
Studios in 1977 which probably features this  tron.
 
   Finally, I did obtain a copy of the Graham Dalley Dozen lp  "Sounds 
International" and the only keyboard instrument on that record is an  organ.  The 
liner notes on the back mentioned he did play "mellotrone" on  a BBC Radio Music 
Show.  Thus the first recordings featuring the MK II  are most certainly 
those by Graham Bond in 1965 (although these recordings are  flawed as the tron 
was not hooked up to an amplifier and you can only hear it  way in the back 
ground).  Both of Graham Bond's later albums recorded  later in the United States 
in 1967 and 1968 do feature one tron sounding track  each.  Being that these 
were recorded in California, and that Graham  Bond's mellotron was later used 
by Czar in England in 1969, it is a mystery  whether the two USA Graham Bond 
albums feature either chamberlin or  tron.  The earliest act to use the MK II 
tron most effectively was  Mandred Mann commencing with his "As Is" lp in late 
1966.  The recent  compilation "Ascent of Mann" contains 23 tron tracks, 
including several which  use the rarely heard jazz rhythms of the MK II.  
 
Hope all this info helps.
 
Chris Haley




WOW!

> Did Brian have the Mark II in the summer of '67 when the tracks for
> Wild Honey were recorded?

Ironically, I was fortunate enough to speak with Brian Wilson some years
ago when I was trying to persuade him to buy a Mk II. He had absolutely
no idea what a Mellotron was. Then again, this is Brian Wilson we are
talking about here.

Mike Dickson (tron@...) M400 #996
The Official Cynic of Streetly Electronics
Streetly Sample Library http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/

----- Original Message ----- 

From: <tron@...>
To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 9:31 AM
Subject: [Mellotronists] Brian Wilson's Mk2


> > Did Brian have the Mark II in the summer of '67 when the tracks for
> > Wild Honey were recorded?
> 
> Ironically, I was fortunate enough to speak with Brian Wilson some years
> ago when I was trying to persuade him to buy a Mk II. He had absolutely
> no idea what a Mellotron was. Then again, this is Brian Wilson we are
> talking about here.
> 
> Mike Dickson (tron@...) M400 #996
> The Official Cynic of Streetly Electronics
> Streetly Sample Library http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/

Mike

Has Brian Wilson got any idea who *Brian Wilson* is?

Andy T.

Apparently he has heard of him...he apparently likes the demos better than 
the finished album....

// Mattias

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Andy Thompson" <andy.thompson@...>
To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 11:43 AM
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Brian Wilson's Mk2


>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <tron@...>
> To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 9:31 AM
> Subject: [Mellotronists] Brian Wilson's Mk2
>
>
>> > Did Brian have the Mark II in the summer of '67 when the tracks for
>> > Wild Honey were recorded?
>>
>> Ironically, I was fortunate enough to speak with Brian Wilson some years
>> ago when I was trying to persuade him to buy a Mk II. He had absolutely
>> no idea what a Mellotron was. Then again, this is Brian Wilson we are
>> talking about here.
>>
>> Mike Dickson (tron@...) M400 #996
>> The Official Cynic of Streetly Electronics
>> Streetly Sample Library http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/
>
> Mike
>
> Has Brian Wilson got any idea who *Brian Wilson* is?
>
> Andy T.
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Mattias" <mattias.olsson5@...>
To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>; "Andy Thompson"
<andy.thompson@...>
Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 11:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Brian Wilson's Mk2


> Apparently he has heard of him...he apparently likes the demos better than
> the finished album....

Don't we all?  :-)

Andy

--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
>  
> In a message dated 2/3/2006 9:12:49 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> mellomancinci@... writes:
> 
> Sandy Salisbury who was in both the Millenium and The Ballroom 
confirmed  
> with me that Curt Boettcher used a chamberlin, not a tron, on all 
of the  
> recordings he produced.  There is also chamberlin on the "Save It 
For a  Rainy Day" 
> (1966) album by Jan & Dean, "Tanyet" by the Ceyleib People, 
and  "Don't It Make 
> You Wanna Go Home" (1969) by Joe South. The chamberlin string  
sound is 
> nearly identical to that of the MK II mellotron.  The earliest  MK 
II tron 
> recordings which were made in the United States were by the Tokens  
on their 
> "Intercourse" album of 1968 (they confirmed via email they did 
order  a Mark II from 
> England late in 1967) followed by the Fuse album
> with  Rick Nielsen later of Cheap Trick playing mellotron.  The 
very first 
> M400  recordings in the United States were on Big Star's eponoymous 
first album, 
>  Ardent Studios in Memphis bought the first white M400 sold in the 
United  
> States (verified from Terry Manning, engineer on both of Big Star's 
first two  
> albums and the one who played tron on Big Star's "Give Me Another  
Chance.")
>  
>    Mike Pinder supposedly donated one of his MK II's from the  
Moodies to the 
> Beach Boys in the mid Seventies.  I listened to all of  their 
albums and 
> there is no audio evidence it was ever used by them on  record.  
However, Elton 
> John did record a track off his "Blue Moves"  album at the Beach 
Boys Brother 
> Studios in 1977 which probably features this  tron.
>  
>    Finally, I did obtain a copy of the Graham Dalley Dozen 
lp  "Sounds 
> International" and the only keyboard instrument on that record is 
an  organ.  The 
> liner notes on the back mentioned he did play "mellotrone" on  a 
BBC Radio Music 
> Show.  Thus the first recordings featuring the MK II  are most 
certainly 
> those by Graham Bond in 1965 (although these recordings are  flawed 
as the tron 
> was not hooked up to an amplifier and you can only hear it  way in 
the back 
> ground).  Both of Graham Bond's later albums recorded  later in the 
United States 
> in 1967 and 1968 do feature one tron sounding track  each.  Being 
that these 
> were recorded in California, and that Graham  Bond's mellotron was 
later used 
> by Czar in England in 1969, it is a mystery  whether the two USA 
Graham Bond 
> albums feature either chamberlin or  tron.  The earliest act to use 
the MK II 
> tron most effectively was  Mandred Mann commencing with his "As Is" 
lp in late 
> 1966.  The recent  compilation "Ascent of Mann" contains 23 tron 
tracks, 
> including several which  use the rarely heard jazz rhythms of the 
MK II.  
>  
> Hope all this info helps.
>  
> Chris Haley
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WOW!
>
Yea! DOUBLE WOW! Thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering
where Boettcher might have heard of the Mellotron that early
but it was a Chamberlin. Cool.

phil