The Mellotron Group

Yep. I imagine we were in the same room at the same time for Genesis  and 
for at least one TMB show.
 
 
In a message dated 11/19/2012 11:31:44 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
wonggster@gmail.com writes:

 
 
 
I was very impressed by it all at the time.  In those days if you  weren’t 
different weren’t in the same changing world were were in. There were  no 
vary lites and rear screen projection that didn’t nearly set you on fire,  a 
little glow in the dark paint around the eyes in a dark theatre came  off as 
amazing in the moment.  I worked at the Tower in Phila and other  venues and 
saw everything and I and the rest of the crew could be cynical but  their 
shit worked. Even the southern rock dude on the crew who yelled  "whipping 
post” at Joni Mitchell kept his mouth shut.  


I would say you had to be there but I have seen Musical Box and their  shit 
works too.






On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 11:15 AM, <_lsf5275@aol.com_ 
(mailto:lsf5275@aol.com) > wrote:


 
 
 
Oddly, I have no doubt that you would have as well. I'm sure at the  time, 
other people would have shared your view. I know my dad did. At the  time, I 
didn't think it was idiotic. I thought the musicianship was  incredible and 
the performance by Gabriel was different and exciting. I had  seen plenty 
of Grateful Dead and CSN, James Taylor, Muddy Waters Michael  Bloomfield, BB 
King, Credence... etc.
 
In 1973, the only other band that electrified me like that was Bruce  
Springsteen, whom I had met and gotten to know a bit. The E-Street Band was  
still forming and David Sancious was their pianist and Ernest Carter was the  
drummer.
 
Completely different musical experience than Genesis, but electrifying  
none the less. 
 
As I recall, you don't like them either.
 
 
 
In a message dated 11/19/2012 4:07:32 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
_mike.dickson@gmail.com_ (mailto:mike.dickson@gmail.com)  writes:


 
I've seen quite a few 'real people playing real  instruments', Frank.  I 
don't have time for much else, really, even  if I am having a hard time 
deciding what constitutes a 'real instrument'.   




My point is only that the whole spectacle looks idiotic.  I'm pretty sure I 
would have thought the same thing at age 20 as  well.



Mike



On 19 November 2012 07:37, <_lsf5275@aol.com_ (mailto:lsf5275@aol.com) > 
wrote:


 
 
 
 
 
I remember seeing Genesis at the  Tower theater in Philadelphia back in 
1973. no Mark II but an M400. Mike  might think the whole thing is silly, but 
for a 21 year old I was pretty  impressionable. I LOVED IT! The first live 
concert I ever saw was  outdoors on the Mall in DC. I don't think I was yet 
16. It was Alice  Cooper opening for Arthur Brown. Spring or summer of 1968. I 
didn't turn  16 until that November.
 
Alice Cooper came out in a pink dress. The band was called "Alice  Cooper" 
at the time. I don't think Vince Furnier had adopted the name  for himself 
yet. I was about 50 feet from the stage and I remember the  guitarist (I 
think) at some point in the show had a giant Styrofoam fist  that he slid up and 
down Vince's body (in the pink dress) until he spit  some kind of white 
creamy fluid all over the people in front of the  stage.
 
I freaked out. It was great stuff.
 
Then, after Alice Cooper left the stage, the back line guys swapped  out 
the gear and the stage went dark... for about ten minutes. Suddenly  there was 
a rumble after a few seconds, a voice in the dark screamed  out..." I AM 
THE GOD OF HELL FIRE... AND I BRING YOU... FIRE. There was  an explosion of 
light and this guy comes down down on a wire (Deus  Ex Machina- only at the 
beginning instead of the end) with one  arm extended outwards and the other 
holding a mic and HIS HEAD  WAS ON FIRE. Well, at least that what I thought at 
first, but it was  actually a helmet of some kind. I remember little else 
of that show, but  that much, I will never forget.
 
I saw lots of concerts after that but nothing that approached the  wonder 
and surprise until 1973 at the Tower. I saw Gabriel era Genesis  twice more 
after that also in Philadelphia and was fortunate enough to  be 4th row 
center at the Civic Center for The Lamb show.
 
Looking back at now, at the age of 60  I still get a  sense of what I felt 
back then. And over the years, having seen The  Musical Box recreate these 
shows, as good at it as they are (were)  Nothing can touch the memories of 
those shows when I was that age.
 
So make fun of it if you will, Mike... I pity you for having missed  it. 
Real people playing real instruments.
 
 

 
In a message dated 11/19/2012 1:30:35 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
_pocotron@yahoo.com_ (mailto:pocotron@yahoo.com)  writes:

 
 
Hi all-
   In listening to the "Watcher" intro, one can  hear the brass/violins 
mix, but the brass sounds a bit like the  "Brass B" recording to me.  Later on, 
in "Dancing with the  Moonlight Knight", the violins are alone.  A choir 
can  also be heard by itself elswhere (I forget where) in the  concert.  I 
have to assume the frame was loaded  with Brass B, 3 Violins (probably M400 
Violins) and  8 Choir.
 
   -Bruce D.
   



 
 

From: gino wong <_wonggster@gmail.com_ (mailto:wonggster@gmail.com) >
To: _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_ 
(mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com)  
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012  3:55 PM
Subject: Re:  [newmellotrongroup] Genesis Live 1973


 
 
So they doubled the organ with the 400 strings ?    
I guess they had to do something when they went from many to  three sounds. 
 
On Sun, Nov 18, 2012 at 4:26 PM, <_lsf5275@aol.com_ 
(mailto:lsf5275@aol.com) >  wrote:  
 
 
 
 

They began using the organ  instead of the bass accordion .
 

 
In a message dated 11/18/2012 2:34:37 P.M. Eastern Standard  Time, 
_wonggster@gmail.com_ (mailto:wonggster@gmail.com)  writes:

I think they were using an M 400 in the studio by the time of  Selling 
England....  I do wonder how they accounted for the  difference in sound between 
the Mk2 strings and the bass accordion  for Watcher which was a big part of 
their show for a long time.  Did they have special tapes or did they just 
roll with what was  around. 


Surely somebody  knows.













--  


Gino Wong Birgelo
BSComm,  BSEE,
ReRED  Recording, Analog  Sound Design
Audio  Mastering, Recording & Restoration,  Logistics  


_Ginowong@gmail.com_ (mailto:Ginowong@gmail.com) 
































-- 
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
















-- 


Gino Wong Birgelo
BSComm,  BSEE,
ReRED Recording, Analog Sound Design
Audio Mastering,  Recording & Restoration, Logistics


_Ginowong@gmail.com_ (mailto:Ginowong@gmail.com)