Where is the "Strawberry Fields" Mellotron today?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by audiodrome, Jan 27, 2013.

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  1. audiodrome

    audiodrome Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Of Boston
    As I pointed out earlier the one at the Beatles exhibit is John's personal Mellotron that he had at Kenwood. It's easy to see why this is so confusing. Paul owns the EMI/Abbey Road Mellotron so everyone thinks that is "the one" and since John's personal Mellotron was used while he was composing Strawberry Fields everyone thinks that is "the one" but the fact remains that neither of these Mellotrons are the one used on the November 1966 recordings. The Mellotron that Paul demonstrated on the Chaos And Creation video is the "Bungalow Bill" Mellotron not the "Strawberry Fields" Mellotron.
     
  2. gingerly

    gingerly Change Returns Success

    Just a quick note: There are no "loops" on the Mellotron instrument sounds. Each is an 8 second section of tape spooled from a reservoir and sucked back in by spring tension when released by the key. This approach enables each key/tape to have a unique attack - the thing often gives away a sample set to an experienced Mellotron owner/user.

    Also, to verify: There are NO Mellotron sounds on "Tomorrow Never Knows".
     
  3. vjf1968

    vjf1968 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia, Pa
    Now nobody mention the Chamberlin. That would only cause more confusion
     
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  4. gingerly

    gingerly Change Returns Success

    -edited to add that I owned an M400 for over 20 years.
     
  5. maxheadroom

    maxheadroom Senior Member

    Location:
    Sao Paulo, Brasil
    I'm pretty sure the story of bits of tape looped using pencils is about Tomorrow Never Knows. As for THIRTY loops, that's most likely one more bit of misinformation from Geoff Emerick's terrible book.
     
  6. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY

    I have what is perhaps the same interview, which is where I got this bit of info from. After revealing that it was him, Paul then demonstrates it into the microphone and it sounds spot on. This is all going based off of memory of something I haven't heard in years, but I recall being impressed. I haven't seen any stories of the effect's origin that can definitively claim otherwise.
     
  7. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Engineer Ken Scott's recent book, as well as Lewisohn's 2 decades earlier, clearly state that the effect was taken from Abbey Road's library of taped sound effects, and that by the time the stereo mix was completed, it had worn to the point of audible degradation.
     
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  8. aberyclark

    aberyclark Well-Known Member

    Mike Pinder showed up to play this mellotron on a track (I don't want to be a soldier) for the Imagine album. The Mellotron was in need of maintenance and unusable. Pinder ended up just playing tambourine.
     
  9. slane

    slane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merrie England
    Never knew that. Wasn't a Mellotron used on 'Walls And Bridges' too?
     
  10. Jack

    Jack Senior Member

    And what were you smokin at that time?

     
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  11. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY

    Works for me, thanks for the info!
     
  12. audiodrome

    audiodrome Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Of Boston
    I hadn't heard it in a while but "Bungalow Bill" has a lot of cool Mellotron sounds: Spanish Guitar on the intro, Mandolins on the verses and Trombone at the end!

    "Mandolins" is one of my favorite Mellotron sounds because rather than having a key play a single mandolin note it plays sustained tremolo picking. Another song which features the mandolin sound is "Citadel" from The Rolling Stones Satanic Majesties, which is chock-full of Mellotron!
     
  13. John DeAngelis

    John DeAngelis Senior Member

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I wasn't smoking anything, wise guy. I maintain that there's a mellotron overdub on "Hey Jude." Have you listened to the times I mentioned? What do you think the instrument that I'm hearing is?
     
  14. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Now that I think of it, being that it was recorded in '67, could the mellotron used heavily on Oddesey and Oracle have been the strawberry fields mellotron?
     
  15. dartira

    dartira rise and shine like a far out superstar

    If you mean the short ascending melody that Paul later repeats, that sounds more like an electric piano or a guitar to me. The sound has a distinct attack and decay, unlike most Mellotron tape sets I'm familiar with.
     
  16. simon-wagstaff

    simon-wagstaff Forum Resident

    Just how many of these things were made?
     
  17. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    My money says Yes.
     
  18. Fluffmonster

    Fluffmonster Member

    Location:
    Canada
    light up another one.. its not a mellotron.
     
  19. somnar

    somnar Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC & Amsterdam
    Leslie'd electric guitar. Not mellotron.
     
  20. JimC

    JimC Senior Member

    Location:
    Illinois
    Is No. 2 the train-like or traffic sound (a blare)? I've been trying to figure out this sound because I think it's also used on "Revolution (Take 20)" and also then "Revolution #9."

    I guess I need to read Recording the Beatles, but what about the guitar sound? I thought it was from "Taxman," but that was recorded later. "TNK" is simply a fascinating recording.
     
  21. Fluffmonster

    Fluffmonster Member

    Location:
    Canada
  22. John DeAngelis

    John DeAngelis Senior Member

    Location:
    New York, NY
    "Hey Jude". I'm listening to it in stereo on "Past Masters": center channel, right under Paul's vocal. At 1:: 23, 2: 13 and 2:30. That does not sound like a Leslie'd electric guitar to me. Anyone else?
     
  23. fallbreaks

    fallbreaks Forum Resident

    LOL "Lenny Craddock"
     
  24. JimC

    JimC Senior Member

    Location:
    Illinois
    Thanks! No.2 is it.
     
  25. JayDeeEss

    JayDeeEss Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chattanooga, TN
    I thought Trent Reznor had it and it was used on "Closer" among other tracks.
     
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