Written by writer and musician Nick Awde

Nick Awde

Nick Awde Hill , is a British writer, artist, singer-songwriter and critic. The author, editor or illustrator of more than 50 books, he is based in London and Brussels...

, http://www.deserthearts.com/mellotron.htmlMellotron - subtitled 'The Machine and the Musicians That Revolutionised Rock' is a series of discussions with influential British musicians who innovated popular music through the use of the Mellotron

Mellotron

The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...

.

Symbol of social heritage

The keyboard first appeared in Britain in the 1960s and, long before the advent of synthesizers, its revolutionary if eclectic tape-replay system instantly appealed to the post-Beatles wave of 'sophisticated' rock composers and arrangers, particularly those associated with progressive rock. For the first time, it brought a potentially unlimited range of sounds to a musician's fingertips. Essentially the world's first sampler, its pre-recorded tapes included everything from a symphony orchestra and church choir to samba combo and rock'n'roll drum rhythms. "This prototype sampler, for all its foibles and irritations (and actually probably because of them) was a catalyst to pushing back the neat boundaries of pop music toward something that was epic, experimental and ambitious."

As with all major musical catalysts, there was also a significant angle from the point of view of changes within British society. Mellotron "argues cogently and in great depth - probably for the first time - the full musical, historical and social heritage (stretching back centuries) of English prog, its virtues and vices, why it fell from grace and the reason it's undergoing a long-overdue period of reassessment and rebirth. Prog's nemesis, punk, [also] gets a well-argued revision, showing that prog actually outlasted the effects of punk and that punk was in many ways a media-hyped phenomenon." In fact, interest in the Mellotron is undergoing a resurgence quite against the technological thrust of the decade.

On the musical side, the Mellotron's sounds opened up the sound palette for music pioneers in the 1960s to create legendary moments such as the dreamy flutes intro to the Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever

Strawberry Fields Forever

"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and attributed to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. It was inspired by Lennon's memories of playing in the garden of a Salvation Army house named "Strawberry Field" near his childhood home."Strawberry Fields...

and the soaring strings on the Moody Blues

The Moody Blues

The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....

' Nights in White Satin

Nights in White Satin

"Nights in White Satin" is a 1967 single by The Moody Blues, written by Justin Hayward and first featured on the album Days of Future Passed.It is in the key of E minor Aeolian.-Single releases:...

. By the 70s, the Mellotron had become an indispensable tool for prog rock as well as a cultural icon and its haunting tones helped create classics like Genesis

Genesis (band)

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...

's Watcher of the Skies

Watcher of the Skies

Watcher of the Skies is the first track on Genesis' 1972 album Foxtrot. The title is borrowed from John Keats' 1817 poem "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer":Then felt I like some watcher of the skiesWhen a new planet swims into his ken;...

and Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

's Kashmir

Kashmir

Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...

. Today its renaissance owes much to being championed by acts like Paul Weller

Paul Weller

Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter. Starting with the band The Jam , Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council...

 and Radiohead

Radiohead

Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...

 - musicians who again act as resonances for how society changes. Those changes are seen in phenomena ranging from the baby boomer generation, the Swinging 60s, Sgt. Pepper, Hendrix, Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst

Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....

's The Planets

The Planets

The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst...

 and the advent of punk and disco - the Mellotron was an essential part of the post-war UK society that created a unique melting pot in culture and society.

As a historical resource, Mellotron presents a timeline of continuous creativity in 'progressive' music that was not, contrary to popular opinion and scholarship broken by the advent of punk in the mid to late 1970s, voiced by musicians such as Tony Banks

Tony Banks (musician)

This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...

 (Genesis), Mike Pinder

Mike Pinder

Michael Thomas "Mike" Pinder is an English rock musician, and is a founding member or the British rock group, the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's album, Octave, in 1978...

 (The Moody Blues), Ian McDonald

Ian McDonald (musician)

Ian McDonald is an English multi-instrumental musician, best known as a founding member of progressive rock group King Crimson, formed in 1969, and of the hard rock band Foreigner in 1976. He is well-known as a rock session musician, predominantly as a saxophonist...

 (King Crimson

King Crimson

King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...

, Foreigner

Foreigner (band)

Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...

), Woolly Wolstenholme

Woolly Wolstenholme

Stuart John Wolstenholme, usually known as Woolly Wolstenholme was vocalist and keyboard player with the British progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest.-Biography:...

 (Barclay James Harvest

Barclay James Harvest

Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band. They were founded in Saddleworth, Lancashire, in September 1966 by John Lees, Les Holroyd, Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme , and Mel Pritchard .-History:...

), Greg Lake

Greg Lake

Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...

 (King Crimson

King Crimson

King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...

, Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...

), John Wetton

John Wetton

John Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...

 (King Crimson, UK (band)

UK (band)

U.K. were a short-lived British progressive rock supergroup active from 1977 until 1980.The band was composed of Singer/Bassist John Wetton, formerly of King Crimson, Bryan Ferry's band and Uriah Heep, Keyboardist/Electric Violinist Eddie Jobson, formerly of Curved Air, Roxy Music and Frank Zappa's...

, Asia

Asia (band)

Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...

), Nick Magnus

Nick Magnus

Nick Magnus is a British keyboard player, songwriter, composer, arranger, engineer and producer.He is from the progressive school of keyboard players, mostly associated with instrumental and rock music...

 (Autumn (band)

Autumn (band)

Autumn is a Dutch female fronted gothic metal band formed in 1995.-Current members:-Former members:-Studio albums:-Other releases:...

, Steve Hackett

Steve Hackett

Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...

 Band), Martin Orford

Martin Orford

Martin Orford is an English keyboard player best known as the keyboardist and founder member of progressive rock bands IQ and Jadis. He also worked with former King Crimson, UK and Asia bassist John Wetton, and released a solo album, Classical Music and Popular Songs in 2000...

 (IQ (band)

IQ (band)

IQ are a British neo-progressive rock band founded by Mike Holmes and Martin Orford in 1981 following the dissolution of their original band The Lens...

, Jadis

Jadis

Jadis is a U.K. neo-progressive rock group. They play guitar-driven rock with the use of synthesizers to add depth and atmosphere, and an emphasis on melody. They are currently signed to InsideOut Music....

), Roine Stolt

Roine Stolt

Roine Stolt is a Swedish guitarist, vocalist and composer.A major figure in Sweden's rock history, guitarist/singer/composer Roine Stolt led two of his country's most successful progressive rock bands: Kaipa in the 1970s and The Flower Kings in the 1990s onward...

 (Flower Kings, Transatlantic (band)

Transatlantic (band)

Transatlantic is a progressive rock supergroup consisting of Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings, Pete Trewavas of Marillion, Mike Portnoy formerly of Dream Theater and Neal Morse formerly of Spock's Beard. They formed in 1999 as a side project to their full time bands until 2002...

, Tangent (band)), Jakko Jakszyk

Jakko Jakszyk

Jakko M. Jakszyk is an English guitarist, singer-songwriter , multi-instrumentalist and producer...

 (Level 42

Level 42

Level 42 are an English pop rock and jazz-funk band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for their high-calibre musicianship—in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...

, 21st Century Schizoid Band

21st Century Schizoid Band

21st Century Schizoid Band are a King Crimson alumnus group formed in 2002.The name derives from the famous song "21st Century Schizoid Man" from the first King Crimson album, In the Court of the Crimson King...

, Tangent), John Hawken

John Hawken

John Hawken John Hawken John Hawken (born John Christopher Hawken, 9 May 1940, at Christchurch General Hospital, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset) is a British keyboard player. He studied classical piano between the ages of four and eighteen at which point he succumbed to the lure of rock and roll...

 (Renaissance

Renaissance

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

, Strawbs), Doug Rayburn (Pavlov's Dog (band)

Pavlov's Dog (band)

Pavlov's Dog is a 1970s progressive rock/AOR band formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 1972. Pavlov's Dog originally comprised David Surkamp, Mark Gahr on lead guitar, Mike Safron, Rick Stockton, David Hamilton, Doug Rayburn, and Siegfried Carver . Mark Gahr left the band and was replaced by Steve...

), Tony Clarke

Tony Clarke (producer)

Tony Clarke was an English rock music record producer and guitarist. Born in Coventry, he is best known for producing The Moody Blues from 1966 to 1979.-Biography:...

 (Moody Blues), David Cross

David Cross

David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...

 (King Crimson), Dave Cousins

Dave Cousins

Dave Cousins has been the leader, singer and most active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.-Career:...

 (Strawbs), Blue Weaver

Blue Weaver

Blue Weaver is a British keyboard player, session musician, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...

 (Strawbs, Bee Gees

Bee Gees

The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...

), Robert Kirby

Robert Kirby

Robert Kirby was a British born arranger of string sections for rock and folk music. He is best known for his work on the Nick Drake albums, Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, but has also worked with Elton John, Ralph McTell, Strawbs, Paul Weller and Elvis Costello.-At Cambridge:Patrick...

 (Strawbs), Robert Webb

Robert Webb

Robert Webb may refer to:*Robert Webb , English actor, comedian and writer*Robert Webb , University of Virginia professor*Robert Webb, the creator of polyhedra software Stella*Robert D. Webb, film maker*Robert Wallace Webb, geoscientist...

(England (band)), Dave Gregory (XTC

XTC

XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...

), Andy McCluskey

Andy McCluskey

George Andrew "Andy" McCluskey is the lead singer, bass guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark ....

 (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...

). Bill Bruford

Bill Bruford

William Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...

 (Yes (band)

Yes (band)

Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...

, King Crimson) provides a drummer's view of working with four classic Mellotron bands, and there are perspectives from Geoff Unwin, the first Mellotronics demonstrator, John Bradley & Martin Smith of Streetly Electronics, the original makers of the Mellotron, and Planet Mellotron's Andy Thompson

Andy Thompson

Andrew Ernest Joseph "Andy" Thompson is a former Canadian politician. Thompson was leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and later served as a Senator.-Early life and career:...

.

Inspiration for MelloFest

The book has helped bring the Mellotron and its related music to a wider audience, and part of this effect has been the founding of MelloFest

MelloFest

MelloFest is a new festival that celebrates the Mellotron and Chamberlin keyboards and the music that they inspired as well as singer-songwriters in general...

 - a new festival that celebrates the Mellotron and the related Chamberlin

Chamberlin

The Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by Iowa, Wisconsin inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced. Various models and versions of these Chamberlin music instruments...

 keyboards and the music that they inspired. Although it is currently based in the UK, its creators hope that it will evolve into a 'travelling festival' that will tour Europe, North America and Japan, featuring not only the classic/progressive rock era that is most commonly associated with the instrument but also new contemporary directions. The First International MelloFest took place in November 2008, featuring two Mellotrons onstage along with discussions and live Mellotron-inspired music, and a more concert-based MelloFest 2, complete with the possibly unique event of three Mellotrons onstage and a Stylophone, took place, also in London, in May 2009, featuring a virtual appearance from Jordan Rudess

Jordan Rudess

Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:...

 of Dream Theater

Dream Theater

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...

 demonstrating the new Ellatron iPod

IPod

iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...

/iPhone

IPhone

The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...

 Mellotron app

Application software

Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...

. Subsequent MelloFests may include virtual versions.