The Mellotron: A Keyboard with the Power of an Orchestra (1965) | British Pathé
3,923,065
Published 2014-04-13
For Archive Licensing Enquiries Visit: goo.gl/W4hZBv
Explore Our Online Channel For FULL Documentaries, Fascinating Interviews & Classic Movies: goo.gl/7dVe8r
#BritishPathé #History #Instruments
License This Film: (FILM ID:333.10) www.britishpathe.com/video/the-mellotron
Subscribe to the British Pathé YT Channel: goo.gl/hV1nkf
The personalities Eric Robinson and David Nixon introduce us to the musical instrument the Mellotron, London.
Various shots of large country garden. L/S of swimming pool. L/S of garden with white doves on the grass. M/S of large country cottage. The narrator introduces us to the personality Eric Robinson who explains to us from his living room armchair the new instrument we are about to see which can make all the sounds of an orchestra, but can be played by one person - The Mellotron.
The camera pans as Eric walks to introduce us to his son-in-law the magician David Nixon. M/S of David Nixon seated at the Mellotron that looks very much like a piano or organ. Eric and David talk about the complexities of the machine. Then David gives a demonstration and lets rip with two fingers only to produce an awesome sound!. C/U of Nixon's hands as he twists a few knobs to add a trombone sound, and starts to play again.
M/S of Eric asking David what other rhythms the machine can play. David replies by launching into a French accordion with a Viennese waltz. C/U from inside the machinery of the Mellotron. We see the various components at work as David plays.
Finally, Eric introduces us to Geoff Unwin an expert pianist to show what the machine can really do. M/S of Geoff playing great piece of music, the Mellotron produces a variety of amazing sixties musical sounds. M/S of Geoff finishing the piece. He turns to the camera and smiles.
Note: this is one of the best! A rare Colour Pic almost completely in natural sound, and what funky natural sound it is! - SL.
BRITISH PATHÉ'S STORY
Before television, people came to movie theatres to watch the news. British Pathé was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect. Over the course of a century, it documented everything from major armed conflicts and seismic political crises to the curious hobbies and eccentric lives of ordinary people. If it happened, British Pathé filmed it.
Now considered to be the finest newsreel archive in the world, British Pathé is a treasure trove of 85,000 films unrivalled in their historical and cultural significance.
British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. www.britishpathe.com/
All Comments (21)
-
"well, David isn't a musician as you know" David is crying behind the camera
-
The mellotron is basically the worlds first sampler.
-
Believe it or not, we have a mellotron. My Dad bought it in 67’. While not a musician, he loved it having gained keyboard experience with his accordion! I can still hear the thing warming up or resetting for about 10 minutes. It’s still at the family home in Norwalk in my Moms house.
-
That insert shot at 02:21 from inside the mellotron (of the old circuit boards and tube amps interacting with the mechanical elements) in then new, pristine condition, is simply sublime.
-
It's fascinating how an instrument, advertised almost the same way as they would for a kitsch, home/living room organ, designed for frustrated non-musician , became one of the flagship for progressive rock
-
"Well, David isn't a musician as you know" He is doing his best, okay?
-
The mellotron's purpose is to play Strawberry Fields.
-
"And remember 007, pushing the lowest B-flat starts the timer on the bomb hidden in the speaker. You'll have 10 seconds to get out of the room before it explodes."
-
David plays some blues and a viennese waltz... "well, David isn't a musician as you know"
-
1:12 "I thought you'd never ask" the most sincere line ever
-
The Pro Pianist played with "technic" But David, most importantly, played with SOUL
-
I just love the warbled imperfections the mellotron gives that you just can't get from a digital synthesizer. I hope to have one of my own some day.
-
"come over and meet my son-in-law" And his son-in-law is older than he is.
-
"I have a professional pianist here" Proceeds to rack his fingers up and down the keyboard and hit the same notes over and over quickly.
-
there’s one name that is very important to the history of the mellotron. Mike Pinder. he worked at the mellotron factory back in the day, then later went to use the instrument in a little-known band called the Moody Blues…and started a revolution in the process! The Beatles used it, King Crimson used it, Genesis used it, Yes used it, Black Sabbath used it…the list of names who used this instrument is endless!
-
At the Moody Blues first ever gig in the USA, just as they powered into their opening number the back of the Mellotron blew off and the insides spewed out all over the stage. It took 20 minutes for Mike Pindar the keyboardist to fix it so the lighting engineer played old cartoons to keep all the mashed hippies entertained. I'd loved to have seen that.
-
2:44 and thus, drum n bass was born
-
David: “Well, I’m a frustrated musician, Eric” Eric: “David isn’t a musician, as you know” Ouch
-
This is one of the funniest, most incredibly Anglo videos of all time. Just brilliant.
-
For someone who "isn't a musician", he did pretty good
