Mike Pinder’s Amazing Mellotron
It seems once every 10-15 years or so a new sound arrives on the scene and changes the course of music history. So how did the Mellotron, and later the synthesizer become so integral to psychedelic rock, progressive rock and eventually all modern music? It was Mike Pinder’s destiny to find and master the Mellotron to produce what became a defining sound in progressive rock music.
I was almost 15 in 1967 when The Moody Blues released Days of Future Passed. I hadn’t yet experimented with marijuana, but I was about to have a psychedelic experience and embark on a celestial journey, thanks to recording technology of the day and Mike’s Mellotron. I had my first stereo when Decca Records released what was supposed to be a demo record to show off a new high-fidelity system of stereo audio recording, and this disc was better than any I had heard. The words and music were entrancing, part of a concept album starting with daylight in the morning going through to night. The Mellotron could sound like an orchestra, but had its own ethereal, haunting, slightly off-key quality. When keyboardist Mike Pinder would play and lean on that pitch wheel, he created a new symphonic sound. This music made me feel as if I was flying through the clouds!
This was the Age of Aquarius, and The Beatles introduced spirituality and enlightenment into their music, using the Mellotron, the sitar and other unique instruments. The Moody Blues started exploring religious themes as well and the lush, textural Mellotron became part of their signature sound over eight albums, including In Search of the Lost Chord, On the Threshold of a Dream and To Our Children’s Children’s Children.
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour and The Moody Blues Days of Future Passed
So many other bands had to get their hands on a Mellotron. Brian Jones played the Mellotron for several Rolling Stones songs, including She’s A Rainbow and 2000 Light Years From Home.
But by the mid-1980s Streetly Electronics had shut down after losing their market share to programmable synthesizers and digital samplers. In the 90’s the Mellotron experienced a resurgence when restored units were used by Oasis, Radiohead and The Smashing Pumpkins and in 2007 Streetly Electronics reformed to produce a digital version, the M4000.
Mike Pinder died in Sacramento, California last week at the age of 82. To this day the sound of his Mellotron makes me feel like I’m flying through the clouds and the music is as fresh as it sounded in the 1960s. I often think of the huge contribution he’s made to progressive music. Thank you sir, for a life well lived.
“With the ‘Tron I could develop melodies and counter melodies within the Moody Blues’ songs. When you become the orchestra, I think you become the arranger by default. I could create the backdrops and the landscape for the melodies that the guys were writing.””
A 32 minute version of The Rolling Stones’ 2000 Light Years From Home - 1967 Classic Mellotron.
Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra - Youtube
