In a message dated 6/4/2007 11:54:25 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, jonesalley@... writes:
I heard "California Dreaming" by the Mamas and the Papas for the first time ages and ages, and was suddenly struck by the 'tronnish sound of the flute solo, and particularly the very unflutelike pitch bending towards the end. Anybody know?
Wasn't the late Curt Boettcher involved with them and he had Mellotron associations (no pun intended; he also worked with The Association)? Don't know for certain if the flute solo was Mellotron, but flautists can bend notes ala "California Dreaming". Help me out here, Vicki Blechta! For the record, I hear it as a real flute (alto perhaps?).
One of the faults of M&P's recordings was pitch, not within the group itself, but between the group and the instrumental tracks. For example, compare the last vocal chord on "California Dreaming" ("On such a winter's daaaaaaaay..") with the ending instrumental chord. I hear them as slightly off with each other, less than a quarter-tone, but nonetheless off. I think it's noticeable on most of their recordings. Did the group have difficulty singing with backing tracks? I've come across this very problem often in overdubbing small vocal groups/choirs with backing tracks.
Frank 1