The wonderful thing about email is that you respond to it when you CAN, not when it forces you to, like a telephone. No apology is necessary.
I hear a distinct glissando with a buzzy,sawtoothy sound that prefaces the FM7 Mellotron chord at the entry into the "guitar solo" portion of the song, a timbre that sounds a lot like the C to B monophonic line where you describe the known stylophone part. Any help from anybody on this?
Also, on a related note (ha!) ---
The night before last I went to sit in with some friends of mine, a three-piece act of startlingly good local players, and Space Oddity was the third song we did together.
Although it was the first time I had ever actually played the song, I had the good fortune to nail it. So did the rest of the band. It was truly one of those moments as a musician that makes it all worthwhile. The audience was speechless. It was a goosebump event for me, and I honestly found myself doing one of those "open the eyes really wide and maintain" because I was literally near tears it was so beautiful.
It is now an exceptional memory, and truly a signal honor to be able to do justice to a song that had such a powerful effect on me, duplicating a part that has fascinated me for well over thirty years now, a part that was very seminal to my decision to be a professional musician instead of a practice room guy.
No, I didn't drag out #886 for it. I did use my custom Mellotron patches that I've spent hundreds of hours on (complete with tape cutoff and rewind "thwicks") and it was as close as it could possibly be. One way or the other, it was a memory that I will keep, and worth waiting all these years to be able to play a song with great personal significance.
Also, I got invited to be a "featured" player any time I am not performing with my usual band, so now I get to play five nights a week instead of three!
And, speaking of which, gotta go! GIG TIME!
Oh, Chris-
Thanks again for all your help and information.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 6:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists]
Hi - Sorry for the late reply. I'm not at my home computer as often as I'd like.
I don't know about any glissando in that song with the stylophone. I only hear it in the intro and under the verse "Tell my wife..."
I think that's it.
Chris
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 7:54 PM
Subject: Fw: [Mellotronists]
I get flute and 3violins, and I thought I heard a bit of vibraphone, too. So the stylophone also does the chromatic gliss up as well? Is that my mystery sound?
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 6:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists]
I believe it's just flutes and strings from the MK II. No Chamberlin at all. The buzzy brass sound in the intro is the stylophone.
Chris
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 12:31 PM
Subject: [Mellotronists]
Hi folks -
Short question with probably a long answer. What Mellotron/(Chamberlin?) sounds are used on the original Wakeman take of Space Oddity? I'm trying to reproduce it accurately for live performance.
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