New home sales are my main form of income, which enables me to dabble in recording the odd album every decade or so! So God willing there should be time enough for at least one more before my time on planet Earth is done.
Started my musical life back in 73 in Christian gospel/ folk band 11.59. Our album "This our Sacrifice of Praise" was released in 74 and I played as much mellotron as my then (anti-tron) producer would allow.
In the 80s synth pop was my mainstay in the band Flip, with self titled album recorded at Abbey Road in 1985/6.
Mid 90's. and I started work on my CD "Andy's Diner" the first album to feature all of my own songs, with notable contributions from Kelly Groucutt (ELO) sax player Butch Thomas (Sting) and the brilliant Doug Scarratt on guitar (Saxon).
The last few years, I've been working on the recently released Kracked Earth album "Splash" which again features tron, both digital and original everywhere. This is available in CD and download from the MRR website or via Amazon, CD Baby or ITunes.
I've been lucky enough to own a number of trons over the years, some good, some in need of a good overhaul. All sounded different from each other, so it makes me laugh when I hear people discussing the virtues of a perfect Mellotron sound. By definition, there's no such thing.
Pleased to be here, amongst people who cherish the musical legacy these machines have left on music of all genres over the years. We are the keepers of the flame.
I also thank god for Martin and John here in the UK and for Frank S and others around the world for keeping these wonderful machines running for us all to enjoy.
Best Regards to all.
Andy K
Sent from my iPad
I'm an East London-born 46-year-old web designer for a publishing and events company in SW London but live 30 miles north of London (in Luton, Bedfordshire) with my partner in a civil partnership. Spending far too much time at work and commuting and nowhere near enough time on my main interests, but working on rectifying that situation...
So, main interests: I've always been primarily a musician, playing various keyboards and dabbling with anything that makes a noise I might find interesting. I was in a local East London-based band during my 20s, main influences being punk, psychedelia and (the dreaded term) 'prog rock' and at one point we were told that we sounded like a cross between Gong, Hawkwind, Syd Barrett, The Bonzos and - after buying my first 'tron in 1986 - King Crimson. Now, I'm no longer in any bands but do have the odd collaboration which is always fun, but mainly recording my own stuff under my 'band pseudonym' of Frobisher Neck, and had a few things (mainly covers) released on vinyl-only label Fruits de Mer records.
Other than that, I love designing psychedelic artwork, am a lifelong mad-keen record collector, have no interest in sport, can't wait to move away from Luton and want to get a dog.
Tony Swettenham
--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "tron400" <tron400@...> wrote:
>
> I'm sure there's more to our lives than just Mellotrons. So, what else do you do?
>
> I'm an IT guy with The Hartford, but I'm retiring at the end of this year. I'm primarily a bass guitarist, but I fool around on guitar, keys and modular synth. Other hobbies/skills are model and high power rocketry, martial arts (American-style Kenpo Karate, Chinese Wushu, Japanese Ninjutsu), traveling, walking in the park with Wifey and watching my stepdaughter struggle through college.
>
> OK, your turn.
>
> Bernie
>