----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2009 12:38 AM
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Facing The Music
I've just acquired a copy of the remastered ELO album 'Face The Music' and it's a substantial improvement on the rather muddy and compressed original (which makes me think that remastering is only one of the things that has happened here) that I played when I was about 14 or so. Musically it's better than I thought, though not a patch on the rather more inventive 'Eldorado' and sort of indicates the somewhat depressing downward trajectory that led to their more ∗meh∗ pop stuff that I can't really relate to.
However.
They constantly credit Richard Tandy with 'Mellotron' on their albums when I hear nary a note of the instrument on any of their recordings. Their endless split screen 'performance' videos (such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivFM0pYyUcY) show a Mellotron on the rig, but never seems to be used and appears to be little more than a keyboard stand. The three or four guys in the band who actually played strings were pretty much only cosmetically used subsequent to their album 'On The Third Day', their use being supplanted by a full string orchestra under Louis Clark's direction who could actually play in tune at more or less the same time, so it wasn't used to beef up the strings. The choir they used was a thirty voice selection of sessionists, so no eight voice choir in there as well.
So...where did they ever use a Mellotron?
On stage. On a trip to Streetly, years ago, Martin showed me a label taken from their tape-frame (amongst other things he showed me), with male voices, brass (don't know which) and a female voices/vibes split.
I've got two live albums, Live at Winterland '76 and Live at Wembley '78, seemingly using different tapes. Have a look at my reviews for more info: http://www.planetmellotron.com/reve2.htm#elo
As for the credits for 'Mellotron', someone wrote to me a while back pointing out that it seems to be listing their live rig, as it mentions their PA gear, which I rather doubt they used in the studio...
Does this clarify anything at all? Didn't think so...
Andy T.
M400#1145