Mellotronists

Just found out about this Group. I'm not a musician, but have M-400 
#1019 and some other strange keyboard instruments I bang on once in a 
while (Optigan, a couple old Farfisa's, and a recent acquisition--a 
1963 Hammond L-1 in mint shape for $40 at a yard sale. I'm trying to 
get the Leslie speaker working right that came with it. I don't know 
anything about Leslies. It looks to me like a big wooden box the size 
of a refridgerator filled with spider webs.

Of course I like all the Mellotron LP's you people like. Spring, Eyes 
Of Blue, Help Yourself, Goblin, SFF, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Il 
Baletto Di Bronzo, Fields, Moody Blues, Refugee, King Crimson, Kayak, 
Earth & Fire, Strawbs, Strange Advance, Anekdoten, Jonesy, Fruupp, 
Yes, Sebastian Hardie, Gracious!, and whatever else winds up on 
labels like Harvest SKAO/SHVL, Brain/Metronome, Famous Charisma, RCA 
Neon, Ohr, Cosmic Couriers, Vertigo swirl label, etc.

It seems the Mellotron is still very much alive, appearing on lots of 
new releases that aren't necessarily prog or psyche/retro--like 
Truly, Sky Cries Mary, Halo Benders, Plasticland, DJ Honda, DJ Flow 
(yep, the latter two are hip hop artsists). Labels like March, 
Matador, Kindercore, Magna Carta and Metropolis have a fair current 
crop of bands and musicians utilizing the 'tron. Maybe there are 
more, but in the liner notes, they only say they play "keyboards". 
Aaaargh!

Thanks to David Kean and his supporters fo keeping Mellotrons and 
Chamberlins running and serviced or the whole analog aspect of it 
would have died twelve years ago.