Mellotronists

Chris, Charles and all -

I spoke with Richard Chamberlin (some years ago now) and he told me
about the last years of the company. The company was mostly Richard and
his sister with some help from his father building the last of the M1's
in the home garage. Richard had started working on a distribution deal
that would get them on a volume basis and right near the end of
negotiations Harry killed the deal. That was the last straw for Richard
and the end of any production. Harry produced only tape sets after that.
In my small Chamberlin literature collection there is no mention of
pitch control being available, but I know it could be had. My M2 has
pitch control only because I have a digitally-controlled motor in it. I
can't remember if the early pitch controllers were on a rheostat or
what. Of course Patrick Warren just drags on the pulley for gliss
effects...
Harry had two harp sounds that were not on any of his sound lists but
Dave Kean has them available.
Does Joe or Gino have the custom sounds any more? Maybe Dave or Streetly
could add them to their arsenal. I have some custom sounds sitting on
spools here at my house, but don't want to change out what I have in at
the moment and no way of playing them otherwise.

Vance...I'm not flying - just falling with style!
M2
-----Original Message-----
From: charel196 [mailto:charel196@...] 
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2004 12:39 PM
To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Mellotronists] Re: Gino Vannelli NIGHTWALKER

Hi Chris
  thanks for that!An answer to a long time quest for me...I always 
suspected Chamberlin because it sounded "too real" for a tron.I 
thought I recognized the cellos too.(Like Pinder used on "Isn't Life 
Strange").There's even some pitch bending on "Santa Rosa".Did this 
unit have a pitch knob installed? I thought that wasn't standard on 
Chamberlins.
   Did they ever tour with it?               Charles 



--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "Chris Dale" <chris.dale@p...> 
wrote:
> strolling in late...sorry Rick!
> 
> 
> Yes, it is a Chamberlin, one of the very last ones made. In the 
final days
> of the Chamberlin company, Harry and Richard were making and 
selling them
> from their garage once again. Gino and Joe bought the Chamberlin 
directly
> out of the garage after placing an advance order. This one was made 
in 1980
> or early 81 and was only used on the Nightwalker album. After that 
it was
> retired to a corner of the studio and never used again.
> 
> Joe played all the string parts with the standard cello and violin 
sounds.
> They also had a series of custom string section tapes made for it 
as well,
> and though these sound wonderful (and quite different) I don't 
remember
> hearing them on the album. Joe doesn't recall where he used them 
either. The
> most beautiful sounds on it are a series of harp sounds which were 
never
> sold as part of the Chamberlin library. I wonder if Harry was doing
> everything he could at that point to keep the company going.
> 
> I think the song most played on radio from the album is "Living 
Inside
> Myself". Good use of the instrument "up front" for once too.
> 
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rick Blechta" <rick@r...>
> To: "Mellotronist's List" <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 7:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Gino Vannelli NIGHTWALKER
> 
> 
> > We're sure to hear from Chris Dale on this. It's a Chamberlin and 
he
> > owns it (having bought it from Joe Vanelli). And now, ladies and
> > gentleman, Mister Chrrrrrriisss Dale... (cue the guy from Windsor)
> >
> > Rick
> >
> > PS Markus, I think that was a pretty definitive statement on the 
fake
> > mellotron. Thanks. And keep us informed, please.
> >
> > On Friday, January 30, 2004, at 06:28 PM, charel196 wrote:
> >
> > > Just pulled this one out last night and there's some great...I 
would
> > > guess...Chamberlin strings all over it(not sure who played 
it).No
> > > mention in the credits but it sure sounds like either a 
Chamberlin or
> > > a tron.
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> > To visit your group on the web, go to:
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> >
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> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
> >  http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >


 


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