Mellotronists

Harrisongs via Capitol (USA) is on the verge of putting out a 
multiple CD (I believe four discs) set around spring break of his 
Dark Horse history...a new single I got as a Dutch promo is a love 
song that came out just before Valentine's Day. I asked the Capitol 
guy if any Splinter or Apple/Bangaladesh era stuff will be on it, 
but he doesn't know yet.

I hope some Wonderwall Music outtakes are on it! Lots of MkII 
Mellotron mixed in with India/sitar leanings, sillyness and 
experimental ethereal passages. 

Interesting that The Beatles and Michael Jackson CD's are never 
offered through recod/CD clubs like BMG Music and Columbia House, 
etc. I guess they want top dollar and not to be part of the six or 
twelve for the price of one deals. I hear (unconfirmed & I hope is 
very well an urban legend) that musicians never get royalties from 
music sold via record/CD clubs anyway. Same with Paul 
McCartney/Wings. George Harrison and Ringo Starr are not included. 
IMHO the only decent Starr LP I heard was Starling Music (after the 
first two LP's were duds...in the flavor of the first two Bryan 
Ferry albums, agreed?)

David Kean. When I hear that guy's name, I immediately think of a 
man who eats breathes etc., etc., etc. Mellotrons. He sunk 
everything he had financially and every minute of his waking life 
making damn sure Mellotrons would not die. This is evident in the 
flurry of new recordings that feature Mellotron that I noticed 
upwelling about eight years ago and is still rising today. He 
secured the masters, the parts, a number of various makes and models 
(see Driveway Full Of Mellotrons in the photo section here) along 
with related machines like a Birotron, a solonoid fired Chamberlin, 
and other toy-to-antique keyboards. The only income he had when I 
met him twelve years ago was from playing in a bar band on the 
weekends and getting a stipend from renting out karaoke machines. 
Later on, I know he was real conscious about lining up quality 
manufacturers to assemble racks, cut high quality recording tape to 
the precision width, upgrade the amps, the servo motors, capstans, 
heads, etc., and make sturdy repros from high quality woods to make 
them as close to solid state and durable as they can get. 

Dropping just about everything to start something as ambitious at 
the Audities Foundation and fill it with the quivver of collectable 
keyboards (and keep them alive and well) as Kean and crew has done 
is about as dedicated as any headstrong troupe can get.

On Thu, 19 Feb 2004, mellotrongirl wrote:

> Harrisongs via Capitol (USA) is on the verge of putting out a 
> multiple CD (I believe four discs) set around spring break of his 
> Dark Horse history...a new single I got as a Dutch promo is a love 
> song that came out just before Valentine's Day. I asked the Capitol 
> guy if any Splinter or Apple/Bangaladesh era stuff will be on it, 
> but he doesn't know yet.


i just heard some portions of george's last interview last week.
[it was being edited in our studio to add bumps for US airplay
from its uninterupted BBC form]
george was, and will always be, my favourite beatle.


> I hope some Wonderwall Music outtakes are on it! Lots of MkII 
> Mellotron mixed in with India/sitar leanings, sillyness and 
> experimental ethereal passages. 


i've not, i say with much shame, seen wonderwall :)
[i do own a vinyl copy of "electronic music" however...]


> Interesting that The Beatles and Michael Jackson CD's are never 
> offered through recod/CD clubs like BMG Music and Columbia House, 
> etc. I guess they want top dollar and not to be part of the six or 
> twelve for the price of one deals. I hear (unconfirmed & I hope is 
> very well an urban legend) that musicians never get royalties from 
> music sold via record/CD clubs anyway. Same with Paul 
> McCartney/Wings. George Harrison and Ringo Starr are not included. 
> IMHO the only decent Starr LP I heard was Starling Music (after the 
> first two LP's were duds...in the flavor of the first two Bryan 
> Ferry albums, agreed?)


sorry.
it's true that artists do not get paid for "music club" copies.
they are considered "free goods" and, if memory serves, they
do not even get their statutory mechanicals on them.
[ever notice that music club discs are sans barcode too?]
they also exclude copies sent out as promos to DJs, record pools,
radio stations, and some other things i can't think of right now.
many a scandal based on "promo goods" and scanning the barcodes
on warehouses full of unsold discs abound... [another reason
the barcode on promos is mutilated/damaged/drilled/punched/...]

i imagine that the beatles had enough "juice" to be excluded
from the "freegoods" clauses in their agreements. not many
acts get that kind of treatment...

...jeff