The Mellotron Group

I recently bought a couple of Ella Fitzgerald CDs from the Warehouse ( where everyone gets a bargain, a sort of downmarket Walmart or Woolworths ( do they still have Woolworths in the UK? ( Oh my goodness recursive brackets!))) mainly 1950s recordings, fantastic voice, one of my favourites, pity Harry couldn't have enticed her up to his bedroom instead of the three old biddys with the violins.

An Ella tape set would be really something, which voices would the group like to have on a tape set?

Mark

PS
A) Billy Holiday
B) Sandy Denny ( or maybe Etta James )
C) Ella Fitzgerald

Could you manage that Martin?

Mark, I'd take both Sandy Denny and Etta James. I'd spring for Dinah
Washington too.
johnb
1407


Mark Pring wrote:

>
>
>
> An Ella tape set would be really something, which voices would the
> group like to have on a tape set?
>
> Mark
>
> PS
> A) Billy Holiday
> B) Sandy Denny ( or maybe Etta James )
> C) Ella Fitzgerald
>
> Could you manage that Martin?
>
>
>

How's about..

Nina Simone! There are so many Nina colours.
I'm still thinking about the articulations I'd prefer..


Eliza Carthy could do vox and violins..
There's something lovely about her tone in both cases.


You could have a set of Temptations Bass vox too, courtesy of the late Melvin Franklin.

'spose that would be a 'Melvatron'..

(sorry. )



Seriously, put on 'Dance and Hum Along' ..

Laters, I must get to graftin'.


MSW
________________________________

> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> From: astroboy@cinci.rr.com
> Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 07:46:15 -0400
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
>
>
> Mark, I'd take both Sandy Denny and Etta James. I'd spring for Dinah
> Washington too.
> johnb
> 1407
>
> Mark Pring wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> An Ella tape set would be really something, which voices would the
>> group like to have on a tape set?
>>
>> Mark
>>
>> PS
>> A) Billy Holiday
>> B) Sandy Denny ( or maybe Etta James )
>> C) Ella Fitzgerald
>>
>> Could you manage that Martin?
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
Make a mini you on Windows Live Messenger!
http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/107571437/direct/01/

Difficult to think of male voices, Chris Farlowe would be pretty fightening, with maybe George London and Norman Bailey.

--- On Sat, 8/9/08, Mark Wallis <markstuartwallis@hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Mark Wallis <markstuartwallis@hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 12:00 AM

How's about..

Nina Simone! There are so many Nina colours.
I'm still thinking about the articulations I'd prefer..

Eliza Carthy could do vox and violins..
There's something lovely about her tone in both cases.

You could have a set of Temptations Bass vox too, courtesy of the late Melvin Franklin.

'spose that would be a 'Melvatron'. .

(sorry. )

Seriously, put on 'Dance and Hum Along' ..

Laters, I must get to graftin'.

MSW
____________ _________ _________ __
> To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> From: astroboy@cinci. rr.com
> Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 07:46:15 -0400
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
>
>
> Mark, I'd take both Sandy Denny and Etta James. I'd spring for Dinah
> Washington too.
> johnb
> 1407
>
> Mark Pring wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> An Ella tape set would be really something, which voices would the
>> group like to have on a tape set?
>>
>> Mark
>>
>> PS
>> A) Billy Holiday
>> B) Sandy Denny ( or maybe Etta James )
>> C) Ella Fitzgerald
>>
>> Could you manage that Martin?
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
Make a mini you on Windows Live Messenger!
http://clk.atdmt. com/UKM/go/ 107571437/ direct/01/

How about Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle and Celine Dion? Or Glenn Gould singing?

--- On Sat, 8/9/08, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 9:38 AM

On Aug 8, 2008, at 4:41 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Difficult to think of male voices, Chris Farlowe would be pretty fightening, with maybe George London and Norman Bailey.

Chris Tucker or George Formby or Norman Leete would be even more frightening!

I would suggest Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, but that would be tricky
without access to some kind of ouija board-cum-microphone device I
think.

Something with a tonality akin to the Vitaphone female choir as heard
at 1.54 to 1.45 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLqo77gQrxg

..would be nice, I suppose. Lovely sound they got, however they
recorded it back then.

On Sat, Aug 9, 2008 at 12:34 AM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:
> How about Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle and Celine Dion? Or Glenn Gould
> singing?
>
> --- On Sat, 8/9/08, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:
>
> From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 9:38 AM
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2008, at 4:41 PM, Mark Pring wrote:
>
> Difficult to think of male voices, Chris Farlowe would be pretty fightening,
> with maybe George London and Norman Bailey.
>
> Chris Tucker or George Formby or Norman Leete would be even more
> frightening!
>
>

I would suggest Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, but that would be tricky
without access to some kind of ouija board-cum-microphon e device I
think.

Something with a tonality akin to the Vitaphone female choir as heard
at 1.54 to 1.45 here:

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=BLqo77gQrxg

..would be nice, I suppose. Lovely sound they got, however they
recorded it back then.

On Sat, Aug 9, 2008 at 12:34 AM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@ yahoo.com> wrote:
> How about Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle and Celine Dion? Or Glenn Gould
> singing?
>
> --- On Sat, 8/9/08, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta. com> wrote:
>
> From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta. com>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
> To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 9:38 AM
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2008, at 4:41 PM, Mark Pring wrote:
>
> Difficult to think of male voices, Chris Farlowe would be pretty fightening,
> with maybe George London and Norman Bailey.
>
> Chris Tucker or George Formby or Norman Leete would be even more
> frightening!
>
>

Great video clip, they certainly don't make films like that any more. I am not sure if it's seeing it out of context butI found parts of it quite disturbing, more Alfred Hitchcock than Busby Berkley.

--- On Sat, 8/9/08, Norman Fay <vietgrove@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Norman Fay <vietgrove@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 11:51 AM

I would suggest Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, but that would be tricky
without access to some kind of ouija board-cum-microphon e device I
think.

Something with a tonality akin to the Vitaphone female choir as heard
at 1.54 to 1.45 here:

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=BLqo77gQrxg

..would be nice, I suppose. Lovely sound they got, however they
recorded it back then.

On Sat, Aug 9, 2008 at 12:34 AM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@ yahoo.com> wrote:
> How about Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle and Celine Dion? Or Glenn Gould
> singing?
>
> --- On Sat, 8/9/08, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta. com> wrote:
>
> From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta. com>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
> To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 9:38 AM
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2008, at 4:41 PM, Mark Pring wrote:
>
> Difficult to think of male voices, Chris Farlowe would be pretty fightening,
> with maybe George London and Norman Bailey.
>
> Chris Tucker or George Formby or Norman Leete would be even more
> frightening!
>
>

Dame Edna

Peewee Herman

I would suggest Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, but that would be tricky
without access to some kind of ouija board-cum-microphon e device I
think.

Something with a tonality akin to the Vitaphone female choir as heard
at 1.54 to 1.45 here:

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=BLqo77gQrxg

..would be nice, I suppose. Lovely sound they got, however they
recorded it back then.

On Sat, Aug 9, 2008 at 12:34 AM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@ yahoo.com> wrote:
> How about Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle and Celine Dion? Or Glenn Gould
> singing?
>
> --- On Sat, 8/9/08, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta. com> wrote:
>
> From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta. com>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
> To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 9:38 AM
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2008, at 4:41 PM, Mark Pring wrote:
>
> Difficult to think of male voices, Chris Farlowe would be pretty fightening,
> with maybe George London and Norman Bailey.
>
> Chris Tucker or George Formby or Norman Leete would be even more
> frightening!
>
>

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, August 8, 2008, 3:38 PM

On Aug 8, 2008, at 4:41 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Difficult to think of male voices, Chris Farlowe would be pretty fightening, with maybe George London and Norman Bailey.

Chris Tucker or George Formby or Norman Leete would be even more frightening!

Karen Carpenter?

With the best will in the world, you'd find it hard to get almost any singer to sing well and properly across nearly three octaves. Even the best struggle to meet two.

For all that Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerakld could undoubtedly sing, neither of them really had great vocal ranges. The other problem is of course that you'd have to have them singing some sort of constant vowel sound which neither of them were really known for. Of course you might have Ella scat-singing but that's usually only very brief notes and have a lot to do with vocal inflection and 'swing' than hitting the right now. It also might be a little challenging to have a Mellotron play that fast. Oh, and 'scat signing' isn't just Ella Fitzgerald shouting out toilet words, for those of you in any doubt. Having said that, a tune comprising words such as 'faeces', 'shit', 'doo-doo' and 'Blechta' might have some short-lived appeal.

I might also have to admit my 'I just don't get it'-ness about Sandy Denny. She always sounds completely off-key and shrill to me.

I'm not sure exactly what his real vocal range was, but Freddie Mercury might be a good enough contender for 'guest dead Mellotron vocals'. Wikipedia thinks he could stretch to three octaves but I have my doubts.

John Oswald (of 'Plunderphonics' fame) carried out an interesting experiment where he took Captain Beefheart's a-capella song 'Well' from 'Trout Mask Replica' and chopped up individual words from it and ran them into a sampler, then played Chopin (or similar) through it. I tried that lark once with the voices of (the young) Brian and Carl Wilson and played 'Scotland the Brave'. I think I actually mentioned this in my now-notorious telephone conversation with Brian Wilson a few years ago. God Only Knows knows what the effect on his psyche must have been.

Mike

Mark Pring wrote:

I recently bought a couple of Ella Fitzgerald CDs from the Warehouse ( where everyone gets a bargain, a sort of downmarket Walmart or Woolworths ( do they still have Woolworths in the UK? ( Oh my goodness recursive brackets!))) mainly 1950s recordings, fantastic voice, one of my favourites, pity Harry couldn't have enticed her up to his bedroom instead of the three old biddys with the violins.

An Ella tape set would be really something, which voices would the group like to have on a tape set?

Mark

PS
A) Billy Holiday
B) Sandy Denny ( or maybe Etta James )
C) Ella Fitzgerald

Could you manage that Martin?

Hi Mike,
Re Sandy Denny, I think she did have a lot of off days and sadly her heavy smoking pretty much wrecked her voice in later years, ( not that there were many of them, she died 30 years ago this year ) but on a good day she did have a very expressive voice, I think "The banks of the Nile" from the Fotheringay album would be a good example.

Mark

PS How about Janet Baker, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Kathleen Ferrier and Christa Ludwig?

--- On Sat, 8/9/08, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 10:02 PM

With the best will in the world, you'd find it hard to get almost any singer to sing well and properly across nearly three octaves. Even the best struggle to meet two.

For all that Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerakld could undoubtedly sing, neither of them really had great vocal ranges. The other problem is of course that you'd have to have them singing some sort of constant vowel sound which neither of them were really known for. Of course you might have Ella scat-singing but that's usually only very brief notes and have a lot to do with vocal inflection and 'swing' than hitting the right now. It also might be a little challenging to have a Mellotron play that fast. Oh, and 'scat signing' isn't just Ella Fitzgerald shouting out toilet words, for those of you in any doubt. Having said that, a tune comprising words such as 'faeces', 'shit', 'doo-doo' and 'Blechta' might have some short-lived appeal.

I might also have to admit my 'I just don't get it'-ness about Sandy Denny. She always sounds completely off-key and shrill to me.

I'm not sure exactly what his real vocal range was, but Freddie Mercury might be a good enough contender for 'guest dead Mellotron vocals'. Wikipedia thinks he could stretch to three octaves but I have my doubts.

John Oswald (of 'Plunderphonics' fame) carried out an interesting experiment where he took Captain Beefheart's a-capella song 'Well' from 'Trout Mask Replica' and chopped up individual words from it and ran them into a sampler, then played Chopin (or similar) through it. I tried that lark once with the voices of (the young) Brian and Carl Wilson and played 'Scotland the Brave'. I think I actually mentioned this in my now-notorious telephone conversation with Brian Wilson a few years ago. God Only Knows knows what the effect on his psyche must have been.

Mike

Mark Pring wrote:

I recently bought a couple of Ella Fitzgerald CDs from the Warehouse ( where everyone gets a bargain, a sort of downmarket Walmart or Woolworths ( do they still have Woolworths in the UK? ( Oh my goodness recursive brackets!))) mainly 1950s recordings, fantastic voice, one of my favourites, pity Harry couldn't have enticed her up to his bedroom instead of the three old biddys with the violins.

An Ella tape set would be really something, which voices would the group like to have on a tape set?

Mark

PS
A) Billy Holiday
B) Sandy Denny ( or maybe Etta James )
C) Ella Fitzgerald

Could you manage that Martin?

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Rick Blechta <rick@...>
wrote:

>
>
> On Aug 9, 2008, at 7:19 AM, Mark Pring wrote:
>
> > Hi Mike,
> > Re Sandy Denny, I think she did have a lot of off days and

sadly

> > her heavy smoking pretty much wrecked her voice in later years,
> > ( not that there were many of them, she died 30 years ago this
> > year ) but on a good day she did have a very expressive voice, I
> > think "The banks of the Nile" from the Fotheringay album would be

a

> > good example.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > PS How about Janet Baker, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Kathleen

Ferrier

> > and Christa Ludwig?
>
> Hey, folks, I don't think there's a singer on the planet who can

sound

> good from a low G to a high F. That's the real issue: not whether

they

> can sing three octaves, but whether they can sing the three

octaves

> needed for a mellotron.
>
> I have heard one tenor sing a high F and he sounded like a chicken
> being strangled. As for women, Mozart's Queen of the Night aria in

the

> first act of The Magic Flute (Martin's favourite opera) has to

sing

> some high F's, for example, but these singing specialists

(coloratura

> sopranos) generally sound pretty poor on low Gs.
>
> Rick
>

Isn't the Female Choir just 2 octaves? I think even the Chamberlin
Solo Female Voice is less than 3 octaves.

Bernie

How about the Singer Munchkins?

> How about Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle and Celine Dion? Or Glenn Gould
> singing?
>
> --- On Sat, 8/9/08, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:
> From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Ellatron
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 9:38 AM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2008, at 4:41 PM, Mark Pring wrote:
> Difficult to think of male voices, Chris Farlowe would be pretty
> fightening, with maybe George London and Norman Bailey.
> Chris Tucker or George Formby or Norman Leete would be even more
> frightening!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

From: Bernie <kornowicz@cox.net>
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Ellatron
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008, 8:04 AM

--- In newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com, Rick Blechta <rick@...>
wrote:
>
>
> On Aug 9, 2008, at 7:19 AM, Mark Pring wrote:
>
> > Hi Mike,
> > Re Sandy Denny, I think she did have a lot of off days and
sadly
> > her heavy smoking pretty much wrecked her voice in later years,
> > ( not that there were many of them, she died 30 years ago this
> > year ) but on a good day she did have a very expressive voice, I
> > think "The banks of the Nile" from the Fotheringay album would be
a
> > good example.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > PS How about Janet Baker, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Kathleen
Ferrier
> > and Christa Ludwig?
>
> Hey, folks, I don't think there's a singer on the planet who can
sound
> good from a low G to a high F. That's the real issue: not whether
they
> can sing three octaves, but whether they can sing the three
octaves
> needed for a mellotron.
>
> I have heard one tenor sing a high F and he sounded like a chicken
> being strangled. As for women, Mozart's Queen of the Night aria in
the
> first act of The Magic Flute (Martin's favourite opera) has to
sing
> some high F's, for example, but these singing specialists
(coloratura
> sopranos) generally sound pretty poor on low Gs.
>
> Rick
>

Isn't the Female Choir just 2 octaves? I think even the Chamberlin
Solo Female Voice is less than 3 octaves.

Bernie

+1 for Annie!

Tom



--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "Pomeroy Ranch"
<punchbowl4@...> wrote:

>
>
>
>
>
> With the best will in the world, you'd find it hard to get almost

any singer

> to sing well and properly across nearly three octaves. Even the best
> struggle to meet two.
>
> Then we need Yma Sumac and Annie Haslam, eh?
>