The Mellotron Group

Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had been an influence on his
mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love is a Many Splendored
Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited had a clip of the music that
Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". This
put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I started to suspect that
he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and 70's while my mom was
shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began to read about some of
his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to the clip, I was no longer
sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or the string section doing
something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of violins playing the melody and
another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and another- simulating
reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very interesting. Anyone know anything
more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?

My folks had a lot of Mantovani albums when I began growing up, so I
heard his music all the time. Maybe that's why I like Pinder's
Mellotron arrangements. Don't know anything about his cascading
strings though. I've been watching some of his clips on Youtube and
interestingly (or not), it was mentioned in a comment that he
wrote "Cara Mia" under a pseudonym.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "tomdcour" <tomdcour@...>
wrote:

>
> Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had

been an influence on his

> mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love

is a Many Splendored

> Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited

had a clip of the music that

> Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over

the Cuckoo's Nest". This

> put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I

started to suspect that

> he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and

70's while my mom was

> shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began

to read about some of

> his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to

the clip, I was no longer

> sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or

the string section doing

> something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of

violins playing the melody and

> another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and

another- simulating

> reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very

interesting. Anyone know anything

> more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?
>

Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks just behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune, in a list of things I wish I didn't know.

I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody Blues are about to suffer the same fate.

Mark

--- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh.org> wrote:

From: tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh.org>
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM

Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had been an influence on his
mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love is a Many Splendored
Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited had a clip of the music that
Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". This
put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I started to suspect that
he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and 70's while my mom was
shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began to read about some of
his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to the clip, I was no longer
sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or the string section doing
something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of violins playing the melody and
another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and another- simulating
reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very interesting. Anyone know anything
more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?

PS Sorry for spelling your name incorrectly Mike

--- On Sun, 9/28/08, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 11:45 AM

Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks just behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune, in a list of things I wish I didn't know.

I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody Blues are about to suffer the same fate.

Mark


--- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh. org> wrote:

From: tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh. org>
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM

Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had been an influence on his
mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love is a Many Splendored
Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited had a clip of the music that
Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". This
put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I started to suspect that
he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and 70's while my mom was
shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began to read about some of
his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to the clip, I was no longer
sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or the string section doing
something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of violins playing the melody and
another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and another- simulating
reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very interesting. Anyone know anything
more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?

From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2008, 4:45 PM

Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks just behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune, in a list of things I wish I didn't know.

I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody Blues are about to suffer the same fate.

Mark


--- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh. org> wrote:

From: tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh. org>
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM

Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had been an influence on his
mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love is a Many Splendored
Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited had a clip of the music that
Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". This
put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I started to suspect that
he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and 70's while my mom was
shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began to read about some of
his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to the clip, I was no longer
sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or the string section doing
something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of violins playing the melody and
another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and another- simulating
reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very interesting. Anyone know anything
more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?

The "tumbling" effect is purely musical, and is achieved in the strings by delaying the resolution of notes in a chord. It was born as follows: having formed his orchestra, Mantovani was looking for an identifiable sound he could use as a signature for his new orchestra. He turned to the accordionist of his old Tipica Orchestra, Ronald Binge, who had become a creative arranger over the years. Mantovani decided to commission from and develop with him a suitable style of sound. It was a terrible gamble, to be sure, which, if imperfectly handled, could have hurt the orchestra's chances at the outset; but Mantovani took the risk, confident that he would know instantly when played, whether the experiment had any merit.

The result was "Charmaine". Mantovani immediately made it his signature melody and, later, when he recorded it, the disc sold over one million copies..

From then mantovani web site

http://www.mantovani-orchestra.com/mantovani_early.html

Mark

--- On Sun, 9/28/08, Bruce Daily <pocotron@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Bruce Daily <pocotron@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 6:24 PM

Hi-

I now have to wonder who influenced Mantovani (other than the dollar sign)...

Maybe this story has a better beginning.

--- On Sat, 9/27/08, Mark Pring <markpringnz@ yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@ yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2008, 4:45 PM

Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks just behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune, in a list of things I wish I didn't know.

I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody Blues are about to suffer the same fate.

Mark


--- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh. org> wrote:

From: tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh. org>
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM

Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had been an influence on his
mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love is a Many Splendored
Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited had a clip of the music that
Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". This
put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I started to suspect that
he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and 70's while my mom was
shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began to read about some of
his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to the clip, I was no longer
sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or the string section doing
something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of violins playing the melody and
another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and another- simulating
reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very interesting. Anyone know anything
more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?

I am not particulalrly musical but isn'tdelaying the resolution of the chord is pretty much the main mellotron string playing technique? So maybe Mantovani is the spiritual father of the mellotron!

-- On Sun, 9/28/08, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 8:06 PM

The "tumbling" effect is purely musical, and is achieved in the strings by delaying the resolution of notes in a chord. It was born as follows: having formed his orchestra, Mantovani was looking for an identifiable sound he could use as a signature for his new orchestra. He turned to the accordionist of his old Tipica Orchestra, Ronald Binge, who had become a creative arranger over the years. Mantovani decided to commission from and develop with him a suitable style of sound. It was a terrible gamble, to be sure, which, if imperfectly handled, could have hurt the orchestra's chances at the outset; but Mantovani took the risk, confident that he would know instantly when played, whether the experiment had any merit.

The result was "Charmaine". Mantovani immediately made it his signature melody and, later, when he recorded it, the disc sold over one million copies..

From then mantovani web site

http://www.mantovan i-orchestra. com/mantovani_ early.html

Mark

--- On Sun, 9/28/08, Bruce Daily <pocotron@yahoo. com> wrote:

From: Bruce Daily <pocotron@yahoo. com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 6:24 PM

Hi-

I now have to wonder who influenced Mantovani (other than the dollar sign)...

Maybe this story has a better beginning.

--- On Sat, 9/27/08, Mark Pring <markpringnz@ yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@ yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2008, 4:45 PM

Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks just behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune, in a list of things I wish I didn't know.

I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody Blues are about to suffer the same fate.

Mark


--- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh. org> wrote:

From: tomdcour <tomdcour@amnh. org>
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM

Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had been an influence on his
mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love is a Many Splendored
Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited had a clip of the music that
Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". This
put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I started to suspect that
he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and 70's while my mom was
shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began to read about some of
his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to the clip, I was no longer
sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or the string section doing
something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of violins playing the melody and
another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and another- simulating
reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very interesting. Anyone know anything
more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com>
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 6:45 pm
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?

Wish it were true. I used to play with a guy by the name of Grayson Hugh who has absolute pitch. The band could never be in tune enough for him, especially when he was drunk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLSpfm6hoWE&feature=related

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, fdoddy@... wrote:
>
>
> Everything is out of tune...thank the lord!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Pring markpringnz@...
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 6:45 pm
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks just behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune, in a list? of things I wish I didn't know.
>
> I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody Blues are about to suffer the same fate.
>
> Mark
>
>
> --- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour tomdcour@... wrote:
>
> From: tomdcour tomdcour@...
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had been an influence on his
>
> mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love is a Many Splendored
>
> Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited had a clip of the music that
>
> Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". This
>
> put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I started to suspect that
>
> he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and 70's while my mom was
>
> shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began to read about some of
>
> his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to the clip, I was no longer
>
> sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or the string section doing
>
> something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of violins playing the melody and
>
> another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and another- simulating
>
> reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very interesting. Anyone know anything
>
> more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?
>

Oddly enough, I knew someone whose pitch was so good he had to give up
music altogether as everything sounded out of tune to him. He said that
the radio gave him particular cause for pain. He also studied piano up
to grade god-knows-what and had to ditch that as, instead of being like
everyone else and hearing pleasing harmonics in the distortions between
the tuning of strings, he just heard bits of clanging metal resonating
at different levels.

Mike

Bernie wrote:

>
> Wish it were true. I used to play with a guy by the name of Grayson
> Hugh who has absolute pitch. The band could never be in tune enough
> for him, especially when he was drunk.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLSpfm6hoWE&feature=related
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLSpfm6hoWE&feature=related>
>
> Bernie
>
> --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, fdoddy@... wrote:
> >
> >
> > Everything is out of tune...thank the lord!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Mark Pring markpringnz@...
> > To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 6:45 pm
> > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks just
> behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune, in a
> list? of things I wish I didn't know.
> >
> > I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody Blues
> are about to suffer the same fate.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
> > --- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour tomdcour@... wrote:
> >
> > From: tomdcour tomdcour@...
> > Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
> > To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had
> been an influence on his
> >
> > mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love
> is a Many Splendored
> >
> > Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited
> had a clip of the music that
> >
> > Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over the
> Cuckoo's Nest". This
> >
> > put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I
> started to suspect that
> >
> > he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and
> 70's while my mom was
> >
> > shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began
> to read about some of
> >
> > his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to
> the clip, I was no longer
> >
> > sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or
> the string section doing
> >
> > something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of
> violins playing the melody and
> >
> > another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and
> another- simulating
> >
> > reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very
> interesting. Anyone know anything
> >
> > more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?
> >
>
>

-----Original Message-----
From: Bernie <kornowicz@cox.net>
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 9:34 am
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Mantovani Anyone?

I didn't know Jeff Foxworthy and Oprah were in a band together???

Bernie wrote:

Wish it were true. I used to play with a guy by the name of Grayson Hugh who has absolute pitch. The band could never be in tune enough for him, especially when he was drunk.

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=nLSpfm6hoWE&feature=related

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com, fdoddy@... wrote:
>
>
> Everything is out of tune...thank the lord!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Pring markpringnz@ ...
> To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> Sent: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 6:45 pm
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks just behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune, in a list? of things I wish I didn't know.
>
> I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody Blues are about to suffer the same fate.
>
> Mark
>
>
> --- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour tomdcour@... wrote:
>
> From: tomdcour tomdcour@...
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
> To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani had been an influence on his
>
> mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains of "Love is a Many Splendored
>
> Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I visited had a clip of the music that
>
> Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". This
>
> put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani. Indeed I started to suspect that
>
> he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's and 70's while my mom was
>
> shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I began to read about some of
>
> his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back to the clip, I was no longer
>
> sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb or the string section doing
>
> something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of violins playing the melody and
>
> another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another and another- simulating
>
> reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very interesting. Anyone know anything
>
> more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?
>

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com 
Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.7.4/1695 - Release Date: 9/27/2008 1:11 PM

  

Wish it were true. I used to play with a guy by the name of Grayson Hugh who has absolute pitch. The band could never be in tune enough for him, especially when he was drunk.

Oddly, that's how I feel well I'm drunk and playing with myself. Well, actually that's how I used to feel. Now I just get unbent when playing with myself. The only pleasure I get is when I listen to Dickson imitating Mike Pinder.

me

Which one's Oprah?

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "L. Richards"
<surfbeach@...> wrote:

>
> I didn't know Jeff Foxworthy and Oprah were in a band together???
>
> Bernie wrote:
> >
> > Wish it were true. I used to play with a guy by the name of

Grayson

> > Hugh who has absolute pitch. The band could never be in tune

enough

> > for him, especially when he was drunk.
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLSpfm6hoWE&feature=related
> > <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLSpfm6hoWE&feature=related>
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, fdoddy@ wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Everything is out of tune...thank the lord!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Mark Pring markpringnz@
> > > To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > > Sent: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 6:45 pm
> > > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks

just

> > behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune,

in a

> > list? of things I wish I didn't know.
> > >
> > > I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody

Blues

> > are about to suffer the same fate.
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > >
> > > --- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour tomdcour@ wrote:
> > >
> > > From: tomdcour tomdcour@
> > > Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
> > > To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > > Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani

had

> > been an influence on his
> > >
> > > mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains

of "Love

> > is a Many Splendored
> > >
> > > Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I

visited

> > had a clip of the music that
> > >
> > > Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew

Over the

> > Cuckoo's Nest". This
> > >
> > > put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani.

Indeed I

> > started to suspect that
> > >
> > > he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's

and

> > 70's while my mom was
> > >
> > > shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I

began

> > to read about some of
> > >
> > > his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back

to

> > the clip, I was no longer
> > >
> > > sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb

or

> > the string section doing
> > >
> > > something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of
> > violins playing the melody and
> > >
> > > another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another

and

> > another- simulating
> > >
> > > reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very
> > interesting. Anyone know anything
> > >
> > > more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?
> > >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------

------

> >
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
> > Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.7.4/1695 - Release Date:

9/27/2008 1:11 PM

> >
> >
>

Which one's Oprah?

--- In newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com, "L. Richards"
<surfbeach@. ..> wrote:
>
> I didn't know Jeff Foxworthy and Oprah were in a band together???
>
> Bernie wrote:
> >
> > Wish it were true. I used to play with a guy by the name of
Grayson
> > Hugh who has absolute pitch. The band could never be in tune
enough
> > for him, especially when he was drunk.
> >
> > http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=nLSpfm6hoWE& feature=related
> > <http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=nLSpfm6hoWE& feature=related>
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com, fdoddy@ wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Everything is out of tune...thank the lord!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Mark Pring markpringnz@
> > > To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> > > Sent: Sat, 27 Sep 2008 6:45 pm
> > > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Being told that Mike Pinder was influenced by Mantovani ranks
just
> > behind Mike Dixon telling me that Sandy Denny sang out of tune,
in a
> > list? of things I wish I didn't know.
> > >
> > > I can no longer listen to Sandy Denny and I suspect the Moody
Blues
> > are about to suffer the same fate.
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > >
> > > --- On Sun, 9/28/08, tomdcour tomdcour@ wrote:
> > >
> > > From: tomdcour tomdcour@
> > > Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
> > > To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> > > Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:13 AM
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Recently ,in an interview, Mike Pinder expressed that Mantovani
had
> > been an influence on his
> > >
> > > mellotron work. Vaguely remembering some haunting strains
of "Love
> > is a Many Splendored
> > >
> > > Thing" I went on Google to find out more. The first site I
visited
> > had a clip of the music that
> > >
> > > Nurse Ratchet played to calm down the patients in 'One Flew
Over the
> > Cuckoo's Nest". This
> > >
> > > put me in a bad frame of mind to be open to Mr. Mantovani.
Indeed I
> > started to suspect that
> > >
> > > he was responsible for the Musak I had to listen to in the 60's
and
> > 70's while my mom was
> > >
> > > shopping in the lingerie department. Bad associations! Then I
began
> > to read about some of
> > >
> > > his unique studio methods. "Cascading Strings"!! Listening back
to
> > the clip, I was no longer
> > >
> > > sure if I was hearing an orchestra drenched in a lot of reverb
or
> > the string section doing
> > >
> > > something weird. I am wondering if ,perhaps, he had a rank of
> > violins playing the melody and
> > >
> > > another picking it up at a lower volume followed by yet another
and
> > another- simulating
> > >
> > > reverb. The effect, if you can bear to listen to it, is very
> > interesting. Anyone know anything
> > >
> > > more about cascading strings or Mr. Mantovani?
> > >
> >
> >
> > ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
------
> >
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg. com
> > Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.7.4/1695 - Release Date:
9/27/2008 1:11 PM
> >
> >
>

Hi folks,
yes, Ronnie Binge was the guy who 'invented' the Mantovani cascading
strings, but he got the idea from hearing works by Claudio Monteverdi
and the effect of voices as they sounded in churches and trying to
reproduce the effect musically.
The whole concept was one of staggering the entrances of the violin
sections to give the delay effect. Now although its been suggested
that the delayed sounds were reduced in level, according to 'Mantovani
-a lifetime in music' by Colin Mackenzie, each section of the violins
has to play the parts at exactly the same level to get the effect.
Now it's very difficult when playing such a line to hold your own when
the guy next to you is playing a fraction of a beat behind or ahead of
you, so it needs intense concentration and very good tuning.
In addition the violas were voiced very close to the cellos in the
texture to add richness to the sound and not make the violins sound
squeaky.
The string section numbers on the classic recordings total 29: 18
violins, 6 violas, 4 cellos and one bass.
One other guy associated with the Mantovani sound was recording
engineer Arthur Lilley who was one of Decca's foremost (but typically
overworked and underpaid) recording engineers, a great perfectionist
in sound and the only one who could get Mantovani's quest for
perfection down on tape. Even so, there were problems in the studio
with flutter effects on the reverb tails and the 'Hampstead hum' that
used to occur at the Decca studios off West End Lane. The very venue
that later became Threshold Studios for the Moodies.

Now it's fashionable to knock Mantovani, dismissing his music as
muzak, syrupy, not rock'n'roll, etc. But the simple point is that he
was a master of easy listening and light classical genres that had a
large audience. It's forgotten that prior to the advent of the fab
four he was the best selling british recording artiste overseas, and
his sales kept Decca out of the red (and ironically subsidised many of
Decca's rock acts) for many years. 50 million album sales is not to be
sniffed at.
And looking at the list of musos who played in his band, that list
includes some of the top session guys of the time, many of which
stayed with him for decades. They wouldn't have stuck that if they
didn't have respect for both Mantovani and the music.
Amongst the list were BBC orchestra leaders Sydney Sax and David
McCallum (father of the Man from Uncle sidekick), Max Jaffa (another
MOR star), legendary jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs, pianist Stanley Black
(BBC conductor and arranger), guitarist John Williams (yes, that one)
and jazz drummers Kenny Clare and Barry Morgan, as well as string
players who were teachers at the London music colleges.
So Mike pinder is drawing on one of the greats as his influence for
Melly technique.
All we need now of course, is a Mantovani strings banks for the M4000!

Dave.

> --- On Sun, 9/28/08, Bruce Daily <pocotron@...> wrote:
> From: Bruce Daily <pocotron@...>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 6:24 PM

>
> Hi-
> I now have to wonder who influenced Mantovani (other than the

dollar sign)...

> Maybe this story has a better beginning.
>

Ronald Binge was the guy who wrote "Sailing By", a cracking little
tune which is probably known to britisher posters as the radio 4
shipping forecast music. I remember lying half awake in bed when I
was a little kid, hearing it drifitng up the stairs from my parents
radio at midnight or thereabouts, the tune, and the sleepy arrangement
has this weird magic to it, every time they played it, I'd wonder if
they'd ever play it again, and if I'd ever hear it again. I think it
might be the best piece of music ever?

Hyperion has a couple of CDs of British light music, it's very good, a
lot of it. "My Native Heath" by Arthur Wood is on one of them, that's
a familiar one too, I imagine.

On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 8:48 AM, david etheridge
<d.etheridge1@virgin.net> wrote:

> Hi folks,
> yes, Ronnie Binge was the guy who 'invented' the Mantovani cascading
> strings, but he got the idea from hearing works by Claudio Monteverdi
> and the effect of voices as they sounded in churches and trying to
> reproduce the effect musically.

Thanks very much for that information David!It's very usefull as I'd like
to try the cascading string effect on Mellotron. I've often used the
Chambelin celli voiced in the register of violas to counter the sometimes
screechy 3 violins.

> Hi folks,
> yes, Ronnie Binge was the guy who 'invented' the Mantovani cascading
> strings, but he got the idea from hearing works by Claudio Monteverdi
> and the effect of voices as they sounded in churches and trying to
> reproduce the effect musically.
> The whole concept was one of staggering the entrances of the violin
> sections to give the delay effect. Now although its been suggested
> that the delayed sounds were reduced in level, according to 'Mantovani
> -a lifetime in music' by Colin Mackenzie, each section of the violins
> has to play the parts at exactly the same level to get the effect.
> Now it's very difficult when playing such a line to hold your own when
> the guy next to you is playing a fraction of a beat behind or ahead of
> you, so it needs intense concentration and very good tuning.
> In addition the violas were voiced very close to the cellos in the
> texture to add richness to the sound and not make the violins sound
> squeaky.
> The string section numbers on the classic recordings total 29: 18
> violins, 6 violas, 4 cellos and one bass.
> One other guy associated with the Mantovani sound was recording
> engineer Arthur Lilley who was one of Decca's foremost (but typically
> overworked and underpaid) recording engineers, a great perfectionist
> in sound and the only one who could get Mantovani's quest for
> perfection down on tape. Even so, there were problems in the studio
> with flutter effects on the reverb tails and the 'Hampstead hum' that
> used to occur at the Decca studios off West End Lane. The very venue
> that later became Threshold Studios for the Moodies.
>
> Now it's fashionable to knock Mantovani, dismissing his music as
> muzak, syrupy, not rock'n'roll, etc. But the simple point is that he
> was a master of easy listening and light classical genres that had a
> large audience. It's forgotten that prior to the advent of the fab
> four he was the best selling british recording artiste overseas, and
> his sales kept Decca out of the red (and ironically subsidised many of
> Decca's rock acts) for many years. 50 million album sales is not to be
> sniffed at.
> And looking at the list of musos who played in his band, that list
> includes some of the top session guys of the time, many of which
> stayed with him for decades. They wouldn't have stuck that if they
> didn't have respect for both Mantovani and the music.
> Amongst the list were BBC orchestra leaders Sydney Sax and David
> McCallum (father of the Man from Uncle sidekick), Max Jaffa (another
> MOR star), legendary jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs, pianist Stanley Black
> (BBC conductor and arranger), guitarist John Williams (yes, that one)
> and jazz drummers Kenny Clare and Barry Morgan, as well as string
> players who were teachers at the London music colleges.
> So Mike pinder is drawing on one of the greats as his influence for
> Melly technique.
> All we need now of course, is a Mantovani strings banks for the M4000!
>
> Dave.
>
>
>
>
>> --- On Sun, 9/28/08, Bruce Daily <pocotron@...> wrote:
>> From: Bruce Daily <pocotron@...>
>> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
>> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
>> Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 6:24 PM
>
>>
>> Hi-
>> I now have to wonder who influenced Mantovani (other than the
> dollar sign)...
>> Maybe this story has a better beginning.
>>
>
>
>

My imitation of Mike Pinder will probably sound like a one man band
falling down a flight of stairs into fifty sleeping cats.

In other words, it's pretty damned good.

lsf5275@aol.com wrote:

>
> In a message dated 9/28/2008 9:35:11 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> kornowicz@cox.net writes:
>
> Wish it were true. I used to play with a guy by the name of
> Grayson Hugh who has absolute pitch. The band could never be in
> tune enough for him, especially when he was drunk.
>
>
> Oddly, that's how I feel well I'm drunk and playing with myself. Well,
> actually that's how I used to feel. Now I just get unbent when playing
> with myself. The only pleasure I get is when I listen to Dickson
> imitating Mike Pinder.
>
> me
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges?
> Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and
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--
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh

Free Music Project: http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
Or http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/