Those odd little bits that you mull over

  • I've just been listening to Seconds Out again. Right before they start playing The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, what does Phil say to the audience? I always hear it as "The seat bunny!"

    That's similar to the Traffic live album ON THE ROAD, where the German audience yells "Sparks! Sparks!" as their way of requesting "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys." It happens to sound very much like "Swans! Swans!" I tried to figure out the meaning of that for a long time...

    Little known fact: Before the crowbar was invented...


    ...crows simply drank at home.

  • Abacab came on while I was listening to a playlist on shuffle (I haven't listened through in a while and it was lovely, 7 or so minutes of escape).


    What I mulled over, and which has caught my ear many times before, is the sound effects in the background during the instrumental. It sounds like kids playing at times but it's just squeaks from either guitar or keyboard. Anyway, the playground sound often made me think there was something odd or creepy going on.

  • What I mulled over, and which has caught my ear many times before, is the sound effects in the background during the instrumental. It sounds like kids playing at times but it's just squeaks from either guitar or keyboard.

    The sounds are actually horn noises from the EWF guys, sped up.

    Little known fact: Before the crowbar was invented...


    ...crows simply drank at home.

  • Interesting. What about during the outro section of Man on the Corner? That too features odd weird noises in the background.

    I had to listen to be sure what you meant, but I think that's backwards guitar noises.

    Little known fact: Before the crowbar was invented...


    ...crows simply drank at home.

  • what is officially the last ever use of ... mellotron, I'm guessing Duke.

    Sorry to go back so far in this thread (I just just joined about a week ago), but I've wondered about the last use of the mellotron too and I always thought And Then There Were Three. Where do you hear Mellotron on Duke?

    Dressed too fine and smelling of wine!

  • Sorry to go back so far in this thread (I just just joined about a week ago), but I've wondered about the last use of the mellotron too and I always thought And Then There Were Three. Where do you hear Mellotron on Duke?

    No problem delving back into the thread, no need to apologise. At first I wondered if the warm textures at either end of Duchess were mellotron but I now don't think they are and believe the mellotron's final appearance in a new album was indeed ATTWT.

    Abandon all reason

  • No problem delving back into the thread, no need to apologise. At first I wondered if the warm textures at either end of Duchess were mellotron but I now don't think they are and believe the mellotron's final appearance in a new album was indeed ATTWT.

    Yes, from what I’ve read the last use of the mellotron on an album was Many Too Many on ATTWT.

  • Yes, from what I’ve read the last use of the mellotron on an album was Many Too Many on ATTWT.

    Chronologically, in terms of recording, ATTWT is last, though later releases with earlier recording qualify. See Mellotron Albums: G (planetmellotron.com) and scroll down.


    The site attempts (and probably qualifies, though it's a mammoth and endless task) to list any recordings that include the Mellotron, including those credited to the Novatron (a later name used owing to copyright issues following Streetly Electronics losing the right to the name after their US distributor went bust and their receivers erroneously sold the rights tot the name. The site also lists recordings featuring the Chamberlain, which was an American instrument that in fact existed before the Mellotron. One of their sales reps came to the UK, found a company who could make them and got them established before Chamberlain had managed to get theirs widely accepted. Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues worked for them as a set-up engineer for a while, knew what they could do, and embraced it for the band as well as arranging for the Beatles to receive one, which resulted in Strawberry Fields Forever. After these two bands made it familiar to music fans, others followed, notably King Crimson and Genesis. Credit for the first use on a record, however, goes to the Graham Bond Organisation.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • Wow.


    That site includes Trespass in the list of Genesis albums to feature a mellotron - how does that concur to Steve prompting the band to purchase one? Or did Tony use another mellotron beforehand? I was wondering if I could hear it anywhere on Trespass but I thought I am hearing the Hammond throughout.

  • Wow.


    That site includes Trespass in the list of Genesis albums to feature a mellotron - how does that concur to Steve prompting the band to purchase one? Or did Tony use another mellotron beforehand? I was wondering if I could hear it anywhere on Trespass but I thought I am hearing the Hammond throughout.

    Further details on the bands own page: Planet Mellotron Album Reviews: Genesis


    It says they hired one.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • Not sure where I heard this but didn't they get the mellotron from King Crimson? Also not sure if it was the one for Trespass or NC.

    They've said it in interviews, you're remembering correctly. Banks said "even their roadie seemed big-time to us".


    That Planet Mellotron site is amusing, the Genesis page at least. The guy refers to their change in sound, and consequent dropping of the mellotron, like it's the death of a family member. I started wondering if it was written by one of the 2 or 3 possible suspects from this board.

    Abandon all reason

  • They've said it in interviews, you're remembering correctly. Banks said "even their roadie seemed big-time to us".


    That Planet Mellotron site is amusing, the Genesis page at least. The guy refers to their change in sound, and consequent dropping of the mellotron, like it's the death of a family member. I started wondering if it was written by one of the 2 or 3 possible suspects from this board.

    It's written by Mellotron enthusiasts, so hardy surprising if it takes a pro-tron stance. It's a pretty good site, if you take it at face value.


    As for the Genesis tron coming from KC, the site repeats that story, but finds it unlikely.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!