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{{Short description|Musical instrument}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox synthesizer
| synth_name         = Mellotron
| names              = Novatron
| image              = Mellotron.jpg
| image_caption      = A Mellotron Mk VI
| synth_manufacturer = Bradmatic/Mellotronics (1963–70)<br />Streetly Electronics (1970–1986, 2007–present)
| background         = keyboard
| classification     = [[Keyboard instrument|Keyboard]]
| inventors          = Frank, Norman and Les Bradley
| dates              = 1963 (Mk I)<br />1964 (Mk II)<br />1968 (M300)<br />1970 (M400)<br />2007 (M4000)
| keyboard           = 1 or 2 × 35 note manuals (G2–F5)
| polyphony          = Full
| oscillator         = [[Audio tape]]
| synthesis_type     = [[Sample-based synthesis]]
| related            = [[Chamberlin]], [[Birotron]]
}}

The '''Mellotron''' is an [[electro-mechanical]] musical instrument developed in [[Birmingham]], England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a [[Capstan (tape recorder)|capstan]], which pulls it across a [[playback head]]. As the key is released, the tape is retracted by a spring to its initial position. Different portions of the tape can be played for different sounds.

The Mellotron evolved from the similar [[Chamberlin]], but could be mass-produced more efficiently. The first models were designed for the home and contained a variety of sounds, including automatic accompaniments. Bandleader [[Eric Robinson (conductor)|Eric Robinson]] and television personality [[David Nixon (magician)|David Nixon]] helped promote the first instruments, and celebrities such as [[Princess Margaret]] were early adopters. It was adopted by rock and pop groups in the mid to late 1960s. One of the first pop songs featuring the Mellotron was [[Manfred Mann]]'s "[[Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James]]" (1966). [[The Beatles]] used it on tracks including the hit single "[[Strawberry Fields Forever]]" (1967). 

The [[The Moody Blues|Moody Blues]] keyboardist [[Mike Pinder]] used it extensively on the band's 1967 album ''[[Days of Future Passed]]'' as well as the group's following six albums. During the 1970s, the Mellotron became common in [[progressive rock]], used by groups such as [[King Crimson]], [[Yes (band)|Yes]], and [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]]. Later models, such as the bestselling M400, dispensed with the accompaniments and some sound selection controls so it could be used by touring musicians. The instrument's popularity declined in the 1980s after the introduction of polyphonic [[synthesizer]]s and [[sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]], despite high-profile performers such as [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]] and [[XTC]] continuing to use the instrument.

Production of the Mellotron ceased in 1986, but it regained popularity in the 1990s and was used by bands such as [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], [[the Smashing Pumpkins]], [[Muse (band)|Muse]], and [[Radiohead]]. This led to the resurrection of the original manufacturer, Streetly Electronics. In 2007, Streetly produced the M4000, which combined the layout of the M400 with the bank selection of earlier models.

==Operation==
[[File:Mellotron diagram.svg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|The internal operations of a Mellotron. Pressing a key (1), causes two screws (2) to connect a pressure pad (3) with the tape head (5), and the pinch wheel (4) with the continuously rotating capstan (6). Tape is pulled at a constant speed, counterbalanced by a tension spring (8–10) and stored temporarily in a storage bin (7) until the key is released.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=17}}]]
The Mellotron uses the same concept as a [[sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]], but generates its sound using analogue recordings on [[audio tape]]. When a key is pressed, a tape connected to it is pushed against a playback head, as in a [[tape recorder|tape deck]]. While the key remains depressed, the tape is drawn over the head, and a sound is played. When the key is released, a spring pulls the tape back to its original position.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=17}}

A variety of sounds are available on the instrument. On earlier models, the instrument is split into "lead" and "rhythm" sections. There is a choice of six "stations" of rhythm sounds, each containing three rhythm tracks and three fill tracks. The fill tracks can also be mixed together.<ref name="mkiism">{{cite book
 |url        = http://www.cem3374.com/docs/Manuals/Misc/Mellotron_MkII_SM.pdf
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111218174345/http://www.cem3374.com/docs/Manuals/Misc/Mellotron_MkII_SM.pdf
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-date = 18 December 2011
|title      = Mellotron Mk II Service Manual
 |publisher  = Streetly Electronics
 |access-date = 5 November 2013
}}</ref>{{rp|17–18}} Similarly, there is a choice of six lead stations, each containing three lead instruments which can be mixed. In the centre of the Mellotron, there is a tuning button that allows a variation in pitch (tempo, in the case of the rhythm tracks).<ref name="mkiism" />{{rp|19}} Later models do not have the concept of stations and have a single knob to select a sound, along with the tuning control. However, the frame containing the tapes is designed to be removed, and replaced with one with different sounds.<ref name="reid2007" />

Although the Mellotron was designed to reproduce the sound of the original instrument, replaying a tape creates minor fluctuations in pitch ([[wow (recording)|wow]] and [[Flutter (electronics and communication)|flutter]]) and amplitude, so a note sounds slightly different each time it is played.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=16}} Pressing a key harder allows the head to come into contact under greater pressure, to the extent that the Mellotron responds to [[Keyboard expression#Pressure sensitivity or aftertouch|aftertouch]].{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=230}}

Another factor in the Mellotron's sound is that the individual notes were recorded in isolation. For a musician accustomed to playing in an orchestral setting, this was unusual, and meant that they had nothing against which to intonate. Noted cellist Reginald Kilbey refused to downtune his [[cello]] to cover the lower range of the Mellotron, and so the bottom notes are actually performed on a [[double bass]] (His refusal was based on the fact that him playing these notes on his cello would be robbing a double bassist of the session fee.  When the double bassist turned up for the next session it was found to be Kilbey with a different instrument, thereby collecting a double fee for both appearances). According to Mellotron author [[Nick Awde]], one note of the string sounds contains the sound of a chair being scraped in the background.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=17}}

When the Chamberlin was first developed, the initial recorded sound used was that of three violins, thereby committing the instrument range to G3 to F6, being the range of the [[violin]].  Unfortunately, as with the cello, many other instruments did not conform to this range.  The noted solo [[flute]] (which appears on the introduction to [[Strawberry Fields Forever]]) actually comprises recordings from an alto flute and a soprano flute, which accounts for some of the odd tuning that appears when chords are played.  Other sounds such as the [[brass]] opted for a layered effect where instruments were recorded within their correct range.  Others recorded more recently, such as the [[bass clarinet]] opt instead to drop the tuning on the lowest notes by pitching them electronically.  The Mellotron [[choir]] was recorded in two halves: four men in one studio, and four women in another adjacent, thereby allowing for the actual recording of three sounds concurrently.  In this, the male singers from the Ted Taylor Choir were allowed to drop the highest notes back to the previous [[octave]] as they were considerably out of their natural range.

[[{{Not a typo|File:Changing the tape cartidge on the Mellotron.jpg}}<!-- Do not change the spelling of the file! -->|thumb|The Mellotron M400 has a removable tape frame that can be replaced with another containing different sounds]]
The original Mellotrons were intended to be used in the home or in clubs and were not designed for touring bands. Even the later M400, which was designed to be as portable as possible, weighed over {{convert|122|lb|kg}}.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=23}} Smoke, variations in temperature, and humidity were also detrimental to the instrument's reliability. Moving the instrument between cold storage rooms and brightly lit stages could cause the tapes to stretch and stick on the capstan. Leslie Bradley recalls receiving some Mellotrons in for a repair "looking like a blacksmith had shaped horseshoes on top".{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=233}} Pressing too many keys at once caused the motor to drag, resulting in the notes sounding flat.<ref name="reid"/> [[Robert Fripp]] stated that "[t]uning a Mellotron doesn't".<ref name="fripp">{{cite AV media notes|others=King Crimson|title=The Night Watch|year=1997|publisher=Discipline Global Mobile}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Kraftwerk: Music Non-Stop|first1=Sean|last1=Albiez|first2=David|last2=Pattie|publisher=Continuum|year=2011|page=129|isbn=978-1-4411-9136-6}}</ref> Dave Kean, an expert Mellotron repairer, recommends that older Mellotrons should not be immediately used after a period of inactivity, as the tape heads can become magnetised in storage and destroy the recordings on them if played.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=233}}

==History==
[[File:M400 Mellotron Tape Frame.jpg|thumb|left|A Mellotron M400 tape frame as removed from the instrument]]
Although tape samplers had been explored in research studios, the first commercially available keyboard-driven tape instruments were built and sold by California-based [[Chamberlin|Harry Chamberlin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Chamberlin|title=The Chamberlin history|publisher=Clavia|access-date=17 August 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105234944/http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Chamberlin|archivedate=5 November 2012}}</ref> The concept of the Mellotron originated when Chamberlin's sales agent, Bill Fransen, brought two of Chamberlin's Musicmaster 600 instruments to England in 1962 to search for someone who could manufacture 70 matching tape heads for future Chamberlins. He met Frank, Norman, and Les Bradley of tape engineering company Bradmatic Ltd, who said they could improve on the original design.<ref name="clavia">{{cite web|url=http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Mellotron|title=History of the Mellotron|publisher=Clavia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105234938/http://www.nordkeyboards.com/main.asp?tm=Sound%20Libraries&cllibr=Nord_Sample_Library&clslib=Mellotron|archive-date=5 November 2012}}</ref> The Bradleys subsequently met bandleader [[Eric Robinson (conductor)|Eric Robinson]], who agreed to help finance the recording of the necessary instruments and sounds. Together with the Bradleys and television celebrity [[David Nixon (magician)|David Nixon]] (Robinson's son-in-law), they formed a company, Mellotronics, in order to market the instrument.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=44–46}} Robinson was particularly enthusiastic about the Mellotron because he felt it would revitalise his career, which was then on the wane. He arranged the recording sessions at [[IBC Studios]] in London, which he co-owned with George Clouston.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=64–66}}

The first model to be commercially manufactured was the Mk I in 1963. An updated version, the Mk II, was released the following year and featured the full set of sounds selectable by banks and stations.<ref name="clavia"/> The instrument was expensive, costing £1,000 ({{Inflation|UK|1000|1963|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}), at a time when a typical house cost £2,000–£3,000.<ref name="shennan"/>

Fransen failed to explain to the Bradleys that he was not the owner of the concept, and Chamberlin was unhappy with the fact that someone overseas was copying his idea. After some acrimony between the two parties, a deal was struck between them in 1966, whereby they would both continue to manufacture instruments independently.{{sfn|Brice|2001|p=107}} Bradmatic renamed themselves Streetly Electronics in 1970.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=44}}

[[File:MELLOTRON (panel).jpg|thumb|The simplified control panel of the M400]]
In 1970, the model M400 was released, which contained 35 notes (G–F) and a removable tape frame. It sold over 1,800 units.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=233}} In the early 1970s, hundreds of the instruments were assembled and sold by [[EMI]] under exclusive licence.<ref name="reid"/> Following a financial and trademark dispute through a US distribution agreement, the Mellotron name was acquired by American-based Sound Sales.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Sound Sales brings Mellotron to the United States|journal=Music Trades|volume=126|issue=1–6|publisher=Music Trades Corporation|year=1978|page=69|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ptzjAAAAMAAJ}}</ref> Streetly-manufactured instruments after 1976 were sold under the name '''Novatron'''.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=44}} The American Mellotron distributor, Sound Sales, produced their own Mellotron model, the 4-Track, in the early 1980s. At the same time Streetly Electronics produced a road-cased version of the 400&nbsp;– the T550 Novatron.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}} By the mid-1980s, both Sound Sales and Streetly Electronics suffered severe financial setbacks, losing their market to synthesizers and solid-state electronic [[sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]], which rendered the Mellotron essentially obsolete. The company folded in 1986, and Les Bradley threw most of the manufacturing equipment into a [[Skip (container)|skip]].{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=57}} From 1963 until Streetly's closure, around 2,500 units had been built.{{sfn|Holmes|2012|p=448}}

Streetly Electronics was subsequently reactivated by Les Bradley's son John and Martin Smith.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=33}} After Les Bradley's death in 1997, they decided to resume full-time operation as a support and refurbishment business. By 2007, the stock of available instruments to repair and restore was diminishing, so they decided to build a new model, which became the M4000. The instrument combined the features of several previous models, and featured the layout and chassis of an M400 but with a digital bank selector that emulated the mechanical original in the Mk II.<ref name="reid2007"/>{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=45}}

==Notable users==
[[File:The Moody Blues 923-9509.jpg|thumb|[[The Moody Blues]] ''(pictured in 1970)'' made significant use of the Mellotron in the 1960s and 1970s, played by [[Mike Pinder]] ''(left)'']]
The first notable musician to use the Mellotron was variety pianist [[Geoff Unwin]], who was specifically hired by Robinson in 1962 to promote the use of the instrument. He toured with a Mk II Mellotron and made numerous appearances on television and radio.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=59}} Unwin claimed that the automatic backing tracks on the Mk II's left-hand keyboard allowed him to provide more accomplished performances than his own basic skills on the piano could provide.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=69}}

The earlier 1960s Mk II units were made for the home and the characteristics of the instrument attracted a number of celebrities. Among the early Mellotron owners were [[Princess Margaret]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Aronson|first=Theo|title=Princess Margaret: A Biography|publisher=Regnery Pub|year=1997|page=[https://archive.org/details/princessmargaret00aron/page/231 231]|isbn=978-0-89526-409-1|url=https://archive.org/details/princessmargaret00aron/page/231}}</ref> [[Peter Sellers]],<ref name="sellers">{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Roger|title=The life and death of Peter Sellers|publisher=Arrow|page=939|year=1995|isbn=978-0-09-974700-0}}</ref> [[King Hussein of Jordan]]<ref name="shennan">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+gave+Lennon+a+few+rock+tips%3B+Chief+feature+writer+Paddy+Shennan...-a0188212501|title=I gave Lennon a few rock tips|first=Paddy|last=Shennan|work=Liverpool Echo|date=31 October 2008|access-date=8 November 2013}}</ref> and [[Scientology]] founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planetmellotron.com/oddballs.htm|title=Oddball Owners|first=Andy|last=Thompson|publisher=Planet Mellotron|access-date=14 September 2012}}</ref> (whose Mellotron was installed in the Church of Scientology's head UK office at [[Saint Hill Manor]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mellotronics.com/clients.htm|title=Clients|publisher=Streetly Electronics|access-date=8 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109011947/http://www.mellotronics.com/clients.htm|archive-date=9 November 2013}}</ref> According to [[Robin Douglas-Home]], Princess Margaret "adored it; ([[Lord Snowdon]]) positively loathed it".<ref name="sellers"/>

After Mellotronics had targeted them as a potential customer, the BBC became interested in the possibilities of the instrument, hoping it would allow them to increase throughput at the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop|Radiophonic Workshop]]. Two custom-made models loaded with sound effects were acquired in 1963, but the Radiophonic Workshop were unenthusiastic and problems with fluctuating tape speed and noise meant the sound was not up to professional broadcast quality. They ended up in the BBC FX library.{{sfn|Niebur|2010|p=126}}

{{Listen|filename=NS2 Tron.ogg|title=Mellotron Strings|description=The distinctive "3 violins" sound of a Mellotron <small>(here sampled on a [[Nord Stage 2]])</small>|format=[[Ogg]]}}
British multi-instrumentalist [[Graham Bond]] is considered the first rock musician to record with a Mellotron, beginning in 1965. The first hit song to feature a Mellotron Mk II was "Baby Can It Be True", which Bond performed live with the machine in televised performances, using [[solenoid]]s to trigger the tapes from his [[Hammond organ]].{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=91}} Manfred Mann then included multiple Mellotron parts on their single, "[[Ha! Ha! Said the Clown]]".{{sfn|Cunningham|1998|pp=126–27}}

{{Reduced pull quote|right|There's one thing I can do /<br />Play my Mellotron for you /<br />Try to blow away your city blues|Mike Pinder|"One Step Into the Light" on ''[[Octave (album)|Octave]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metrolyrics.com/one-step-into-the-light-lyrics-moody-blues.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607130104/http://www.metrolyrics.com/one-step-into-the-light-lyrics-moody-blues.html|archive-date=7 June 2017|url-status=unfit |title=One Step Into The Light Lyrics |first=Michael|last=Pinder |date=1978 |work=Octave|via=MetroLyrics.com |access-date=16 October 2014}}</ref>}}
[[Mike Pinder]] worked at Streetly Electronics for 18 months in the early 1960s as a tester, and was immediately excited by the possibilities of the instrument.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=88–89}} After trying piano and Hammond organ, he settled on the Mellotron as the instrument of choice for his band, [[the Moody Blues]], purchasing a second-hand model from Fort Dunlop Working Men's Club in Birmingham{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=169}} and using it extensively on every album from ''[[Days of Future Passed]]'' (1967) to ''[[Octave (album)|Octave]]'' (1978).{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=94}} 

Pinder says he introduced [[John Lennon]] and [[Paul McCartney]] to the Mellotron, and persuaded each of them to buy one.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=94}} The Beatles hired a machine and used it on their single "[[Strawberry Fields Forever]]", recorded in various takes between November and December 1966.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=146}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mikepinder.com/mellotron.shtml |title=Mellotron |first=Mike |last=Pinder |publisher=Mike Pinder (Official Web Site) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070620130649/http://www.mikepinder.com/mellotron.shtml |archive-date=20 June 2007 }}</ref> Author Mark Cunningham describes the part in "Strawberry Fields Forever" as "probably the most famous Mellotron figure of all-time".{{sfn|Cunningham|1998|p=127}} Although producer [[George Martin]] was unconvinced by the instrument, describing it "as if a Neanderthal piano had impregnated a primitive electronic keyboard",{{sfn|Brice|2001|p=107}} they continued to compose and record with various Mellotrons for the albums ''[[Magical Mystery Tour]]'' (1967){{sfn|Everett|1999|p=247}} and ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'' (1968, also known as "the White Album").{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=248}} McCartney went on to use the Mellotron sporadically in his solo career.<ref>{{cite book|last=Benitez|first=Vincent P.|title=The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years|year=2010|publisher=Praeger|location=Santa Barbara, CA|isbn=978-0-313-34969-0|pages=23, 47, 86, 139}}</ref>

The instrument became increasingly popular among rock and pop bands during the psychedelic era, adding what author Thom Holmes terms "an eerie, unearthly sound" to their recordings.{{sfn|Holmes|2012|pp=448–49}} [[Brian Jones]] of [[the Rolling Stones]] played a Mellotron on several of his band's songs over 1967–68. These include "[[We Love You]]", where he used the instrument to create a [[Music of Morocco|Moroccan]]-sounding horn section,<ref>{{cite book |first=Stephen |last=Davis |title=Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones |publisher=Broadway Books |location=New York, NY |year=2001 |isbn=0-7679-0312-9 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/oldgodsalmostdea00step/page/209 209–10] |url=https://archive.org/details/oldgodsalmostdea00step/page/209 }}</ref> "[[She's a Rainbow]]",<ref>{{cite book|title=Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out|page=301|first=Gordon|last=Thompson|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-195-33318-3}}</ref> "[[2000 Light Years from Home]]"{{sfn|Holmes|2012|p=448}} and "[[Jigsaw Puzzle (song)|Jigsaw Puzzle]]".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet – Legendary sessions|page=[https://archive.org/details/rollingstonesbeg00clay/page/246 246]|first=Alan|last=Clayson|publisher=Billboard Books|year=2008|isbn=978-0-823-08397-8|url=https://archive.org/details/rollingstonesbeg00clay/page/246}}</ref>

[[File:Robert Fripp 2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Robert Fripp]] played the Mellotron on several [[King Crimson]] albums, and said that "Tuning a Mellotron doesn't [tune it]"<ref name="fripp"/>]]
The Mellotron became a key instrument in [[progressive rock]]. [[King Crimson]] bought two Mellotrons when forming in 1969.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://faculty-cervero.ced.berkeley.edu/crimtron.htm|title=Crimson's trons|access-date=19 March 2018}}</ref> They were aware of Pinder's contributions to the Moody Blues and did not want to sound similar, but concluded there was no other way of generating the orchestral sound.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=116–117}} The instrument was originally played by Ian McDonald,{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=118}} and subsequently by Robert Fripp upon McDonald's departure. Later member [[David Cross (musician)|David Cross]] recalled he did not particularly want to play the Mellotron, but felt that it was simply what he needed to do as a member of the band.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=187}} 

[[Tony Banks (musician)|Tony Banks]] bought a Mellotron from Fripp in 1971, which he claimed was previously used by King Crimson, to use with [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]]. He decided to not to use the instrument as though it were an orchestra, instead using [[block chord|block chords]]. He went on to explain that he used it in the same manner as a [[synth pad]] on later albums.{{sfn|Awde|2008|pp=200–201}} His unaccompanied introduction to "[[Watcher of the Skies]]" on the album ''[[Foxtrot (album)|Foxtrot]]'' (1972), played on a Mk II with combined strings and brass, became significant enough that Streetly Electronics provided a "Watcher Mix" sound with the M4000.<ref name="reid2007"/> Banks claims to still have a Mellotron in storage, but does not feel inclined to use it as he generally prefers to use up-to-date technology.{{sfn|Jenkins|2012|p=246}} [[Barclay James Harvest]]'s [[Woolly Wolstenholme]] bought an M300 primarily to use for string sounds,{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=133}} and continued to play an M400 live into the 2000s as part of a reformed band.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=148}}

[[Rick Wakeman]] played Mellotron on [[David Bowie]]'s 1969 hit song "[[Space Oddity]]". Having previously found it difficult to keep in tune, Wakeman had discovered a way to do so using a special fingering technique.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jan/08/the-day-i-played-mellotron-for-david-bowie-space-oddity |title=The day I played the Mellotron for David Bowie |author=Rick Wakeman |date=8 January 2017 |work=The Guardian |access-date=5 February 2017}}</ref>

The Mellotron was used extensively by German electronic band [[Tangerine Dream]] through the 1970s,{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=39}} on albums such as ''[[Atem (album)|Atem]]'' (1973),{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=39}} ''[[Phaedra (album)|Phaedra]]'' (1974),<ref>{{cite book|page=129|title=European Film Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tpwu4wK5I44C|first1=Miguel|last1=Mera|first2=David|last2=Burnand|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7546-3659-5}}</ref> ''[[Rubycon (album)|Rubycon]]'' (1975),{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=64}} ''[[Stratosfear (album)|Stratosfear]]'' (1976),{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=70}} and ''[[encore (Tangerine Dream album)|Encore]]'' (1977).{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=70}} In the late 1970s, French duo [[Space Art (band)|Space Art]] used a Mellotron during the recording of their second album, ''Trip in the Centre Head''.<ref name="OuestFrance">{{cite news|url=https://larochesuryon.maville.com/sortir/infos_-musique.-space-art-pionniers-de-l-electro-a-la-francaise_54135-3092333_actu.Htm|title=Musique. Space Art, pionniers de l'electro à la française|language=French|trans-title=Music. Space Art, pioneers of French electro|work=Ouest France|first=Philippe|last=Richard|date=29 November 2016|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref> In 1983, the band's [[Christopher Franke]] asked Mellotronics if they could produce a digital model, as the group migrated towards using samplers.{{sfn|Stump|1997|p=119}}

Although the Mellotron was not extensively used in the 1980s, a number of bands featured it as a prominent instrument. One of the few UK [[post-punk]] bands to do so was [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]], who featured it heavily on their platinum-selling 1981 album ''[[Architecture & Morality]]''. [[Andy McCluskey]] has stated they used the Mellotron because they were starting to run into the limitations of the cheap monophonic synthesizers they had used up to that point. He bought a second-hand M400 and was immediately impressed with the strings and choir sounds.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=401}} [[XTC]]'s [[Dave Gregory (musician)|Dave Gregory]] recalls seeing bands using Mellotrons when growing up in the 1970s, and thought it would be an interesting addition to the group's sound. He bought a second-hand model in 1982 for £165, and first used it on the album ''[[Mummer (album)|Mummer]]'' (1983).{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=387}} [[IQ (band)|IQ]]'s [[Martin Orford]] bought a second-hand M400 and used it primarily for visual appeal rather than musical quality or convenience.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=455}}

The Mellotron resurfaced in 1995 on [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]]' album ''[[(What's the Story) Morning Glory?]]''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AVQbF9lTBwgC|title=The Mojo Collection: 4th Edition|publisher=Canongate Books|year=2007|page=622|isbn=978-1-84767-643-6}}</ref> The instrument was played by both [[Noel Gallagher]] and [[Paul Arthurs]] on several tracks, but a particularly prominent use was the cello sound on the hit single "[[Wonderwall (song)|Wonderwall]]", played by Arthurs.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov12/articles/classic-tracks-1112.htm|title=Oasis "Wonderwall" : Classic Tracks|first=Richard|last=Buskin|magazine=Sound on Sound|date=November 2012|access-date=2 September 2013}}</ref> It also notably appears on their 2000 single "[[Go Let It Out]]". [[Radiohead]] asked Streetly Electronics to restore and repair a model for them in 1997,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/oct07/articles/mellatronm4000.htm|first=David|last=Etheridge|magazine=Performing Musician|title=Mellotron M4000|date=October 2007|access-date=3 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104063749/http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/oct07/articles/mellatronm4000.htm|archive-date=4 November 2013}}</ref> and recorded with it on several tracks for their album ''[[OK Computer]]'' (1997).<ref>{{cite book|title=Radiohead and the Resistant Concept Album: How to Disappear Completely|page=30|first=Marianne Tatom|last=Letts|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=2010|isbn=978-0-253-00491-8}}</ref> The French electronic duo [[Air (French band)|Air]] extensively used a M400 on their two first albums ''[[Moon Safari]]'' in 1998 and ''[[The Virgin Suicides (score)|The Virgin Suicides]]'' in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.planetmellotron.com/reva3.htm#air|first=Andy|last=Thompson|publisher=Planet Mellotron|title=AIR}}</ref>

[[Spock's Beard]]'s [[Ryo Okumoto]] is a fan of the Mellotron, saying it characterises the sound of the band.{{sfn|Jenkins|2012|p=251}} [[Porcupine Tree]]'s [[Steven Wilson]] has acquired one of King Crimson's old Mellotrons<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/adam-holzman-straddles-prog-rock-and-jazz-fusion/152915|title=Adam Holzman straddles Prog Rock and Jazz Fusion|magazine=Keyboard Magazine|first=Tony|last=Orant|date=20 September 2013|access-date=3 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929122430/http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/adam-holzman-straddles-prog-rock-and-jazz-fusion/152915|archive-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> and, in 2013, gave a demonstration of the instrument in celebration of its 50th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/steven-wilson-review-of-the-concert-at-het-depot-in-leuven-on-24th-october-2013/|title=Steven Wilson – review of the concert at the Depot in Leuven|first=Philippe|last=Blackmarquis|work=Peek a Boo Magazine|date=30 October 2013|access-date=3 February 2014}}</ref>

==Competitors==
Alternatives to the Mellotron were manufactured by competitors in the early to late 1970s. The [[Mattel]] [[Optigan]] was a toy keyboard designed to be used in the home, which played back sounds using [[optical disc]]s.{{sfn|Vail|2000|pp=97–98}} This was followed by the Vako [[Orchestron]] in 1975, which used a more professional-sounding version of the same technology. It was used by [[Patrick Moraz]].{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=97}}  The [[Birotron]] was a similar concept based around [[8-track cartridge|8-track cartridges]], used by Wakeman.{{sfn|Awde|2008|p=232}}

==List of models==
* '''Mk I''' (1963) – double manual (35 notes on each). Very similar to the [[Chamberlin]] Music Master 600. About 10 were made.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''Mk II''' (1964) – double manual. 35 sounds on each manual. Organ-style cabinet, two 12-inch internal speakers and amp. Weight 160&nbsp;kg.<ref name="clavia" /> About 160 were made.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''FX console''' (1965) – double manual with sound effects. Designed to be quieter and more stable than the Mk II, with a different DC motor and a solid-state power amplifier.<ref name="reid" />
* '''M300''' (1968) – 52-note single manual with 35 note melody section and smaller left-hand accompaniment section, some with pitch wheel-control, and some without. About 60 were made in two versions.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''M400''' (1970) – 35-note single manual. The most common and portable model. About 1,800 units were made. It has three different sounds per frame.<ref name="clavia" />
* '''EMI M400''' (1970) – a special version of the M400 manufactured by EMI music company in Britain under licence from Mellotronics. 100 of this model were made.<ref name="reid">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Aug02/articles/mellotron.asp |title=Rebirth of the Cool : The Mellotron Mk VI |first=Gordon |last=Reid |magazine=[[Sound on Sound]] |date=August 2002 |access-date=31 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927112746/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Aug02/articles/mellotron.asp |archive-date=27 September 2013 }}</ref>
* '''Mark V''' (1975) – double-manual Mellotron, with the internals of two M400s plus additional tone and control features.<ref name="reid" /> Around nine were made.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''Novatron Mark V''' (1977) – the same as the Mellotron Mark V, but under a different name.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''Novatron 400''' (1978) – as above; a Mellotron M400 with a different name-plate.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''T550''' (1981) – a flight-cased version of Novatron 400.<ref name="reid" />
* '''4 Track''' (1980) – very rare model; only about five were ever made.{{sfn|Vail|2000|p=232}}
* '''Mark VI''' (1999) – an improved version of the M400. The first Mellotron to be produced since Streetly Electronics went out of business in 1986.<ref name="reid" />
* '''Mark VII''' – basically an upgraded Mark V. Like the Mark VI, produced in the new factory in Stockholm.<ref name="mellotron.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.mellotron.com|title=Mellotron Mark VI, Mark VII, M4000D|publisher=Mellotron (official site)|access-date=25 February 2014}}</ref>
* '''Skellotron''' (2005) – an M400 in a transparent glass case. Only one was made.<ref name="reid2007" />
* '''M4000''' (2007) – one manual, 24 sounds. An improved version of the Mk II with cycling mechanism. Made by Streetly Electronics.<ref name="reid2007">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct07/articles/mellotronm4000.htm|title=Streetly Mellotron M4000|magazine=[[Sound on Sound]]|first=Gordon|last=Reid|date=October 2007|access-date=2 September 2013}}</ref>

===Related products===
* M4000D (2010) – a single-manual [[Digital data|digital]] product that does not feature tapes. Made at the Mellotron factory in Stockholm.<ref name="mellotron.com" />
* [[Electro-Harmonix]] MEL9 Tape Replay Machine (2016) – simulator pedal

==See also==
* [[List of Mellotron recordings]]
* [[String synthesizer]], another instrument used to imitate orchestral ensembles

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
;Books
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book
|first=Nick
|last=Awde
|title=Mellotron: The Machines and the Musicians that Revolutionised Rock
|publisher=Bennett & Bloom
|year=2008
|isbn=978-1-898948-02-5
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Richard
|last=Brice
|title=Music Engineering
|publisher=Newnes
|year=2001
|isbn=978-0-7506-5040-3
}}
* {{cite book|last=Cunningham|first=Mark|title=Good Vibrations: A History of Record Production|year=1998|publisher=Sanctuary|location=London|isbn=978-1860742422}}
* {{cite book
|first=Walter
|last=Everett
|title=The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|year=1999
|isbn=978-0-19-802960-1
}}
* {{cite book|first=Thom|last=Holmes|title=Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture ''(4th edn)''|year=2012|publisher=Routledge|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-415-89636-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/electronicexperi00holm}}
* {{cite book
|first=Mark
|last=Jenkins
|title=Analog Synthesizers: Understanding, Performing, Buying – From the Legacy of Moog to Software Synthesis
|publisher=CRC Press
|year=2012
|isbn=978-1-136-12277-4
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Louis
|last=Niebur
|title=Special Sound: The Creation and Legacy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|year=2010
|isbn=978-0-19-536840-6
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Paul
|last=Stump
|title=Digital Gothic: A Critical Discography of Tangerine Dream
|publisher=SAF Publishing Ltd
|year=1997
|isbn=978-0-946719-18-1
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Mark
|last=Vail
|title=Keyboard Magazine Presents Vintage Synthesizers: Pioneering Designers, Groundbreaking Instruments, Collecting Tips, Mutants of Technology
|publisher=Backbeat Books
|year=2000
|isbn=978-0-87930-603-8
}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0076ylh|title=Sampledelica! The History of the Mellotron|first=Mark|last=Radcliffe|journal=[[BBC Radio 4]]|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=3 June 2006|access-date=5 November 2013}}
*{{cite magazine|title=The Mellotron|page=24|magazine=Music Technology|date=April 1989|volume=3|issue=5|issn=0957-6606|oclc=24835173}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Mellotrons}}
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.mellotron.com Mellotron.com] –  US manufacturers and trademark owners
* [http://mellotronics.com Mellotronics.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229165944/http://www.mellotronics.com/ |date=29 December 2020 }} – Streetly Electronics, UK manufacturers
* [http://www.planetmellotron.com Planet Mellotron] – List of Mellotron recordings and album reviews
* [http://www.normleete.co.uk/?page_id=6 Mellotron Info] – History and inner workings by self-confessed Mellyholic Norm Leete
* [http://120years.net/wordpress/the-mellotron-chamberlinleslie-bradleyuk1963/ The Mellotron on '120 years Of Electronic Music']
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdkixaxjZCM Eric Robinson & David Nixon demonstrate: The Mellotron (1965) | British Pathé]
* {{cite web |url=https://www.outofphase.fr/introduction-mellotron/ |title=Mellotron Introduction |work=Out Of Phase |date=5 April 2018 |access-date=14 August 2022}}

{{Experimental musical instruments}}
{{Electronic rock}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Electric and electronic keyboard instruments]]
[[Category:Electronic musical instruments]]
[[Category:Keyboard instruments]]
[[Category:Companies based in Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Music in Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:1963 musical instruments]]
[[Category:Musical instruments invented in the 1960s]]
[[Category:British inventions]]
[[Category:Analogue samplers]]