Post by KenWood on Aug 24, 2008 13:56:47 GMT -5
Home Recordings And Demos:
'Mellotron Music'
What is A Mellotron?
A mellotron is an electronic synthesiser than was a fore-runner to the famous Moog synthesiser of the late 1960's. John had one installed in his music room in Kenwood, along with multiple reel-to-reel tape machines and other stste-of-the-art gadgetry that allowed him to doodle for hours, making up various pieces. Many ideas and techniques first experimented with in John's home studio ended up on finished Beatles recordings. (Let's not forget Paul's influence here either - it was him that turned John on to avant garde music and experimenting with tape loops! Paul also had his own home studio.)
Whilst John's 'comic kits' often featured tape loops and synthesised sounds, these recordings are largely instrumentals, most of which come from the 1966-67 period.
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1966 / 1967 (?)
[Mellotron improvisation 1] (Lennon) [home recording] (0:34)
John Lennon: Mellotron
[Mellotron improvisation 2] (Lennon) [home recording] (2:25)
John Lennon: Mellotron
[Mellotron improvisation 3] (Lennon) [home recording] (5:16)
John Lennon: Mellotron
[Mellotron improvisation 4] (Lennon) [home recording] (2:02)
John Lennon: Mellotron
Best CD Source: [unavailable on bootleg]
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1966 / 1967 (?)
[Mellotron improvisation 5] (Lennon) [home recording] (1:29)
John Lennon: Mellotron, piano
[Mellotron improvisation 6] (Lennon) [home recording] (0:29)
John Lennon: Mellotron
[Mellotron improvisation 7] (Lennon) [home recording] (0:21)
John Lennon: Mellotron
Best CD Source: Revolution
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1966 / 1967 (?)
[Mellotron improvisation 8] (Lennon) [home recording] (1:47)
John Lennon: Mellotron
[Mellotron improvisation 9] (Lennon) [home recording] (1:44)
John Lennon: Mellotron
Best CD Source: The Lost Pepperland Reel
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1967 (?)
Kenwood Sequence (Lennon) [compilation of home recordings] (14:30)
John Lennon: Mellotron, vocal, sound effects / tape-loops
a. Introduction [unavailable]
b. Conversation [unavailable]
c. "Nineteen, nineteen, fifty-four" [unavailable]
d. "One more trip into the black box for you, Ernie" [unavailable]
e. Doctor Story [unavailable]
f. John introduces his machine [unavailable]
g. Another story (and a song) [unavailable]
h. "I'd like to grab you by the ass..." [unavailable]
i. Lucy From Littletown [see below]
j. "There's twelve of you..." [unavailable]
k. "Take a small Pekinese..." [unavailable]
l. Down in Cuba [see below]
m. "From faraway places we bring you the sound..." [unavailable]
n. "When you feel so blue...." [unavailable]
o. "When I was young and in my prime..." [unavailable]
p. "I'd like to... blow your brains to Brazil..." [unavailable]
q. "If I belonged to Aunt Fanny..." [unavailable]
r. Pedro The Fisherman [see below]
s. Latin Song [unavailable]
t. "Harrod's my favourite shop..." [unavailable]
u. Backwards sounds [unavailable]
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1967 (?)
"Chi-Chi's" (Lennon - Starkey) [home recording]
John Lennon: Mellotron, vocal, sound effects / tape-loops
Ringo Starr: vocal, sound effects / tape-loops
Best CD Source: Vinyl To The Core
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1967 (?)
John And Ringo (Lennon - Starkey) [home recording]
John Lennon: Mellotron, vocal, sound effects / tape-loops
Ringo Starr: vocal, sound effects / tape-loops
Best CD Source: unavailable
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1967 (?)
"Pedro The Fisherman" (Lennon) [home recording]
John Lennon: Mellotron, sound effects / tape-loops
Best CD Source: The Lost Lennon Tapes (Vols. 30/31/32)
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1967 (?)
"Daddy's Little Sunshine Boy" (Lennon) [home recording]
John Lennon: Mellotron, vocal, sound effects / tape-loops
Best CD Source: Vinyl To The Core
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1967 (?)
"Stranger In My Arms" (Lennon) [home recording]
John Lennon: Mellotron, vocal, sound effects / tape-loops
Best CD Source: Revolution
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1967 (?)
"Down In Cuba" (Lennon) [home recording]
John Lennon: Mellotron, vocal, sound effects / tape-loops
Best CD Source: Vinyl To The Core
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Venue: Kenwood,
Weybridge, UK [John's home]
Date: 1967 (?)
"Lucy From Littletown" (Lennon) [home recording]
John Lennon: Mellotron, vocal, sound effects / tape-loops
Best CD Source: Revolution [/b]