3 Songs That Use the Mellotron: The Instrument That Took 1960s Rock Music to Another Level

Developed in England in 1963, the Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument that functions like a piano but records on tape while being played. Here are a few rock songs from the 1960s that were seriously elevated by this instrument’s unique sounds.

“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles

This song uses Mellotron flute sounds.
 
In an interview with Playboy magazine, John Lennon discussed the origins of this song, which came out in 1967. “Strawberry Fields” was a real place near a house where Lennon grew up while he was living with his aunt.

“…Near that home was Strawberry Fields, a house near a boys’ reformatory where I used to go to garden parties as a kid with my friends Nigel and Pete,” he explained. “We would go there and hang out and sell lemonade bottles for a penny. We always had fun at Strawberry Fields. So that’s where I got the name. But I used it as an image. Strawberry Fields forever.”

“Nights In White Satin” by The Moody Blues

This song was written by band member Justin Hayward, who felt inspired after a girlfriend gave him a pair of satin bedsheets. Apparently, Hayward was new to the band at the time. No one was particularly impressed with the song at first. Then, keyboardist Mike Pinder thought to add the Mellotron, and that changed things.

“I played it to everyone in the rehearsal room, and people were mostly indifferent,” he explained to Gary Graff. “But then Mike [Pinder] said, ‘Play it again.’ He’d just gotten his Mellotron and he went [sings Pinder’s string-sample riff]. Suddenly everyone was interested and the song just seemed to make sense. It was a little bit of relief, you know? I was sure the other guys were thinking, We’ll get rid of this guy as soon as we can and move on, because if you’ve got nothing to offer, it doesn’t make any difference if you’re in or out. It’s always an interesting dynamic in a young group.”

“Space Oddity” by David Bowie

As is true of much of this glam rock icon’s work, “Space Oddity” explores themes dealing with outer space and imaginary characters. This one was recorded in February of 1969.

“When we hit that studio we knew exactly what we wanted – no other sound would do,” producer Gary Dudgeon told Paul Trynka of the Mellotron and Stylophone sounds used on the track.

Photo by: Mark Hayward Archive/Redferns

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