Subj : Theremin / Mellotron
To   : STEPHEN JONES
From : Martin Ridgley
Date : Thu Nov 02 2000 09:47 am

-=> STEPHEN JONES wrote to BRETT MCCOY <=-

 SJ> Is the Mellotron a keyboard instrument?

   Yes.

 SJ> Also, is it related to the Theron (sp?) that they used to do
 SJ> weird sounds like in the movie "The Day The Earth Stood Still"?

   'Theremin' is the correct spelling and it's not related to the
 Mellotron at all.  The Theremin was one of the earliest electronic
 instruments - invented around 1920, IIRC - and it's a pretty unique
 electronic instrument, unlike anything else I can think of.
   You can hear one on the 1966 Beach Boys hit, "Good Vibrations".
 It's the instrument making the spacey, wavering sound at the very
 end, as the song goes into the instrumental outro and then fades.

   I don't fully understand how they work, so I'd best leave that
 for someone else to explain.  I *do* know that the original ones
 were notoriously difficult to play with any accuracy, and that's
 a big reason why the instrument didn't catch on.  They were used
 mainly just for sound effects - often in sci-fi movies, like the
 one you mentioned.

   I've noticed the Theremin showing up on a few fairly recent pop
 recordings, though - most notably, Matthew Sweet's latest album,
 "In Reverse" (1999) where it's used on 6 of the album's 14 tracks!

    Martin
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