Mellodrama - Production & Contact Info

Mellodrama (2008)
75 min | Documentary

Mellodrama (2008)

75 min | Documentary

Mellodrama, a documentary by Dianna Dilworth, explores the rising and falling fortunes of the Mellotron - the first musical keyboard to "sample" the sounds of other instruments - from its birth in a California garage in the 1950s, through ...See moreMellodrama, a documentary by Dianna Dilworth, explores the rising and falling fortunes of the Mellotron - the first musical keyboard to "sample" the sounds of other instruments - from its birth in a California garage in the 1950s, through its dominance on concert stages in the 1970s, through its almost religious cult of followers in the 2000s. From the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields" to Black Sabbath to Kanye West, Mellodrama is a 50-year odyssey of musical invention, revolution, betrayal, and rediscovery. The Mellotron is a keyboard instrument that plays prerecorded tape loops. It was invented as the Chamberlin organ in Harry Chamberlin's Southern California backyard in the late 1940s. Harry wanted to sell his "orchestra at your fingertips" to every Aunt Mable in America, and drove his motor home across America doing so. But his trusted salesman Bill Franson took two instruments to England, and found manufacturers to replicate the Chamberlin. Under this dubious pretense, the Mellotron was born. Soon, through the music of the Beatles, the Zombies, and the Moody Blues, the Mellotron became the "instant magic sound." In the 1970s, the Mellotron defined the sound of progressive rock bands like King Crimson, Roxy Music, and Genesis. Though forgotten during the 1980s, when digital synthesizers hijacked pop music, the Mellotron is today again a highly desired and sought-after device, a connection for artists like Radiohead and Kanye West to the mystical lost world of invention and possibility. Written by Anonymous See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
20 cast members

Name	Known for
Rod Argent Self Self See fewer	The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Dave Biro Self Self See fewer	Mellodrama (2008)
Jon Brion Self Self See fewer	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Jesse Carmichael Self Self See fewer	Love Actually (2003)
Richard Chamberlin Self Self See fewer	Mellodrama (2008)
Steve Frothingham Self Self See fewer	Mellodrama (2008)
Woody Jackson Self Self See fewer	Red Dead Redemption II (2018)
Ian McDonald Self Self See fewer	Children of Men (2006)
Patrick Moraz Self Self See fewer	The Stepfather (1987)
Rick Nielsen Self Self See fewer	Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Michael Penn Self Self See fewer	Girls (2012)
Michael Pinder Self (as Mike Pinder) Self (as Mike Pinder) See fewer	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)
Markus Resch Self Self See fewer	Mellodrama (2008)
Tom Rhea Self Self See fewer	Mellodrama (2008)
Matthew Sweet Self Self See fewer	Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
Geoff Unwin Self Self See fewer	On the Buses (1971)
Patrick Warren Self Self See fewer	Red State (2011)
Per Wiberg Self Self See fewer	Opeth: In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (2010)
Brian Wilson Self Self See fewer	Love & Mercy (2014)
Mikael Åkerfeldt Self Self See fewer	Saints Row: The Third (2011)