Rime Of The Ancient Sampler
The Mellotron Album

CD Voiceprint VP141CD

Launched in 1993 to mixed reviews, and now long deleted, "Rime..." was produced by Martin Smith and dedicated to Leslie and Norman Bradley and to the memory of Frank Bradley and Bill Franssen. These people contributed very much to the Mellotron, and the 8-page booklet (containing a foreword by Alan Freeman) provided a history of the Mellotron, short but comprehensive and very pleasant to read.

My contribution (incorrectly credited on early pressings to "Gordon Reed") was "Julia", a musical picture of a rather pleasant young lady named...Julia, whose identity must otherwise remain a secret lest something proverbial should hit a rotating air mover. Of this track, one of the reviewers at the Progressive Rock Archives wrote, "The best instrumental is Gordon Reid's 'Julia' which uses classic Tron-flutes and strings with a throbbing synth bass underpinning some meaty guitar licks in a Prog-like framework." I couldn't have put it better myself. Having said that, many of the pianos, brass and other instruments on Julia were also played using lesser-known Mellotron tapes, but I fear that most listeners thought that these were synthesisers.

Credits:
Gordon Reid - Keyboards, Clive Osborn - Guitars, Nick Magnus - Drums, engineering & production

Listen to a clip from "Julia"

Track list

• 1. Matt Clifford / "Then and Now"
• 2. Bill Nelson / "Mellotronix"
• 3. Michael Pinder / "Water Beneath the Bridge"
• 4. Patrick Moraz / "Owners Guide"
• 5. Gordon Reid / "Julia"
• 6. Sheila Maloney / "Berlin Boys"
• 7. Blue Weaver / "Mello Blies Blues"
• 8. Derek Holt / "Resurrection"
• 9. Nick Magnus / "Night of the Condor"
• 10. Wooly Wolstenholme / "Deceivers All"
• 11. Ken Freeman / "Attack of the Azimuths"
• 12. Martin Smith / "Engulfed"
• 13. David Cross / "Not So"
• 14. Chris Taylor / "Bradmatic"
• 15. David Kean / "Lift"
• 16. Julian Colbeck / "Heartfelt"
• 17. David Etheridge / "Midnight Tron"
• 18. El Cumbanchero / "1964 Mellotron Demonstration Disc"