Melodica III

Professional musicians who have used and/or currently use the melodica.

Although many manufacturers, and even many people, view them merely as a toy, the melodica is viewed and judged as a valid instrument by professional musicians.

·         1960s The melodica was first used as a serious musical instrument in the 1960s by various artists such as:

o    Peter Tosh played the melodica on many Wailers recordings (1963–1974) such as "Sun Is Shining" and "Memphis," and also used it in numerous sessions for other reggae artists, many of whom are featured on his compilation album Arise Black Man.

o    John Lennon was seen and heard playing the introductory notes of "Strawberry Fields Forever" on a melodica in a hotel room in the film The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit, filmed in February 1964—two years before the song was written and three before its release.

o    Steve Reich, composer, in his article titled Melodica (1966).

o    The Kinks used a melodica played by Nicky Hopkins on their hit single "Sunny Afternoon" (1966).

o    Herbie Hancock, jazz pianist, used a melodica on the soundtrack recording for the film Blow-Up (1966).

o    John Entwistle, musician and bassist for The Who, played the melodica in 1967 during their German Tour.

o    Jack DeJohnette, jazz drummer, doubled on melodica on his debut recording as a leader, The DeJohnette Complex (1968). He also plays the melodica on several of his other albums, including the 1980 special edition with saxophonists Arthur Blythe and David Murray, and cellist Peter Warren.

o    Phil Moore, Jr., jazz musician, on his album Right On (1969) on Atlantic Records.

o    Garth Hudson of The Band used a melodica on their 1969 song "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."

o    The Beach Boys used a melodica on "Cabin Essence" from the album 20/20 (originally from the Smile sessions) and on the album Friends (1969).

o    Hermeto Pascoal, Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, developed a technique of singing while playing the melodica, resulting in a wide tonal and harmonic palette.

·         1970s

o    Augustus Pablo, Jamaican dub and reggae musician, popularized the instrument within those genres, notably with his vinyl Melodica Melodies.

o    In 1972, the single "Oh Girl" by the Chi-Lites hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

o    Billy Preston can be seen playing a melodica on The Midnight Special while performing "Will It Go Round in Circles" (1972).

o    Jon King of the British post-punk band Gang of Four frequently used a melodica on their earlier records (1977–2015).

o    Joe Jackson played the melodica on his second album, I'm the Man (1979).

·         1980s

o    Joy Division used it on the songs "Closer" and "Decades," as well as on a demo version of "Decades" (later remade by New Order) (1980).

o    In the 1980s, the electronic rock band New Order featured the melodica prominently on songs such as "Truth," "Your Silent Face," "Love Vigilantes," "Hurt," and "In a Lonely Place."

o    Steely Dan (Donald Fagen on melodica) on "Babylon Sisters" and "Hey Nineteen" from the album Gaucho (1980).

o    The Hooters also used the melodica, consistently in the baseline melody, on their song "And We Danced."

o    Depeche Mode used the melodica prominently in the bridge/interlude of their 1983 single "Everything Counts."

o    In Cyndi Lauper's music video for "Money Changes Everything," the keyboardist plays a melodica (1984).

o    The Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra featured the melodica prominently in songs like "Ska Me Crazy," "The Pirates," "Skarada," and others (1985–2015).

o    Strawberry Switchblade used a melodica on their song "Being Cold" (1985).

o    Augustus Pablo performing live on Java Live in 1986.

o    Addis Pablo, son of the legendary Augustus Pablo, also played the melodica in the 1980s (1983–1989).

o    Supertramp's John Helliwell used a melodica on the song "From Now On" from Even in the Quietest Moments, and bandmate Rick Davies used it on "It's Raining Again" from ...Famous Last Words... (1988).

o    Clan of Xymox used the melodica on the song "Imagination" from the album Twist of Shadows (1989).

o    Say Anything used a melodica on the song "I Want to Know Your Plans" from their album ...Is a Real Boy (1989).

o    Arthur Rhames was a guitarist, tenor saxophonist, pianist, and melodica stylist.

·         1990s

o    The Rudiments used the melodica on songs from their album Circle Our Empire (1990–1993).

o    PDQ Bach: In the oratorical work Oedipus Tex, a melodica is used as the continuo instrument (1990).

o    The band My Favorite frequently used the melodica (1991–2005).

o    Emmanuel del Real played the melodica on the song "La chica banda" from the album Café Tacuba (1992). Emmanuel "Meme" del Real has handled keyboards, acoustic guitar, piano, music programming, vocals, melodeon, and melodica in the band since its inception.

o    The band Faith No More also used the instrument, played by vocalist Mike Patton on the songs "Midnight Cowboy" (1992) and "This Guy's in Love with You" (1997).

o    Jazz pianist John Medeski often played a melodica during encores at performances with the avant-garde jazz trio Medeski, Martin & Wood (1992–2009).

o    The rock band R.E.M. used melodicas on songs such as "Find the River" (1992) and "Boy in the Well" (2004)—the latter featuring a short melodica solo.

o    Chris Hardwick (of MTV's Singled Out fame), member of the musical comedy duo Hard 'n Phirm, played the melodica on their debut album, Horses and Grasses (1993).

o    Blackalicious, an American hip-hop duo, released their EP Melodica in 1994.

o    Punk band Hed P.E. is known for using a melodica played by frontman Jared Gomes (1994).

o    The Hooters took their name from "the hooter," a nickname for the melodica featured in many of their songs (1994).

o    The Indigo Girls frequently used the melodica, including it on their song "Dead Man's Hill" from the album Swamp Ophelia (1994).

o    Japanese jazz pianist Hiroko Kokubu used a pianica on her album Heaven and Beyond (1995).

o    The band Oasis used a melodica on the song "Champagne Supernova" (1995).

o    Jump, Little Children utilized the melodica on their early albums The Licorice Tea Demos and Magazine (1995).

o    Belle and Sebastian: The song "Electronic Renaissance" from the album Tigermilk features a melodica solo (1996).

o    Franny Griffiths of Space used the melodica on several Space tracks, such as "Hell's Barbecue" and "Spiders" (1996).

o    Ben Folds used a melodica on the song "Smoke," both live and in the studio. Folds also used the melodica during live shows to play the clarinet parts for "Steven's Last Night in Town." Both songs are on the album Whatever and Ever Amen (1996).

o    Clinic, a British rock band, has frequently featured the melodica both live and in the studio (1997–2015).

o    BLACKstreet featured a melodica solo on their 1997 hit "Don't Leave Me" from the album Another Level.

o    Combustible Edison used the melodica as a primary instrument on the song "Alright, Already" from the album Schizophonic (1997).

o    Ollie McGill of the Australian band The Cat Empire often plays the melodica alongside his keyboard (1999–2015).

·         2000s and Beyond

o    Gorillaz (2000), the "virtual band," have used melodicas extensively throughout their career, most notably on their first full-length studio album.

o    Alison Goldfrapp, lead singer of the electronic duo Goldfrapp, used the melodica on "Paper Bag" and "U.K. Girls (Physical)" from her debut album Felt Mountain (2000).

o    Miikka Huttunen of Alamaailman Vasarat (a cult Finnish musical group active from 2000 onward) used the melodica on several of the group's songs.

o    Red Hot Chili Peppers used a melodica throughout the song "On Mercury" from their 2002 album By the Way.

o    A member of The Residents played the melodica on the Demons Dance Alone tour (2002).

o    Pietro Amato performing with Torngat (2002).

o    On The Desert Sessions Volumes 9 & 10, PJ Harvey played the melodica on the track "Holey Dime" (2003).

o    Primus: During a 2003 live show playing "Sathington Waltz," a friend of the band named Adam Gates came on stage wearing a George Bush mask and played the melodica.

o    A.C. Newman used the melodica on tracks from his album Slow Wonder (2004).

o    Serj Tankian played a melodica on the Axis of Justice song "Jeffrey Are You Listening?" (2004).

o    Franz Ferdinand used a melodica on their song "40" (2004).

o    In live shows, The Decemberists have been known to bring out a melodica on occasion, notably for "The Tain" (2004).

o    Other bands like Cake and The Magic Numbers also use the melodica. While Vincent DiFiore of Cake has played the instrument on a recent track ("End of the Movie" from the 2004 album Pressure Chief) and used it in the music video for "The Distance," The Magic Numbers features a full-time melodica player, Angela Gannon (who also provides backing and lead vocals).

o    Kyle Hollingsworth of The String Cheese Incident frequently uses a melodica on various songs, often spontaneously due to the band's improvisational nature (2004).

o    Keane, a British rock band, used a melodica for the bridge on their fan-favorite b-side "Fly to Me" (2004).

o    The 2004 anime hit Nodame Cantabile features several melodica notes in a big band arrangement of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." Similarly, the live-action drama adaptation uses the same instrument performed by the Nodame Orchestra (supervised by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra).

o    The Go! Team's song "Huddle Formation" features a melodica throughout (2005).

o    Jack's Mannequin features a brief melodica lead during the bridge of the song "La La Lie" (2005).

o    Jack Johnson used the melodica on his song "If I Could" from the album In Between Dreams and on "No Good with Faces" from the album To the Sea (2005).

o    The melodica is also featured on the song "Cash Machine" by the British band Hard-Fi, played by singer-songwriter Richard Archer, which opens the group's debut album Stars of CCTV (2005).

o    Eels used a melodica on the song "The Bride of Theme From Blinking Lights" from their 2005 CD Blinking Lights and Other Revelations.

o    The melodica is the main instrument in the introductory theme song for the American version of the television series The Office (2005–2013).

o    Benny Davis, keyboardist and vocalist for the Australian comedy band The Axis of Awesome, is commonly seen with a melodica (2006).

o    Umphrey's McGee used it on "Liquid," both on their album Safety in Numbers and in live performances (2006).

o    Donald Fagen on "Mary Shut the Garden Door" from his solo album Morph the Cat, as well as "I.G.Y." from The Nightfly (2006).

o    Shehan Nakandala frequently plays a Hohner 32 melodica on the original motion picture soundtrack and instrumental rock album Heavenly Oceans (2006).

o    Mario Fueyo, a versatile Asturian musician also known as Dark la eMe, used a melodica on a track during concerts by the band Dixebra (2006).

o    Erich Overhultz, pianist, plays a Suzuki melodica on "Gus," an original instrument used on the 2006 CD Music, Miscellany, and the Miracle of Life. He played the same instrument with the Magic City Rhythm Kings in 1984 on their gospel reggae release He Loves He Lives.

o    The Icelandic musical group Múm are well known for using melodicas in both studio recordings and live shows, sometimes with the entire band playing on stage in unison (2007).

o    Big D and the Kids Table used the melodica on songs from the album Strictly Rude (2007).

o    The band The Builders and the Butchers used a melodica on their song "Short Way Home" (2007).

o    Torquil Campbell (Stars) playing the melodica at a recital in Dublin in 2008.

o    Korean musicians Yozoh and Yeongene use the melodica (2008).

o    Tim Convy of the band Ludo plays a melodica on the song "Streetlights" from the album You're Awful, I Love You (2008). He also uses it for acoustic sets and during live performances.

o    Napealma Duo at the Ermita de Salas in Huesca, Spain (2008).

o    Man Man incorporates multiple melodicas into their live shows (2008).

o    American multi-instrumentalist and Royal Danish Ballet musician James Howard Young has transcribed and performed various orchestral works by Bach for melodicas, including soprano, alto, and bass (2008).

o    Steam Powered Giraffe (2008) is a popular musical project in the steampunk subculture (a science fiction and fantasy subgenre). One of their characters, Rabbit (Isabella Bunny Bennett), plays the melodica among other instruments. They perform indie folk music.

o    San Francisco indie rock band Girls used the melodica on their song "Lust for Life" from their album Album. It is used during the intro of the song (2009).

o    Jars of Clay used a melodica for a cover of the Gerry Rafferty song "Baker Street," on which Dan Haseltine used the melodica in place of the original saxophone for the song's chorus (2009).

o    Ignacio Alfayé playing a melodica with Radio Espiritrompa in Spain (2010).

o    Dave McCabe of The Zutons played the melodica on the instrumental track "Zuton Karmun" (2010).

o    The British band Will and the People used the melodica on numerous songs, most notably during acoustic sessions when performing their single "Lion in the Morning Sun" (2010).

o    Smoosh introduced the melodica to their keyboard lineup on their song "In the Fall" (2010).

o    Kirby's Epic Yarn (a platform video game for the Nintendo Wii) uses a melodica in some of its tracks, such as "Green Greens" (2010).

o    Clara Chung, Korean-American artist, used a melodica on her song "Offbeat," the lead single from her debut album Art in My Heart (2010).

o    Ratatat used a melodica on their song "Grape Juice City" from their album LP4 (2010).

o    Duo Penguinistan uses the melodica in combination with classical guitar (2011).

o    Raúl Emilio Reyes used the melodica on Melodica, Melody & Me; in 2010 he released "Piece Me Back Together / Plunge on Everybody's Stalking," and in 2011 he released "Ven Fuera" and "Oda a Víctor Jara."

o    Casey Abrams, participant on the music competition show American Idol, performing with a melodica in 2011.

o    José Gahona (2011), Chilean musician in Zona Ganjah.

o    Warm Ghost (2011) is an electronic experimental pop group specializing in ambient synth-pop. Paul Duncan provides most of the instrumentation for their records, including the melodica among various other instruments.

o    Kari Johnson, pianist, used the melodica at a 2012 event called the Kansas City Fringe Festival's Experimental Music Showcase.

o    Mohamed Araki, Sudanese keyboardist, played keyboard and melodica at a recital in 2012.

o    Calle 13 (2012) is an urban music band from Puerto Rico, led by René Pérez Joglar and his stepbrother Eduardo Cabra. The latter sings backing vocals and is a multi-instrumentalist (piano, melodica, electric guitars, etc.).

o    Marc Bischoff (2012), freelance pianist, composer, and music teacher.

o    Cory Weeds (2012), a tenor saxophonist with an expressive sound rooted in the jazz tradition, played the melodica on the final night of the 2012 In Review Part 2 concert.

o    Shaky Norman (2012), reggae musician, on the Universal Love CD melodica version.

o    Jack Johnson used the melodica in his rendition of the song "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (2013).

o    Lydia Samuels of the British band The Medlodic uses the melodica.

o    E.N. Young playing the melodica at a 2014 reggae recital.

o    The Society of Rockets featured the melodica prominently on their song "The Flood." The Shimmer Kids Underpop Association, a previous incarnation of the band, used the melodica frequently, notably on "The Hangman's Come-On" (2014).

Melodica enthusiasts on YouTube (visited in January 2015)

·         Luis Jorge Zárate from Mexico in 2009, honoring the great "don Augustus Pablo" with his song "Meditation Dub" (Melodica cover) and several other tracks.

·         Ayrton Silva from Chile in 2012, playing Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" (Melodica cover).

·         Edith Hurtado Vera from Colombia in 2012, playing Astor Piazzolla's "Libertango" on the melodica, among many other songs.

·         Pablo Jhon Castillo from Colombia in 2013, playing Yann Tiersen's "La Dispute" (Melodica cover).

·         Fernando Hernández Ortela from Mexico in 2013, playing and showing a tutorial for the song "Bésame Mucho" on the melodica.

·         Benny The Jukebox

Melodica enthusiasts (combined with other instruments) on YouTube (visited in January 2015)

·         Albero Bamoa and Vik Rosado in Vva. del Rosario (2011). Performing the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (Melodica + Ukulele).