The First Mellotron on a Rolling Stones Record: 'We Love You' and Brian Jones

The first Mellotron to appear on a Rolling Stones single came in 1967, and it was Brian Jones who played it. The track was “We Love You,” the A-side of a double-A single with “Dandelion” released that August. Jones had recently acquired a Mellotron and used it to create the song’s swirling, psychedelic textures—a sound that matched the band’s experimental turn during the Their Satanic Majesties Request sessions.

While earlier 1967 singles like “Ruby Tuesday” used a recorder and “Let’s Spend the Night Together” relied on organ, the Mellotron gave “We Love You” a distinct, eerie atmosphere. Jones’s