Mandocello

Album: Cheap Trick (1977)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was written on a mandocello, a plucked string instrument of the mandolin family, hence the song title. Guitarist Rick Nielsen explained to Uncut: "It was actually an acoustic mandocello, not an electric one. It was kind of semi-popular in the 1910s or '20s, and I just liked the tuning of it – C, G, D, A. It's such a beautiful instrument that the song wrote itself."
  • Want to hear another song featuring the mandocello? Check out the acoustic version of Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands On Me" which can be found on their This Left Feels Right album. It features Richie Sambora playing the mandocello as the primary instrument.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.

Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust

Lajon Witherspoon of SevendustSongwriter Interviews

The Sevendust frontman talks about the group's songwriting process, and how trips to the Murder Bar helped forge their latest album.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Peter Lord

Peter LordSongwriter Interviews

You may not recognize his name, but you will certainly recognize Peter Lord's songs. He wrote the bevy of hits from Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound.