Vox Pop: How Dartford Powered the British Beat Boom

[Keith Bateman]

Just found out about this tv programme on Tuesday 29th at 22:35 BBC One South East only featuring Bruce amongst others


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017zwq8

Keith

[Sleepwalker63]

If you have sky, BBC1 SE can be found on channel 983.

[Martin Page]

Just set the Sky+...

M

[George Geddes]

We now appear to have three separate threads about this programme...

George

[rogera]

Here is a link to the programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... Beat_Boom/

[geoff1711]

Hi All

that was interesting, I didn't know Paul James had worked at Vox, I worked with him on a summer season at Pontins summer '73, for those of you who live in Kent he has a regular spot at the weekends on BBC Radio Kent (or it could be Medway) not that we can receive it here on the Kent Surrey borders.

It was noticeable that it wasn't only the Shadows at that time using the Burns guitars.

One of the selling points was the ruggedness of the amps and to prove it one was tumbled down 3 flights of stairs and it still worked - mmm must try that to a couple of my amps or then again maybe not.

Brian May figured strongly and there were a few clips of The Shads playing with Cliff and a couple of Bruce interviews, and of course the Beatles, Quo and Stones figured as well.

They were a bit critical of Vox guitars until manufacturing went to Italy, it's surprising they fetch such high prices these days, and Dick Denny on USA TV demonstrating the Vox Organ guitar, I had one - they were bloody awful, the aluminium neck used to expand as it got warm and put the strings out of tune with the organ, unlike today's Roland ready guitars which convert the string pitch, these worked by having 6 metal inserts in each fret which made electrical contact with the string when fretted, so no open string notes and as soon as you touched the string it played, which in real terms meant all of your picking timing went out of the window because the organ note was always ahead of the strings natural note, and if you think a Les Paul is heavy, strap on a Vox organ guitar, I'm sure that's why I'm round shouldered!!

There was a comparison between a Marshall and an AC30, but the Fender amp in shot, as well, didn't get played.

If you can pick it up on BBC iplayer it's certainly an entertaining programme.

Cheers

Geoff

[StuartD]

Hi

The only bloke I knew who could play the Vox Organ Guitar with any aplomb was Dave Roberts. He worked for Vox and he demonstrated it. Years later, when he worked for Yamaha, I reminded him of it and he was devastated I'd remembered it!! we had a good laugh!!

Stuart

[JohnBassist]

Thanks for the pointer to that very interesting programme, Roger.

Back in 1965 in Cape Town I already had a Fender Bassman with which I was very happy - (in fact I still have it here in the U.K., albeit in storage in my loft), but our Lead & Rhythm guitarists both needed new amps and chose Vox AC30s, however they had endless problems with both of them from overheating and, at times, cutting out. Perhaps it was a bad shipment that made its way out to Cape Town but they very quickly swopped the Voxs for Fender Twin Reverbs which they both used for years.
A pity in a way because when they worked properly the old Vox AC30s of that era were fantastic.

Again, thanks Roger for enabling us all to see that programme.

John.

[JimN]

Was that Hank dancing with his tongue hanging out (dressed in evening wear inc bow-tie) about eight seconds in?

Immediately after the Bill Haley clip...

JN

[Didier]

Here is a link to the programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... Beat_Boom/

Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only.

Didier