@fasttunesltd
We are Fast Tunes, the smallest recording organisation in the world. Twenty-five years ago, give or take 6 months, vintage telly nerds Gavin Sutherland and Martin Fenton started compiling a list of broadcasting-related things they’d like to record.
Gavin Sutherland Fans!
I’ve found what might be the last surviving sealed copies of 4 albums I recorded for Gavin back in the 2000s.
All proceeds to go into the Saving Up For Vol. 2 pot.
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SALE! SALE! SALE!
PLEASE BUY OUR RECORDS! THE MAJOR WILL NOT STOP SHOUTING!
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PRICES SLASHED IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS! SURPRISE YOUR LOVED ONES ON CHRISTMAS MORNING WITH A BLAST OF THE SWEENEY!
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They knew how to build a good shockmount in 1935, even though the mics could barely reach 150Hz.
“I’d like to publish the sheet music, Gordon.”
“Get onto Hamlyn’s, Freddie. They’re doing the printed merch.”
“Won’t they package it as a children’s book? The music is a bit advanced for children.”
“It’s 13 bob a copy, Fred. Everybody’s got to learn somewhere.”
I’m 49 and I’m struggling with it.
Trumpton, 1967, and Paul Hamlyn Limited can’t decide on how Mrs Cobbit spells her name. I’m sure Mrs Honeyman would have told them if they’d asked.
(Yes, I know. They lived in different towns.)
Gavin Sutherland's fantastic composition Gairloch Variations is out today on Spotify. Give your ears a treat!
open.spotify.com/track/10PWHB...
Badly-framed image of spurious printout intended to suggest something is afoot.jpg
TV in the background, 20 years ago:
“We’re introducing the new Sugababe. And you are…?”
“I’m deranged!”
At least that’s what I thought she said. I’ve just found out she was actually called Heidi Range.
Me with my finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist, there.
I’m only assuming it’s not mid-side because it’s Decca.
But it’s good stereo, just not mono compatible. There’s a solid centre image. It might even be mid-side with an outrigger on the piano.
There’s no way of correcting for that (unless you involve AI, I suppose) without throwing the piano out of phase.
It should decode to surround nicely, though.
That would make sense. My favourite engineer.
It’s essentially reduced to two mics - the main stage mic, and the piano.
I know about the phase problem because one of the Hattie Jacques tracks is in stereo on a compilation. I’ve added the stereo to my want list, but I’m questioning myself whether I’ll ever listen to it.
Did Eltham work across the different EMI labels at that time?
Late Joys From The Players’ Theatre in mono is a strange experience. It was recorded in stereo. Very nice stereo. The kind of stereo where it seems to expand beyond the speakers.
You guessed it. The side mics are out of phase and cancel each other out on the mono. Lots of distant shouting.
I remember an early stereo Frank Cordell LP where you’d painstakingly scanned the sleeve. It probably drained your red ink tank into the bargain.
I was sad when that one went west. Lovely arrangements, and always a pleasure to hear early Abbey Road stereo. Or was it Lansdowne?
Beautifully recorded, too. 1954, so presumably up on the stage at Capitol’s Melrose studios.
There was something about the sound of that theatre on brass in particular that I don’t think they ever managed to recapture at Capitol. Compare Songs For Swingin’ Lovers with Come Dance Me, for example.
Farson! How could I have forgotten?
I don’t remember ever having a CD, but if such a thing had existed, chances are it’s irretrievable by now. Ah, Princo.
Capitol Background Music? Capital idea!
I once got a telling off from HR for putting random numbers in the Ethnic Background box of my time sheets. There was no code for “I don’t want to provide this information.”
Apparently it messed with their statistics. It didn’t mess with my £7.50 an hour.
@cheeseford.bsky.social Help me out here. 25 years ago, you played me an LP of old Music Hall artists recorded in the 1960s. The compère introduces one act as making his first appearance since having a limb amputated.
What was the album? I thought it was Late Joys on Decca, but it isn’t.
I thought Grotbags lived in the cellar of the windmill. Has my entire view of Emu’s World been distorted?
Hence my bringing it up here.
Re your latest, I know that energy efficiency is important nowadays, and the originals probably rotted over time, but damn, that was a lovely deco window.
We did. I, personally, was unaware that there were train tracks nearby until a teacher told me.
Gas fitter required in Coventry,
Estate plumber in Selly Oak.
Nothing north of Wolverhampton,
What a total blimming joke!
Oh dear.
(NB: not a product of Fast Tunes Ltd.)
That Ludwig van Beethoven had the tiniest run-out I've ever seen. It was only 5mm from start to finish.
Sweet, sweet analogue.
Was a romp greater or lesser than a bonk?
Pleasing results from a bit of casual vinyl abuse.
