That Little Red Dansette
I remember walking into the lounge one Saturday to find my dad standing over a box with wires protruding from the back that was set up in the corner of the room. What is it? Is it? It couldn't be. It is and the evidence is right in front of my eyes - a portable record player - a little Red Dansette. How did Fred know this was what I wanted? Christmas was a few months away. So was my birthday (my twelfth).
Of course this was a present for the whole family and not just me. Ever since John Bird, five years my senior and lived across the street, popped over with his portable record player and a copy of Dylan's latest LP "Bringing It All Back Home", I knew we must have a record player at 43 Lansdown Road. The Dylan record, by the way, made hardly any impression on this nine year old. My favourite songs on the radio at the time were "Help!" by The Beatles (w. John Lennon & Paul McCartney) and Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" (w. Sonny Bono).
Nothing was ever said: instinctively I knew money was tight. So I wasn't about to nag or guilt the parents into purchasing a record player. I held my young counsel and marked time. I was to hold my breath for something like two years.
But it was worth the wait. We all watched Dad plug the player in at the wall. I still don't know if our Little Red Dansette was second hand. There were no obvious scratches or scuff marks on the case. I really didn’t care about the appearance, provided it was mechanically sound. We three kids looked at each other in eager anticipation then smiled broadly as Fred turned the knob to the 'on' position and the turntable began spinning. Using the speed control Dad began at 45 revs per minute then took it down to 33 rpm, back up to 78, finishing on 16 rpm. All good so far, but hang on, there is no music coming out of the small mono speaker. The problem was swiftly identified - we didn't have a disc on the turntable.
On cue Dad produced a long playing record from a paper bag. It was by a Japanese recording artist (my father having a soft spot for the country, spending some time there in the aftermath of World War Two) and included the big international hit - "Sukiyaki" (w. Rokusuke Ei & Hachidai Nakamura). I don't know the title of the album or who it was by (probably Kyu Sakamoto).
Thankfully everything worked. We were no longer dependent on the BBC Light programme for our musical entertainment. The immediate problem, of course, was we only had one record.
My Little Red Dansette went on to serve the Wallis household and me in particular (as it spent a lot of time in my bedroom) faithfully for the next six years until my brother and I traded up for a stereo player. It played an important role during these formative years in my lifelong appreciation of popular music.
Of course this was a present for the whole family and not just me. Ever since John Bird, five years my senior and lived across the street, popped over with his portable record player and a copy of Dylan's latest LP "Bringing It All Back Home", I knew we must have a record player at 43 Lansdown Road. The Dylan record, by the way, made hardly any impression on this nine year old. My favourite songs on the radio at the time were "Help!" by The Beatles (w. John Lennon & Paul McCartney) and Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" (w. Sonny Bono).
Nothing was ever said: instinctively I knew money was tight. So I wasn't about to nag or guilt the parents into purchasing a record player. I held my young counsel and marked time. I was to hold my breath for something like two years.
But it was worth the wait. We all watched Dad plug the player in at the wall. I still don't know if our Little Red Dansette was second hand. There were no obvious scratches or scuff marks on the case. I really didn’t care about the appearance, provided it was mechanically sound. We three kids looked at each other in eager anticipation then smiled broadly as Fred turned the knob to the 'on' position and the turntable began spinning. Using the speed control Dad began at 45 revs per minute then took it down to 33 rpm, back up to 78, finishing on 16 rpm. All good so far, but hang on, there is no music coming out of the small mono speaker. The problem was swiftly identified - we didn't have a disc on the turntable.
On cue Dad produced a long playing record from a paper bag. It was by a Japanese recording artist (my father having a soft spot for the country, spending some time there in the aftermath of World War Two) and included the big international hit - "Sukiyaki" (w. Rokusuke Ei & Hachidai Nakamura). I don't know the title of the album or who it was by (probably Kyu Sakamoto).
Thankfully everything worked. We were no longer dependent on the BBC Light programme for our musical entertainment. The immediate problem, of course, was we only had one record.
My Little Red Dansette went on to serve the Wallis household and me in particular (as it spent a lot of time in my bedroom) faithfully for the next six years until my brother and I traded up for a stereo player. It played an important role during these formative years in my lifelong appreciation of popular music.
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