After last weeks post we return to more everyday things here from the days from late 1972 when I first had my first stereo record player which was a advance on the small suitcase single speaker one I had.
This thing couldn't be found in the shops although a few similar things could because it was home assembled of commercial bits comprising of a Long and Medium Wave radio for essential stations such as Radio One for chart hits from the likes of The Carpenters, Osmonds, Wizard and co plus Radio Three for classical broadcasts taken from a portable radio, a Garrard record deck with ceramic stereo cartridge which went to a stereo amplifier.
The left hand channel went to a internal speaker in a case shared with the main unit while a separate wooden box housed the right hand speaker both of which were "full range" elliptical shaped units designed for nineteen inch televisions.
If you are moderately technically aware in the UK at least you can't get stereo from AM radio so for stereo and so very best sound sound you needed a supply of records.
Daddy had a account with the Concert Hall Record Club that commissioned classical and light music recordings that were made available on a try before you buy basis which as he was building a collection of stereo discs helped.
One unusual thing they did was issue seven inch 33rpm classical music EP's increasingly in stereo which were cheap or offered with the regular lp issues as bonus and I had them!
Take this one, a pretty good recording of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto from the mid 1960's which remained in print for a good while.
Just the one work across two side but to my young ears it sounded just great.
It was a similar thing here with Mozart's 27th symphony a whole symphony in wide ranging stereo sound compared to the then mono sound on 464 Metres on Medium Wave.
If I was good sometimes I'd be bought a second hand classical lp or a new one from the likes of either Classics for Pleasure or Decca's World of series budget disc that were great value but this filled gaps.
This was a selection from the full ballet suite lp which daddy actually had but I got this selection from recorded in 1970.
A good number of the Concert Hall recordings did use famous conductors even if the orchestras were second tier to the likes of the London Symphony Orchestra or The Berlin Philharmonic.
I still own these records in their glossy covers with program notes and inner sleeves just like a regular lp but smaller.
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