Gene-r

They were obviously factory rejects, though at the same time I'd hate to think what future rarities would have been amongst that lot!

Visually, it was near perfect (bar a little tarnishing to the chrome arm), so that didn't need seeing to. The technical maintenance was carried out by London Sound in Raynes Park, West London. https://www.londonsound.org/ Never had a Technics turntable, though that would be my next weapon of choice! What I love about the 4HF is that it has 4 speeds, which means it also plays 78s (ideal for my Vera Lynn collection! ).

Karl, you can still get a decent Garrard 4HF on Ebay occasionally. I got mine from there 8 years ago for £55 (they're quite a bit more now), but had to pay over £300 to recondition it, as some of the rubber flex was disintegrating, and it needed a greasing and general service. I mounted it on an old Goldring GL75 plinth, and to this day it's still my main turntable at home (pic below). As far as I know, Jah Shaka still uses one when he plays out.

Countries like India were still producing portable gramophones well into the 1960s, like the one in the pic below. I believe Thorens made the springs. In fact, all the reproduction gramophones that sell over here on places like Ebay are still made in India today!

Those were the days, Karl! Glad you've got back in touch after nearly 30 years as well!

Karl, I post 78s and 45s on 45cat, and its sister site 78worlds, and whilst I was browsing the forum one day, I turned this up. I couldn't believe what I was seeing!

Apparently, the reason 78s were still being pressed in India in the mid-60s was to serve people in parts of the country which were poorly served by electricity, and had to still rely on portable wind-up gramophones. I wonder if this was the same in other far Eastern and African countries?

Apparently, Sharmo, 78s were still being pressed in the Phillipines, Brazil and India as late as 1966 (maybe later, who knows?). I don't know if this is of help. Some of this video shows Prince Philip visiting Decca's pressing plant in 1957, and how 78s are pressed (I think). PS - there's no sound with the film. https://www.britishpathe.com/video/prince-philip-visits-decca-factories/query/joy

Exactly. Who'd have thought 78s were still pressed as late as 1967, let alone by someone like Desmond Dekker?

Yes - it's true! https://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/ye6298

Perhaps that's why the early punks were into Wizzard, thinking it stood for "Anarchy"!

Yep - now you mention it Pete, I do remember her on UFO!

Wasn't Ayesha Brough having a fling with Roy Wood at one time?

It's more as if it was dubbed from a US 45, and the master jumped or was knocked during the instrumental break (rather than a fault causing the demo to jump itself). What do you think?

Rod - I've just seen this on Popsike. Was this the one you bought in the early '70s? (note what's been said about the label stuck over a Swan one): https://www.popsike.com/php/detaildatar.php?itemnr=380365843788

You mean a one of these?

Does Keith still have Daddy Kool records going? Walked through Soho a few weeks ago (don't ask why), and couldn't see any trace of it.

Both, I think.

I could swear that the R&B sticker on the Hortense Ellis sleeve looks photocopied?

That would be its B-side, "Hey Uncle Sam".

The Combenashuns is nothing like the Combinations I'm afraid, Jaco! The proverbial "chalk and cheese" in fact! It's a garage track with a lead vocalist who sounds like Eric Burdon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tAhjjTugXk

How's this? A Pensylvania garage 45 worth about £20 sharing the group name and title with a four-figure holy grail 45! I wonder how many record dealers in the States have been sent on a wild goose chase, having been asked to look for "What'Cha Gonna Do" by the "Combinations", and then finding this and thinking 'job done'?.

I personally find it sickening that a 52 year old grown man still feels the need to write endless vomit-inducing gibberish and, as previously said in a post, with a Walter Mitty streak.

No problem Peter. Let us know how you get on.

Opinions are like assholes. Not just that everyone has one, but some are more full of sh*t than others.