Day: 27 March 2021

What Are Cassette Tapes!

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Dave Nattress… This is a really nice little clip!! They sound genuine!! I put a cassette player in my second car, a Ford Anglia old “C” registered – 1965!! Really poor sound but it gave you the music you wanted. I still have the first few cassettes I bought – gonna look now, right, got ’em, “Slade Alive”, Lindisfarne, “Fog on the Tyne”, Deep Purple, “Made in Japan”, ” – Dark Side, God how that got played, Free, “Fire and Water”. They still play but sound better on CD’s now. I also bought a cassette recorder – stereo – from Lasky’s in Tottenham Court Road. Laskys was a big HiFi dealer back then. Quite a lot of money but it meant you could record your vinyls. Can’t remember the make – might have been an Akai or Technics.

Chris Meachen… I initially bought a portable Phillips mono cassette player, & teamed it with a pair of headphones to invent something similar to a ‘walkman’. I made up a lead so I could plug it into the P.A. speaker in the college common room, where it got complaints about the noise;- not bad for a 2-watt output.. When I started work I began to acquire some proper HiFi stuff, & eventually got an Akai cassette deck.. Amazingly, I still use the JVC amplifier I bought in French’s back in the mid-70’s which still powers the living room HiFi.. Think I’ve had my 18 quid’s worth out of that over the last 40-odd years..

Conan Howard… I feel so sorry for the kids of today as their parents have taught them nothing

Remembering Chris Hutchinson The Mellow D Man

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Nick Bloomfield… I missed mentioning this on then 16th March but it was 4 years since local jazz musician Chris Hutchinson (Mellow D Man) died. I’d only got to know him in that last year and he was already seriously ill when I filmed four of his songs in Bexhill. He was a lovely man and was also musical director for a singing group of pensioners in Silverhill. I made a short video of rehearsals of that too. His father was the legendary pianist & singer Leslie ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson. Leslie Hutch Hutchinson from Grenada and was a jazz superstar in the 20’s and 30’s but managed to get in big trouble with all the affairs he had with the nobles. One resulting in a pregnancy which killed off his income to a large extent. His name is Leslie ‘Hutch” Hutchinson and he was the inspiration for the character Jack Ross in Downton Abbey. He allegedly had affairs with Edwina Mountbatten. The rumour scandalised the British upper classes, becoming the subject of tabloid news, and an embarrassment to Lady Mountbatten’s royal in-laws. The Mountbattens sued the tabloids for libel. As a result of the scandal, Hutch was shunned by many of his former patrons. Other reported mistresses were the Hollywood actors Tallulah Bankhead and Merle Oberon. Hutch may have been bisexual and was alleged to have had relationships with Cole Porter, and Ivor Novello. A very busy chap by all accounts. There is a playlist of Chris (including the short documentary on the pensioners) on my YouTube channel for those interested.

Pauline Richards… 4yrs!

Linda Lowcock… My late mother in law actually new Hutch as a child as he was friends with her parents .She remembered him playing the piano in their house in London. I took her to see Chris Hutchinson singing at St Michaels Hospice one evening and she managed to have a chat with him about her memories. He was amazed that she had known his father. She became a fan and I took her to see him sing on several occasions and she bought his CD. As a surprise for her 80th birthday party I contacted Chris and asked him to sing at her party which he very kindly did and she was so happy. Her favourite song was A nightingale sang on Berkeley Square. We were very sad to hear he had passed away. Happy memories .

Paul Cullen… Knew Hutch for a long long time. Sad news. Sleep easy my friend

Perri Ann Haste… Lovely man with a lovely voice, I used to see him with his wife walking their dog at the Bos regularly. I can’t believe it is 4 years.