Blackpool Tower Ballroom

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Blackpool Tower Ballroom

Postby VAL7JEAN » 23 Sep 2018 21:47

Did enjoy the long ago broadcasts from the Tower, frequent cd's, snippets on You Tube of the Wurlitzer/Roland and the dancers at tea-time .
Now nothing!
How are John, Chris, Phil and others doing?
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Re: Blackpool Tower Ballroom

Postby Hugh-AR » 24 Sep 2018 06:48

Hi Val,

When I was up in Scotland as a student in 1964 I was the proud owner of an old Austin 10. I was driving down to Devon to visit an uncle when the car broke down and needed to be left at a garage for two days for repair. Now it just so happens that the place the car broke down was Blackpool (how convenient!) so I ended up at the Tower Ballroom and heard Reginald Dixon playing the Wurlitzer.

Some interesting facts about Reginald Dixon from Wikipedia.
In March 1930, Dixon was invited to audition for the position of organist at Blackpool's Tower Ballroom, which, at the time, contained a 2/10 Wurlitzer. Previous to this audition, there had been two other organists, Max Bruce and James Hodgetts FRCO. The Wurlitzer's job had been to provide music for dancing, however, and neither organist could tackle the difficult task of keeping a strict tempo. After auditioning, Dixon was given a trial, with the ultimatum that, if he did not make a success of playing the Wurlitzer for dancing, both he and the Wurlitzer would go. Once he had mastered playing in strict tempo, Dixon further developed his playing style, with a strong bass line, and both hands providing accompaniment and melody. Dixon was mainly left handed and he often played the accompaniment rhythm with his left hand as well as the melody using second touch. This left his right hand free to supplement the music. This became Dixon's trade mark instantly recognisable style.

Being left handed or right handed is something that had never occurred to me, but I suppose this must make a difference to how one plays a musical instrument like an organ or a piano. And I do know of one other similar feature that makes a difference, certainly to the way I play. And that is the direction in which you automatically 'drum' your fingers on a table top. When I do it with my right hand, I run from thumb to little finger. My father, and most people I know automatically drum from pinkie to thumb. Now this means I can play things like "In The Mood", where the melody runs from left to right. But trying to play "12th Street Rag"? Well, that runs from right to left and is a no, no for me.

I wonder how many of us are left handed? And which direction we drum the fingers of the right hand?

Hugh
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Re: Blackpool Tower Ballroom

Postby Hugh-AR » 24 Sep 2018 07:29

Val,

It would appear you have just missed Phil Kelsall:





On the evening of Saturday 8th September at 7.30pm, Phil will be re-creating one of the Famous 'Blackpool Tower Dance Nights', which sadly now don't take place at the Tower Ballroom like they used to. The Astoria Centre's 3/17 Compton Organ can sound remarkably like its more famous counterpart at Blackpool, so Phil will certainly produce some of those great sounds we all know and love.

Hugh
It's all about the music ♫ ♪ ♫ Organ: Yamaha AR80 & Keyboard: Tyros 4
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Re: Blackpool Tower Ballroom

Postby VAL7JEAN » 24 Sep 2018 10:24

Yes but nothing for those who are unable to be there.
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