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Birmingham in 1950s

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I had a small collection of 78's elvis jailhouse rock, little richard good golly miss molly, jerry lee lewis great balls of fire, tommy steel rock with the cave man, frankie lymon juvenile delinquent, ect. I got home from school one day to find my sister had taken them to school and swapped them. there was hell to pay for a while, then my dad who could see how upset i was ,started to bring me some 45's home from work. they were not new and they had a large hole in the center, so to play them i needed an adaptor, this was not a problem though as my record player could only play one record at a time. I got to know a lot of the up and coming singers in this way.
 
Hi

yes the adaptor on the 45 with a big hole in it. A real memory jerker. Yes you could get
45 cheap with a big hole in them. They were in fact old ones from Juke Boxes.
Tended not to get very well known songs but in those days every little helped.

Mike Jenks
 
Didn't Woolies sell their own brand of records at one time ? I think it was them.
They recorded hit tunes with obscure artistes covering them, god they were dreadful !
 
At one time my Mom and Dad had a cafe in Quinton which had a jukebox in it. When the man came to change the selection of 45s in it, he would often give me any that I wanted. They had the large hole in the middle that needed an adaptor and I remember having one which I put on my record player so that I could play them. They were always popular tunes of the day and this would have been about 1961/62. I always remember one that I played endlessly was Aint Misbehaving sung by Tommy Bruce.
 
hi jay
the one i played regular on the juke box was tel star by the tornados ; fantastic sound and the other one i used to play ; and i still sing
myself is wooden heart by elvis ; good music in those days
have a nice day jay ; best wishes astonian ;; alan ;
 
Hot Hits and Smash Hits, Baz, I couldn't afford the original artists, then mum bought me Good Vibrations for looking after dad when she was in hospital. That got me hooked on buying the originals. LP's were about £3 as I recall for good ones. Used to get dodgy ones cheap at work with damaged sleeves. The records were OK though. I got The Supremes and Dionne Warwick.
Dada had John Hanson. I remember labels such as Parlaphone, His Masters Voice, El Diabolo, Brunswick.
 
Bernie D'Boult said:
I grew up in a houseful of women who says that did opinions?
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So did I. Well a family of grannies and aunties Bernie, but...
I was talking to my step daughter a child of the 70's, about her stepdaughter having no childhood and growing up too quickly and we were discussing playground games we each played.
I was drawing pictures in the jitty, do you say jitty in Brum, in the dirt? Five stones which were stones. HopScotch in the playground. The girls had big pieces of elastic and they made patterns with their legs when they jumped, they also did it with their hands. We made these fortune telling bits of paper folded and refolded in to four and eight boxes with answers to questions we wrote in them. We had yoyos. Catapults. Played Off ground tig, hopping Jinny, kiss catch, we sang in rings. we played stag. Murder ball. Hand clapping games 3 6 9 the goose drank wine etc. Swapped toys. Hide and seek. Queenio cokeio whose got the ball ee o. Sometimes it was even a stick ee o.
Mum played kick the can.
Nan had a hoop with a ring in the top and a stick, she said they would call, coo oo bring yer bowl out.
We even whistled to songs to see who was the first to laugh.
Now I am told they do nothing except wear make up, take drugs and drink and moan.
How very very :blue:sad.
 
carolina said:
I think the records sold in Woolies was Embassy records.
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Grandad smoked Embassy cigarettes and Kensitas. Dad smoked Park Drive. We collected the coupons and bought a coffee set but the cups were tiny. I still have one, a white cup with a retro 'stick' design black pattern and a black saucer.
We also had bright floral tin picnic trays with foldable wire legs, me and my mate sat on the floor and watched saturday TV and ate our dinner (lunch) as a treat. We had cold chicken and hot potatoes. Mum said that's what they ate in America!
 
Jayell said:
Agree with you completely Alan. Loved the music of the 50s and always will do.

Judy
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You're a bit younger than me, I suspect Judy!
If you ever get the chance, watch the film "The Girl Can't Help It". It was made in the 50s, around the time Rock 'n Roll was coming in so you had groups playing accordions, etc and you had people like Gene Vincent & The Bluecaps all going on together. Great film though !
 
mike jenks said:
Hi

yes the adaptor on the 45 with a big hole in it. A real memory jerker. Yes you could get
45 cheap with a big hole in them. They were in fact old ones from Juke Boxes.
Tended not to get very well known songs but in those days every little helped.


Mike Jenks
Click to expand...
We had press in adaptors and one record player had an adaptor which fits on to the turntable. Dad always called it the gramaphone. It was a really heavy maroon and grey in a fettered leather case. The front was sort of hashed rattan looking and the knobs were like big toothpaste caps. The arm was coffee coloured and there were yellow sections.WHen the records dropped it shook. I can even smell it. Nico
 
Hi

A Similiar product we had at home late 50's to early 60's. Hour upon hour
of absolute pleasure.
It played 78's 45's and 33 LP's.

Bliss

Mike Jenks
 

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Just like dad's but brighter! Sigh! You need muscles to lift them. Dug out some 45's, mum's Teenager in Love by Marty Wilde, remember record tokens from 5/- (shillings).

Nico
 
carolina said:
I think the records sold in Woolies was Embassy records.
Click to expand...

Remember when Woolworths sold fresh produce? We used to buy oyster bacon (cheaper than long back and less fatty than streaky) and Scots white pudding. And Ladybird baby clothes? The dragon supervisors (always women I never saw a male employee in Woolworths) walked round with big bunches of keys like prison wardens.
Nico
 
Hot Hits and Smash Hits Lp's had a girl in a bikini on the front the label was maybe MFP. Music for Pleasure.
 
I'm not so sure about the age Maypole Baz! Yes, I saw the film The Girl Can't Help it when it first came out, and enjoyed it - also saw Jayne Mansfield in person when she switched on the lights in Blackpool around 1959.

Judy
 
Jayell said:
I'm not so sure about the age Maypole Baz! Yes, I saw the film The Girl Can't Help it when it first came out, and enjoyed it - also saw Jayne Mansfield in person when she switched on the lights in Blackpool around 1959.

Judy
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I'm too much of a gent to discuss a lady's age Judy, (honest !).
Another reminder of fifties music was a TV six-weeker back in the eighties, called "Lipstick on your Collar", Ewan McGregor was a national service army clerk in it.
It was brilliant. Did anybody see it ?
 
Up The Junction was a goof film with June Brown in.
My ex colleague used to sing as Martin Perdine and the Big City Boys he played and toured the US supporting PJ Proby.
 
maypolebaz said:
I'm too much of a gent to discuss a lady's age Judy, (honest !).
Another reminder of fifties music was a TV six-weeker back in the eighties, called "Lipstick on your Collar", Ewan McGregor was a national service army clerk in it.
It was brilliant. Did anybody see it ?
Click to expand...
I saw it, and Pretty In Pink and Happy Days.
I also love A Kind of Loving with Dora Bryan I think and In The Family Way - Marjorie Rhodes, and Spring and Port Wine - Diana Coupland and Georgie Girl
Nico
 
Hi Mike my wife had exactly the same record player, i thought it was great because you could put more than one record on at a time. Was there ever anything more exciting than listening to Little Richard or Jerry Lee Lewis in full flow. I doubt we will hear anything like it again.
mike jenks said:
Hi

A Similiar product we had at home late 50's to early 60's. Hour upon hour
of absolute pleasure.
It played 78's 45's and 33 LP's.

Bliss

Mike Jenks
Click to expand...
 
Can anyone remember the scent cards we had to sell for school, i think it was something to do with funding the christmas party.
 
Yes, I remember them podgery. They had a name on them like Phulnarma or something like that.
 
They were Phul Nana cards, with a picture of an Indian girl and flowers on the front if I remember correctly.
 
Just found this picture, so I was almost right!!

phul-nana1939a.jpg
 
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