Recording (old school)

After school finished I continued playing music and started on the flute. I purchased a new red strat copy (which I only passed on recently - 2013) and a few effects pedals.

In the late 1970's I purchased a Teac A108 tape cassette machine. It allowed the right track to be recorded and then played back while you added the left track. then you could play and mix them back while adding another track and recording to a second machine.

In 1983 I purchased my first Fostex 4 track recorder. It was a simple machine and was totally portable.

I recorded many demo's on this. From this I progressed to other 4-track machines:

It was great using multi-track machines. The ability to put down a drum and bass track and then add guitars and vocals opened up a really creative world for me.

One thing I did notice, while I was listening to the recordings, was how much higher my voice was in those days!

Being the odd one out - We had a band at school (1970's)

It was a weird experience being the first to go through the comprehensive system, into what was originally a high school. All I really enjoyed was learning and playing music and maths. The maths was fine and I did well in this, but the music was harder. The actual music wasn't hard, it was the difficulty in being allowed to actually study it as a school lesson.
Apparently, you can only do music if you are in the top stream. You can only learn a musical instrument if it is one that can be played in an orchestra.
I was a guitarist and in the second stream, so I was totally stuffed by the system! No, you can't do music 'O' level and you can't play in the orchestra.
So, I decided to carry on playing in the band and getting into as many of the school concerts as possible. This meant towing the line regarding what we could play. Yes, you can play songs by the Carpenters and John Denver. No, you can't play songs by Alice Cooper!
We did get to play some gigs that were arranged for us by a very accommodating English teacher, who supported us.

Left to right: Nic, Me, Paul and Steve. This was taken at the Broadway park hotel in Sandown at a NSPCC charity event. I make no apologies for the lilac shirt and matching tie - it was the 70's!

I got through the three years at high school, but did manage to send a passing shot to the establishment at the last 'leaving' concert for parents. We went along and played the usual 'safe' songs and then were told we had to set up in front of the curtain on stage, as they wanted us to 'fill in' and couldn't afford us the time to set up properly. So two guitarists and a bass player along with amps, etc. and a drum kit were moved into place, in full view of the audience. Then we started playing... not the agreed set, but a much heavier one including the already banned Alice Cooper number! It was out last performance and we were not going to be asked back, so it seemed a fitting exit.

Other than a few more gigs during the 70's, once I left school I didn't play in the band as we all went our own way. I did carry on writing and playing.

I have had the time to look up these old photos while I have recuperating after an operation for prostate cancer in December.