FCF Desert Island Discs

[bobins]

Yes this is the type of equipment which will be available on the desert island.



Regards Neil

If that thing can't be made to play CDs at the very least, then we're going to have a bit of a problem on this desert island

[bobins]

Each to their own hobby. If something makes you happy you will spend all you can afford to get the most enjoyment from it.

Absolutely ! How people use up their money is up to them.... some people even spend it on old cars !

[myglaren]

Well I reckon the artist has a chance to be Zhong Tingting mentioned on the PE Jukebox here

Regards Neil

You could well be right Neil but I'm not totally convinced the pictures are the same girl although they could be with an age difference:

She is the same. There used to be a number of videos on YouTube, which is where I found her and bought her CDs from Japan - she lives in Japan, even have a nice letter from her. CDs were expensive - first was £50 then got stung for another £55 import duty, handling charge and VAT
The other's weren't quite as bad.

I have a lovely DVD of Tingting wandering around the northern islands of Japan, called "Slow Life Traveller". She is as cute as anything and of course it is all in foreign. It seemed that some of it was Chinese and some Japanese, I can't say how I could differentiate as I speak neither language.

Recently had my son and his Chinese better half with him, passed on a lot of Chinese music to her and we watched the DVD and she translated - although born in England she lived in Japan for a few years and speaks Japanese and Mandarin.
As I suspected the dialogue is Japanese and the commentary is Chinese.

Lee told me of when she first went to Japan, she would go to restaurants with a colleague. The staff would ask Lee what she wanted and she had no idea what they were saying and pointed to her colleague, a six foot tall blonde Australian girl who had been there years and spoke perfect Japanese. Who they ignored and continued to ask Lee, as she looks as though she should speak Japanese.

[myglaren]

While they boxed them up, he lured us back into the inner sanctum, sent out for posh coffee and sat us in a very plush sofa in front of a set up consisting of a pair of Sonus-Faber bookshelf speakers, an amazing amplifier and the Shanling.

I made it clear we weren't buying but he said, no, just listen and listen we did. The sound was incredible, just floated in the air with every nuance tangible. They had auditioned this stuff previously and were stunned themselves at the sound for the price.

I'd always been interested in good hi-fi, but never had the money. My mate used to work for B&W and he got me a ticket for the friends and family open day. Fascinating to see how they used to build the speakers, but then it came to the demonstration in the hastily built 'listening room' in their factory. I sat down for a listen.... actually two or three listens because I rejoined the queue as soon as I was out "Ah! So that's what it's all about. So that's what I've been missing out on. Oh!" I can't remember what kit they were using, but I do remember one of the CDs they used was by Dadawa.
It's not until you get to hear truly great hi-fi that you realise what all the fuss is about and why it can become such an expensive hobby
About 6 months after my visit my mate told me they were having an auction for the staff of 'returns' and damaged goods - did I want anything ? "Yep", says I. "Anything up to and including about £200 would be nice " He later phoned me to tell me he'd got me a pair of P6 floorstanders - my heart sunk, these usually sold for over a grand. "Yours for £100" says he They've been with me ever since, and rather nice they are too

They make, or made a series called Nautilus, eye-wateringly expensive.
The amp I have has a big brother that was made to drive the Nautilus speakers (for the Abby Road studios) and is naturally called Nemo. I have long lusted after some - they are mono so a minimum of one per channel although they do recommend at least two bi-amped.
They were, when I bought my kit, £15,000 a pair.

B&W sale at Lintone
Where I usually go for my requirements - not the Shanling though.

[myglaren]

I've exhausted my searches Mick. I found a Malaysian Artist too with the name Ayu TingTing.

Did exactly the same as you to compare her pic to the album cover with no conclusion.

I think Steve may well have forgotten our little puzzle in his waxing lyrical about equipment

Regards Neil

Did you look at the link I found the album on earlier Neil?

Yes definitely the album "Hourai no Shirabe" and its by TingTing but I cant imagine Steve playing anything by the better known TingTings through that equipment!

REgards Neil

Definitely not, they are an abomination.

[bobins]

They make, or made a series called Nautilus, eye-wateringly expensive.
The amp I have has a big brother that was made to drive the Nautilus speakers (for the Abbey Road studios) and is naturally called Nemo. I have long lusted after some - they are mono so a minimum of one per channel although they do recommend at least two bi-amped.
They were, when I bought my kit, £15,000 a pair.

I know, they had some Nautlius (should that be Nautilii ?) demo-ing at the open day How do you begin to describe the sound they produce ? 'Not fair' is probably a good starting place
It didn't seem right that a pair of speakers could just envelop you in sound.
Somewhere I have a very large sales brochure for the Nautilus

[mickthemaverick]

If that thing can't be made to play CDs at the very least, then we're going to have a bit of a problem on this desert island

Will this do you Bobins?

Own creation

[NewcastleFalcon]

Now this is surely worth a read.

Captain Scott's Desert Island Discs

It surprised me to know that his expedition to the Antarctic lugged this gramophone and a box of records donated to the expedition by The Gramophone Company (nowadays known as EMI), along with two splendid old gramophones. I'll select a track from Scott's box to put up on the PE Jukebox.

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Now this is surely worth a read.

Regards Neil

Fascinating I have to say! Something to order on Thursday, but sadly I have to admit I only recognise about a third of the tracks on there!!

[bobins]

If that thing can't be made to play CDs at the very least, then we're going to have a bit of a problem on this desert island

Will this do you Bobins?

I'll need a spec sheet that details how it deals with the soundstage, transients, dynamics, noise floor, timbre, sibilance, harmonic distortion, acoustical space, flanging, damping, detail, focus, infrasonics, lower highs and lower middles, rumble, tonality, and cabinet resonance before I can tell you whether it'll do. Oh, and also if it'll go up to '11'

[mickthemaverick]

I'll need a spec sheet that details how it deals with the soundstage, transients, dynamics, noise floor, timbre, sibilance, harmonic distortion, acoustical space, flanging, damping, detail, focus, infrasonics, lower highs and lower middles, rumble, tonality, and cabinet resonance before I can tell you whether it'll do. Oh, and also if it'll go up to '11'

No Problem at all:

Spoiler: show

[NewcastleFalcon]

Now this is surely worth a read.

Captain Scott's Desert Island Discs

It surprised me to know that his expedition to the Antarctic lugged this gramophone and a box of records donated to the expedition by The Gramophone Company (nowadays known as EMI), along with two splendid old gramophones. I'll select a track from Scott's box to put up on the PE Jukebox.

..and the selection was duly posted up on the PE Jukebox..."Stop your Tickling Jock" by Harry Lauder.

Within the loose rules of our deliberations here I have selected my nine from Scotts Box of records taken to the Antarctic thus.

A combination of Musichall favourites of the time together with a bit of operatic crooning and hark the herald angels sing.

..you may have heard the Ice Cream Van chimes version of this before.....



Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Following Neil's suggestion I thought I'd post up a second set of singles which I might choose when I get tired of my original choices:

1 Honey by Bobby Goldsboro
2 Back Home Again by John Denver
3 Stranger on the Shore by Acker Bilk
4 Deck of Cards by Wink Martindale
5 The Song Of The Clyde by Kenneth McKellar
6 The Green Green Grass of Home by Tom Jones
7 Partners by Jim Reeves
8 The Legend of Xanadu by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch
9 Terry by Twinkle

As a feeler for this collection I'll include the tune that got me to learn the clarinet. It got a grip on me when I watched the TV series of the same name which I think came before the tune was a hit. I had 2 years of lessons and kept practising religiously until I could play this almost as well as Acker Bilk - then I gave it up and haven't had it out of its case for 40 years!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

While we wait for more selections, and for maybe even a few debutants/regular posters to join in here's another set of selections from me. This time its on the pure artwork alone, and I've gone novel (in parts) rather than just churn out my own stock of well-loved album covers. So heres the nine.

I have delved.....one of the selections is from the origins of album art....delve yourself if you feel inclined. Who is it by and when was it and who did he work for

Scanning through a blog post about him with many examples of his work I came across the one in the bottom right. Inspiration for DSOTM perhaps or was DSOTM inspired by the Black Magic Chocolate box of the time, or the bands fedupness with surreal artwork on their albums Anyway again scope for a delve yourself and report back with the "correct story" and the name of the design studio who produced many of Pink Floyd's covers.

I let the top left album play on and enjoyed it, again a novelty but I have a sneaking suspicion I have come across the artist before within our humble forum, and wouldn't be at all surprised if our West Sussex correspondent was responsible. Again if you want to....find out the name of the artist or Name the full set of nine

montage

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

MY answers to your queries, no help from you know who, thoroughly enjoyed digging..are:

Spoiler: show

Taking the albums in order numbering 1-9 as a phone keypad:
1. Lost Horizons by Lemon Jelly, interestingly they added a balloon for the CD cover.
2. Breakfast in America by Supertramp
3. Parklife by Blur
4. Tremors by Sohn
5. Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, cover designed by Hipgnosis from an idea in a 1950's French photography book with a photo of a prism.
6. Disraeli Gears by Cream
7. Borboletta by Santana
8. Smash Song Hits by Rodgers and Hart, the first album cover designed by Alex Steinweiss working for Colombia Records in 1939.
9. Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 5 in E Flat Emperor by The New York Philharmonic Orchestra