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Author Topic: Some early Jimmy Shand documents, relating to Organola purchases + recording  (Read 3582 times)

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triskel

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There have been a few mentions here of Jimmy Shand items being sold at auction in September 2016, for example:

JIMMY SHAND AUCTION HIS SON WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOLD JIMMYS MELODEONS ETC, I NEVER HEARD ABOUT IT AND I STAY FEW MILES FROM AUCTERMUCHTY

The Jimmy Shand items were Lots 1286 to 1344 (pages 6 and 7) at McTear's Auction in Glasgow on Friday 16th September.

But though they were put up for sale by his son, whether Sir Jimmy ever performed on any of the boxes may be another question...

I only bought Lot 1311, described as "FASCINATING EARLY EPHEMERA including a 1933 Hire Purchase Card to Mr James Shand from J. T. Forbes, Piano and Organ Saloons, 44 King's Road, Dundee for the purchase of a L'Organola de Luxe & case; two Letters from Forbes dated November 1933, in one Forbes congratulates Jimmy on being booked for an audition - 'Things are coming your way at last. Hearty congratulations' - Forbes relays some brief instructions about the recording procedure - remarks about contacting Hohner about the possiblity of free publicity via the B.B.C. also a Letter from Columbia Gramophone Company, Ltd. to Charles Forbes outlining their recording requirements and expectations and a 1936 Contract with The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society." (Those items being closely linked to the beginnings of the great man's career.)

And a friend in the Highlands managed to buy some pieces of memorabilia, though not the accordion she wanted.

The auctioneer's Postage & Packing being rather "hefty" :o, my friend in the Highlands had my lot collected for me, along with hers, but as a consequence I only got the documents rather belatedly.

Jimmy Shand played a  two row 23 treble 36 bass L'Organolla  in the early thirties & possibly made his first recordings  with it.  He moved on to a 3 row 80 bass  version in around 1934  & used this untill the prototype Shand Morino came in 1939

Here's the Hire Purchase card for that L'Organola De-Luxe and case George. It cost the then substantial sum of £30 ,, 16s, payable 5/- weekly, and he made the first payment (so probably got it) on 28th January 1933;







Jimmy Shand with 36-bass L'Organola:



... and a letter dated 17th November 1933 about him going to London to record for the Columbia Graphophone Company Ltd. - which must have resulted in his first (1933, Regal-Zonophone) discs, MR 1387 (Side 1 - Set of Jigs - Atholl Highlanders; Rakes of Kildare; Teviot Bridge / Side 2 - Hornpipes - Londonderry Hornpipe; High Level Hornpipe) and MR 1388 (Side 1 - Set of Reels - Punchbowl; My Love She's But a Lassie Yet; Fair Maid of Perth / Side 2 - M/S/R - The Drunken Piper; Laird of Drumblair; Deil Amang the Tailors);




According to the Jimmy Shand biography, Hohner made a 3-row, 34 treble, 80-bass BCC# button accordion for Jimmy Shand in 1934. They labelled it "L'Organola", a name they had previously used for piano accordions. Jimmy Shand used it for his early Beltona recordings.

This letter from Charlie Forbes, dated 21st November 1933, makes reference to Jimmy's desire for that 80-bass to be built Bill, and there's a reference to cancelling a 2-row 60-bass under construction at Hohner;




... whilst this one, dated 30th November is about the recordings having been made.


But it seems likely that he indeed got his 3-row 80-bass in 1934;


 
Before getting the "Shand, Hohner Special" Morino, shortly before the start of WW2, in 1939;


The final (signed, legal copy) document, dated 1st April 1936, is in connection with royalty payments:







Bill Young

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Fascinating stuff, Stephen! Particularly the letters concerning the first recordings - done and dusted in about a week and a half, and all arrangements made by letter - they didn't hang about in those days! And they had hire purchase back in the 1930s - who knew?
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KLR

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"There aren't that many Shands around, you know!"  Ain't that the truth!

When that Scottish discography website popped up I was bowled over by how many solo discs Jimmy cut in the 30s, I hope we get to hear more of those some day.

Thanks for sharing, Stephen!
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triskel

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Fascinating stuff, Stephen! Particularly the letters concerning the first recordings - done and dusted in about a week and a half, and all arrangements made by letter - they didn't hang about in those days!


You really can't get better historical information than is revealed in these original documents Bill, and it's wonderful that Jimmy Shand preserved these records of the beginnings of his illustrious career for us.

Quote
And they had hire purchase back in the 1930s - who knew?

It seems it goes back (at least) to the marketing of Singer sewing machines in the 1850s!

"Hire purchase was first put into regular public service in the 1850's by Edward Clark, partner to Isaac Merritt Singer. This allowed for the Hire Purchase of Singer's new sewing machine that cost $125 in the 1850's. You could pay in weekly or monthly installments at agreed amounts to suit your purse. His hire purchase method was widely copied throughout the world." Alex Askaroff www.sewalot.com

triskel

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When that Scottish discography website popped up I was bowled over by how many solo discs Jimmy cut in the 30s, I hope we get to hear more of those some day.

And that 1936 MCPS contract is a reflection of the royalties due to him from those...

george garside

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"There aren't that many Shands around, you know!"  Ain't that the truth!

  I was bowled over by how many solo discs Jimmy cut in the 30s, I hope we get to hear more of those some day.

 

many available on CD  eg vintage classics 1. (1930's stuff) available from Shand family  www.jimmyshand.com or from 'all celtic music'.  The Shand family CD's are very good quality being taken from the original masters rather than copies of copies of copies  as are many cheap Jimmy Shand CD's

george
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Winston Smith

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I wonder which microphones he used? (Hehehe!)
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KLR

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Thanks, George!
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Bill Young

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I wonder which microphones he used? (Hehehe!)

Ones like these ...   (:)
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John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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I assume you've seen the box on EBay. reputed to have belonged to JS?

SJ
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: Hohner Club Modell 1. Bb/Eb, de-clubbed : Early Hohner Pressed Wood A/D : 1930's Varnished wood G/C:  Hohner Erika C/F: Bandoneon tuned D/G Pressed wood: Koch F/Bb; G/C Pre Corso

triskel

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I assume you've seen the box on EBay. reputed to have belonged to JS?

That's the second, or third of them that I've seen come up on eBay. But like I said;

... though they were put up for sale by his son, whether Sir Jimmy ever performed on any of the boxes may be another question...

 ::)

John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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Indeed. I had a visit a couple of years ago from a chap named Shand, a cousin of Jimmy's apparently. Reckons he owns one of Jimmy's old boxes, but as you say, did he play it?


SJ
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: Hohner Club Modell 1. Bb/Eb, de-clubbed : Early Hohner Pressed Wood A/D : 1930's Varnished wood G/C:  Hohner Erika C/F: Bandoneon tuned D/G Pressed wood: Koch F/Bb; G/C Pre Corso
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