Shed of keys

For me it began in 1968. On the radio was a guy saying he was the God of Hell Fire. I was hooked, not only by Arthur Brown's theatrics but by the instrument his keyboard player Vincent Crane was playing. At the time I didn't know what it was, but I was going to find out. The Hammond organ, a wonderful screaming beast. I was 13 in 1968 so there was no way I could afford a Hammond organ of my own, anyway I couldn't play. Mum sort of took pity and bought me a Stylophone. If it was good enough for Rick Wakeman then how could I complain? My other hobby at the time was electronics, so I put this to use by hooking up a square wave generator to the Stylophone thus creating an early FM synth. Could it have been the first? The valve radio on the living room shelf had an auxillery input. I now had everything to make the big time.

My musical skills consisted of making a lot of strange noises and the occasional tune made up of single notes. I realised I had to get an instrument where I could use all my fingers.

in 1971 I started my first and only career in telecommunications. Now I could afford my first organ. No, I still wasn't wealthy enough to buy a Hammond so I settled for a transistor based Welson. I loved it. Although not the Hammond sound, it had a self contained wooden Leslie type rotor which made all those big chords swirl.

it was August 1974 when at last I got my hands on a Hammond organ. For many months previous I had been a regular visitor to Kesteven Organs Boston. Then one day in August there it was - a Hammond M101. This was it.

Well of course it wasnt it, was it? I soon found out that the Hammond without a Leslie is a very sterile sound. No way could I afford a Leslie 122 os a smaller 145. I therefore obtained a much cheaper Sharma tone cabinet. No lovely overdriven tubes, but it was loud. Near on a 100 watts of solid state tech.

it was about 1980 when I finally purchsed a real Leslie tone cabinet. A model 770. Again it was solid state, but with a much better tone. It is now 36 years later and during those years I have obtained various keyboards and effects units, but never truly accomplished a rich overdriven Hammond sound.To this date, the nearest I've got to it is by running a Nord electro 3 through a Burn Leslie simulator pedal. The Hammond 101 still looks on, and one day I'm sure it will growl in its own right.