I remember when, (the music thread)

[Lincsong]

I believe that "stereo" sound in cars meant it had more than just the standard single speaker mounted in the middle of the dash; thus "mono" versus "stereo" sound. I could be wrong.

 

[LizzieMaine]

First record player I remember was the 78rpm changer in my grandparents' Firestone Air Chief console radio -- you tilted out the speaker section, and the turntable was mounted on a sort of drawer thing behind it. The first one I owned for myself was a cheap kiddie portable with an acoustic reproducer but an electric motor. It was a four-speed, and didn't sound especially good on any speed, probably because I rarely bothered to change the needle.

We had a lot of Califone portables in school -- mostly used to play the soundtrack records for filmstrips. (That's another vanished technology, for you younguns.)

 

[rue]

Car radios really became feasible around 1930 - the Motorola company specialized in making them for after-market installation, hence its name. Philco also had a line of car radios, called the "Transitone." By the end of the thirties they were an option on even the lowest-priced cars.

*Stereo* didn't catch on in cars until the sixties, when tape cartridges became popular.

The 30s? That's amazing. Do you know if they could they pick up a lot of the available stations? I'm just wondering how good they were and if it was like sitting in your living room at the time.

 

[Lincsong]

The first car radios were vacuum tubes. I wonder if anyone here has a specimen to display?

 

[LizzieMaine]

A lot of car radios were actually *better* than home radios -- they had to be, to avoid the interference that went with being in a car. A lot depended on antenna quality -- it wasn't until later in the thirties that you started to see the familiar whip antennas. A lot of earlier cars used what amounted to chicken wire mesh woven under the top fabric, and it didn't pick up especially well. There was a lot of trouble with electrical noise, as well, until manufacturers came up with various types of noise-suppressing devices.

One thing they never really mastered was shortwave reception in cars. Very few car radios ever offered that option, even though it was extremely popular from the mid-thirties on in home sets.

 

[rue]

Better? It makes sense, but I would have imagined a lot of static. The fact that they had whip antennas then amazes me too. I've never noticed one on a car from that era when I've been to car shows. They must leave them off or I just didn't see it.

Thank you Lizzie. You always amaze me with your knowledge

 

[Atticus Finch]

OK, here's a , "I had to walk two miles to school uphill both ways" story. In the mid-sixties, Beaufort, North Carolina, the little town where I was raised, only got reception from two local radio stations. Both were AM and both signed off at midnight. I loved rock music, so my Dad gave me his old Halicrafters radio to put in my room. It looked exactly like this one. If I tuned it very carefully...late, late at night...I could pick up WOWO out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. What great rock and roll! I woke many mornings with my headphones still on and the hiss of AM static in my ears.

AF

 

[Big Man]

OK, here's a , "I had to walk two miles to school uphill both ways" story. In the mid-sixties, Beaufort, North Carolina, the little town where I was raised, only got reception from two local radio stations ...

Good thing you lived on the coast, out here in the mountains of western NC my "uphill both ways" was in the snow.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I had a tube radio in my old Bel-Air. Just a basic AM, no Wonderbar set-up, no presets or anything, just the base radio. It took as long as the car to warm up on a cold day!

The first car radios were vacuum tubes. I wonder if anyone here has a specimen to display?

Also, with AM car radios, resistor spark plugs will help reduce interference on the AM band. I still do this, most of the radio I listen to is AM, they hardly play any good on FM these days.

A lot of car radios were actually *better* than home radios -- they had to be, to avoid the interference that went with being in a car. A lot depended on antenna quality -- it wasn't until later in the thirties that you started to see the familiar whip antennas. A lot of earlier cars used what amounted to chicken wire mesh woven under the top fabric, and it didn't pick up especially well. There was a lot of trouble with electrical noise, as well, until manufacturers came up with various types of noise-suppressing devices.

One thing they never really mastered was shortwave reception in cars. Very few car radios ever offered that option, even though it was extremely popular from the mid-thirties on in home sets.

I had gotten my hands on one for an old car of mine and the instructions even said not to use while driving.

Tom yes, obviously, my question was kinda rhetorical.

The phonograph I remember, Lizzie, looked like an actual turntable, with a platter, tone arm, center spindle, and record holding arm. It slid out and was exposed while playing. My little brother had a close-n-play, and the record player in the car that I remember definitely wasnt one of those. I guess it was more of a novelty thing.

 

[scottyrocks]

We had a lot of Califone portables in school -- mostly used to play the soundtrack records for filmstrips. (That's another vanished technology, for you younguns.)

Ding!

 

[Lincsong]

The actually still play music on AM, Tom?

 

[Lincsong]

Tom yes, obviously, my question was kinda rhetorical.

The phonograph I remember, Lizzie, looked like an actual turntable, with a platter, tone arm, center spindle, and record holding arm. It slid out and was exposed while playing. My little brother had a close-n-play, and the record player in the car that I remember definitely wasnt one of those. I guess it was more of a novelty thing.

Yeah, probably more to be used while the car was parked. With the engine running of course.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Yes they do, mostly classic country and oldies from the 50s and 60s, which is what I like, so my radio seldom leaves the AM dial.

The actually still play music on AM, Tom?

 

[Jaguar66]

I agree that the first stereo sound was the 4 track tape players, followed shortly thereafter by 8 track. I installed my first one in 1966 in my 1965 GTO. I have never seen 33 1/3 LP stereophonic car record players, if they even existed.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I just bought a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons 8-track this weekend, thought it was pertinent to the conversation.

 

[Shangas]

I remember when my father introduced me to Frank Sinatra.

That was my first glimmer into 1940s, 1950s pop music.

And after that, all I did was dig and went deeper and deeper, all the way back to the 1880s.

I remember when the Walkman was the most compact personal musical device that was on the market. I remember that they ate batteries like a kid eats chocolate. I remember how clunky and chunky they were. I remember how fiddly audio-tapes were and how fragile those stupid plastic cases were.

I remember listening to books on tape. They got me interested in Old Time Radio.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Ahh, Walkmans. I remember when I was a kid, I used to sit by my parents stereo console (now in my house) and record "Rick Jackson's Country Hall of Fame" and transfer their old records onto cassette tape so I could listen to classic country hits on my way to school or while mowing the lawn. It took my allowance just to keep batteries in the darn thing!

 

[Shangas]

I rest my case. Those Walkmans ate batteries like we might eat peas. They cycled through so many of them...

I remember my Walkman was yellow (What? Yellow was my favourite colour back then!).

I remember when my father still had a record-player and records. After his record-player carked it, I remember he sold all his records.

I remember my dad telling me a few weeks ago how damned stupid he was to do that and how he now wishes he had all those records back.

I remember DISCMANS and how everyone thought they would be the Next Big Thing. I remember my brother had one and I wanted one really badly. But when they went the way of the Dodo, I was glad I never bought one. I remember that his discman is now a paperweight.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I remember my dad got me rechargeable batteries for mine and I thought I was too cool for school!
My folks stopped listening to records when we got internet and they could look the songs up online, I then inherited all the records.
I remember getting mocked because I had a Walkman and it was 2003 and everyone had a discman by then (not that I've ever been known for being cutting-edge.)

 

[Lincsong]

I still use my Discman when on planes.