Strong links were first forged between the Thomas Organ Company and Jennings in the late summer of 1963 when Jennings took on the distribution of Thomas organs in the UK. The arrangement was announced at the Russell Hotel Trade Fair in August, and separately in the music industry press in September.

Initial discussion between Tom Jennings and Joe Benaron, president of Thomas, is likely to have taken place at the NAMM Show in Chicago in July (see below, entry for 13th June). Jennings was the sole representative there of the British musical equipment manufacturing industry.

"Record Retailer and Music Industry News", 25th July, 1963.

Jack Malmsten demonstrated the Thomas Organs at the Trade Fair. See the report further down this page.

A shot of one of the demonstrations of the Thomas Organ, Russell Hotel, August 1963. The tall man at right is Joe Benaron, President of the Thomas Organ Company.

Two things flowed from the arrangement: - Jennings further scaled down its own production of console organs; and in the late summer of 1964, Thomas agreed to distribute Jennings equipment (Vox) in the USA - the "Million Dollar Deal". To anyone who knew that Jennings distributed Thomas equipment, this cannot have been too much of a surprise.

A double page advert placed in the British Trade Press, October 1963: "Distributed in the United Kingdom by Jennings Musical Industries Limited". Five organs are mentioned: the Largo AR-1 at 199 guineas; the Largo De Luxe AL-2, 299gns; Coronet B-1, 399gns; Symphonette VL-3, 587gns; and the Symphony O-1, 945gns.

The Jennings shop on Charing Cross Road, 21st December, 1963.

Jennings went great guns on Thomas, offering 13 of the company's organs by November 1964, along with various accessories and teaching aids. The organs offered in the earlier part of 1964 can be seen on this page (which is still building).

In early 1964, Jack Malmsten came over again to promote the Thomas lines handled by Jennings:

"Record Retailer and Music Industry News", 25th January, 1964, photo from a tightly-bound volume of magazines.

Excerpts from one of Malmsten's LPs for Thomas - click to hear on youtube.

On to Jennings Organs, 1964.

Documents relating to Jennings (Vox) guitar amplifiers, 1963.