Vox Organs - the BMII Trade Fair, August 1967
Transistor consoles
JMI pricelist of April 1967.
The pricelist above indicates how things stood four months before the British Musical Instrument Industries Trade Fair of August 1967 (the key event of the year for most manufacturers in Britain). The Riviera had just been released along with the Gyrotone rotary speaker cabinets, and the Jaguar was still relatively new, but the other items listed were in varying degrees relatively old - the Univoxes indeed stretching back to 1953.
At the Fair, five new models were unveiled: the Super Continental II, and four console organs: the Casino, Carousel, Carnival, and Concerto, all likely to have been based on Thomas Organ models.
Music trade press review of the Jennings stands, September 1967.
Mike Carr, an accomplished keyboardist (on the London jazz scene), was drafted in to demonstrate the new (and old) units. A general page on the Fair is available on the Vox AC100 website.
European music trade magazine (tri-lingual reviews), August 1967.
The Super Continental II
In essence, a (dual manual) Super Continental with the addition of repeat percussion for the upper keyboard. The stock photo provided by Jennings to reviewers was, however, of a standard Super Continental (with an added "II" on the upper fascia).
August 1967, promotional picture.
Detail of a Vox Super Continental II showing the repeat percussion tabs, altogether absent in the promotional photo.
The Riviera
The Riviera was shown for the first time at the Frankfurt Musikmesse in February 1967, set up for display (and checked) by Rodney Angell, a senior engineer in JMI's Research and Design Department. From 1965, Rodney had worked closely with the Organ Department (headed by Geoff Harris).
The perspex music stand replicated the form of the stand used on early Continentals, late 1962 and 1963.
Below, Sidney Irving, Member of Parliament for Darford, playing what may be a prototype Riviera at the Vox Works in January 1967. Irving put Jennings forward for the "Queen's Award for Industry", which it successfully won in April.
Picture published in February 1967.
The Riviera shown at the Frankfurt Trade Fair, pictured in a German music trade journal.
Rodney's tickets for Frankfurt. Thanks to Martin for the picture.
The Riviera at the 1967 Trade Fair
Immediately below, a flyer from JMI's wallet of promotional material for the Fair. The Carousel and Carnival organs - also new (and outlined briefly in the section below) - had Gyrotone rotary speaker units built in.
Front.
Rear.
Russell Hotel, August 1967, the JMI organ display in Room 135 on the first floor - the Riviera just visible at left; centre the new Concerto. At right, Geoff Harris.
BMII Trade Fair brochure. Jennings had five rooms on the floor: 134A, 135 for organs (probably along with 134A), and 141-143. Thanks to Martin for the picture.
Four new console organs
The Casino, Carousel, Carnival, and Concerto - names perhaps inspired by the Thomas organs that JMI had distributed in the mid 1960s. Indeed it may be that the organs were designed initially around American-made parts. Thomas would ship its organs to the UK as modules for JMI to assemble and sell - a canny means of evading import duties on instruments that were ready for immediate use. When the deal came to an end at short notice in February 1967 - see this page for details - JMI was free not only to produce console organs of its own again, but presumably make use of - or at least copy - Thomas left-overs.
Unfortunately it is highly unlikely that many - if any - of these organs made their way to sale. At the end of September 1967 Tom was gone; and by mid December 1967 the official receiver had been called in following the collapse of Royston Industries (which owned a controlling interest in JMI).
