The Vox Continental organ in America

1964 and 1965

This page picks up from the previous one on the Jennings stand at the .

In late August 1964 the news was widely reported: Jennings had signed a contract with the Thomas Organ Company of America to supply one million dollars' worth of equipment. Thomas, whose organs Jennings had distributed in the UK since August 1963, would be sole - the magic word was "exclusive" - distributor of Vox amplifiers, guitars, organs, and accessories in the USA. This, as it turned out, was the first of a series of substantial orders stretching through to mid 1966. That the Beatles just happened to be on tour in America when the announcement was made can have done no harm at all.

The deal was signed at the end of the British Musical Instrument Industries Trade Fair at the Russell Hotel in London.

This for Tom was a much hoped for breakthrough. He had gone to the NAMM show in Chicago twice (with Dick Denney), first in 1963 and again in 1964, to show among other things the Phantom guitar and Vox Continental organ, but a major distribution deal had eluded him. By mid 1964 only a handful of independent dealers - stockists really - had been lined up, the largest being Zeb Billings in Milwaukee.

Quite whether any Continentals were sold at the two NAMM shows, or for that matter through Tom's contacts, is unknown at present.

At any rate, in the weeks after the BMII Fair, JMI sprang into action. A photograph of 115 Dartford Road published in the local papers on 4th September (a week after the deal had been announced) gives some impression of the business of packing.

Amplifier production in the JMI factory at 115 Dartford Road

Published in the local Dartford press, 4th September, 1964.

That JMI had stock ready to send was probably not fortuitous. It seems likely that the main lines of the deal had already been hammered out at the NAMM show in June 1964 - Jennings had exhibited at the Thomas stand - and that in the weeks leading up to the announcement JMI got moving with production. The other thing to note is that the initial "million dollar deal" was in some respects a dry run - a means of giving both sides the chance to assess the wisdom/viability of further dealings. All went well and the first order was soon eclipsed in November 1964 by one for 1.5 million dollars' worth of equipment - in total, $2.5 million in the space of three months.

With the completion in November '64 of new assembly lines in the West Street Works in Erith, fortuitously or not, JMI was able to accelerate production further - see for pictures of the organ line.

In terms of shipping, consignments went by air to two locations in the USA - the Pacific Mercury / Thomas Organ works in Sepulveda, California; and to the Thomas Service Center in Evanston just north of Chicago. Illinois was first: the "Arlington Heights Herald" recorded on the 17th September 1964 that "the entire line" of Vox amplifiers and guitars had recently arrived in Chicago. California, a little later - a shop advert placed in the "San Francisco Examiner" in mid October noting: "Just arrived from England, 1st batch in northern California".

Before Thomas dispatched the equipment to approved dealers, various checks are likely to have been made: to ensure that voltage selectors had been set correctly; valves were intact; and that all features of the units operated as intended. Some valves did not survive the journey. For the Continental of course those were not a concern. Other elements of the electronics were susceptible to rough handling however.

A set of circuit diagrams for the Continental (copied from JMI's and circulated by Thomas) .

AMERICA

Just to say as a preliminary that the first time a Continental will have been seen by the general public in America was on the Ed Sullivan show in March 1964: the two appearances of the Dave Clark Five (8th and 15th). Those with a keen eye could well have made out exactly what the organ was - the camera did Jennings the huge favour of keeping the logo in view when zooming in (twice) Amplifiers were carefully hidden from view though as they always were on early Sullivan shows. Later, in November, Mike Smith's Continental could be seen again in the film "Get Yourself a College Girl", which also starred the Animals. See the clips on youtube.

In the sections below, a list of early securely dated sightings of *exported* Vox Continentals, 1964 and 1965. This is really just to make a start. The sequence of items will probably have to be re-jigged as further instances arise.

1964

(1) The Disc Jockey Carnival, Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 25th-31st December 1964, used by one of Bob Harris's demonstration bands.

Picture from "Vox Teen Beat" magazine no. 1, issued in California in April, 1965, page 4.

1965

(3) Paul Revere and the Raiders - pilot episode of "Where the Action Is", segments filmed on Leo Carillo State Beach (Malibu) in February 1965. Original pictures of the Raiders on set are held by . The Getty captions say the scenes were taped on the 13th February.

Malibu, February 1965, from "Vox Teen Beat" magazine, no. 2.

It is perhaps worth saying, however, that in April 1965 the only American band acknowledged by Thomas Organ as featuring Vox equipment was "The Standells" - no Raiders, no Sir Douglas Quintet.

"Vox Teen Beat" magazine, no. 1, April 1965, effectively a modified JMI list, which continues after the picture, and includes bands/performers that many British teenagers would probably never have heard of. But a number were good customers, in particular "The Joystrings", the band of the Salvation Army, based in Kent.

(3) "The Standells" - Munster show, aired 18th March, 1965. The band apparently did not have any Vox equipment in January.

Vox Continental logo taped off.

(4) "Manfred Mann" with a different Continental and an AC30, at the recording of an episode of Shindig, 24th March, 1965.

Picture from "Vox Teen Beat" magazine no. 1, issued in California in April '65. The organ is not the one seen earlier in the month.

(5) A picture of the Hal Morris Music Mart, Lansing, Illinois, published in the "Hammond Times", 13th April, 1965, in the background a Vox AC50 Foundation Bass and T60 Bass. On the rear wall, a copy of the first Thomas Organ Vox catalogue - "The Million Dollar Sound" - is pinned up along with various promotional photos. A photo of Hal's shop printed in December 1964 shows only the T60, none of the other Vox items visible below are present (and nothing pinned to the wall).

13th April, 1965. Thomas distributed the newly imported Vox equipment from two centres: Chicago (service centre warehouse in Evanston) and Sepulveda, California. Hal will have received his from Chicago.

(6) Vox Battle of the Bands, San Mateo Fairgrounds and Hollywood Palladium, late March to 16th April 1965. Below, Captain Beefheart, winners of the competition on stage at the Palladium. The Thomas Organ Vox Division provided at least two Continentals.

Early April, 1965. At front of stage, two JMI standees: the Dave Clark Five and Continental organ, and the Jumping Beatles. Three examples of the former are known, one to be pictured soon.

(7) The "Sir Douglas Quintet", the other US band signed up early on by Marv Kaiser, General Sales Manager of the Vox Division of Thomas Organ - their Continental certainly by 12th June 1965. Early promotional photos showing the band with a Continental were probably taken in March '65 but are undated unfortunately - or at least not capable of being securely dated at present.

The Times, Shreveport, Louisiana, 12th June, 1965. The picture of the band is a print from a Thomas Organ promitional photo probably taken in March.

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