The picture immediately below is at present the earliest firmly dated instance of the Dave Clark Five - or rather Mike Smith - with a Continental. The picture is probably from the TV performance of "Do You Love Me" and "Glad All Over", Ready Steady Go, 8th November 1963. One can just make out the "VOX" logo (as used on amplifiers) stuck to the front of the organ.

Published 23rd November 1963.

On 16th January 1964 the music press reported that the group had just placed an order for new equipment from Jennings. This was for the residency at the Tottenham Royal, 17th January to 23rd February. One of the concerts was filmed by Pathe News in colour (clips on YouTube). On the face of things, the Continental is classed as part of the new order. Whether it was the one pictured above - one that had been lent initially then purchased - is not known for certain.

16th January 1964.

Below, three organs used by Mike Smith in 1964 and a fourth perhaps provided solely for publicity. Organ (3) may be (2) with a replaced lid.

1. Late 1963 / early 1964. Square top; aluminium music stand supports on the lid; VOX logos applied to side and back; speaker and mains sockets mounted directly on the case at back. Seen at the Dave Clark Five's residency at the Tottenham Royal (Jan. and Feb. 1964, some performances filmed); "Top of the Pops" (Feb. 1964); "Ready Steady Go" (Feb. 1964); and other early shows.

Tottenham Royal. Detail of a photo taken in late January 1964. The VOX logos were airbrushed on to the photo

Tottenham Royal, performance filmed by Pathe. VOX logos later applied to the organ side and back.

Detail of a shot backstage, early 1964, venue unknown. Note the music stand support and the sockets mounted directly onto the case.

"Top of the Pops", February 1964.

Evidently some of the amplifiers issued in January 1964 - and presumably the organ - did not last long. Below a report from May. So far no pictures of the Swedish concerts have come to light.

30th May 1964.

2. Cut-out in the back of the case for the aluminium panel to which the sockets are fixed; a long "Vox Continental" plaque; low sloping lid; no fixings for music stand (clear from other pics). Seen on the Ed Sullivan show, May 1964, and on the set of "Ready Steady Go", June 1964.

Ed Sullivan Show, 22nd May, 1964. Detail of a pic from Getty Images.

Mike Smith in the studio, said to be February '64. The Continental has a new-style lid (low, sloping, no mounts for a music stand), but keyboard assembly is of the old type - Radiospares indicator lamp, Morganite roller switches, trafolyte panels with legends for the switches. Detail of a pic from Getty Images

Detail showing the presence of the later type of trafolyte panel - a single length.

A surviving Continental with the same type of panel as above. The organ has new-style low sloping lid, also as above.

Earlier type of trafolyte panels - one for each switch.

3. Old style square top lid, but with no mounts (or holes for mounts) for a music stand; long Vox Continental plaque on the back panel; cut-out for the sockets (seen in other pictures); old-style indicator lamp, trafolyte panels; roller switches. Used in the film "Get Yourself a College Girl", shot in part at Boreham Wood Studios, September 1964. The Animals, who also featured, had their own Continental (with new-style switches).

It may be that (3) is simply (2) with a replacement old-style lid.

Boreham Wood Studios, September 1964. Note the height of the lid at back. Detail of a pic from Getty Images

Detail from the film. Far right, old-style roller switches, legends, and indicator lamp.

4. A Continental with new-style rocker switches and indicator lamp. Publicity shots, date unknown at present, 1964.

Detail of a pic from Getty Images