Looking For Information On Some Alf Edwards Tapes I Am Researching

[Diane5757]

I x Ampex with Ampex label stating 'Alf Edwards Interview', no box.

 

1 x Scotchboy magnetic tape with writing on inside of box 'Alfico LP, Penny Seegar, tape has writing on leader tape 'Alf Edwards, Art of the concertina.

 

1 x British Ferrograph Recorder company, label on reel 'do not erase' writing on inside of box 'Alf and Ken Group'.

 

1 x reel 'Scoth' by Minnesota Mining company, no features on reel or box.

 

1 x BASF Magnetophone-Langspielband 1700ft box, no identifiers on box or reel.

 

These all came in the same lot at auction, so assuming they are similar in contents (hopefully an Alf Edwards fan)

 

I know nothing about the chap (or ken) apart from my limited research (great site, lots of very informed opinion), nor do I have the sort of equipment required to verify the contents of the reels. Pictures available of all items.

 

I hope to sell these items on ebay (member ID diane5757), but do not know if unverified is the best way...any ideas or comments appreciated.

 

Regards

Diane

[wes williams]

I hope to sell these items on ebay (member ID diane5757), but do not know if unverified is the best way...any ideas or comments appreciated.

Hi Diane,

Cassettes came in around 1970, so these tapes are likely to be at least 30 years old, and tape recorders were the latest consumer novelty in the early 1960s. The problem with anything like this (audio/cassette/video) as opposed to disks (LP/78) is that magnetic-tape physically degrades, sometimes grows moulds, and the recording quality is also affected by any magnetism nearby. Basically its just rust glued onto a plastic strip. If you tried to verify it on a suitable tape deck you might end up with a load of brown dust, so you have to inspect the quality and stability of the tape carefully first. And unless you can confirm that the contents are there, there's also no guarentee that these tapes haven't been recorded over at a later date, as they have no 'write protection'.

'Alfico LP, Penny Seegar, tape has writing on leader tape 'Alf Edwards, Art of the concertina.

This probably reads Alfies' LP, Peggy Seeger. Alf did a lot of work with the duo Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, and Art of the Concertina was an LP released commercially (Topic label? early/mid 1960s?). A very early example of music copyright theft

 

best wishes ..wes

[Diane5757]

I x Ampex with Ampex label stating 'Alf Edwards Interview', no box.

 

1 x Scotchboy magnetic tape with writing on inside of box 'Alfico LP, Penny Seegar, tape has writing on leader tape 'Alf Edwards, Art of the concertina.

 

1 x British Ferrograph Recorder company, label on reel 'do not erase' writing on inside of box 'Alf and Ken Group'.

 

1 x reel 'Scoth' by Minnesota Mining company, no features on reel or box.

 

1 x BASF Magnetophone-Langspielband 1700ft box, no identifiers on box or reel.

 

These all came in the same lot at auction, so assuming they are similar in contents (hopefully an Alf Edwards fan)

 

I know nothing about the chap (or ken) apart from my limited research (great site, lots of very informed opinion), nor do I have the sort of equipment required to verify the contents of the reels. Pictures available of all items.

 

I hope to sell these items on ebay (member ID diane5757), but do not know if unverified is the best way...any ideas or comments appreciated.

 

Regards

Diane

[Diane5757]

Wes

 

Thanks for the info, tapes do appear to be in very good condition.

 

Regards

Diane

[malcolm clapp]

"Ken Group" is likely to be the Kensington Group of concertina players, which was, I think, a select group within the International Concertina Association back in the 1950s. Apparently, they met regularly in a Kensington (London) pub, the name of which escapes me.

 

I have a cassette which I copied around 1983 from a reel tape belonging to the late Arthur Clements, also marked "Alf and Ken", and I remember asking Arthur the question about who Ken was, much to his amusement!

 

From memory, Arthur told me his tapes were recorded by Jim Harvey, though I don't know whether they were originals or copies.

 

I'm wondering whether these might have been Arthur's?

 

MC