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Thursday, 3 March 2011

RAILWAY RECORDING BOOTHS

Dundee used to have a Recording Booth (like the one above) at the rail station in the 60's and 70's.
Just like a photo booth, you'd plonk your coin in the slot, but instead of posing for some snaps, you'd start speaking.
The idea was that those who were travelling could send a voice message from the location they were visiting - a bit like a sonic postcard!
2/6 (13p) for a 3 minute recording at the standard speed of 45rpm.
Mind you, it was also put to use by the locals from time to time.
Yvonne J (Susan Childe from The Flamingos) was telling me that when she was a young teenager she once popped into the booth and recorded a full song - a bit of a precursor to her later years in proper recording studios.
The booth in the picture isn't the Dundee one, but I'm sure every main town in Britain had one back then.
I guess they must have been phased-out some time in the mid/late 70's.
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10 comments:

  1. Tenacious Dee3 March 2011 at 11:31

    ive heard tales of guys squeezing in with a a couple of acoustics beltin out a few tunes :)

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  2. RETRO DUNDEE3 March 2011 at 14:30

    If it was The Ramones, they'd be able to knock out 3 tracks in one session!

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  3. The Historian5 March 2011 at 15:16

    Am sure I used one of these at Butlin's Ayr and the disc that popped out was a flexi disc.

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    Replies
    1. Unknown24 June 2018 at 07:52

      Yes but ins had them they were very floppy great fun

      Delete
  4. Stoo6 March 2011 at 08:48

    I have a disc from one of these somewhere sent to me by my Cousins in the 60's, its as rigid as a 78rpm

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  5. Anonymous1 August 2012 at 05:17

    Charing Cross station in London had one in the sixties, It cost me a weeks pocket money to cut my disc, and it was a floppy disc..not a hard one! Couldn't wait to get home and play it on my record player.

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  6. Rosie23 February 2013 at 16:24

    I remember me and my pal made a recording and it was a floppy record,I'm sure it was at Butlins Skegness. We sang "She's Leaving Home" by the Beatles.Must've been about 1967, would that be about right?

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  7. Anonymous15 March 2013 at 01:35

    I am so glad I found these comments, as a little girl I remember my dad singing in one on a station in London. But whenever I mention it, no-one remembers recording booths. Thought I had imagined them!

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  8. Anonymous22 August 2014 at 04:40

    I made one record and sent home ( Hong Kong) from London as late as 1971.

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  9. Unknown13 February 2022 at 15:22

    There was one at Liverpool Street Station and us girls from work all crammed into one and made a record.

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