Andy Kershaw's Sony WM-D6C - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Nickthedentist · 25th Sep 2020, 9:54 pm

All Sony fans will know about these amazing, "Pro Walkman", ultra-compact, high-spec cassette recorders: https://walkmancentral.com/products/wm-d6c

I heard a trailer on Radio 3 today about a programme of music taken from Andy Kershaw's collection of home-made cassettes of world music which he made in the 1980s and 1990s. Naturally, I wondered about the machines the recordings were made on.

And amazingly, it's all revealed. Listen from 12:10 if the music's not your cup of tea:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000mrgj

Nick.

dave walsh · 26th Sep 2020, 2:10 pm

I bought a Walkman Portable Cassette Recorder in 1982. It wasn't the very advanced model that Nick has shown us or the [I think] modified version the BBC had bought then, with a manual recording level control option. It was more semi-professional [with AVC] but it must have been a good circuit because I recorded in some loud and cramped venues and seldom had any serious overloading! It cost me £200 from Dixons, a great deal of money but I was determined to have the same ease of recording "professionals" had on location. It lasted until 2002 in almost continuous use, working out at £10 a year, so a great buy in the end!

Andy Kershaw lives in Todmorden now and I once went to see him give a talk [can he talk!] about his "Adventures" as a BBC Reporter. I see that was Weds 25/9/13 at the Bury Met Arts Centre, just down the Road from Ramsbottom! The bus stops right outside and there he was [talking to some fellow smokers]. I mentioned that I also lived in the south and had given a tape to Bob Bastin, a chap who put out transcriptions of vintage international material ie Blues/Western Swing/ Cuban/African etc, transferred from 78's. This was a small business in the same coastal town. On the taped copy of Andy's Radio 3 program he says "and here's another one from Bob B on Fly Right Records in Bexhill on Sea!"

I can only say that the subsequent performance totally amazed me! He came out on stage with his dog [Buster?] which patrolled the front edge looking at the audience and then appeared satisfied so he lay down at the back curtain with a bowl of water [the dog that is]. Andy said "I'm sorry but I can't really start until Buster is happy with the crowd." Uproar! He then gave a "tour de force?" description of his life and times with the expected music content but mainly about all the difficult, dangerous, obscure and very hard to get into parts of the world he had visited as a Beeb Journalist eg The Congo, North Korea [then]. Michael Palin looked very uneasy doing the same thing a couple of years ago as he crossed by train from South Korea into the North! There were many, many locations and photos of Mr Kershaw with locals and political leaders. It was a very long but incredibly fascinating experience [at least three hours, my mini-disc recorder ran out at 2-30mins!]. I was sitting there thinking "Why hasn't this been filmed?"

It seems that he will be touring The Adventures of Andy Kershaw again in mid 2021. I don't think it's done the rounds since 2013 as I have been looking out for a repeat. Highly Recommended. thumbsup:

Dave W

jamesperrett · 27th Sep 2020, 1:02 am

That was a very interesting program - I used to listen to Andy Kershaw years ago but haven't done so in ages. However, I'll bet he paid more than £90 for the machine.

25th Sep 2020, 9:54 pm	#1
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,854	Andy Kershaw's Sony WM-D6C All Sony fans will know about these amazing, "Pro Walkman", ultra-compact, high-spec cassette recorders: https://walkmancentral.com/products/wm-d6c I heard a trailer on Radio 3 today about a programme of music taken from Andy Kershaw's collection of home-made cassettes of world music which he made in the 1980s and 1990s. Naturally, I wondered about the machines the recordings were made on. And amazingly, it's all revealed. Listen from 12:10 if the music's not your cup of tea: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000mrgj Nick.

26th Sep 2020, 2:10 pm	#2
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Andy Kershaw's Sony WM-D6C I bought a Walkman Portable Cassette Recorder in 1982. It wasn't the very advanced model that Nick has shown us or the [I think] modified version the BBC had bought then, with a manual recording level control option. It was more semi-professional [with AVC] but it must have been a good circuit because I recorded in some loud and cramped venues and seldom had any serious overloading! It cost me £200 from Dixons, a great deal of money but I was determined to have the same ease of recording "professionals" had on location. It lasted until 2002 in almost continuous use, working out at £10 a year, so a great buy in the end! Andy Kershaw lives in Todmorden now and I once went to see him give a talk [can he talk!] about his "Adventures" as a BBC Reporter. I see that was Weds 25/9/13 at the Bury Met Arts Centre, just down the Road from Ramsbottom! The bus stops right outside and there he was [talking to some fellow smokers]. I mentioned that I also lived in the south and had given a tape to Bob Bastin, a chap who put out transcriptions of vintage international material ie Blues/Western Swing/ Cuban/African etc, transferred from 78's. This was a small business in the same coastal town. On the taped copy of Andy's Radio 3 program he says "and here's another one from Bob B on Fly Right Records in Bexhill on Sea!" I can only say that the subsequent performance totally amazed me! He came out on stage with his dog [Buster?] which patrolled the front edge looking at the audience and then appeared satisfied so he lay down at the back curtain with a bowl of water [the dog that is]. Andy said "I'm sorry but I can't really start until Buster is happy with the crowd." Uproar! He then gave a "tour de force?" description of his life and times with the expected music content but mainly about all the difficult, dangerous, obscure and very hard to get into parts of the world he had visited as a Beeb Journalist eg The Congo, North Korea [then]. Michael Palin looked very uneasy doing the same thing a couple of years ago as he crossed by train from South Korea into the North! There were many, many locations and photos of Mr Kershaw with locals and political leaders. It was a very long but incredibly fascinating experience [at least three hours, my mini-disc recorder ran out at 2-30mins!]. I was sitting there thinking "Why hasn't this been filmed?" It seems that he will be touring The Adventures of Andy Kershaw again in mid 2021. I don't think it's done the rounds since 2013 as I have been looking out for a repeat. Highly Recommended. thumbsup: Dave W Last edited by dave walsh; 26th Sep 2020 at 2:39 pm.

27th Sep 2020, 1:02 am	#3
jamesperrett Octode Join Date: May 2007 Location: Liss, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 1,875	Re: Andy Kershaw's Sony WM-D6C That was a very interesting program - I used to listen to Andy Kershaw years ago but haven't done so in ages. However, I'll bet he paid more than £90 for the machine.