Decca - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Heatercathodeshort · 1st Mar 2019, 7:43 pm

It was announced today that the forma Decca recording studio in West London is celebrating it's 90th year.[LBC]
It was the actual studio where The Beatles were turned down..
Great company Decca. I was very fond of their domestic products. I have happy memories of the spares dept at Ingate Place Battersea SW8. John

ekjdm14 · 1st Mar 2019, 8:08 pm

Well, happy "birthday" to the Decca studio!

I recently missed out on a gorgeous looking music centre made by them, a Compact 2. Shame, it looked and felt very well made for a music centre of the era and I really liked the curved Perspex dust cover with wood sides.

RojDW48 · 1st Mar 2019, 9:53 pm

Yes - fond memories of Decca Special Products and the service they gave.......even after RACAL threw them out!!

Restoration73 · 2nd Mar 2019, 10:15 am

The quality of the pressings made at the New Malden record plant was legendary. The
first stereo LPs in the UK originated here. There was a film on a previous BVWS DVD.

barretter · 2nd Mar 2019, 11:52 am

Although Decca were the first to issue LPs in the UK market in 1950, the first British stereo LPs were issued by Pye in mid 1958.

Ted Kendall · 3rd Mar 2019, 3:07 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Restoration73

The quality of the pressings made at the New Malden record plant was legendary.

That can be taken two ways, as sufferers from "Decca scrunch" will attest...but, at their best, very good indeed.

AJSmith625 · 5th Mar 2019, 1:47 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heatercathodeshort

It was announced today that the forma Decca recording studio in West London is celebrating it's 90th year.[LBC]
It was the actual studio where The Beatles were turned down..
Great company Decca. I was very fond of their domestic products. I have happy memories of the spares dept at Ingate Place Battersea SW8. John

I remember passing the factory in SW8 in the early 1970s while on a train journey from Waterloo to Egham. You couldn't miss it with the big Decca sign on the building. I think by then it was just audio products made there. TVs had moved to Bridgenorth.

Alan.

Heatercathodeshort · 10th Mar 2019, 10:41 am

I believe the Decca pressing works were at Albert Road, New Malden Surrey. The site is now the car park of B&Q. This was adjacent to the old Odeon Cinema at the junction with the Kingston By Pass and Blagdon Road later to be taken over by Decca Radar and used for many years prior to it's demolition.
The Woolworth brand EMBASSY were pressed by Decca and may well have been recorded in their studio. The sound quality from these 4/- discs is outstanding even today after very many playings on dubious equipment.

lesmw0sec · 10th Mar 2019, 10:58 am

My first observation of Decca was the FFRR sign on the boiler house at the Royal Naval Cordite factory Holton Heath, where they had a pressing plant (pressing vinyl instead of cordite). In the tip close to the sea could be found numerous plasic off-cuts plus a few failed pressings!

Heatercathodeshort · 10th Mar 2019, 11:02 am

I thought you might like to see this picture taken in March 1977 from the roof of Venner Timeswitches Ltd [Kingston by Pass] during it's demolition.

The building to the right, with the little tower, of similar age and construction to the Venner factory [1931] was taken over by Decca in the 1960's

In the background can be seen the Odeon Cinema building that had just been taken over by Decca. The Estate Agents board, still displaying 'To Let' can just be seen on the right. It says; TO LET. Former Odeon Cinema Shannon Corner...

All the buildings in this picture have been demolished.

I have good quality daylight photos of this area. This particular picture was taken with a pre war 'ENSIGN' camera I found on the rubbish tip! Regards, John.

1st Mar 2019, 7:43 pm	#1
Heatercathodeshort Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING. Posts: 9,147	Decca It was announced today that the forma Decca recording studio in West London is celebrating it's 90th year.[LBC] It was the actual studio where The Beatles were turned down.. Great company Decca. I was very fond of their domestic products. I have happy memories of the spares dept at Ingate Place Battersea SW8. John

1st Mar 2019, 8:08 pm	#2
ekjdm14 Banned Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Congleton, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 609	Re: Decca Well, happy "birthday" to the Decca studio! I recently missed out on a gorgeous looking music centre made by them, a Compact 2. Shame, it looked and felt very well made for a music centre of the era and I really liked the curved Perspex dust cover with wood sides.

1st Mar 2019, 9:53 pm	#3
RojDW48 Nonode Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 2,074	Re: Decca Yes - fond memories of Decca Special Products and the service they gave.......even after RACAL threw them out!! __________________ '....don't go mistaking Paradise for that home across the road!' (Bob Dylan)

2nd Mar 2019, 10:15 am	#4
Restoration73 Nonode Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Surbiton, SW London, UK. Posts: 2,801	Re: Decca The quality of the pressings made at the New Malden record plant was legendary. The first stereo LPs in the UK originated here. There was a film on a previous BVWS DVD.

2nd Mar 2019, 11:52 am	#5
barretter Heptode Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 870	Re: Decca Although Decca were the first to issue LPs in the UK market in 1950, the first British stereo LPs were issued by Pye in mid 1958.

10th Mar 2019, 10:41 am	#8
Heatercathodeshort Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING. Posts: 9,147	Re: Decca I believe the Decca pressing works were at Albert Road, New Malden Surrey. The site is now the car park of B&Q. This was adjacent to the old Odeon Cinema at the junction with the Kingston By Pass and Blagdon Road later to be taken over by Decca Radar and used for many years prior to it's demolition. The Woolworth brand EMBASSY were pressed by Decca and may well have been recorded in their studio. The sound quality from these 4/- discs is outstanding even today after very many playings on dubious equipment.

10th Mar 2019, 10:58 am	#9
lesmw0sec Octode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Carmel, Llannerchymedd, Anglesey, UK. Posts: 1,506	Re: Decca My first observation of Decca was the FFRR sign on the boiler house at the Royal Naval Cordite factory Holton Heath, where they had a pressing plant (pressing vinyl instead of cordite). In the tip close to the sea could be found numerous plasic off-cuts plus a few failed pressings!

10th Mar 2019, 11:02 am	#10
Heatercathodeshort Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING. Posts: 9,147	Re: Decca I thought you might like to see this picture taken in March 1977 from the roof of Venner Timeswitches Ltd [Kingston by Pass] during it's demolition. The building to the right, with the little tower, of similar age and construction to the Venner factory [1931] was taken over by Decca in the 1960's In the background can be seen the Odeon Cinema building that had just been taken over by Decca. The Estate Agents board, still displaying 'To Let' can just be seen on the right. It says; TO LET. Former Odeon Cinema Shannon Corner... All the buildings in this picture have been demolished. I have good quality daylight photos of this area. This particular picture was taken with a pre war 'ENSIGN' camera I found on the rubbish tip! Regards, John. Attached Thumbnails