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Wednesday, 3 February 2021

Telstars in my Eyes

Andy B has just reminded me of another important satellite, Telstar. The first practical communications satellite, it relayed TV pictures around the globe in 1962, predating the more commercial Early Bird. Looking a bit like a Dr Who Mechanoid, the globe shaped satellite was feted in song too, by the british group, the Tornados.
I remember finding the old 45 in my family record collection and was amazed that anyone would write a song about a satellite! Its actually a great tune, with early synthesiser work and weird intro.

One of my favourite representations of the satellite is the Analog cover illustretion by John Shoenherr for 'Trouble wit Telstar', which you can read at Project Gutenberg:
 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30679/30679-h/30679-h.htm

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8 comments:

  1. lewis p morley2/03/2021 10:58 am

    Written and produced by Joe Meek.
    Just part of an amazing output by a troubled artist.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Meek

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  2. Bill Everatt2/03/2021 12:31 pm

    I had the privilege of interviewing Drummer Clem Catini who was the leader of the Tornados. He had a fascinating story to tell, and in addition to Joe Meeks sonic genius, the band themselves used innovative techniques to create their sound too. Clem explained that on the previous release to Telstar, called Love & Fury, he played the cover to his Bass Drum as a Bodhran substituting that for the Bass Drum on the track.

    The keyboard player would put tin tacks on the hammers of the Piano and they did all sorts of wierd things with the Clavoline, which was an early kind of synthesizer.

    In addition to Love & Fury, another good track is Ridin' the Wind and there is a whole catalogue out there all from the worlds first synthesizer band.

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  3. Andy B2/03/2021 2:12 pm

    Think I remember the first pictures transmitted to UK from America by the satellite- Cliff Michelmore presented on BBC I think, no sound, and blurred and inconsequential images -how far we have come from that!

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  4. MISH2/03/2021 4:29 pm

    The only thing I ever respected about Margaret Thatcher, was that her favourite pop tune of the 1960s was Telstar.
    She said she thought it was uplifting and sounded like an optimistic future.
    I'm with you there Margaret !

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  5. WOTAN2/03/2021 5:16 pm

    An oft overlooked band indeed. Extremely experimental for their day. Im still with Maggie too, it is a rousing little tune. I used to put that and Zager and Evans ‘2525’ on the turntable back innthe seventies as a change!

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  6. WOODSY2/03/2021 5:32 pm

    Do you think Telstar may have influenced the design of the Death Star?

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  7. ZigguratSF20002/05/2021 12:51 am

    Best Tornadoes' single was "Like Locomotion," a streamlined pop anthem like no other.

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  8. Hugh Walter2/07/2021 2:21 pm

    I don't know about the death star Woodsy, but it definately influenced the UFO that came with larger sets of Cherilea's Daleks!

    H

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