Yehudi Menuhin – Bruch/Mendelssohn Violin Concertos

As pre-recorded audio cassette tapes go, this one’s a real ‘looker’. It packages two violin concertos, the lead of which is performed in both cases by the legendary Yehudi Menuhin. On Side 1, there’s Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64. On Side 2, Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op.26. For Side 1, the Philharmonia Orchestra was conducted by Efrem Kurtz, and for Side 2, Walter Susskind conducted the same orchestra. The Mendelssohn concerto is 26 minutes 35 seconds long, and the Bruch is 23 minutes 58. Both seem to pass more quickly – particularly the Bruch.

Gary Moore – After Hours Audio Cassette (1992)

I thought I’d do something a bit different with the illustration for this post. The eventual composition wasn’t really so much an idea as an inevitability. What with the late Gary Moore being so well known for using ‘flametop’ Gibson Les Paul guitars, I opted to use the front face of my own Les Paul ‘flametop’ as a makeshift ‘table’ for the tape, then open up the cassette cover for use as a backdrop. It’s made for quite a colourful and eyecatching image.

Johnnie Johnson – Johnnie B Bad Audio Cassette (1991)

It’s feasible that you won’t have heard the name Johnnie Johnson, but if you’ve ever heard one of Chuck Berry’s best known hits, you’ll have heard him play the piano. Johnnie Johnson, however, was far more than just Chuck Berry’s pianist. Johnson actually formed the band, and ran it as a trio before involving Berry as an extrovert frontman. Much of Chuck Berry’s guitar playing (and certainly the bits most people now associate with him having brought to the world) was highly reminiscent of Johnnie Johnson’s piano work. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was of the view that Chuck had essentially adapted Johnnie’s piano playing for the guitar, thus hitting upon a novel and exciting style, which came to define rock ‘n’ roll lead guitar. That, I feel, is a pretty fair synopsis.