Records as ballast....

[JKiF]

 

I've heard the 'records as ballast' story told many times, not least in several Beatles books. For those of you that don't know this, it's the suggestion that the reason the Beatles and Merseyside had loads of beat bands was because records were used as ballast on merchant ships coming over from America.

Does anyone have a verifiable source for this or is it an urban myth that's been told so often that every simply accepts it as true?

[American FLEET FAN No1]

I have never heard that one before. I used to be in the Merchant Navy and Liverpool was the first Port of call for Trans-Atlantic ships, so they got all the American records before London or anywhere else. I worked on a couple of Liverpool Ships and both of them had a band, and if you couldn't sing or play a instrument........you had to be a commedian!

[JKiF]

 

the most plausible explanantion ive heard is that the septics from the nearby warrington Burtonwood Air base brought them over...

 

 

So its ure lot to blame for Tarby/Doddy et al

 

LOL

[mala_D]

Knew about conversions to ash-trays. Not about ballast tho'. Doesn't make sense!

Which Beatles books JKIF?

[JKiF]

sorry Mal, cant help u there...

 

tho ive also heard this story relating to the introduction of Northern Soul to our shores

 

(that was more down to Ian Levine...amongst others)

[mala_D]

It must have been a printing error. I'm sure they used to refer to Elvis records as a load of old ballast!!

 

I'll probably get shot for that!!

 

 

Elvis was a ginger, if you didn't know!!!

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Never a dull moment on a Scouse ship.....always somebody entertaining everyone.

[mala_D]

And the audience went...

<img src="/images/graemlins/sleeping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/sleeping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/sleeping.gif" alt="" />

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

Hey Mal - do you and I possibly share the same complete lack of interest in 'the king'??

 

 

[JKiF]

 

 

No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

me me me me me 2

 

blimey i got out of my pram for a second there

 

 

[mala_D]

Quote:

Zealster EFM 10k said:
Hey Mal - do you and I possibly share the same complete lack of interest in 'the king'??

I reckon so! He's the male equivalent of J Lo or Whitney Houston - completely artless, music for hairdressers etc - in my book.

Mind you, best Elvis-related anecdote I've heard is the one when Peter Grant [Led Zep's gigantic manager] accidently sat on Elvis' dad when the band visited Graceland.

Apparently when the band were leaving one of the Led Zep contingent said "Sorry we sat on your Dad" <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

I always prefered Shaking Stevens anyway!

 

Amazingly shaky was in the Top 15 of the top selling UK single artists of all time which was on the box last Sunday

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

Amazingly, Carter weren't!! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

 

Or Depeche Mode for that matter.

 

Anyone seen the vid for "Just Can't Get Enough"? That is the gayest 3 minutes television I have seen in a long time!!