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Gongman

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    Gongman

    Anyone recall the gong that was hit before the start of oldish Rank films? I've just discovered one of my relatives has it! Or so she claims. She's quite matter-of-fact about owning it, but I was incredulous and couldn't stop banging it. I should have bought my loin cloth. It's actually a tam tam; the one you see being hit in the opening sequences was papier-mâché model that wasn't actually hit. I wonder if it's worth a few quid?

    Gonnnngggggggggggggg.

    #2
    Cool!

    The chap who actually played the tam-tam for that ident was James Blades, who also did the African drum Morse code "V for Victory" used by the BBC during WWII. He came to my school sometime in the mid-Seventies and gave a lecture with demonstrations of a vast array of different percussion instruments (including the Rank gong sound). It lasted about two hours, and was hugely entertaining

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      #3
      Originally posted by NickFitz View Post
      Cool!

      The chap who actually played the tam-tam for that ident was James Blades, who also did the African drum Morse code "V for Victory" used by the BBC during WWII. He came to my school sometime in the mid-Seventies and gave a lecture with demonstrations of a vast array of different percussion instruments (including the Rank gong sound). It lasted about two hours, and was hugely entertaining
      Unfortunately I forgot the name of the guy printed on the back of the gong, it did have a double t in it though, perhaps Whittaker. Not Blades. I'll get the full story next time I meet up with her. I was too busy making bong sounds on it

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        #4
        I remember it well. An expression that us, erm, 32 year olds, liked to use was "a quick J Arthur". Nobody knows what it means anymore.
        bloggoth

        If everything isn't black and white, I say, 'Why the hell not?'
        John Wayne (My guru, not to be confused with my beloved prophet Jeremy Clarkson)

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by TimberWolf View Post
          Anyone recall the gong that was hit before the start of oldish Rank films? I've just discovered one of my relatives has it! Or so she claims. She's quite matter-of-fact about owning it, but I was incredulous and couldn't stop banging it. I should have bought my loin cloth. It's actually a tam tam; the one you see being hit in the opening sequences was papier-mâché model that wasn't actually hit. I wonder if it's worth a few quid?

          Gonnnngggggggggggggg.
          Sorry to disappoint you but the J A Rank gong was made from papier-mâché and the sound was added afterwards.

          "If you hit that gong, you would have gone straight through,".

          http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...nk-410952.html
          Last edited by Paddy; 4 April 2010, 22:29.
          "A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves and traitors are not victims, but accomplices," George Orwell

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            #6
            A relative who was a nurse in London in the 50's & 60's told me that the guy who did the gong hit on film came in for some surgery, apparently he was too tall and wide for the normal surgical beds, something like 6'9".

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              #7
              Originally posted by TykeMerc View Post
              A relative who was a nurse in London in the 50's & 60's told me that the guy who did the gong hit on film came in for some surgery, apparently he was too tall and wide for the normal surgical beds, something like 6'9".
              Bombardier Billy Wells, who was 6'3" and boxed between 182 and 192 lbs, according to Wikipedia, which is never, ever wrong

              Of course people were smaller in those days. A chap who was 6'3" in the Fifties would have towered over the rest of the population as someone who's 6'8" does these days (Hi Churchill ).

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by TimberWolf View Post
                Unfortunately I forgot the name of the guy printed on the back of the gong, it did have a double t in it though, perhaps Whittaker. Not Blades. I'll get the full story next time I meet up with her. I was too busy making bong sounds on it
                Not "Britten" by any chance?

                Blades and Benjamin Britten were good friends.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by TimberWolf View Post
                  I was too busy making bong sounds on it
                  Wow, does it make bubbling noises too?

                  Oh, hang on, different definition of "bong"...

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                    #10
                    A true classic:

                    J. Arthur Rank on Gong
                    Behold the warranty -- the bold print giveth and the fine print taketh away.

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