John Bowdler "Going Ballistic" on The Blackpool Tower Wurlitzer

[wurlitzerwonder]

@RitaSueBob do you actually know John Bowdler because you have a lot of close up videos?

[wurlitzerwonder]

Hi do you actually know John Bowdler as you have a lot of close up videos?

[RitaSueBob]

@wurlitzerwonder Yes -- and the rags are in order Blue Goose - Bugle Call - Black and White - and lastly the Twelfth Street Rag. cheers rsb.

[wurlitzerwonder]

@RitaSueBob Thanks

[wurlitzerwonder]

Does anyone know the name of the first song he plays?

[RitaSueBob]

@wurlitzerwonder "Blue Goose Rag" ---- rsb.

[wurlitzerwonder]

@RitaSueBob Thanks

[wurlitzerwonder]

@RitaSueBob do you know what all of the rags are?

[RitaSueBob]

@spunkbot Thanks for your comments Cheers rsb.

[keithwilson01]

John knocks spots of many tower organists and is a true pro.

[jthornejnr]

Surely you must agree! I can see and hear it being expressed through John’s playing and his energy rising up through his body and being expressed through his hands onto ivories and filling the air! – doesn’t matter what he is playing it is visually audible. Inspirational without it needing to be spiritual!! You have a blessed talent and the fact that you enjoy it makes the experience double the delight.

[jthornejnr]

A one word description? Impossible to capture the essence of john’s playing in just one word!! But when I listen to his playing, there is something not just quite coming from the majestic Wurlitzer’s sound production, it’s not coming from the spirit of the composers either. I believe it is the spirit of both composer, organ maker rising through John.

[RitaSueBob]

@jthornejnr Have to agree with you -- Happy Christmas and New Year - rsb

[msrosey1000]

IM OLIVIA ROSE BOWDLER IVE MET HIM AND HE WAS SHOCKED

[msrosey1000]

IM A BOWDLER

[spunkbot]

excellent... what tallent you have

[996franki1]

What an absolute magical moment in time. That has surpassed anything I;ve ever seen or heard before. John is an absolute magician at the console. Well done you for capturing this on video.  Used to listen to Reginald Dixon in the 50's as a young boy but never got to see him or the organ. This was such a joy to watch. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[RitaSueBob]

@996franki1 Thanks Frank for your comments Reg Dixon is hard man to replace and still lives on in his music.

Same for us in the 50's but JB has a way of his own to express his style. rsb

[simonsteam]

Sometimes when you play. the mood takes over. and the magic really comes out !

[RitaSueBob]

@simonsteam Not only the music comes out but the steam as well. thanks for commenting rsb.

[RitaSueBob]

@TheMusiGeek Hi, MusiGeek Just Alan Skinner using the smoke generator so we all took a deep breath.

Hope the Organ survives the latest management people - well it did more or less survive the fire in 1956. rsb.

[RitaSueBob]

It was just a chance in a million that we took the video- the time- the place-the opportunity- the organist- normal hours in the Tower - will probably never happen again thanks for commenting keep thinking of a word to describe the music. rsb.

[TheMiditzermad]

a word has yet to be invented to discribe how good this is

[wurlitzercock1]

The Best!!

[RitaSueBob]

Thanks for the comments hope you are well ....rsb

[barneyboscoe]

I never thought anyone could fill the slot left by Reginald Dixon's unique style,but John Bowdler has.

[RitaSueBob]

Thanks for your comments makes everything worthwhile. rsb

[Theatreorgannut]

Love John Bowdler and his musical style wow exceptional !!!!!!!!!

[RitaSueBob]

Hi, Thanks for commenting - it is definitely rock'n'rollin' no camera shake on this one.

Best wishes rsb.

[mukkypup]

@RitaSueBob Have you got your camera all oiled up and ready for the new season at the tower? More of JB I hope? Regards to you all

[RitaSueBob]

Yhank you for the comment. rsb

[1999justinmahone]

fantastico!/



[RitaSueBob]

@PhilsCinema You can't get better than the Wurlitzer for being old fashioned == thanks for the comments. Liked your video going to Vancouver. rsb

[daverobzippy]

haha , towards the end his hands are just a blur.. awesome

[batmanmick]

God, I reckon I lost 10kg just watching that. Superb.

[lrover03]

Heh heh, cool stuff! I'd love to hear Barbara Dennerlein have a go at this beast. Do a search on her here in Youtube and you'll see what I mean. :))

[GogglePlex101]

Lovely playing on the Wurlitzer (is it ever bad!)

But I wish my heart that they would bring back the old Bechstein grand and reconnect it, it sounded so much nicer and really added character to this lovely instrument.

[mukkypup]

RSB When Oh when are we gonna get more like ,its absolutely fabulous playing by JOHN

[tina123nina]

I think he is very good I keep watching.

[chrisdjthompson]

What's the tune at 5:28? I heard David Lobban play this once in the Tower BR and have wondered ever since.

[Organist61]

12th Street Rag

[chrisdjthompson]

Thanks for that!

[lassinantti]

@chrisdjthompson

i am pretty sure it is "in the mood"

[cookcliff]

The differance can be heard in part 2 of the documentery when Nigel Ogden is demonstrating the features of the Wurlitzer and he plays the piano on its own when its still attached to the Birchstine its 1000 times better than the MIDI box thay are using now.

[hobsholelane06]

its a great tune to drive along too! turn the bass up in the car and wowee !

[VictorCharlie10]

What good fun!

[andygin]

Fantastic. Pitty Britains got talent hanvt got a wurlitzer.

[jennefer74]

absolute magic !!....i love the wurlitzer !

[hkg02161954]

I know what you mean....Ive been a fan of the wurlitzer for years, never heard an artist like this before...i think he's one of a kind

[hobsholelane06]

I love this, sounds great through my speakers. I might even play this in the car, haha.

[allendale1962]

Fantastic job! You have a new fan in the USA now.

[hkg02161954]

Ive heard alot of Wurlitzer organist for years...Ive never heard anyone like this before. To make a Wurlitzer sound like a rag time piano. What a talent!!! If Im not mistaken this is in the UK? Im across the pond...wish I was closer. Id be there all the time to see him. Harvey in Florida USA

[Scroppie]

I must say that having heard that piano actually working (the midi whatsit) My £15 keyboard off a carboot sale makes a better piano sound than that thing.

BRING BACK THE BECHSTEIN !!!!!!

[Wnoronz]

Brilliant playing....but a pity about the horrendous "clanking" electronic piano attachment. Why oh why can't the Blackpool Tower proprietors pay to have the fine real Bechstein piano attachment put back in working order and restored to its rightful position on the stage next to the WurliTzer ?

[alijanlondon]

I remember the piano on the right of the stage. Is it really now hooked to an electronic piano? I thought they'd just moved the original piano out of sight and that it was badly mic'd and badly amplified. In fact the amplification of this organin general has always, in my opinion, been dreadful. They should switch off amplification for concerts

[Wnoronz]

I have sometimes heard the 'clanking' piano device described as a 'Midi' whatever that may mean. By the 1990's the Bechstein was rarely used and only brought into use and onto the stage for Phil Kelsall's special yearly concerts whch now seem to have ceased. I remember hearing three years ago that the Bechstein is now unplayable such is its condition. Blackpool Tower can certainly afford to get it fixed. I remember the great impact the piano made with its fine sound and mirror lid

[alijanlondon]

That's a shame, if they won't spend money on the Bechstein then sure today's technology could provide a more elegant solution for little extra cost

[Wnoronz]

Alll very well, but the awful device now providing 'piano' (?) sounds and other clatterings is to me just the thin end of a very big wedge. The only real solution is to have the Bechstein fixed and then properly maintained. The cost would be a mere flea bite to an organisation such as that which owns Blackpool Tower.

After all the Bechstein played well and was properly looked after in years gone by.

[oldbear52]

Great job posting John at the Blackpool WurliTzer!!! When I get in the Blackpool mood I come here and fill my quick list and bump up the volume. He is without any doubt one of the best at the console. Thanks so much for your fantastic quality postings of Maestro Bowdler and his playing of the King of Instruments.

Dave from across the pond

[bendoafart]

amazing, great job!

[mrskippymusic]

That must take alot of practice!!!!!!

Great video!

Rock on JB

[ArtDecoLuvr]

Cool playing! I'd love to hear him play other styles of music (aka - other than rags)

[RitaSueBob]

There are 30 or so Wurlitzer clips on ritasuebob all dancing tempos -- waltzes, foxtrots, rhumbas, quicksteps sequence dancing-- there should be something there. Regards ritasuebob

[56Packman]

great playing, lots of energy and unstoppable ryhthm. Very enjoyable.

[edonmusic]

Rockin' is the right word. Watch that Wurly shake and rock on the elevator platform with John's moves. Sounds like lots of MIDI involved getting the banjo and other traditional sounds in there. Really great. Wish more American TPO buffs were this imaginative.

[fmgbonn]

MIDI? Oh no - that's the magic of harmonic couplers at work! That's one of the hallmarks of the famous Blackpool sound!

[latribe]

Harmonic couplers? Please what are they?

Thanks!

[fmgbonn]

Harmonic couplers enable you to have the stops of one manual coupled to another at different harmonic pitches - at a 12th, 17th etc, rather than at normal pitch or in octaves as on "regular" organs! Hope that explains it...

[latribe]

Aah! AMAZING! INCREDIBLE! Thanks for explaining it - coming from a classical organ background I'd never have guessed! Organ builders have certainly lost out in spurning Robert Hope-Jones. If any organist wants to try out a versatile instrument, the five manual at Hammerwood Park, although classical, has enough stops and probably tremulants with which to have considerable fun. It would be great to try out a lighter programme! Can't manage harmonic couplers, however :-(

[AdmiralCreideiki]

If you're wondering what the (in)famous Blackpool harmonic couplers are, they are Great to Solo couplers, playing at the suboctave, the unison, the octave, the nasard (2 2/3) and the tierce (1 3/5).

They're quite a fun set of couplers to use (I wish more theatre organs had the Blackpool couplers).

[richgarn79]

if you look about on here there is a video featuring Nigel Ogden, and he takes you on a tour of the organ, and its features, quite interersting - explains about the different couples, second touch and the various instruments.

[vickieharmer1x]

johnnn.. :)

nice bouncin haha

my next door neighbour this dude :D

x

[Gillyyorkie]

The Blackpool Bounce !

[jameskinmond1980]

ballistic? did I miss something. Very good all the same.

[alijanlondon]

Beautiful. He's a real entertainer and so precise. Not a duff note that I could detect. Thank you so much for posting this, I haven't been to the Tower Ballroom for over 10 years and this makes me want to go again

[kiwiplant]

Looks like lots of fun to play like that ! Sounds really great too. Must be hard to keep the concentration up. :)

[MrNeelix690]

I must have seen this video about 10 times now, and it still leaves me speechless!!

[RitaSueBob]

It affects us the same way-- the energy expended is colossal true perfection from an unassuming John Bowdler.

[steverabb]

That was ballistic for sure! John Bowdler will definitely go down in history with Reg Dixon and others as one of the great organists at the Blackpool Ballroom. Sure wish I could visit there someday. Keep up these great videos!

[gudge8]

great....cheers for that

[gudge8]

hi, just a random question...what is the name of the first rag John plays? cheers

[RitaSueBob]

Blue Goose Rag- Bugle Call Rag- The Black and White Rag- and The Twelth Street Rag. RSB.

[Settlecarlisle]

I Believe it is the BLUE GOOSE RAG played as first track on this posting

[ivor1689]

Thanks for posting this. It has made my day and it cheers me up. I went to Blackpool tower when i was off work a few years ago for a while due to an accident and i would come here a few times a week just to listen to the Mighty Wurlitzer. I should go back again.I could listen to this all day. Once again thanks for posting this.

[Gillyyorkie]

I'd love an hour on this instrument

John bowdler is awesome I'd love to play on the Tower WuRliTzer Only self taught but she is some lady and Unique Theatre organ is my passion in music

[MrNeelix690]

Absolutely Brilliant!!

[dimmer505]

John is a real showman, always a pleasure to watch and listen to, please lets have more from him.

[StrykerCoyote]

that blew me away and took my breath away i so love the organ ....that was an awesome preformence...a friend of mine used to play the pump organ just as he did ...Ty so much for uploading ...im lost for words :) ty again

[cornwallthedragon]

I love the organist's performance. He really graces up and down the manuals. It made it very fun to watch.