Charles Smitton BBC 1967 Broadcast Odeon Manchester Wurlitzer.

Born in Liverpool in the late 1920s, Charles Smitton became a pianist and organist at an early age. His first post as a cinema organist was at the Curzon cinema, Old Swan, Liverpool, aged 15, under the tuition of Henry Croudson. When Henry Croudson left to go to the Leeds Paramount, Charles took over as resident organist. He developed his brilliant stylist playing, good at both rhythmic pop and light classical items. After spells, at the Gaumont cinema Manchester, and other Gaumont circuit organs, Wood Green, Worcester, Birmingham, etc., before being appointed in 1948/49 to be resident at the Odeon Manchester, on the "Queen" Wurlitzer. I do so love his 1960 pops selection in this broadcast! However, I think Youtube is going to have a field day with the copyright strikes with these tunes! But his brilliant rhythmic style of playing on this super big Wurlitzer real does sound well on these well-known pop tunes of that 1960 period. I once heard it said that the "Queen" Wurlitzer in the Manchester Paramount / Odeon was distant divided and so very stately. Super playing here on a wonderful Wurlitzer organ. As a Note, My apologies for the picture on this video at 18:32 I have put a photo which I genuinely thought and that I had listed as Charles Smitton on the Diss Wurlitzer with, I believe, the Kitchen Bros who owned the garage in Diss Norfolk standing behind. It with thanks has been brought to my attention this picture is not Charles Smitton, so my apologies for this mistake. Would anyone have any ideas about who this might be seated at the Diss Wurlitzer Ex Paramount Newcastle Upon Tyne 3/19 rank Wurlitzer organ? Again, this has been taken from a very old 1960s reel to reel Mono tape made off the radio in 1967, and just after the 2:14 mark, there is some slight radio interference. So the sound quality is not up to days high standards.