Dansette: bringing music to the masses
The Dansette immediately started making money, as retailers – from furniture shops to music shops – recognised its potential. The Dansette revolutionised the British music industry. Teenagers were able to listen to their music on a small, portable device, take it round to their friends’ houses, and put it away easily when they needed space to do other things.
Julie Lambert, writing on the Dansette website (www.dansettes.co.uk) suggests that many songwriters who were youngsters in the Fifties – such as Lennon and McCartney – owned Dansettes and learned about American musical influences through playing records on their portable machines.
The Dansette was also a piece of interior design. It was sold in a variety of colours so could suit any room, although the colours were mainly as bright as possible! My particular favourite is a cream model with pastel pink interior and trim. They were made from plywood and leatherette, and new designs were frequently added. Radios were added to them, and battery-operated models were designed. Their popularity survived until the late Sixties, when customers started wanting more modern equipment to keep up with rapidly improving technology.
In the Fifties and Sixties, the Dansette was an invaluable part of the fashion-conscious teenager’s bedroom, and it is testament to the original design that they have regularly had a resurgence. In the Eighties, I remember reading a copy of Just Seventeen that recommended finding a Dansette to add a Fifties feel to your bedroom – and I pleaded with my mother to be allowed to search for and buy one. Even today, despite their attractiveness, these vintage gems can still be picked up for a reasonable amount in second-hand shops and online. So what are you waiting for? Get an original bit of Fifties teen glamour in your lives!
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Category: 1950s, Interiors, Vintage news
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I love Dansettes! Only have 2 at the moment, a 1959 Junior and a 1963 (I think!) Bermuda. I love to play my rock n roll 78′s on them
What an interesting article. I’ve really been getting into record players recently, particular Dansette’s, so it’s nice to know the history behind them. I’m hoping to get myself one this year!
I’ve been lucky enough to have a dance around a Dansette, and have been keeping an eye out for one of my own. Nothing sounds quite like them.
Hi – I’m one of the Shellac Sisters – we DJ on wind-up gramophones. Just wanted to let y’all know that if you are based in London Audio Gold in Crouch End has some fabulous dansettes and other record players…