REMEMBERING FRANK JAMES,

[old country chemist]

Hello ALL
On the 15th December the friends of Frank James will once again be remembering that giant of E.M.G. and Expert gramophonic history, our old friend, Frank James, who died in 2020.
He brought to light the information, and the encouragement of all who came into contact with him, the realisation that those machines, ugly to some, but much revered by most, that they produced the almost ultimate in acoustically reproduced sound.
The book,THE EMG Story, has been a "bible" for some time to those who found much to help fill in the gaps in the two firms, and others history.
Sadly, he died before the chance of him adding some extra information that we hoped he would put into print, so it was not to be.
I once said that Frank James was a "man amongst men" and if I had a table of 1 to 10, then he would be very near the top of the list.
Aye Frank, we will always remember you.

Alastair Murray.

I wish ALL of you a pleasant Christmastime, and good wishes for the year to come, 2026.

[epigramophone]

Thank you Alastair. I always regarded our annual visits to Frank as highlights of the gramophonic year.
He had always enjoyed such robust health that he seemed indestructible, so his sudden demise shocked us all.
Here are the two of us providing appropriate entertainment after the Memorial Service.

Roger.

[Steve]

I can't believe it's been 5 years already. Tempus fugit.

I agree that his passing was a great shock to many of us, probably due to his apparent general good health and fitness. I visited Frank just 2 months before he died and he excitedly showed me around his new place, the restored Mill house he had been working on for several years, and which had been a passion project for several decades. He looked very well, still having the strength of an ox and for a man into his 80's, he could have passed for 60!

We spoke about the "next thing" that he was planning to do; there were always current and future projects with Frank. Nothing ever stood still. By this point, Frank was practically down to his one original EMG 10B, having either sold his collection or waiting for a few machines to be collected but there were plenty of other interests to occupy him. Sadly, Frank was living alone at this point having lost his wife, Jan, a few years earlier.

I am particularly grateful to him for his and Jan's unbounded hospitality through the years. I've lost count of the many pleasant Saturdays spent with Frank chewing the fat over many issues whilst enjoying the EMG's and Experts, sometimes with a view to buying, selling or simply swapping stuff which we frequently did. A Saturday at Frank and Jan's became customary to enjoy a generous plate of bangers and mash washed down with a beer! No calenders were required, the day of the week was identifiable by the choice of food on the table and that was Saturday's regular.

Frank built his little "lookout tower" at Yartleton Farm so he could "see the enemy invading" long before anyone else, such were the views available from it and his wonderful sense of humour and irony. He always suggested to me that I should have a big project but sometimes life conspires to keep it just off the radar, especially with a day job to contend with. I'm not sure I am brave enough to delve into some of the things we discussed or tentatively looked at, not to mention sufficiently financially resourceful but Frank was certainly an inspirational character to me in many ways and a thoroughly warm and generous being with it.

I will always miss both Frank and Jan.

Frank's funeral service was sadly limited to close family but streamed online due to Covid restrictions with the Memorial Service postponed to a later date. Roger, Alistair and myself did manage to attend the latter.

[emgcr]

Here is a wonderful memory that I know Spencer cherishes when the great man signed his book not long before he died. It is very hard to understand how someone seemingly so strong, fit and apparently healthy is no longer with us. He will forever be remembered in our growing EMG/Expert fraternity as the man who started the abiding obsession. What joy ! We have much to be thankful for. A rare and fine human being.