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Reading a book on unusual instruments used on recordings and there are quite a few which were marketed and sold as toys. Melodicas were a whistle with a piano keyboard on one side with a two octave or so range usually, they started selling cheaper version of these in the '60s.
Also in the '60s was the Stylophone with endorsements by Rolf Harris, and then David Bowie who used it in his Space Oddity song.
In the late '70s there was an electronic toy called the Rhythm Machine with the Bee Gees endorsing it to the point of their photo being on the box and the group logo being on the toy itself. You can see a clip of one on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/3GIyc1R4wgg
I still have a toy xylophone made in England called a Pixiphone. It's very high quality with a lovely sound (sorry Sooty, but the ones you sponsored were all a bit naff really). Steve Peregrine Took played one on early Tyrannosaurus Rex recordings with Marc Bolan at his side!
What musical toys do you remember or have?
Also in the '60s was the Stylophone with endorsements by Rolf Harris, and then David Bowie who used it in his Space Oddity song.
In the late '70s there was an electronic toy called the Rhythm Machine with the Bee Gees endorsing it to the point of their photo being on the box and the group logo being on the toy itself. You can see a clip of one on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/3GIyc1R4wgg
I still have a toy xylophone made in England called a Pixiphone. It's very high quality with a lovely sound (sorry Sooty, but the ones you sponsored were all a bit naff really). Steve Peregrine Took played one on early Tyrannosaurus Rex recordings with Marc Bolan at his side!
What musical toys do you remember or have?
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