 When Ritchie joined The Premiers, the band prevailed upon him to buy a Vox organ, much more de rigueur for the times, and this became his instrument of choice until supplanted by a Hammond M102 in 1966 then a Hammond C3 in 1969.An early feature of Ritchie's playing was his innovative use of two hands playing solos in unison or harmony, which gave his sound a double strength.Most keyboard players of the early era, especially those using a single keyboard, tended to focus on the use of right hand, supplemented by chord stabs or supportive left-hand work.