I love finding new blogs. I found Blogaritaville today and she was talking about listening to records and it reminded me of my love affair with vinyl.
I guess love of vinyl dates back to before my birth. My old man was a DJ. He was a dj back when there were such a thing as Radio Personalities, meaning he played what he wanted and he entertained people. He began radioing in the 1940's when he was a sophomore in high school. He ended up finding his way into the Country Disc Jockey Hall of Fame and his plaque hangs downtown at the Renaissance Hotel, but, I digress. (I tend to ramble about the Old Man because he was rather swell and has been dead a long time and I miss him).
As you can imagine, Dad had a TON of records in the house. Hundreds upon hundreds. He had more, but, my mother says the movers stole his original Hank Williams, Sr. records during the move to Tennessee to California, among others. I loved the record collection and a number of his albums make up the nucleus of my own vinyl collection. I'm nuts about my little cheap MP3 player, but, those records are near and dear to my heart and although I never listen to them anymore, I could never part with them.
Which leads me to this question....what was the first record you ever had? I don't remember the first one in my posession, however, I do remember the first 45 record I bought. I bought it at JC Penneys at 100 Oaks. It was The Carpenters "There's A Kind of Hush" and it cost me 99 cents.
I know a lot of people who claim to read this blog...I want to see some answers from those quiet ones (as well as the reggalars). If you are too young to remember records....well...piss on ya.
21 comments:
I think mine was S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night, by the Bay City Rollers.
Very cool information about your dad, too!
the monkees greatest hits.
i am not sure where the record came from, but i know where the record player came from. i saved up enough money to afford a "stereo system" from zayre (out by genesco, by the "old" airport), so i gave my dad the money, and he picked it up for me. i was so thrilled with that "stereo" -- basically a turntable with 2 speakers... strategically placed in 2 corners of the shelves around my desk. good times... good times....
My first album was *cough* Hall and Oates' "Private Eyes." *cough*
I can barely stand the shame.
Oh boy....the Bay City Rollers got lots of turntable time at our house! I still have their Greatest Hits. I dug Les, the lead singer, while I think my sister may have dug Eric.
On a radio call-in show, I won the Loverboy album with the red leather-clad butt on the cover. I played that thing until my mom yelled at me. But my favorite vinyl album of all time is Led Zeppelin III with the cut-outs on the front and the cardboard insert you could spin around so the pictures changed.
Sista C - My 1st vinyl LP was "The Carpenters - Close to You". Got it for Christmas (1971?) from my folks when I was in 7th grade. Very-unhip for a Jr. High boy, I know... But say what you will - NOONE lays in "oohs & aahs" like Richard & Karen did. I listened down through the layers and learned alot about how to "ooh & aah" myself! Put it to good use in my studio-singing days- Long before I was your "Former boss-man".
Mr. Anonymous....I never knew we shared that first record thing in common. I still love the Carpenters. And Barry Manilow. And Melissa Manchester. I always dreamed of singing "Don't Cry Out Loud" in the talent show at school...that and the theme to "Ice Castles." I think I need to take up karaoke.
Oh and Maureen McGovern..."there's got to be the morning afffff-tuhhhhh." I wanted to sing that too and do the little tag at the end....Heh.
the first record I recall spinning was a 45, "Puppy Love," by my then boyfriend, Donny Osmond.
My first album was two bought at the same time--Chicago VIII (the one with the Cardinal on it) and Chicago Greatist Hits (IX), 1975.
My first 45 was either the Monkees "Listen to the Band" or Wings "Let 'Em In" (Beware My Love B-side). I loved Beware My Love and bought the single for the B-side.
My favorite songs from band are rarely the hits, but the rarely played cuts and B-sides.
Tony
The first one I bought was Sonny and Cher, Gypsies Tramps and Thieves. The first vinyl I owned was the Doors, Morrison Hotel, My grandmother bought if for me at a record store. I was 5.
My funniest vinyl memory is when my cousin got AC/DC, Dirty Deeds and we listened to it on the record player in my room, but we were afraid to play it very loud and so we were hunched over the speaker so we could hear all the dirty words.
We had the Back in Black album for about 5 minutes. Biff heard "Hells Bells" and he confiscated it.
Ok chrisyub, Donny is mine. :)
My favorite turntable memory is when we were visiting our cousins in Louisiana and they had the Steve Martin Wild and Crazy Guy album. As SistaSmiff has said, our dad didnt allow us to listen to "trash", so we all secretly gathered round our cousin's turntable, which if I remember correctly had groovy mod lights on the front panel,and just as Steve Martin sings, loudly "GRANDPA BOUGHT A RUBBER" Biff walks in and my cousin Kelly just about decapitated herself throwing her body on top of the turntable, surely forever scratching their Steve Martin Live album. As an adult looking back, I'm sure ol' Biff was outside their room, ear to the door just waiting for the perfect opportunity to come in.
I don't remember my first 45 purchase, but I remember my first album purchase. I bought Tony Orlando and Dawn's greatest hits and Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits at the same time.
Always been eclectic.
Mine was a bippy little Moog instrumental ditty called "popcorn" by a band called Hot Butter.
Sista, do you remember the Sgt. Peppers store in the basement of 100 Oaks? That's where I went to buy American Flag patches for my bellbottom jeans after I bought the album.
Damn, we're old.
But not as old as the Knucklehead...
I heard "Popcorn" today on the XM 70's channel.
I think a post is in order of 100 Oaks memories.
You are correct, sir, about the Knuckster.
Woolworth's in 100 Oaks! 2 stories with an escalator. Awesome place.
Am I going to get stoned if it's revealed that my first was Thriller? Sesame Street records and the Muppets and John Denver Christmas album aside.
I always loved the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas album. The "Christmas Is Coming the Goose is Getting Fat"...LOVE that. AND the 12 Days of Christmas when Beaker joins in.
Partridge Family Christmas Album. At Roses in Murfreesboro. With the Christmas card stuck in the front at an angle.
~ ducks, runs away (with a cane) ~
P.S. -- The year I got a cassette recorder (one of those big boxy ones) for Christmas, my cousin got me a cassette of the Grass Roots' Greatest Hits. I wore the tape thin. I need to find that on CD and wear it out again.
And thank you for starting up the whole 100 Oaks thing. Hee!
Sista Smiff! I am so sorry it's taken me this long to acknowledge the link and your comment. Been busy moving and all.
I love your blog so far. Will be checking more of it out soon.
BTW...the first record I ever bought, as opposed to having handed down to me, was the 45 of "Band On The Run" by Paul McCartney and Wings. I still like that song!
Post a Comment