R2OK!

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

It might be interesting, I thought, or maybe just a mental exercise for those of us with not much else to do on a wet, cold and really quite windy afternoon, to jot down the tracks that are like the stepping stones through your life:- you know: the big hitters: starting with, perhaps, the track that was No1 when you were born, then moving on to the first track that you heard and thought , hang on, I quite like that, and for some reason it’s still stuck there in your memory ( or data-bank in my case), then move on to the tracks you liked in your teens, the first record you bought, the first record someone bought for you, the record you had played at your wedding/divorce/2nd wedding/divorce etc etc – when you passed your driving test, your 21st birthday: that sort of thing- then right at the end, the track or tracks you’d like played at your funeral- womb to tomb in twenty records.

Here goes for me:--

I wasn’t born under a wandering star, oh no, ( and giving away my real age for the first time ever on the interweb) I was born under Cliff Richard- Congratulations!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us3dQ0nnlHY

The first record – I can remember hearing ( it was on TOTPs) and thinking- I like this: was Tiger Feet by Mud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMaQUdzjsHU

The first music I “owned” was on a reel-to-reel tape recorder my granddad gave me, it was High Hopes by old Blue Eyes himself. Woops! There goes another one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54yGSDBXdCM

The first record I bought ( I don’t recall the single) the first LP was definitely Darts by Darts and the first single would have been something by Darts or maybe Public Image or the Sex Pistols- I really can’t remember, I do remember running home with Anarchy for the UK by the Pistols, putting it on the “music centre” it was a Panasonic you know, with a really slow moving stylus arm ( it was way cool) and before the end of the first verse my dad had ripped it off and broken it into pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bM_l443VV4

The first record someone bought for me was by Special Brew by Bad Manners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAfqguL88tA

The first record I bought for someone else was Thriller By Micheal Jackson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V90AmXnguw&ob=av2n

The most influential record I heard ( it belonged to one of my older brothers) was The Winkers Album (Misprint) by Ivor Biggun and the Red Nose Burglars. It was so rude – I loved it- I can still remember every word to every song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqJHoZBJYxI

My favourite LP as a child was Time by ELO and the best track on there is 21st Century Man. I had my own little record player with three knobs and played that LP to death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIJX6mKk6rY

A track that sticks in my mind because it was No1 forever and seemed to be on the radio every night on the school bus was Coward of the County by Kenny Rogers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEJniCCuqR4

First wedding track was Three Times a Lady by The Commodores.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jLvnuf10uU

My divorce track was American Pie by Maddona.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipuwwKBxT2w

Second Wedding track was Crazy by Gnarls Barkley.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd2B6SjMh_w&ob=av2n

My all time favourite track is Cuba by the Gibson Brothers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znE18eXqn58

And for my Funeral.

Exercises in Free love by Freddie Mercury...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0cPn9xzSGg

And just as I go through the curtains into the fire...

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Wiyathul: because sometimes words don’t matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8-YMpYbRqY

I may add a few in, when I get some more free time.

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

This may have to be done in several bite-sized pieces, especially as I have to hop out for a little while.

I'm so ancient that the pop chart as we know it hadn't quite started when I was born, but apparently No 1 on the sheet music bestseller list was...
Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
...and that's so good you could say it all went downhill after that.

Auntie Beeb did its best to shield us all from the big bad Americans and their rock and roll, and what did get through was then met by the brick parental wall built to keep out everything more modern than Glenn Miller and Bing Crosby. So it's no surprise that the first chart record I remember being aware of was by someone considered at the time to be something of an ersatz Crosby...
Catch A Falling Star - Perry Como

More to follow

ColinB · Guest

Rachel - you have far too much time on your hands! Smile

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

ColinB · Guest

littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

Day i was born Baby jump by Mungo Jerry
First single bought for me Uptown Girl By Billy Joel
first single i bought Walking on the moon by the police
first album bought complete madness by madness
First band to have major influence The Housemartins both music and politics
Wedding track was That look in your eye by Ali Campbell
Divorce track Champagne supanova by oasis
Most influential album for me is The wall By pink Floyd
Fav song so far is motorcycle emptyness by the manics
!st song i sang to my daughter in the car have a nice day by sterophonics
Funeral song Brain damage/eclipse by floyd
and as i start to turn into ashes Have a nice day by sterophonics
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I found out how you can hurt an insect.It's the bees knees

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

Well i tell you what that made me think and not all good memories but good topic rachael
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I found out how you can hurt an insect.It's the bees knees

littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

Rachael or anybody how do you post a video on here? Not got a clue i can do so on FB and Twitter...but that's only coz the logo's are there Embarassed

_________________
I found out how you can hurt an insect.It's the bees knees

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

Where was I?
Stuck in a 40s timewarp.
Come 1962 and I'd discovered Elvis and Cliff on the school grapevine.
Dad bought the family's first record player - a radiogram from Curry's - but my joy was shortlived when he bought a load of real ersatz singles from Woolworths to play on it. Worse, mum saw The White Heather Club on TV and we OD'd on Andy Stewart LPs.
But there was light at the end of the tunnel: I got a Lonnie Donegan LP for Christmas...
My Old Man's A Dustman
...only to "lose" it after my grandad had a slight altercation with the man himself at a petrol station, with me in the car at the time.
I learned a few interesting new words that day, and also that not all celebrities are as nice and polite as David Jacobs.

First single I bought with my own pocket money, and not under undue influence, was...
Do You Wanna Dance? - Cliff Richard & The Shadows
I was more interested in The Shadows - the Spotlight On The Shadows EP quickly followed, four hits in one little package!
FBI - Shadows

More to follow

ColinB · Guest

Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3414 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

I don't know what was No 1 when I was born, but here was the earliest record I liked according to my late mother: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv7DNafrA5E
The first record my parents brought me (and I still have it!) was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8_gQ0ZNL4Q I will say that they bought it for the B side, which, would you believe was a haunting version of the hymn 'All Things Bright & Beautiful'.
Another early like of mine was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-_hBGMwe7w
The first single that I bought myself (and still have) was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLiuMkGCOC4
Now quite a spooky story. In February 1973 I had my first ever flight in a light aircraft and I seem to remember hearing this on the radio before I left home that day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCeD_6Y3GQc Fast forward to July 2005 and I had my first cross channel flight in a light plane. Guess what I heard Terry Wogan (Don't think he had become a Sir then - humble apologies if he had!) play as I drove to the airfield - Yes- 'Good vibrations' by The Beach Boys!
First albums were (I don't remember in which order I got them) Queen 'A Night At The Opera' & Eagles 'One Of These Nights'. Here's one from each, both ones you don't hear on the radio!
Queen 'Prophet's Song': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xmsXqgHHEI (It's a long 'un but a good 'un) Eagles 'Visions' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXMJ9Q6W8rY Fell for this album whilst on my first Canadian holiday.
In 1979 I made my first solo trip over to Canada and I used to compose shopping lists of records to buy, having heard Paul Gambaccini play them on his, then, Radio 1 American chart show: here's one that I bought: George Harrison 'Crackerbox Palace': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBAD6E3OIOE
Lots of tracks hold Canadian memories for me. Another trip over saw our aircraft land in atrocious weather: This Roxette track reminds me of that as I had it buzzing round my head all the way over. No idea why! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOexRWz66r0
The great Bob Harris has had quite an influence over my more recent purchases, like The Hamsters who I've seen at least four times: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwxI5uNAPlg&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL4892BDB7EE2D4C78 And Eve Selis who I saw live at Guildfest
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Lord Evan Elpuss, Your ideal job is a Lumberjack.

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3414 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

Thanks Ron:
Here's another act that I can thank Bob Harris for, The Mighty Drive-by Truckers singing about 'Tornadoes' appropriate given recent weather! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8nyrhcTseU
And here's the Eve Selis track I meant to include on my previous post Embarassed

'The Ballad Of Kate Morgan': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsld0nIdUJo
I think that's me more or less up to date!
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Lord Evan Elpuss, Your ideal job is a Lumberjack.

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

Number One Track onthe Day of My Birth - Mambo Italiano by Rosemary Clooney - I've never heard the song or even heard of it at all and had to check on line to discover what it was and I wish it had been something more memorable

First Music I heard was Handel's Largo - my dad was obsessed with Church Organ music and I trained as a classical keyboard player until the age on 10 when I rebelled and concentrated on pop music - I actually got to play that piece on the organ of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in 1963 but I needed some help as my feet didn't reach the pedals Smile

First singles I bought with my pocket money - Needles and Pins by The Searchers and Twist and Shout EP by the Beatles both on the same day from Boots in St Helens so I had something to play on our brand new Phillips record player with seperate speakers - mono only though
The first Album I bought was Every Good Boy Deserves Favour by the Moody Blues closely followed by many of their other late 60's albums

First record bought for me by my mum in 1964 - Terry by Lynne Annette Ripley aka Twinkle - she was the subject of my first pop star crush at the age of 9 - that is until I moved on to Clodagh Rodgers Laughing

I like to think though that I wasn't a bad judge even at that age as Twinkle was the only female artist at that time who wrote all her own material rather than simply doing covers of other peoples compositions

First record I bought for someone else - When Julie Comes Around by the Cufflinks - bought it for my first ever proper girlfriend and you can guess what her name was - sadly it didn't last much more than about 3 months Smile

Most influential Record on my musical life - Demons and Wizards by Uriah Heep - I remember seeing them on the Old Grey Whistle Test and thinking that I had not heard anything quite so innovative and exciting and in the subsequent few years I saw them live more than 40 times

First LP I remember as a child - well that is apart from the Sound of Music Soundtrack - Electric Warrior by T Rex - I was about 16 at the time but before that I had only ever listened to singles Sad

The track which probably sticks most in my mind is Double Barrel by Dave and Ansel Collins - reminds me of Saturday Night Discos at the local St John's Ambulance Brigade Premises and very happy times in the early 70's

First track at my wedding - Dancing Queen by Abba - not very original but
very popular

Divorce track - Unfaithful by Rhianna - very appropriate and sadly it also reminds me of the day my original cat passed away Sad

All time favourite track - only really one choice - Motown Junk by Manic Street Preachers - reminds me of happy days in the late 80's early 90's when I used to work in South Wales although I lived in Chester and I used to go to see them in really small venues in places like Blackwood and Abergavenny - I only have to hear that opening guitar riff belted out by James Dean Bradfield and it lifts my spirits instantly Very Happy

Funeral Track - for the main service it has to be A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procul Harum but as I go through the curtain to meet the flames - Leave a Light On by Belinda Carlisle- one of my favourite ever songs with the words being so appropriate for those I leave behind Smile

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Are you ready for a Ruddles?

Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3414 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

First band i remember was showwaddywaddy on TOTP I loved that band under the moon of love was a classic
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I found out how you can hurt an insect.It's the bees knees

ColinB · Guest

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

Part Three.

On to first LP I bought, and that was Sgt Pepper
Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite
I had by that time been getting Beatles LPs at birthdays and Christmas, but Sgt Pepper inconveniently came out in July and I couldn't bear to wait five months and had to fork out the 32/6d myself.

Other than that I was buying only singles, now aided and abetted by my mum, who got a job as a secretary at EMI and got 25% discount in the staff shop. This did mean that my growing collection was a little short of Stones, Dylan, Who, Kinks, etc, but I just had to dig deeper into my pocket and toddle along to the local record store when this hit the airwaves
America - The Nice
which has remained a firm favourite ever since.

Eventually I went to work, bought my first stereo (a penny under fifty quid from Dixons) and, after filling in some of the non-EMI gaps in my box of singles, graduated to LPs other than Beatles. First one was Electric Warrior
Monolith - T Rex

The first record I bought for someone else...
Merry Christmas Darling - Carpenters
Funnily enough, apart from those childhood presents, no-one has ever bought me a record.

First Wedding track...
Is This Love - Alison Moyet

My wedding day passed in a blur and I cannot remember anything else. I can, however, remember being slightly squiffy on my stag night and playing this over and over, to the consternation of my best man (an accountant - easily consternated)
Experiments With Mice - Johnny Dankworth

The record that used to get the baby to sleep...
Love In The First Degree - Bananarama

Track at my funeral...
You choose

And as I go through the curtains to the fire that heats the municipal swimming pool...
I'm Walking Backwards For Christmas - The Goons
_________________
Ron

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

ColinB · Guest