A Beatlemania moment

[Johnnypee Parker]

Wow, these are great stories.  Thanks for sharing these.

Jung, what a great school trip that must’ve been.  For us it was an eighth grade bus trip to NYC to see Dracula on Broadway and some other touristy things.  It was a lot packed into a day trip.

Lisa, thanks for sharing that Better moment.  It looks like we all have some beautiful moments of musical enlightment.

Jacki, I see a pattern of your older bro’s influence here.  All good, I’m sure.

I had a similar teacher encounter when my nephew was in fourth grade, he had the same teacher as me.  So I went to pick him up one day.  This was around twenty years since I had seen MissFenton.  It was awesome.  She introduced me to her class as Mr Parker, one of her former students.  Mr Parker, like I was something.  We hugged and I got to tell her she was my favorite teacher.

Howard, as soon as you began your Sgt Pepper’s memory of listening on the floor and reading the lyrics on the album cover, I was sensing the feel of my teenage bedroom floor.  That is my memory, also.  I was 14 and my brother gave me Sgt Pepper and Pink Floyd Animals.  I wore them out on my crappy turntable lying on the hardwood floors with my head between the speakers.  I think it is safe to say I learned what stereo was thanks to the Beatles and Pink Floyd.   Albums that had lyric sheets were the koolest.

But then, just like Jung, there was a nicer stereo in the living room.  Believe me, the moment Mom and Dad left, my brother and I would race to the living room with some good music.  Ok turn it up to eleven.  Just to hear the rooster crow at that volume was the koolest thing.  Good morning sounds best at a high volume.  I love all the background stuff.  That might explain my like for Pink Floyd.

Fun fact:  Pink Floyd was recording their first album Piper at the Gates of Dawn in Abbey Road Studios when the boys were recording Sgt Pepper.  Piper has a lot of background stuff.  It sounds a little more beatle-ish than later Floyd.

Matt, stories of recovery are some of the best.  Congratulations on 25.

Jung, we have discussed the powers of the symphony.  I am glad your Mom taught you the magic music holds.

There are a few like minds here, so I’m gonna post a question under Both Sides Now.  (I love the play on words)

‘This is a groovy place

JP

[Matt Hay]

Haha Johnny, your place sounds a lot like mine growing up. Dad had the good stereo turntable in the living room. My brother and I shared a bedroom which had these horrible modular inbuilt bunks and a curtain down the middle. I had a tape player, but managed to drag our old gramophone under my bed, so I had my own man cave. Those old valve gramophone units had a great tone.

[Jung Roe]

JP, my first experience with super hi-fi sound was on my dad’s powerful stereo and my brothers new Pink Floyd album Wish You Were Here.  Heard “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Welcome To the Machine” back to back for the first time super loud and I was mesmerized!  Felt like a meditative experience.  For the first time I could understand why my brother loved the howling guitar sounds of Hendricks so much.

[Michael Thompson]

My Beatlemania memory involves me and my sister in 1964 (I was 13 she was 12) standing in front of our fireplace mirror and pretending we were the Beatles. I was Paul because I could play lefthanded air bass, and my sister was John. we had all the moves! I had at one time all the Beatles albums from Meet the Beatles to Let it Be and Abby Road. Alas they’ve all disappeared over the many years.

[Jung Roe]

Michael, that fond memory with your sister must be forever priceless!  The magic of the Beatles and joy they brought us is priceless too.  Thanks for sharing your Beatlemania memory.