First music bought however embarrassing

[David Herrick]

I was a nerdy 1970’s kid who didn’t care for any of the contemporary music around me. The first album I ever purchased, by mail order from a TV commercial no less, was a collection of patriotic songs celebrating the American bicentennial in 1976.

[Sara Pattern]

A patriotic start and well done to you

[Daryl Jones]

Sara, the first recording I ever bought was a 45 rpm single back in the late 60’s, Sooner or Later by the Grass Roots. Now that I’ve dated myself, there is no right or wrong in music, or it’s purchase for listening pleasure. True, we all have our personal eclectic tastes but that is merely opinion not actual fact.

“There is no such thing as bad music, as long as it entertains at least one person.” Lee Liberace

[Sara Pattern]

Dating your age is no problem as you lived through a great era of music that we only got to hear second hand.

[Jacki Hopper]

Gosh…that was eons ago…I can’t honestly recall, however in tge 80s during my teen yrs ….Glass Tiger & Duran Duran were my album Go Tis….lol…now I still am a fan/friend of Glass Tiger….as for Duran2…not really…I kinda stopped being a fan of DD yrs back, they went musically in a direction that I didn’t care for, etc …. but I do enjoy music from different genres…I have my fussiness over what I specifically enjoy/not ….. but will say this…next to MLT…. there are but a rare few in today’s music landscape I embrace , or at least can enjoy, as for rest of it …not so much….I prefer the old school stuff over new of what I enjoy …. I grew up in a household mostly on radio of mixed old

oldies, country, pop, rock , gospel, bluegrass, blues …etc…

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  Jacki Hopper.

[Sara Pattern]

Teen of the 80’s like myself though I was listening to older music as I borrowed my older brothers Pink Floyd LP’s which put me out of fashion but I appreciate it all nowadays

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  Sara Pattern.

[Christopher]

Oh, there you go about Glass Tiger again…cool, cool, and cool!

Will never forget them performing at the opening of SkyDome in 1989. “I’m Still Searching” was done with the band at the top of their game!

I was lucky to live right on the U.S./Canada border. Had access to all that great Canadian music. Now, I live about twenty minutes away so the influence is still there. Gowan, Rush, The Spoons, Luba, Serena Ryder, and Jann Arden are just a few of my favorites. Met Gowan a couple of times and what a gentleman he is! We saw Jann Arden in May for the third time and she was fantastic!

May we never forget about the great Canadian content!

[Jacki Hopper]

Lol…Yes, on all counts that you mentioned 🤘🇨🇦

[Christopher]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r3asKw_ghw

Canada has another great one on the way! Jadyn Rylee’s “Stairway” came up on my algorithm a few days ago and…wow, she is great! This is several years ago, and now she is doing original work as well. Check out her music. Way to go Toronto!

[Christopher]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsE3D1b9j-8

One more from Jadyn Rylee…enjoy.

[Charles]

The first album I purchased was the first Beatles release in the USA – Meet The Beatles.

I was hooked for life. I think the first 45 I bought was Paperback Writer. The “B” side had the song Rain that was never placed on an album because the record company thought it was too weired.

Record companies are stupid and the MLT Team knows it’s a fact. I truly hope the MLT Team has the ability to keep up with and manage the growth of the success. May the Gods bless them all and help them STAY GROOVY!!

[Sara Pattern]

You were discovering Beatles from the start which is cool in itself and the progression they made each album is impressive. I discovered them I think later through blue album and worked backwards so at least you did it in right order

[Jung Roe]

Hi Sara,

My first album, that I could call mine that my parents bought me was a Walt Disney “Three Little Pigs” narrated story album. I still have that album with the tattered album cover and all. I remember I took it to grade 1 Show and Tell, and the teacher put it on for the whole class room to hear. I really liked that! Wow, the MLT Club is so amazing, where else could I share a fond memory like that than here! Not only a place for like minded people to come together to share our passion in MLT, but can share things like this as well. Thanks!

In my early teens, my first music album would have been a Beach Boys greatest hits album that I bought, the first of many. My first concert too was the Beach Boys when I was about 15 or 16 or so, went all by myself to a huge stadium, never seen so many people in one place.

[Sara Pattern]

That’s got me thinking further back to my Walt Disney Albums which was either The Aristrocats or Whinnie The Pooh and the honey tree. .Funny I’m now humming “I’m just a little black raincloud” Now maybe the Beach Boys should have covered that. Once tried singing Kareokke to a beach boys song and realised how hard their songs were to sing but they make it look so easy but their songs are quite complex to sing to sound right

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  Sara Pattern.

[David Herrick]

Okay, it’s been nearly 50 years, but I’m going to try to do this from memory:

I’m just a little black rain cloud, hovering over the honey tree.

Only a little black rain cloud. Pay no attention to little me.

Everyone knows that a rain cloud never eats honey. No, not a nip.

I’m just floating around, over the ground, wondering where I will drip.

[Sara Pattern]

Tut Tut it looks like rain! Tut Tut it looks like rain!

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  Sara Pattern.

[David]

Hi Sara, Arrival was also one of my first buys. I loved “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” Based on release dates, though, I think my first purchase was probably Heart’s “Dreamboat Annie.” Except for the Beatles, I’ve always had a preference for female singers. Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac (Lindsey Buckingham doesn’t count), Cyndi Lauper, Carly Simon, Karla Bonoff, Joni Mitchell, and so on and so on. I guess it’s no surprise I’m an MLT fan.

[Sara Pattern]

Don’t forget Stevie Knicks who has a voice that is quite unique though you did mention Fleetwood Mac so she’s in your selection , but fantastic collection of artists there

[Daryl Jones]

It’s funny, cool, Groovy, (all the descriptives) we use in discussions like this. Music is not unlike a solitaire diamond, many facets to view and every angle changes the perspective and the experience.

I was too young in the early to mid 60’s to go out and buy records, so I had to leave that to my older brothers and listen to what they brought home. The Beatles and the Dave Clarke 5, the Outsiders, Elvis, Buddy Holly were the rage of the day, and the Stones were the undisputed “bad boys”. Of course, our parents considered all R&R devilish and vulgar, but it took the world by storm. Can you imagine if the likes of Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath, Steppenwolf and Deep Purple (just their names would have caused heart palpitations!) had come on the scene in 1962? Good God, John Baldry was an outcast before most of them made their appearance!

But it became a magical time, and now it’s almost a Renaissance period in spite of all the political and social upheaval in the world of the day. Most/all of us here know how special that time was, and we have a very special pair of beautiful ladies and their loving support in Rudi and Mikaela to keep it alive, along with their growing original recording works.

And as much as I rejoice in the warm fuzziness I get from the covers and memories, I cannot help but be saddened for the current and coming generations that will likely never know what we experienced growing up through it. So much came from the birth of rock and roll and the R&B, jazz culture that are it’s roots.

The player in me digs the metal and hard rock riffs, the Stairway to Heaven and the Dark Side of the Moon, the intense vocals of Ian Gillan and Robert Plant, and the abstract genius of Jimmy Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen’s unique style. Just as I can still get teary eyed with some of the more classic vocals of Gary Puckett or later on the Eagles; feel the chills run up my spine hearing Elton John open a concert with Funeral for a Friend…

Sorry for the long winded spew from my guts, it just strikes a chord (pun intended) with me. Keep the faith and stay Groovy all!!!

[Sara Pattern]

I think you have said all that can be said and the reason we are together on this site is that we all have an appreciation of music that moves us. music that can make us smile. Music that can make us cry. Music that makes us remember a time and place that is special to us. Have times changed that much I’m not so sure as I feel that there is music out there that moves people in any generation there is and I’d love to hear modern music that someone else has a passion for and seeing it from their point of view that’s no different from when I was younger and shared music with friends and discovered bands that at that time I could not afford to buy as with every friend I met I enjoyed their passion as well as sharing mine. So each friend made our music collection bigger. Nowdays it’s streaming and though it’s easier to share and it feels it has lost its way that same love of music will always shine through

[Jung Roe]

Hi Daryl, I like your analogy of music and solitaire diamond. Many facets to music indeed and your perspective and experience can change as you listen each time. I know what it’s like to have an older brother who can afford to buy a lot of nice records. My brother’s vinyl collection opened a window to much music for me from Al Stewart to Ted Nugent to the Beatles and Pink Floyd and many more. The 60s was most certainly a magical time and a period of musical Renaissance, and Mona and Lisa capture that kind of magic and spirit today and also reflect in their music the social upheaval like the music of the 60’s did for that generation. It would be great if the younger generation today can experience that kind of musical Renaissance, and I think WHY? and their new music direction can do just that. MLT is the future of Rock and Roll.

[Christopher]

I had a lot of children 45s from Peter Pan Records. My favorite as a little kid was “Puff the Magic Dragon” on the A-Side and “Sweety Bear” on the B-Side. Think I still have it.

The first album that my parents bought me was The Partridge Family’s Up-to-Date. A bit cringeworthy now, but “I’ll Meet You Halfway” still remains a good song and I still play it on the guitar sometimes.

The first rock 45 was Styx’s “Renegade” which I liked so much my first album purchase, Styx’s Pieces of Eight followed afterward.

[Sara Pattern]

I just about remember The Partridge Family but only because I think they appeared on Goober and the Ghost Chasers cartoon which I think was a Scooby Doo clone that hunted ghosts and the dog turned invisible which seemed to make sense in the 70’s

[Christopher]

Yes, I remember that as well! The 70’s had the best cartoons. It was a great time to grow up!

You have started a great thread. You are going to enjoy the comments from the MLT Club members. They are a group of outstanding people and I have learned a lot about music and different places around the world!

[David Herrick]

Christopher, I had that very Peter Pan 45 when I was a kid! That version of Puff (the only one I knew at the time) was my absolute favorite song when I was six. I even posted about it here a couple of years ago.

[Jacki Hopper]

Oh Lordy… The Partridge Family, Puff n Stuff ( especially when Cass Elliot was on the show ) The Monkees TV show, The Banana Splits an various Music shows on TV I loved watching in the 1970s-80s growing up in Canada….

The Irish Rovers TV show was classic fave, especially the Leprechaun episodes on show,

I could go on and on… Also like a few others on here, I have 2 older brothers and between them and my parents in all their music tastes and of my own, I was influenced to enjoy what I heard in our house whether on whatever radio stn was on, my older bros vinyl/cassette tape/8Track tape collection, likewise for my Mom & Dad’s music collection… My Aunt (Dad’s sister) is the church organist/pianist for her church, and therefore enjoy Gospel/Contemporary church music too….Basically, if it makes me sing/dance along , etc then it’s truly music that moves me and I enjoy listening to …🤘📻🔊

[Sara Pattern]

Ahh 8 track my Uncle used to have an 8 track machine. I think I used to listen to The Spinners and Status Quo on that though his machine was faulty as I can remember the 8 track kept stopping and starting. Though his machine was a novelty by the time I was using it in the late seventies early 80’s As for The Monkees I still often listen to them nowdays and I think Headquarters is one of my favourite albums if had to do a list of my top 10 albums.

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  Sara Pattern.
• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  Sara Pattern.

[Jacki Hopper]

Lol about 8 track machines, yes,, not always reliable they were back then….

As fer The Monkees stuff, jyst listened to their music from their TV show …😉🙃

[Len Upton]

Most of you will know that the configuration, and song list of the first few Beatles albums was different between the U.K. and the U.S. The Brits were more than generous with 14 tracks, and the Americans significantly miserly, with just 10 tracks. Capital Records Canada split the difference with 12 tracks. I managed to hold off on my first album acquisition until the second Canadian Beatles release, which was Twist And Shout. I then doubled back to the first Canadian Beatles release, Beatlemania, with the well known Robert Freeman black and white picture of the 4 mop tops. The Canadian Twist And Shout album has a leaping/jumping photo similar to the British Help! album, and has become quite a collectors’ item, especially outside Canada. The third Canadian release was titled Long Tall Sally, and the cover resembles the American Second Album.

In any case, what came next “gets a bit blurry”. The Beach Boys Today comes to mind, because of Help Me Rhonda, a long- time favourite. They already had a couple of surfing and hot rod albums, which appealed to teenage guy sensibilities. In any case, everything from British Invasion Bands to Motown, and everything in between, and beyond, was now on the radar.

My problem was that a friend of a friend, was actually a record distributor’s sales rep, and was more than happy to supply friends with records at wholesale prices. As you can imagine, this was a challenge to any young guy’s financial circumstance, even with a paper route.

Somewhere on the MLT website, I’ve seen a picture of Mona and Lisa outside one of their favourite record stores. I caught a glimpse of it again, very recently, prominently displayed on the wall, above the fire place/mantel, in the production room that they set up, for the making of the most recent video, Make Show. (Sometimes the pause button can be quite useful)! In any case, long live vinyl!

[Jung Roe]

Len, that’s pretty interesting about the number of tracks on albums, UK (14 tracks) vs USA (10 tracks), and Canada doing a happy median at 12 tracks. You would think that should be up to the artist to dictate as it should be instead of the record companies. That doesn’t matter as much when an album is just a collection of songs, but when thematic and concepts albums are involved that matters. I don’t think Pet Sounds and Sargent Peppers have a different UK versus USA version albums fortunately. There is only one version as far as I know. The Beach Boys Today is an awesome album (their new mature and more sophisticated music direction), my fave of theirs second to Pet Sounds.

[Johnnypee Parker]

Hi Sara,

Wow, you got everybody reminiscing with this one. The first album I bought myself was AC\DC Back In Black. I bought it at Record Town at the Mall down the road from our school. I think I was in tenth grade. I have an older brother and sister, so there was no reason for me to buy much up to that point. Now that I think of it, the first album I can remember is a Johnny Cash album. If I recall correctly, my parents told me it was mine, but I think it was just considered part of the house collection. Maybe one of ten. All I remember was it had every six year old’s favorite song on it. I think it was my favorite because it told a story, the singer’s name was the same as mine, and there may have been a cuss word in it. Was it bleeped for radio? I can’t remember. Wait a second, my first wife’s name was Sue, and, and…I have to think…did I subconsciously base any other life decisions on favorite childhood songs? Hmm, my Dad had an eight track player on our home stereo which I think came from a hardware store. I remember a couple of Christmas albums. I think we had an eight track in the car, also. I seem to remember Dad was a fan of greatest hits tapes. I’m hearing Tom Jones, and now I love cats. So that’s okay. I remember Blood Sweat and Tears “You Make Me So Very Happy”. That checks out. If music has unknowingly influenced any major life decisions, I better watch what I listen to. How old was I when I first heard Helter Skelter? Uh-oh.

JP

I can’t explain it. I remember it was my favorite

https://youtu.be/WOHPuY88Ry4

[Sara Pattern]

That brings back memories of my mum having a country compilation album and I remember that as a stand out track on it. Though I must admit I forgot it was Johnny cash who sung it. Bleeps on music that’s a thing of the past. Some modern music these days would sound very different if bleeped nowdays. Just a way society has changed though and in those days if you wanted airplay the censor had to be considered though when I was a kid in U.K. if it was banned it went to the top of the charts because of it as it made it more of a must buy . Relax by Frankie goes to Hollywood one example

[Jung Roe]

JP, so your first album was ACDC Back in Black, nice. I think had several ACDC albums in cassettes when I really got into them in the mid 80s, mostly the early stuff when Bon Scott was the lead singer.

[Jacki Hopper]

As I’ve mentioned previously on here in forum, somewheres, I grew up in a house of varied music tastes & influences , my late parents, country music listeners , ( well Mom, liked other genres too, but Dad was more of a country/bluegrass kinda guy ), while my 2 older brothers, they each had their music tastes (oldest bro into country/southern rock primarily, still does , while my 2 nd older brother is more into blues/rock/country, mainly guitar stuff but my 2nd older brother and I are more similar minded in our music tastes ), and I like a variety but at same time have genres that I’m not keen much at all on, and therefore don’t listen because the music does not resonate with me . I listen to music that resonates with me .🤘

[Daryl Jones]

I drive an “old” vehicle, so I can’t stream anything new or play a bluetooth device; I have to listen to a CD or FM radio. Funny, I have i-tunes on my Goldwing motorcycle, but it’s newer than my truck haha. But my i-pod is old, and my apple account is history so I can’t add new material to my playlist anymore. I use an Android phone for the last 10 (?) years, and naturally the two formats agree to disagree. I’m hooped for tunes on the bike if the i-pod dies I reckon.

But I hear you about certain genres, some don’t resonate with me either. I often experiment with various types of music when I play, just to broaden my horizons as it were. There’s always something to take from it, I think. One must try to keep an open mind after all.

Finding the Twins has brought a resurgence of the 60’s in my music listening and playing, and I’m thankful for that. Some of the Surf Sound craze has hit me recently, the Ventures, Safaris, numerous instrumental memories from my older brother’s collections when I was a kid are so much fun to play and jam along with. So glad I discovered what so many of you have known for many years already.

[Jung Roe]

Daryl, I miss my 6 CD changer with 6 surround sound speakers in my old Mustang! Now I use the bluetooth to connect my phone jukebox to the car stereo, that’s the only stereo option I got when I got my new Kia. It was, what? Where is my CD player as I drove off the lot. Now I have to pull over every time I want to change albums, though I am sure there are more sophisticated ways of setting up playlists with a bluetooth MP3 player. I just much preferred the simplicity of loading my 6 CD albums into the car stereo before embarking on my trip, and switching between albums on the fly at the touch of my finger tips.

I remember I was all smiles ear to ear when I first saw MLT’s Mr Postman/Wipe Out video! Wow, that was incredible seeing Mona and Lisa doing those surfing guitar sounds. I love the California sounds of Destination Sunrise. I just want to have that blaring through the speakers while driving down the California coast!

[Ian Boggs]

Hi Daryl,

I too drive an old vehicle. I use a bluetooth adaptor which broadcasts a weak FM signal to my FM radio. My android phone connects to that. I can answer calls on the rare occasion that someone loves me and for the rest of the time, I sing maniacally to MLT or other melodic groups whose work I have on the phone. Problem solved.

When I’m riding, I’m too involved with that to be bothered with music.

I, like yourself, am learning a lot from other posters. Glad to have found myself here.

Thanks for your contributions.

[Jung Roe]

Jacki, it’s wonderful having older siblings with a nice record collection. I certainly benefited from that which influenced and enriched my music exposure early on.

[Daryl Jones]

Something Jung touched on just rang a bell with me. The playback methods we have now are a bit of a mixed blessing to my way of thinking. True, we have sound reproduction/recording media now that is staggering, and gone are the days of the old countertop record player with its weak and tinny speaker (s). We enjoy sound so much fuller and vibrant than in the decades we revere so much. But as Jung mentioned, even the CD player has been replaced by more modern (I won’t say necessarily better) automotive replay methods. I have eschewed my satellite radio subscription in my aged 3/4 ton in favor of my CD collection. No Bluetooth functionality in the old beast.

I have a pretty kick-a** sound system in my living room that is more than capable of reverberating across the bay to the other shore. But it’s a rare day that I will test that power. In fact, I spend far more time listening to actual LPs (rather than cd) at more “reasonable” volumes. CDs were great when they became the go to, but I still much prefer the more intricate sound of the vinyl record.

Other than some very specific titles that I use for jamming (one or two specific tracks usually) to in my guitar cave, the MLT CDs are the only ones I have purchased in several years. I just buy very personally desired vinyl records now. I really look forward to the LP release from the girls that’s (fingers crossed) coming. That will be one for the select collection stack of Pink Floyd, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Clapton, Steve Vai etc that gets regular play time on the turntable.

Em, my venerable Yamaha YPD-6 record player has actually been with me longer than my wife has…and she’s been here over 4 decades 🤣

[Ian Boggs]

The first LP bought and paid for by me was Steeleye Span’s “All Around My Hat”. That was followed in no particular order with “Commoner’s Crown”, Several Manhattan Transfer, Beatles, Dire Straights and Queen albums along with a smattering of Classical compilations.

Interestingly, I’m not at all embarrassed by any of those late teen purchases. I still love them and listen to them still. I will say that there are the odd few tracks that I really don’t like and regularly skip. Queen’s “Tie Your Mother Down”, would be one example. Not my style at all. Icky Poo!

You may notice a preference for melody and harmony?

I didn’t buy any Jazz as my parents had plenty which got snuck onto cassette tape. 🙂

There are a lot of eclectic and interesting responses to this post from some very cluey people.

Well done Sara for a cluey question.