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Do you have a defining musical moment from your early years?

Let me explain.

I grew up in England, mother bringing up 2 unruly louts as a single working mother. Not too common in rural England in 60/70,s and somewhat frowned upon.

Money was not bountiful although we never went without staples and no way mom would let her kids go to school in worn or threadbare clothing so I have no complaints.

So imagine my surprise when I got up on the morning of my 13th birthday to find a bright yellow Decca record player wrapped in a bow with a card on the kitchen table.

Even more of a surprise when I lifted the lid to find 4 singles loaded up in the multi play changer. These were my very first vinyl I could call my own!
Think years of listening to my mom’s albums like Perry Como, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra etc. It’s a wonder I was not scarred for life!

So the singles.... These although long gone I will never ever forget.

Pinball Wizard ... The Who/ Elton John.
In the year 2525 ... Zager & Evans.
Teenagers Mother .... Bill Haley & the Comets.
Purple Haze ... Jimi Hendrix.


Bit of a strange brew but later my mom told me she had no clue and had enlisted the help of a fellow parent who donated these to help her out.

Probably a good thing I do not have them,now as fairly sure they would be worn out as they were played to death.
That was it though, I was hooked and got a Saturday job ( child labour eh?) to feed my addiction. Our local swapshop ( think English equivalent to Pawn shop) always had loads of cheap singles for sale. No idea where they all ended up though tbh.

So that’s my story and my wayward start down the road of rock,n,roll!
128x128uberwaltz
dragunski
113 posts
 
I guess for me, it would be the radio. My parents had records like Eartha Kitt, Harry Belafonte and Burl Ives. The only one that impressed me was Prokofiev's "Peter & the Wolf". 

But when I was 10 years old, Armed Forces Radio came to town. The first songs that really peaked my interest were: "Bye, Bye Love" - Everly Brothers, "Runaway" - Del Shannon, and of course, "Maybelline" and "Jambalaya", already oldies in 1962. 

My tastes have changed a bit over the years, but those songs still do something to me. 

Honorable mention to Brubeck's "Take Five". 


tattooedtrackman's avatar
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tattooedtrackman
884 posts
 
For me I would say what got me into music was because of my parents. And some very special times remembering mom and dad dancing in the living room listening to doo wop. Must of been about 5 yrs old. Being italiano and growing up in the Bronx NY. My parents met in the late 1950s. So can totally understand their love for  DOO WOP. It must of had an effect on me cause I also love doo wop. I also remember what kind of stereo my dad had in our living room. XAM receiver and speakers and a Gerard tt. Bought from Korvetts. 


schubert
7,386 posts
 

Yes and it was traumatic , As a youngster I grew up listening to forms of jazz as did the bulk of Americans  . In a year this was vanished and replaced by junk music which still prevails and is a major factor in the huge drop in taste  in American society . And not just musical taste .

shtinkydog
689 posts
 
The day i bought my very own CD, Depeche Mode's People are People.  I think I was 16 or 17 and didn't even own a CD player.  I used to stare at the CD after school almost every day and read the liner notes over and over and over in anticipation of hearing the disc.  I figured if I bought the CD, my parents would buy me the player, and they did.  But i waited about a year for it.   That in itself was another defining musical moment.  I went crazy buying from Columbia House CD club.   Having a part time job back then as a teen and getting all those CDs for cheap was unbeatable.  I sure miss Columbia House. 
mary_jo
1,525 posts
 
What a beautiful thread. Stories to remember. Thank you guys.

Nobody listened music at my place but we had small TV which was kind of luxury at that time and I was quite thrilled with the Festival di Sanremo (The Festival della canzone italiana) which was broadcasting on our national TV. As the little girl, I did not understand the single word in italian but the songs sounded magical. The song from Anna Oxa - E’ tutto un attimo, blew me away. When my mother had to go to work, she would leave me in the room, gave me some cookies and the access to her closet. Where she would left me, she would find me. In front of the big bedroom mirror, wearing her clothes, singing songs from Sanremo. In my own way. That is what music does to you. :--)

But real shock with the music happened when the group of musicians came to local church to perform live some spiritual songs. They looked strange to me, with their very long hair, different clothes. When they started to play in the acoustic church, my jaws dropped. I did not want to go home, stayed there from the morning hours till the nightfall because guys promised to play some music again.
That did not happen and I remember I was the saddest little girl. But I knew then what made my heart smile. Music. Ever since.


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