Earliest Musical Memories.

[Psmith]

What's the song or record that first made an impression on a young you?

[Undie]

I'm not sure if say impression on me but as a kid we had use of my mum's old Dansette and her collection of old 7" singles.
We'd often pile half a dozen old Motown singles on the centre pole waiting for them to drop.
The collection had mostly Motown and to be honest I can't remember which ones, also a few stones and Beatles song.

I do remember Chris Montez's Let's Dance and have always had a soft spot for that. But none that had a great influence on who I am or what I listen to, that came much later with I suppose totp and Madchester and acid house but I was 16 or so then

[Phillip Phlopp]

Most radio shows on the Home Service in the 50s/60s used to have theme tunes at the beginning, sometimes the music could be a snippet of a classical melody. Being a kiddlywink at the time I wasn't interested with the programme itself but when I hear those tunes I can be transported back in time. One programme used to be broadcast on a Friday afternoon at the same time as when I walked in the house from primary school, Friday afternoon being the day when me mam used to polish the front hall with a lavender scented product. The musical piece was played on Classic FM the other week and I could smell that polish and it brought back vivid memories.

This post was brought to you by Phloppy's Rambling Anecdotes.

[Maximus]

I do remember being in the kitchen and singing along with the radio (and my Mum) to 'Bammy Love', otherwise known as The Beatles' 'Can't Buy Me Love'.

I would have been about six at the time. I was also a fan of Manfred Mann's 'Do Wah Diddy' and (previously mentioned on the song theme game) 'Who Wears Short-shorts' by Freddie And The Dreamers.

Another Manfreds song that made a big impression was 'Pretty Flamingo' which was whistled by the lifeguard at the local pool - it came out in 1966 so I would have been a year or two older. It's still a favourite.

My Mum also played the Frank Sinatra version of 'Old MacDonald Had A Farm' which was a touch raunchier that she thought when she bought the single for us kids to listen too. Might have sparked my love for frank's voice:

Ol' Mac Donald (Frank Sinatra - with Lyrics)

I think the first actual vinyl I was given (requested) was 'Sugar, Sugar' by The Archies.

The first single I bought 'with my own money' was 'Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes', one-hit wonder from Edison Lighthouse - I met the co-writer many, many years later in a pub in South London.

Weirdly I also remember liking Jethro Tull's single The Witch's Promise on the radio at the time: Jethro Tull - The Witches Promise [BBC top of the pops 1970]

I didn't have an older brother or sister to influence me but we had a student lodging with us who gave me (and my younger brother) the wonderful CBS sampler album 'Fill Your Head With Rock' which was quite a leap but was hugely influential on me:

Fill Your Head with Rock

Around the same time I borrowed Fairport Convention's 'Liege And Lief' from a much older female neighbour and eventually bought it for myself - still a stunning album.

From then on (I would have been 12 or 13) I was a full-on music lover with a bit of a taste for rock. I have a very strong memory of the first time hearing Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' echoing around a scout hall as it was played by an older boy. I was confused that the singer with the high voice wasn't female but was also being blown away by the power of it all.

I still mentally sing 'Bammy Love' when I hear that Beatles tune...

[Maximus]

Most radio shows on the Home Service in the 50s/60s used to have theme tunes at the beginning, sometimes the music could be a snippet of a classical melody. Being a kiddlywink at the time I wasn't interested with the programme itself but when I hear those tunes I can be transported back in time. One programme used to be broadcast on a Friday afternoon at the same time as when I walked in the house from primary school, Friday afternoon being the day when me mam used to polish the front hall with a lavender scented product. The musical piece was played on Classic FM the other week and I could smell that polish and it brought back vivid memories.

This post was brought to you by Phloppy's Rambling Anecdotes.

Oh yes. I came from a classical family and we had a lot of classical records and very few pop ones - I think most families had more interest in classical music in those days. Certainly I remember Mozart's: "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" from the time:

Mozart "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" I. Allegro

I think the family had one 'soul music' album - a 1966 compilation on a budget label. I did love it though and maybe it put me on the path to my love of the genre in general. This is the one I particularly remember:

Billy Young - You left the water running

[Maximus]

I'm not sure if say impression on me but as a kid we had use of my mum's old Dansette and her collection of old 7" singles.
We'd often pile half a dozen old Motown singles on the centre pole waiting for them to drop.
The collection had mostly Motown and to be honest I can't remember which ones, also a few stones and Beatles song.

I do remember Chris Montez's Let's Dance and have always had a soft spot for that. But none that had a great influence on who I am or what I listen to, that came much later with I suppose totp and Madchester and acid house but I was 16 or so then

That's not a bad stack to have on the dansette...

The teen music will always be the most influential although I don't much listen to my teen music today.

By co-incidence 'Loaded' came up on shuffle yesterday. I didn't even know I had it in the library but it was on a decent '12" Dance' compilation. Certainly a bit of a classic.

[Phillip Phlopp]

What a difference a decade or so makes for early musical memories. I was born in 1954 and grew up against a musical backdrop where rock 'n' roll and blues was virtually non-existent on the BBC (at the time, the only source of music). It was going to be a few years before pop music started to be played and radio stations coming onstream with a younger audience in mind, such as Radio Luxembourg and, later, the pirate radio ships like Radio Caroline.

[Redpig59]

The tune from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly was the first tune that really caught my imagination as a nipper.
I have three older sisters, so was listening to pop music from an early age.

[Undie]

That's not a bad stack to have on the dansette...

The teen music will always be the most influential although I don't much listen to my teen music today.

By co-incidence 'Loaded' came up on shuffle yesterday. I didn't even know I had it in the library but it was on a decent '12" Dance' compilation. Certainly a bit of a classic.

That certainly is one of my influential records, but who knew how much it would be until now eh

I sued to think my mum was a bit of a souly and was quite into her music but the older I get the more I realise it's not that much of a big thing to her, she likes what she likes and then doesn't know much about that stuff either. Dad is more a traditional Rock fan but as much as anything his taste has moved me away from that dross.

Where as I am a nerd, listen to it, buy/stream it, read up on it, back catalogue it etc etc.

My OH is similar to mum, I suppose DD (cough!) 1 and 2 seem to be similar. My hope is number 3, who will dance to anything and even says "what's this ? I've never heard it before, I like it"

[Phillip Phlopp]

What a difference a decade or so makes for early musical memories. I was born in 1954 and grew up against a musical backdrop where rock 'n' roll and blues was virtually non-existent on the BBC (at the time, the only source of music). It was going to be a few years before pop music started to be played and radio stations coming onstream with a younger audience in mind, such as Radio Luxembourg and, later, the pirate radio ships like Radio Caroline.

Ah, but Phloppy, you're forgetting, you had Children's* Favourites with Uncle Mac on a Saturday morning. You had Puff The Magic Dragon, Val Doonican smoothly serenading us with Paddy McGinty's Goat and not forgetting Terry Scott's My Dear Brother**.


* Mainly requested by adults for their children.
** I've often wondered what his brother was holding in his hand.

[Psmith]

My parents were in a musical in the village hall and of all the songs,"Oh what a beautiful morning" really amused me ,mainly because of the line "as high as an elephant's eye",I think.
My grandfather had a wind up player and a pile of 78's.He very generously let me play them,they were very breakable.One really impressed me because I thought the singer was a sportsman of some sort.
Scrapper Blackwell
nobody knows you when you are down and out
https://youtu.be/626pNZB8xXE

[Psmith]

What a difference a decade or so makes for early musical memories. I was born in 1954 and grew up against a musical backdrop where rock 'n' roll and blues was virtually non-existent on the BBC (at the time, the only source of music). It was going to be a few years before pop music started to be played and radio stations coming onstream with a younger audience in mind, such as Radio Luxembourg and, later, the pirate radio ships like Radio Caroline.

Ah, but Phloppy, you're forgetting, you had Children's* Favourites with Uncle Mac on a Saturday morning. You had Puff The Magic Dragon, Val Doonican smoothly serenading us with Paddy McGinty's Goat and not forgetting Terry Scott's My Dear Brother**.


* Mainly requested by adults for their children.
** I've often wondered what his brother was holding in his hand.

Do you remember this bit of lunacy from Frankie Howerd ?
https://youtu.be/fowdCONhr0M
Three little fishes.

[Red Baron]

Considering we always had music on, I couldn't really pinpoint my first memories. My mam always had the 'light' programme on while my Grandpa was into classical. However, he also had the first Beatles music, along with an excellent stereo so that is in there.

My gran singing to us various old songs as well.

They all played piano as well so we heard quite a lot, Grandpa was excellent and a church organist too.

My own tastes changed once I became a teenager, my dad hated anything I liked....

[RockitRon]

For the first ten years of my life we had neither television nor record player, so it was the BBC Light Programme, and the only music worth remembering was the occasional show by Ted Heath and his Music. His big band was so powerful and tight it was almost alien, compared to what the BBC offered the rest of the time. I loved it, and still do.

Pop, rock and roll, and soul all threatened to pass me by, and then dad's brother went to live in Stevenage, and we went to stay with him every other weekend. He not only had an up-to-date television but also a radiogram, and was within the range of Radios Caroline and London. Jackpot!

[Gadget]

I am often enraged by my neighbour's son playing 'thumpy music' that makes my walls shake but recently, playing Radio 2 with Google Home I have noticed that almost every new pop record goes 'thump, thump, thump' and I have to turn it down in case it is annoying my neighbour!

[Phillip Phlopp]

For the first ten years of my life we had neither television nor record player, so it was the BBC Light Programme, and the only music worth remembering was the occasional show by Ted Heath and his Music. His big band was so powerful and tight it was almost alien, compared to what the BBC offered the rest of the time. I loved it, and still do.

Pop, rock and roll, and soul all threatened to pass me by, and then dad's brother went to live in Stevenage, and we went to stay with him every other weekend. He not only had an up-to-date television but also a radiogram, and was within the range of Radios Caroline and London. Jackpot!

Ah, the radiogram. I don't know where it came from but it was second hand when it came into our house. It was the size and weight of a fully loaded coffin but with the tiniest of legs. The left hand side door had a built in radio that swung out on a hinge at the bottom and the right hand door revealed the record player. It also had, gasp, stereo speakers. This must have been about 1965 and my dad who at the time reckoned the Beatles would be forgotten by the end of the decade bought an album called 'Marching With The Beatles' performed by a military band. We used to play 'Name that tune' because every track started exactly the same and eventually segued into a melody. Please, Please Me was unrecognisable from She Loves You. Mind you, the drummer(s) were all better than Ringo.

Me dad was almost right, the mop-haired pop combo broke up in 1970, unfortunately he didn't live to see this minor victory.

Edit: It has just occurred to me that me mam will have been a widow 50 years this year.

[Maximus]

Some great memories there folks.

I have no idea if we had a radiogram but I remember them clearly. The pop songs I remember were certainly heard on the radio - in the kitchen mostly.

[Undie]

I do remember pick of the pops with the dur dur da dur theme presented by everyone's favourite DJ Jimmy Saville was always on during Sunday dinner as a kid. It was a way of hearing older stuff apart from TOTP's chart songs, during the 80's I presume