I have no idea why sitting at various bars in Sanur, Bali, is making me recall and review so much of life. Maybe because this candle has almost burned down to the bottom, so I have to get it all on record.
Which reminds me of records! I am of the era that grew up with vinyl records – singles at 45 rpm and LP’s at 33 rpm.
The first record I ever bought under my own steam was Neanderthal Man by Hotlegs, the group that eventually morphed into 10CC. I say under my own steam because prior to that my Mum had sent me to a shop called Banners to buy here favourite singles. I remember buying her Band of Gold by Freda Payne. To me it was just a pop song, but now when I look back at the constant bickering and fights between my parents, I see it meant something else to her.
Back to records.
My first album was Sergeant Peppers by the Beatles. We had a lovely big stereogram at home and I played that album whenever I had the chance – it was rare as the TV was almost always on! I managed to get a portable record player for my 13th birthday, and that solved that issue!
My second album was Led Zeppelin 2 which cost me 45 shillings (£2.25). This was followed by Deep Purple in Rock, Mud Slide Slim (James Taylor), and Master of Reality (Black Sabbath) .
My older sister went on a big adventure the summer I turned 14. Her best friend had relatives in the Boston Area of America, so off they went for a months holiday. When she returned she brought me a copy of Sweet Baby James (Taylor again!).
So now I had six albums!
I was ready to be a DJ!!
Then Maria said that in effect all of those albums belonged to the family and she would take them to parties if she wanted!
Feck that!
I bundled them in old wallpaper and hid them in the Attic to stop her getting at them.
Which of course meant I couldn’t get at them either!
Youth and common sense rarely go hand in hand…
I was jealous of her trip to the States and vowed that one day I would go. Ten years later, in the Summer of 1981, I went to work at a summer camp in New York State. It was a place called Camp Long Lake, way out in the Boondocks – it was fantastic! I am sure that will lead to another post some time.
PS. I still have all six of them in my storeroom in Liverpool!
Fairy Hanny 