Musicheads ask: What was the first record you bought with your own money?

The Surfaris: Wipe Out

"Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell

Nice show, Bill. I dug all three CDs, but still a little leery of the Magnetic Fields. I love them, but the distortion and reverb kind of put me off a little bit. I guess I'd have to spend some more time with that one.

I can't remember the first album I bought, it was probably a Beatles or a Beach Boys album. My dad used to work in the record warehouse for what became Musicland and he could get employee discounts. I would go into work with him on weekends and climb on boxes and boxes of records. I do remember him picking up "All Things Must Pass" the red "Beatles 1962-1966", and Harry Belafonte's "Calypso" albums for me that I paid him for.

Speaking of "Let It Be", my sister found a box of about 20 original Beatles 45's from left behind by a previous tenant when she moved into an apartment. "Let It Be" was one of them. I loved the B-side "You Know My Name(Look Up the Number) so much I wore it out. Although I did probably take a screwdriver to a Neil Sedaka album in my time.

Here's a possible suggestion for a future question: "What Album(s) did you get handed down or inherited from either a sibling or your parents that you still listen to or made an impact on your musical taste?" I inherited all sorts of Beatles, Zeppelin, Todd Rundgren, etc. from my sisters. I still have most of them. Most of them listen to country music now.

My first 7" singles were a duo;
T.Rex "Ride A White Song" and The Kinks "Apeman"
I can still see myself getting on the double decker bus to go home clutching the little lilac and white striped bag that our local record store had, little did I know where that purchase would take me!

I'll have to give the podcast a listen... my poor little computer is grinding.

You guys are so cool:
How did that affect your future purchases, Bret?
Nippy, you're not joshing, are you? Because that's a pretty cool thing.
Talk about a fast track to a collection Frick.
Lyndon...that album has some... memorable lyrics. Whatta splash!
Hate to say it, but that's just cute Mark.

Wonder how telling these answers are, or if you all feel they reflect the follies of youth. I honestly cannot remember the first record I bought (or the first 8-track, *grin*!) but it was probably around 77/78? And I'd be surprised if it wasn't a Beatles album, because I had several and wanted moremoremore. The purchases of 79 were much more current, and I only remember those because I clearly recall comparing the top 100 list against the songs I bought.

Anyone else remember doing the math on joining a music club? You know the ones, where one penny would buy a crazy number of albums and you merely had to buy a certain number at "regular club prices." Wonder how many people bought a dozen records in their first buy!?!

I don't rightly recall... but my brother bought the soundtrack to a little known film called Dudes when we were kid, that I would have bought, and it was a record that changed our lives with it's mix of metal, punk, and alternative music.

Tape:
Weird Al - "In 3D"
Vinyl:
The Beatles - "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
CD:
Rush - "A Show of Hands."

Eric, what was on that soundtrack? I don't remember the film, much less the music.

You missed the 8-track soundscapemn, as in you probably saved yourself! Nice spread of music in those three purchases.

Okay...Fired up the show's podcast for the music. This was a pretty interesting show because a) these artists aren't heavy in my rotation and b) you all were kind of reflective this week. Anyway.

Magnetic Fields' "Distortion" The clips have that lush yet metallic sound, which is appealing and uncomfortable. Not sure what to think about it. Maybe I should stop thinking and just listen. o 0 ("industrial strength" indeed.)

Yoav's "Charmed & Strange" Appreciate his background, intrigued by his "dj-ing with his guitar," he gets big points for getting pulled (as an unknown) onto the stage with Crowded House, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the samples. But dang if I don't love a lone man with inspiration and a guitar. I'm almost afraid that this album and his voice will grow on me too much.

Shelby Lynne's "Just A Little Lovin'"
Wow, this is surprisingly smokey, laid back, and actually interesting from the podcast clips. Then again I'm a fan of Dusty, so who's to say why or where my ears perked up. I'll have to take a longer listen. p.s. And I thought all Grammy best new artist winners suffered horrible career fates!

Hmmm, must have been Depeche Mode, but I can't remember the exact album....heh, it could have been one of those 7-inch singles....or INXS.....

The Police - Synchronicity.

It was almost Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart.

Phew...

Julia, very true, but being born when I was ('76) I kinda missed out on the 8-track era by a little bit. I remember in HS, we had one in our Senior Class lounge, but I forget if I ever even played one, let alone bought any. Where would 8-tracks be available? ..maybe a garage sale?

Barry Manilow

Billy Joel "The Stranger"... and I bought it at a JC Penneys store!

Steppenwolf "Monster"

Michael K, my first purchase with "my money" (money I had asked my parents for!) was the Billy Joel album that came right after "The Stranger." I bought "52nd Street" and wore the needle to a nub on that record. My mom would beg me to stop singing "Big Shot," and "My Life." And I thought "Rosalinda's Eyes" was the prettiest song I had ever heard. "Oh Havana I've been searching for you everywhere." It was 1978 and I was 10 years old.

Jay & the Americans "This Magic Moment" I think somehow it sticks in my mind we had just gotten electricity to our house for the first time EVER & my dad took me into town and let me purchase a white Panasonic record player that played the big flat black circular vinyl records and there was a spindal that you attached for the 45's. YOUZA that was a while ago but such a good memory. RCA

album "It's Mashed Potato Time" Dee Dee Sharp
Can you tell I'm a boomer???

Little Richards' "Good golly miss Molly"

10 4 u

Julia
The Dudes soundtrack (and when I say I would have bought it, I mean there was one copy and my brother got it first and we both listened to it) has:
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
1. Keel-"Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw"
2. The Vandals-"Urban Struggle"
3. W.A.S.P.-"Show No Mercy"
4. Simon Steele & The Claw-"Vengeance Is Mine"
5. Megadeth-"These Boots Are Made For Walking"
6. Legal Weapon-"Time Forgot You"
7. The Leather Nun-"Jesus Came Driving Along"
8. Jane's Addiction-"The Mountain Song"
9. The Little Kings-"Lost Highway"
10. Charles Bernstein & Co.-"Dudes Showdown"
11. Steve Vai-"Amazing Grace"

Vickie Lawrence "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia". I was 10, and Mom was a country music fan. I think I was attracted to the drama of the whole thing, and maybe didn't understand the song to well, except that I knew "little sister" done it.

(I'm also still left wondering why Billy Jo McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchee bridge )

"Tommy" - the soundtrack...I was so into the Elton John version of "Pinball Wizard" that I went to see the movie...and got my mind blown, let me tell you...and then went out and made my first ever record album purchase!

Mr Lopez...I remember buying that Billy Joel album as well...he has since turned into "the enemy" for me!

Mr Wheat was off and running w/T Rex & the Kinks!

Hey Auntie...I used to love that Vickie Lawrence tune! Used to think she was Carol Burnette's sister!

Bret W....that ol' surf stuff is still awsome! Get's me "stoked"!

8-track anyone?? my first was Hocus Pocus by Focus!!

U2's WAR.

Still probably my favourite;)

I had a bunch of 45's, but the first album was "Are You Experienced" by Jimi.....

Yes - Close to the Edge

8 years old and listening to side-long epic prog rock songs on headphones... Looking at the psychedelic sci-fi fold out album cover (used later for, um... "sorting"). Hook, line, sinker... I was a musichead from that moment on. Never bought a 45 and still, defiantly, and perhaps unrealistically, challenge Mark Wheat's assertion that the album is dead.

If I remember correctly it was E.L.O. Greatest Hits. I had a coupon that came with a large fry from Burger King. The coupon was good for 1/2 off one of a small list of records at A,M&A's, a local department store. The only band on the list that I was familiar with was E.L.O. I heard "Don't bring Me Down" on the AM radio in my mom's car all the time. Unfortunately that song is not on Greatest Hits.
For several years after that I only spent my money on KISS records.

The first album that I vividly remember owning: Shaun Cassidy "Da Do Run Run."

yes!

Believe Shaun Cassidy was a hit in the DeVille household as well...I'll blame it on my 2 sisters!!

I'm with you as far as the album "not" being dead, Marty B...though I won't be joining you for the Yes listening party.

Todd L & Sonja were off to a good start w/Jimi & U2 respectively.

Still no 8-tracks??

It was a 45 and it was "My Ding-a-Ling" by Chuck Berry.

Two tapes in one shopping experience, purchased from Target held tightly in unbreakable white plastic security cases that wouldn't fit in a standard pocket.

Communication - Spandau Ballet
Synchronicity - The Police

Apparently American music wasn't cutting it for me at the time.

the joshua tree

The 45 of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes."

Chuck M, checks in w/Chuck Berry's zany oddball hit "My Ding-a-ling"...used to laugh out loud to that one!

Jay checks in with 80's cassettes. I went through a very British phase too!

"Just can't get enuff of them 80's"...Jacquie & Stephen check in.

no one has mentioned any cassingles? (remember the shortlived cassette single?)

first album i bought on my own was Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. my brother & i would watched the Monkees on re-run as soon as we got home from school, & they had some crazy episode once where the writers went on strike (actually, they were all confined to an opium den), so they had no script, so the entire show was just them zipping around Paris on mopeds or whatever. the finale had them running up & down the Eiffel Tower to the final canon blasts of the 1812 Overture. i said, "what is that music - i must have it!" so i watched the ending credits (another habit i've kept to this day), & found out what it was, went to the local record store & bought a copy. i still have it.

first rock album i ever bough myself was not long after - Paul McCartney's "Band on the Run". this was after my first rock album received as a gift - my brother gave me the Beatles' "Revolver" - i loved it! i still have both copies, though "Revolver" is quite a bit worse for wear - i've had to tape the album cover up several times.

and Bill, i will confess to once having 8-tracks. my first & i think only 8-track purchase was (dare i say) Kansas "Leftoverture" - it had "Carry On My Wayward Son" on it. what can i say?

I can't remember which was the first but it was either The Beatles Blue Album or Elton John's Greatest Hits.

Oh, god. I loved cassingles. Why isn't there a band called The Cassingles? I got dibs! Alas, I don't have any of my cassingles anymore. And what I did have was SO embarassingly 80s, it fills me with shame (rememeber Xymox? No? You're lucky.)

For me it was Diana Ross presents the Jackson 5.

Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune

The Sylvers - Showcase. That was a family of singers! Of course, I was buying up mostly $0.99 45s back in those days and storing them in the 45 case with a handle and file seperators. You know, Ballroom Blitz and whatnot....

Hey, I bought "Ballroom Blitz" as a single, too! (and Sweet's subsequent hits)

But, my first album purchases were Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" the week it came out and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's "Greetings... from Asbury Park" (because I loved Manfred Mann's version of "Blinded by the Light" but I wanted to hear Springsteen).

Talk about walking down memory lane...

45's first (in order) - Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" - back in the days when such a thing was played on Ayem radio; Bobby Boris Pickett's "Monster Mash" and The Diamonds "Little Darling".

The first album I recall purchasing was a Ktel collection that included "Candles in the Rain" and "Venus" among others.

As to inherited vinyl, we had a copy of "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" around the house that we played till the grooves wore off. Dern near drove my parents crazy.

Rush - 2112 , My brother and I went halfs on it. They were a new band.