(Above: Clearly Mom wanted the records in the basement. That's usually where they end up.) In the last post I explained that I received my first record player 45 years ago, and started rifling through my parents' records. This past weekend I went through a few thousand 45s, found the original records I inherited, and … Continue reading The gift that kept on giving: My first 45s, 45 years later (Part 2)
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The gift that kept on giving: My first 45s, 45 years later (Part 1)
(Above: The box of records that used to belong to my parents. I've had it for 45 years.) Think back to when you were a kid. What was the one gift that you received that you remember more than any of the others? The one that, though you didn't know it at the time, changed … Continue reading The gift that kept on giving: My first 45s, 45 years later (Part 1)
“L’amour est bleu” and other mellow sounds: The Billboard Hot 100, February 17, 1968
(Above: The song at Number One, as I remember it looking....) Fifty years ago this week Paul Mauriat's "Love Is Blue" was the number one song in the country. About three years after that it became my earliest memory of a phonograph. I've shared a picture before of my mother holding me next to our … Continue reading “L’amour est bleu” and other mellow sounds: The Billboard Hot 100, February 17, 1968
Forty years ago in Chicago: The WLS Survey, January 28, 1978
(Of course he does.) The last week of January, 1978 saw me as a fourth-grader at Helen Keller School in Tinley Park, Illinois. I was still about a year and a half away from "playing radio" in Mr. Johnston's sixth-grade class. I would have been about two months away from receiving my first stereo system … Continue reading Forty years ago in Chicago: The WLS Survey, January 28, 1978
Take a local joker and teach him how to act: Bruce Springsteen, Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ (1973)
Forty-five years ago today - January 5, 1973 - the debut album of Bruce Springsteen was released. Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ didn't sell well, but caught the attention of critics. Creem magazine's Robert Christgau suggested that Springsteen had that same sort of "absurdist energy" that made Dylan a genius; in short, the "new Dylan" … Continue reading Take a local joker and teach him how to act: Bruce Springsteen, Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ (1973)
Christmas on the air: The songs I hated – and loved – to play
In the last post, I talked about working in both retail and in radio. In both careers I got to deal with people, often at their worst. I also worked on or around Christmas in both jobs, and it is for that reason that I think I never truly appreciated the holiday like I did … Continue reading Christmas on the air: The songs I hated – and loved – to play
‘Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the mall: Atlantic Soul Classics (1985)
(Above: The mall used to get a bit trashed on the day after Christmas.) In my career, I have worked in three main areas: Retail (1985-1988). My first job was selling cigarettes to minors at a gas station in Tinley Park, IL. From there I moved to working at the mall. Most of the time … Continue reading ‘Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the mall: Atlantic Soul Classics (1985)
Christmas on the hi-fi: The Ray Conniff Singers, “Ring Christmas Bells” (1962)
(Above: Darn, that looks like fun in stereo.) When we think of classic Christmas albums, many of the same names come to mind, but one we don't think of by name was playing on darned near every hi-fi in the country 55 years ago. In 1962 Columbia Records released We Wish You a Merry Christmas, … Continue reading Christmas on the hi-fi: The Ray Conniff Singers, “Ring Christmas Bells” (1962)
50 years of magic: The Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
(Above: An album cover that - I gotta admit - freaked me out a bit as a kid.) Fifty years ago this week The Beatles released the LP Magical Mystery Tour. The LP is an interesting mish-mash, in a sense: Side One is the soundtrack of the made-for-TV film of the same name, and Side … Continue reading 50 years of magic: The Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Movin’ out: Songs of Relocation (Various)
(Above: Celebrating the first night in the new home with what's available.) You'll notice that creative output of this blog has tapered off in the last several weeks. That's because my wife and I have been in the process of packing up everything we own (and some things we don't but are caretakers for) and … Continue reading Movin’ out: Songs of Relocation (Various)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 