“We considered lying and telling some amazing story about us listening to just the “right” LP at the age of 8 and therefore earning heap loads of “cred,” but we opted for truth.”
“The first vinyl record that I can remember getting was during the Christmas season when I was 5 or 6 years old. We were living in an apartment in Missouri and I was given a 7 inch 45rpm of The Singing Dogs singing Jingle Bells. This, for me, was incredible! I think I was also given an Alvin and The Chipmunks singing The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) 7 inch.
Actually, I wish I still had that one. Later, the Singing Dogs unfortunately met their demise on the heater in the hallway. I wish my parents would have taught me how to respect the vinyl. If we ever have kids…”
—Brookln
“I grew up putting vinyl on the player at a very young age. I was taught to clean them every time, needle and vinyl. I loved hearing the sweep of the vinyl brush and the crackle of the needle as I brushed them.
We had so many records for us—Black Beauty, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Pinky and Perky, and a very scary Peter and the Wolf. We used to put these on a player in the lounge whilst we played.
My first purchase though was a jump right into the pop world. My brother would take me to our local record shop every Saturday and have me flick through them for him, looking for his Duran Duran or Big Country releases. I was a bit too small to reach but I could always go through the lower bargain boxes on the floor. They had the top twenty singles for 99p lined up on the wall behind the counter.
I was always so jealous that I couldn’t afford one as a little girl. When I swam my first length and got a “red badge,” my Dad promised me a prize. I picked a 7 inch. I was young, only seven years old, it was 1987, so don’t judge me, but I loved Tiffany. “Could’ve Been” was my choice and my friend and I used to dance around playing castles in my living room to it and the B-side “Heart of Love.” I still own it and many of the childhood classics from my parents.
Many more 80s pop records followed this and I loved the ritual of taking my pocket money with my older brothers to records shops and hunting through. I still do. I thank my eldest brother Pete for this, we still pop out to shops and stand in a communal respectful silence craning our necks and weighing our arms down awkwardly with “options.” That is a happy place.
My last birthday present was 30 minutes in a record shop hunting with Brookln. He found me some crackers and it was worth more than the £10.50 total.” —Ruth
Rue Royale’s Remedies Ahead is available now via Sinnbus Records.
