“My first experience with vinyl was listening to my Dad’s old 45 RPM singles on the old Hi Fidelity turntable—bands like The Beatles, The Searchers, Bobby Darin, and Elvis Presley. I must have only been about 4 or 5 years old but I can always remember the explosion of sound from the speakers as soon as the needle hit the groove.”
“The first album I ever bought was U2’s Boy—played on the same turntable—although with a few added coins on the arm to ensure the needle didn’t jump during playing. I will always remember the lyrics to ‘I Will Follow’ that still resonate with me to this day. There was something exciting about going to the record shops in Edinburgh on a Saturday afternoon looking for the next purchase. We used to jump on the bus with all our pocket-money and return with the new purchase under the arm.
Many nights were spent lying on my bed listening to U2, Stiff Little Fingers, Elvis Costello, The Clash, and many more purchases through the years with my Mum shouting ‘’Turn that bloody rubbish off’’ as I lay there totally ignoring her!
I know that times move on and we have CD and Mp3 tracks that sound crisp and clear and loud, but you don’t get the same experience as with vinyl, the feel of the disc as you remove it from the sleeve and the anticipation as you drop the needle into the groove.
Music porn, what more need I say?!”
—Kevin Haddow, drums
Universal Thee’s Back To Earth is on store shelves now via Eventual Heirs Records.
