“I grew up with the sounds of the Big Bands and sultry female vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald blaring out of a small green and white portable Victrola record player, their exotic vibrations filling the air each evening for my parents scotch fueled listening pleasure.”
“My Mom and Dad were ardent music lovers, and their record collection back then consisted of dozens of vinyl 78s, 45s, and a slew of 33-1/3 rpm albums perpetually out of their beautiful cardboard sleeves, all piled one on top of the other in random heaps. Those black plastic platters contained the back-round music to most of my earliest childhood memories, though sadly, many of them were doomed to suffer the indignity of being used as a drink coaster during the many jam sessions and parties my folks were known to host.
I fondly remember the first record I ever purchased, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by the Tokens, and the triumphant feeling of getting it home, reverently pulling it from its crisp, clean cover, laying it on the turntable and gently placing the needle down on the pristine black disc and once again marveling at that haunting song, all the while basking in the knowledge that this was MY record! It was such an intoxicating and life changing moment. This was the beginning of MY record collection, and it was deep and addictive magic.”
—Chuck Burgi
“The King and I was the only vinyl in my parents new suburban home. We had just moved in, and to say we were sparingly furnished would be an understatement.”
“I played that soundtrack album over and over. That black spinning disc, a two-dimensional orchestra spewing out that cacophonous racket. Probably put me off show tunes forever, and then my Aunt Margaret saved me and changed my life by donating A Hard Day’s Night to her oldest nephew (Parlophone label and in mono) — “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Anytime At All,” the rockers. I think I was 8 years old and I played it non stop for 2 years banging on sofas, pots and pans “Ringo-ing” out.
When I left Australia in 1997 to try my luck in NYC, I sold everything except my Grandpa’s 1960 Ford Falcon, my vintage Park amplifier, and 3 vinyl albums, A Hard Days Night, Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out, and Cold Chisel’s “Your Thirteen, Your Beautiful and You’re Mine.” Happy to report these items are all still in use in 2016.
Can you begin to imagine my joy when on July 18, 2008 at Shea Stadium, I got to play bass on “Let It Be” with Paul McCartney, my boss Billy Joel, and my now Shotgun Wedding bandmate Dennis DelGaudio? This vinyl has steered my life.”
—Andy Cichon
“The first album I ever owned was the soundtrack to the movie Superman, scored by John Williams and starring the late Christopher Reeve. My parents bought it for me. As a kid, I was crazy about both the movie and it’s main title march.”
“However, what set me on my musical path was a 6th grade friend who introduced me to The Beatles. I believe I nearly wore out Live at The Star Club: Hamburg, Germany 1962— a big, black and white double album with tons of pics. I loved the intimacy of vinyl records…the smell of a brand new record, placing a needle down, and how the artwork and liner notes fired up my imagination. I truly cared for my records as much as the music on them.
Often, I’d bring a different album downstairs and read it when I was bored with my cereal box. For the first 10 years or so of my music listening life, I had an old Sears Silvertone portable stereo record player (the one that folded up with the detachable speakers). I figured out many a complicated guitar lick from listening to those 33s slowed down to 16. That’s now I learned how to play “Leader of the Band” by Dan Fogelberg.
Vinyl makes you work harder—getting that friggin’ needle down in just the right spot! Let’s not forget neutral, so you can spin records backwards and listen for hidden evil messages!”
—Dennis DelGaudio
“Fifth grade music class was taught by two of the coolest dudes I could ever have imagined having for musical mentors. Mr. Binder and Mr. Smith would play records on a turntable as we walked in.”
“We’d talk about each band, their style, influences, and even discuss lyrics. It was like recess with Carole King’s Tapestry, Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, The Who, The Stones, The Carpenters, Aretha, and more. Did I have to go back to math class after that?
Their favorite album soon became mine and consequently my first vinyl purchase—Steely Dan’s album, Aja. I knew every lyric! I think my love for harmony started right there in that fluorescent lit room. And talk about staying with me forever…though it wasn’t on the Aja album, I can’t leave out “Ruby Baby,” Steely Dan’s cover of that great Lieber and Stoller tune that years later, became the inspiration for a name for my daughter.”
—Catherine Porter
“I grew up in the heyday of vinyl. There was something warmer about analog that I feel has been lost in digital.”
“Another thing I loved about record albums was all the room for artwork, photos, and information. There was The Beatles Sgt. Pepper with that wonderful cover photo and the lyrics on the back, Emerson Lake and Palmer’s Trilogy with that amazing multi-exposure photo of them inside, and Yes’ Close To the Edge with Rodger Dean’s other-worldly artwork and hand written lyrics printed on the record sleeve. I miss the thought that went into that art form.
Often now when I purchase music to be downloaded, I know almost nothing about it. The artwork, photos, lyrics, and liner notes told me something of the artists. Most of my music selection is m4a files and maybe one picture. Not much to go on.
Ah, record albums. The good ol’ days…”
—Wade Preston
Shotgun Wedding’s debut release, South of Somewhere is in stores now.
