Your Earliest Memories of Popular Music

[johnfowles]

In clearing out some old drafts I discovered the following which at first sight I was sure that I had posted to a topic but no amount of searching on corfid brings it up so perhaps I only meant to start a topic so I will do it now using the filename as a topic title

the draft was inspired by Walter Bonestorer's frequent espousal of chart positions and by two great documentaries shown "last week" (the draft file is dated 8 february 2006) on New York's PBS Channel 13.

the first was an hour long review of the wartime US troop enterainment program(me) with some great archive film of the likes of Bing Crosby Bob Hope Dorothy Lamour and Lena Horne entertaining the troops.

This was followed by an in depth documentary on Bob Hope who "was born Leslie Towns Hope in England on May 29, 1903. His family came to America when he was four years old, and he grew up in Cleveland Ohio" and amongst this was the song that I remember as my own first pop favo(u)rite:-
"Don't Fence Me In" (http://ingeb.org/songs/ohgiveme.html)
which I had not realised was by none other than Bob Hope (there was certainly a clip of Bob singing it in the program but googling indicates than the hit version was by Bing Crosby not Bob.
Has anybody got any other interesting memories???
John Fowles

[Auburn Annie]

Perry Como singing "Hot Diggity" (1956) on my grandfather's jukebox. Gramp owned a corner bar where the family had Christmas dinner each year, complete with visit from "Santa" and we fought over whose nickel was going to play which song.

[Sheryl]

My mom was into folk music. She took me to hootenannys (sp?) with her and her guitar. At times it seemed there were at least 100 or more people singing folk songs together. I remember Burl Ives on the radio, Roger Miller ("King of the Road"), the occasional Elvis song, Joan Baez, The Kingston Trio, Harry Belafonte was particularly popular in our household. My mom and I used to sing "Kingston Town" as a duet. We had a folk songbook (I copied a few songs from there and sent them to Cathy last year. It's ALL the old classic folkies) which she and I would play and sing together. I remember one song particularly was my favorite: "England swings like a pendulum do, Bobbies on bicycles two by two, Westminster Abbey, the Tower, Big Ben, the rosy-red cheeks of the little children." I have no idea who sang it, but, I'm sure with a little Googling I could find out. My mom had LOTS of LPs and she'd play them all day while cleaning and cooking. Ahh, those golden memories of when I was just a little tyke. One day, I guess I was about 4, I wanted to see them and play with them -- they were so pretty! (O.k., they were black, but, they were fascinating to me!) She gave me permission and I spread them all around myself. I'd look at each one, examining it. Then... I leaned forward to look at one farthest away... and CRAAACCCKK -- cracked two of 'em. <sigh> And that was the last time I got to see her records!! And there's my memory.

[Sydney Steve]

Being much younger than the positively paleolithic John (- as we know most things that can actually move are younger than him ,)I would nominate "Those Lazy,Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer" , Nat "King" Cole , and known to his mummy as Nathanial Adams Coles , which by complete coincidence entered the charts in Australia on my 4th birthday; 31/5/63. (Actually in those lazy hazy crazy days of winter down here! )

[Jenney]

Well, my earliest memory goes back to the year my brother and I got a record player from my parents. Both of our birthday's are at Christmas time, so my parents gave us the dreaded combination gift, both birthday and Christmas, to both of us! What a bad idea that was! Since my brother is older, he got to keep the record player in his room.
They gave me a Petula Clark lp, and gave Stephen a Chad and Jeremy lp. Oddly enough Sheryl, mine had the song "England Swings" on it! The next year, my parents decided since I played my one and only album so often, I must really like Petula Clark, so they gave me another one of her albums! I got a Herman Hermits lp also though. Oddly enough, the first album made me a life long, closet Petula Clark fan. I got to see her this year, and she can sure still put on one heck of a show at age 73. She looked damn good too! And just to further thrill my still adolescent heart, David Cassidy was in the audience, and came up and did "Downtown" with her.
This year I happened to catch Chad and Jeremy on a PBS special, and remembered how much I enjoyed my brother's album. I found a cd of the record on ebay, and bought it. The album was "Of Cabbages and Kings". I put the cd on, and songs that I had not heard for 40 years came rushing back to me! I knew every word and every note! It's so odd that I can't remember things that happened yesterday, last week, or sometimes last year, but I can remember every word to that album.
As for the first album that I ever bought for myself, that's an even stronger memory. It was IYCRMM. Still have it, still one of my favorites.
Jenney

[closetcanadian]

My earliest memory of popular music was sitting with my mother and listening to her '45' of "The Wayward Wind" by Gogi Grant. Wonderful song but I now realize I am older than dirt! :eek:

Btw Sheryl, I think "England Swings" was a Roger Miller tune, if memory serves me correct...if Google proves me wrong, it won't surprise me!

[brink-]

I also had Nat King Cole playing, Tijuana Brass, the "Big Bands" and anything and everything that Dean Martin ever tried. Great Music. I have some of the same on CD's now. Glenn Miller who could ever tire of listening to his band? Same with Dean Martin. The first album that I got? Sit Down Young Stranger. We went to the store to find a record for my new record player. I saw SDYS and thought that Gordon Lightfoot was the coolest name I ever heard, I was sure he was an Indian, lol So that is what I got, because he had a cool name and I just loved it and played it until the record was almost white. I still have mine too, Janice. It skips and it crackles but I will still listen to it.

[DJ in MJ]

My earliest song memories are of the man himself - Long River and For Lovin' Me from Lightfoot!, and a Beatles 45 of Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever.
In fact, I inherited that Lightfoot! album and still have it.

[Sheryl]

Jenney, I'm a huge Petula Clark fan, too!!

[Borderstone]

Hey,a topic I can sink my brain into! :D

My earliest memories were brought to me through recorded music,TV and the radio.

Starting around age 3 (1971)when my mother bought me a copy of Rubber Duckie by Ernie (and/or Jim Henson). I played that thing 'til it was scatched beyond use. I also heard my Grandmother's records,these were the inch thick platters played on a hand cranked Victrola. :)

I also heard my parents records from the 50's & early 60s. Rock & roll,crooners,female singers. etc. My dad even had a copy of,"All You Need is Love" by the Beatles. The most current ones bought then were,"Convoy","The Night Chicago Died","Disco Duck" and a few more.

In '79 at age 11,I got my own first real music through a TV ad (with help from my mother of course). "40 Golden Hits" had selections from the '50s thru 1971 ('71 being Want Ads by The Honey Cone). I had actually wanted it so I could have "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies. :D

I recall hearing new songs from '73/'74 on the radio like "Photograph,"The Joker","Sunshine On My Shoulders",""Billy Don't Be.."etc. ,"Rock The Boat" and of course "Sundown". When I was older I realized this was the point at which I started to pay more attention to music.

As for Tv,in the '70s there was certainly no shortage of music acts with variety shows. Tony O. & Dawn,Captain & Tennille,Donny & Marie and Sonny & Cher. (Never missed D & M,mainly because of Marie.)

I even watched Th Lawrence Welk Show with my parents and Grandmother. The closing song was called,"Adios,Aurevoir,Aufweidersein...Goodnight"
I didn't know about foreign language then and thought they sang this---> "I'm a go,forks can walk,I'll be the same...good-night!" LOL!

Well hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did typing it! Ha-ha! Later!

[ May 27, 2006, 15:23: Message edited by: Borderstone ]

[charlene]

Looking thru a box of old albums that were my parents today brought back memories...Mitch Miller (1962 album), Perry Como, Streisand, Sinatra, Vic Damone, Steve and Eydie (sp), Nana Mouskouri, Dean Martin, Jerry Vale....Ray Coniff singers, Glen Miller, Jerry Dorsey, Connie Francis, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Eddy Arnold, Jack Jones, Andy Williams, Ray Charles, Pat Boone.....
mostly men...probably why I prefer male singers ...
;)

[Jesse Joe]

My first really good song that I heard on radio, was maybe when I was about 10 years of age. It was called Ladya Purple. Never could find out who the band was. I would go to record store to try to find that beautiful song. The people at that time thought I was looking for Lady Willpower by: Gary Puckett's and the Union Gaps. But that was not it. Still to this day I have never found that record, and who was singing behind it. I think it must have been a disc jockey at the time, who maybe played a flip side of a hit record? And at 10 I never pick up on who was the singer.

[Jenney]

Originally posted by Sheryl:
Jenney, I'm a huge Petula Clark fan, too!! SHe actually did a GL cover which I bought some years ago. She did The Gypsy. Now I really like that song, and I really like Petula, but I can't say I liked the two of them together!

[Borderstone]

Jessi,were you 10 in the '90s? The closest resembled title I could find to "Ladya Purple" is "Lady Picture Show" by Stone Temple Pilots. Either that or a song called "Lady Blue" by K. Russell.

Accordig to all sources I checked,there's no such song as the one you mention.

[Jesse Joe]

Borderstone, you are telling me what Ive heard many many times before. I was 10 around 1965, but that song is still with me in my mind. Probably not a hit, and maybe the group that did it, weren't all that popular, and weren't around for long? It's a shame but it's out there somewhere. :rolleyes: :cool:

[Borderstone]

Well if I "happen" to see it on one of my record buying excursions,I'll let ya know! :D

[<formerlylavender>]

I remember hearing "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (I think that's the name) when I was little in my uncle's car. I was sitting up front, and he was kind of singing along, and I don't know why, but that memory sticks with me. Was that song even popular?

[Auburn Annie]

Oh yes - it was from the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

[Borderstone]

Hey Lavendar,not only was it popular,it was the very 1st #1 song of the 1970's and stayed #1 for 4 weeks! :cool:

My parents had the 45rpm record as well. Which I've since replaced with a "like new" copy. :)

I'd have to look it up but I also think it may have won the Academy award for Best original song from a motion picture as well. (I'll re-edit when I know for certain.) ;)

[<formerlylavender>]

Thanks, Annie. I looked it up, and the movie was out in 1969.

Borderstone, who knew it was a #1 song? Obviously not me - ha ha. 1970 makes sense time-wise, too. Now I'm curious to find out if it won the academy award too!

[Cathy]

Originally posted by charlene:
Looking thru a box of old albums that were my parents today brought back memories...Mitch Miller (1962 album), Perry Como, Streisand, Sinatra, Vic Damone, Steve and Eydie (sp), Nana Mouskouri, Dean Martin, Jerry Vale....Ray Coniff singers, Glen Miller, Jerry Dorsey, Connie Francis, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Eddy Arnold, Jack Jones, Andy Williams, Ray Charles, Pat Boone.....
mostly men...probably why I prefer male singers ...
;) Hey, that was my parents' box of records! Seriously, they had many of the same records. I think my favorites were Nat King Cole, Pat Boone and Perry Como. Then, circa. 1968, Mom went out and bought a new record player, and some new albums, one for each of us. Lisa got Aquarius. Diana got a compilation of children's songs. I got one of the early Simon & Garfunkel albums, but I can't for the life of me remember which one. I just remember playing it to death, then going out and buying every S&G album I could find, and trying to play guitar 'just like Paul Simon', or as close as I could get at age 12. I think I learned more about playing from listening to S&G than from any other artists of the day.
I remember Mom having a couple of Lightfoot albums, but didn't really get interested in his music until the WB/Reprise years. I saw him on TV, sitting on a stool, singing IYCRMM and was just mesmerized. But evidently, not enough to buy one of his albums until Gord's Gold came out. By that time, I had my own car, with an 8-track in it. I completely wore that 8 track out! But, for some strange reason, I didn't buy any other Gord CDs until the late '90s. That's when I really got hooked.

[ September 26, 2006, 13:20: Message edited by: Cathy ]

[Cathy]

Originally posted by Auburn Annie:
Oh yes - it was from the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." And sung by B.J. Thomas.

[geodeticman]

My first memory of a song as a child that had any nostagia tied to it was Ed Ames, singing "My Heart Runneth Over (With Love).

He was the actor-turned singer that played Tonto - or another Native American compadre of the teutonic White male lead in a cowboy show I am remembering. Jay Silverheels may actually have been Tonto, and Ames in another similar show .

Ed's most famous clip was on the Johhny Carson show when he displayed (as a real Native American) his tomahawk-throeing prowess to great hilarity when he nailed a human silhoutte of a man drawn on plywood - right in the groin. The ensuing laughter - and probably 40 years of appearing on blooper's shows - is his most lasting image.

What a magnificent bass voice he had. My mother, who loved such (She and Dad listened mostly to Ed and Bing Crosby) would get a distant look in her eyes when she listened; I'll never forget it.... with Dad smoking his pipe by the fireplace reading, humming along in his deep bass voice. Wonderful Memories. Ed Ames. What a guy. What aim ! LOL great thread, John :)

geo Steve

P.S. Char - just remembered - another song I loved amongst all Christmas songs, was Jerry Vale's rendition of "Oh There's No Place Like Home For the Holidays". Perry Como and everyone covered it, but Jerry's was played in our house. I saw you mentioned having Jerry Vale in your collection. Any chance you've his Christmsa album with this song ? I'd pay all costs for a media-conversion. That's nostalgia..... Thanks

[charlene]

sorry Steve - that's one that must have seen better days and got tossed long ago...
Loved that Perry...
smoooooooth singin'...

[brink-]

"Mingo" on Daniel Boone.

[Jesse Joe]

Earliest memories, the first song I can remember being a kid, was "Wooden Heart" by Elvis Presley.

My sister had the 45 of Blue Christmas, and it was on the flip side.Blue Christmas did not interest me, but {side 2} did...~Jesse~

[ September 27, 2006, 07:50: Message edited by: Jesse -Joe ]

[Cathy]

I remember Wooden Heart. "Don't you see, I love you. Please don't break my heart in two. That's not hard to do, 'cause I don't have a wooden heart."
I didn't know Elvis sang it, though.

We constantly had a radio playing during the day, after Dad went to work for the day, and I remember this song getting a lot of air play, I think when I was 8 to 10 years old. I also remember Mom sitting down with her dobro and singing this song.

[Jesse Joe]

Your MOM plays the Dobro Cathy? No wonder your a signer, guitarist, extraordinaire. Your almost like, The Carter Family, MOM plays instrument. Anyone else in your family musical? I think you've mentioned before your DAD played fiddle. Anyone else? :)

[Cathy]

My father's father played fiddle. Dad didn't play anything, but he loved to listen.
Mom's family was very musical. My grand parents both played the piano, and Gram played dobro, or what she called Hawaiian guitar.
Mom's sister and brothers all played guitar. Sonny, the next oldest to Mom, played anything with strings... mandolin, uke, fiddle, banjo, guitar, and he was good at all of them. Sadly, he lost a finger in the early 80s, and gave it all up.
Mom & Dad used to have jam sessions just about every Saturday night when I was a child. That's what got me interested in playing guitar. I got my first when I was 7 or 8... a $14.95 Silvertone 3/4 size. I wish I still had it. It had a solid mahogany body, and with a saddle adjustment, would be a great little guitar.

[Jesse Joe]

Yes indeed, and on friday nights you would watch Canadian Tommy Hunter. Very interesting childhood Cathy. Thanks for sharing... :) ~Jesse~

[Cathy]

Tommy Hunter was a weekly EVENT in our house. We also watched Don Messer's Jubilee, and years later the Glen Campbell Hour, and of course The Ed Sullivan Show.

[charlene]

geeze Cathy - are you sure you didn't live with me??
lol
throw in the Dean Martin show too!

[Cathy]

Oh yes, we watched that, too.
We had the best of both worlds. We lived just a couple miles from New Brunswick, so we got good TV reception from CHSJ, out of St. John. In fact, Time Warner Cable still carries it up in this neck of the woods.

[ELizabeth]

My first favorite singer(s) were the Everly Brothers. I remember having a friend who had a Chevy Bel Air convertable which he let me take for a spin. The top was down,I was young,I felt that I had my entire life ahead of me and I was free! For the entire drive I felt the kind of extasy (sp.?)that can only be felt when you are on the cusp of adulthood and life and your future seem so exciting. Anyhow, the Everlys were being played on the radio. Never forgot how I felt on that drive, and never forgot the Everlys...never will.

[RM]

Elizabeth,

Very nice imagery.

[johnfowles]

QUOTE]Originally posted by ELizabeth:
My first favorite singer(s) were the Everly Brothers. I remember having a friend who had a Chevy Bel Air convertable which he let me take for a spin. The top was down. Never forgot how I felt on that drive, and never forgot the Everlys...never will.
[/QUOTE]
er um I guess Lizbet you mean something like this eh?
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9053/nightingale1lp4.jpg
PM to follow once I refind the video and have uploaded it for you

[geodeticman]

Brink and TT - Thanks for the memory jog on Ed Ames on Daniel Boone. They had a weekend TV marathon of the show here recently, and I saw Ed in it for the first time. A good actor - despite the stereotypical "Indian" portrayal limitations imposed upon him by TV modes of the day. What a great singer; I believe it was his highest calling.

Its funny how memories of fun music from childhood i.e. age 4 - 10 turn temporarily dorkey to many kids (me) in teenage years, then when somewhere over 30 or 40 the memories turn nostalgic, and we'd kill to find the music again ! (me again) :) geo Steve

[Borderstone]

Someone mentioned Ed Ames. How many of you out there know that he was the original voice to Eyore in Whinnie The Pooh? :) I just found out last year.

How about first "serious" music acts? I think that would have to be Fleetwood Mac and the song "Dreams",as well as the whole 1977,"Rumors" LP itself. My brother owned it but I listened to it (didn;t understand much of it) but I liked it.

I later found out that "Dreams" was the top song on my birthday in '77. Second serious would be The Police & then Tears For Fears in 1985.

[brink-]

Ralph Wright provided the voice for Eeyore for the Disney Winnie the Pooh movies.

[Yuri]

Hmmmm,

How 'bout

"Itsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polkadot Bikini" by Brian Hyland

"Que Sera Sera" Doris Day

"Winchester Cathedral" by the New Vaudville Band

"How Much is that Doggy in the Window" by Thomas Jones

To name a few anti-motown, anti Elvis tunes

Yuri

[Borderstone]

You're right about Eyore Brink! :) Looks like someone gave me some mis-information! :redface:

I'm going to tell that perosn they're a ninny! :D

"Thanks for noticin' me". :D

[ October 04, 2006, 16:39: Message edited by: Borderstone ]

[ELizabeth]

Sir John, Thank you so much for the video of 'Nightingale'. Your directions were fine and I have now downloaded it and uploaded it to my files. I say 'Bully for Us'. I tried to send you a private message bnut your message box was full! Thanks again and stay well. 'Lizbeth