So, What are Your Favorite Vinyl Records?
AND...what's So Great about Vinyl Records and the Great Vinyl Era?
What's So Great about Vinyl Records and the
Great Vinyl Era?
Now they are questions I get asked quite a lot. Another is "Why don't you put all those vinyl records onto CDs? Or just download the music, it's all online!" Online? Are They Kidding? So, I say "Why Should I?...… I love my vinyl !
And I think YOU do to, that's why you are checking out this site!
SO! Why do we love vinyl?
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Well, do you remember saving up all your pennies, going to your fave record shop to grab an LP that you have been saving to buy for months? Looking through the racks of albums, having a listen in the shop, then parting with the cash? I certainly do! |
Remember rushing home, holding said vinyl record close to your chest? As soon as you walked through the door, out it comes from the Record Shop Bag, the delicious smell of new vinyl, plastic sleeve clinging to the disc!
Mmmm! Lovely!
And, what about those fold out covers? You do not get those with a CD, or on Spotify or any downloads do you! Sleeve notes with print large enough one could them! Exclusive to....., yes, vinyl records!
Remember?..... How exciting was THAT!
So…what gets one into music in the first place.
I was lucky.
Both my parents were into music. My father was a great jazz piano player, his brother, (lost at Singapore in the war) was a music teacher, playing piano, saxophone and clarinet.
Our home in Sydney featured a very large radio/record player, and we had a huge collection of 78’s.
(…..yes, I’m that old I can remember 78’s!)
Many hours I spent leaning against that large player listening to the 78’s and the radio.
I don’t know what happened to that fine bit of furniture. We moved from Sydney to Adelaide, and I guess it was left in Sydney.
It was a while before my sister bought a very small HMV record player, and I grabbed my first 45.
This player also had “78” capability, so we all got into records again.
And...if you were not around for those exciting vinyl record times........
Well this site is not only
for those old timers (like me!) who were there for the good old days of vinyl records and the
music of the 60’s and 70’s
It is also for
those young music lovers who missed out on this magic time.
They want to find out
what it was all about.
So, if you are one
of those wondering what was so great about vinyl records and that great era.
And what an era it was! great new bands coming out every week!
The Beatles! The Stones! The Yardbirds! The Kinks! And on it went!
Read on!!
Here you will find out about, (or remember!)
Elvis, Elvis The Pelvis, (won't even mention what commentators said about his song "Wear My Ring up around Your Neck!) and Buddy Holly, who inspired so many others.
What was The Great British Invasion, who was part of it and who followed in the Second Wave?
Want to know why Paul McCartney bought that strange bass guitar?
Or how George got into The Beatles?
How did the Rolling Stones get their name?
Who was the Rolling Stones founding member, and what happened to him?
Who was it that sang that song about Money?
Was there really a song called "Do Wah Diddy Diddy?"
Who knocked the Beatles from the No.1 spot for the first time?
Was "Smokestack Lightning" a band or a song?
SO… that is what this site is all about
Vinyl records, and the greatest music era ever!
It is about the great music and great music makers that we can still appreciate on good old vinyl. It is certainly not a concise encyclopedia of the music of the times, but it is a bit of a trip down memory lane, the music that I and my friends enjoyed. We were lucky enough to witness the two biggest events in modern music, the start of Rock and Roll, and the Beatles
It's all about the music and those artists that made the 60's and 70's so unique and exciting. A new great new, exciting band emerging, just about every week! But it is not just about the bands that were huge. We will also talk about the other, bands from that era they you may have forgotten .So...whatever era you are from......
So....check out the site, enjoy it!, contribute to it!
Together we will enjoy the music from the best music era!
So, which band was you're fave back then?
Maybe The Beatles, who started the British Invasion? When did you first hear them? Did you get to see them live? Which one was you're Fave Beatle?
Check them out HERE
Or maybe that superb group of musicians The Hollies, one of the few British Invasion bands to not only survive, but prosper. never trendy, always tight harmonies and great musicianship.
Read all about The Hollies HERE
And Manfred Mann gave us an early taste of Rhythm and Blues. who else could get away with a song titled 5-4-3-2-1?
And, while you are here.....stay and check out......
....the Animals, the gravelly vocals of Eric Burdon! What was the song the record company did not want to release, because it was slow and boring? And later became a HUGE hit. Who did the bass play player discover that became a guitar legend? Find out HERE!
Or check out the British Blues Scene, where it all began. John Mayall, Alexis Korner and the founders of the British Blues.
Best Christmas Record? What's Your Favorite?
Here'Mine!
What's Your Fave Vinyl Record Memories
Tell us your Vinyl Record experience from those great days!
Which bands did you love?
Which ones could you not stand?
Tell us you're stories!
Share them with us!
Enjoy this site? Share with friends!
Famous Record shop HMV is due to reopen on Oxford Street after a four-year hiatus.
One of my joys of visiting London was always to visit this spot in Oxford Street, so its great to see it back. The HMV logo is special to me, as a large model of it was in the EMI Offices here in Adelaide when I went for my reps job there.
The century-old music chain closed the flagship London store in 2019 after going into administration. It was then taken over by Sunrise Records.
It said the return to 363 Oxford Street was due to a "dramatic turnaround", with HMV returning to profit in 2022.
The first HMV opened there in 1921 and has seen appearances from artists including Edward Elgar, who was part of the opening ceremony, and David Bowie.
The new shop will open on 24 November, and will create 70 new jobs, according to the company.
A spokesperson from HMV said stock will include about 20,000 vinyl albums and CDs, more than 8,000 4k Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVDs, as well as music technology.
HMV shut the store in 2019 after the retail chain tumbled into administration and was forced to axe stores and jobs.
The retailer was rescued from insolvency by Canadian Doug Putman’s Sunrise Records business.
The site, at 363 Oxford Street, had been operating as an American sweet shop following its closure.
However, in April, HMV confirmed it had sealed a deal with the landlord to return to the site.
Mr Putman said he hopes the shop can have “crowds which will shut down the street” again, harking back to memorable visits including Michael Jackson, the Spice Girls and Sir Paul McCartney.
“It is a pretty great moment for us, coming back here after four years away,” he said.
“When we bought the business, we couldn’t keep the site because the rates
What Got Me Into Music and Vinyl Records?
My father being a great piano player, had a stack of the old 78's. He also had access to tickets to concerts, and that's where I first witnessed live shows.
The best show in Sydney was...
Johnnie Ray
His was the first LP I ever bought, and joined his fan club!
Elvis....Jailhouse Rock...
Elvis, of course! I first heard Elvis as we travelled from Sydney to Adelaide. After my early influences of Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray, this was something else!
Jailhouse Rock! My uncle days later said I should buy the record and play it LOUD! Which I did.
and Houd Dog, Ed Sullivan Show, October 1956
John Mayall
I found John Mayall in a record shop when I was looking for Yardbirds albums with Eric Clapton on it. I bought 5 Live Yardbirds, and the shop attendant showed me the "Beano" album, saying "You Might Like This"....and I did. been a John Mayall fan ever since. Above shows him with John McVie on bass, Mick Taylor on guitar Colin Allen on bass.
Best Vinyl Album Covers
The Beatles Revolver, from 1966. Cover by the Beatles old Hamburg friend, Klaus Voorman.
The Stones controversial "Sticky Fingers" album from April 1971. The original album had an opening zip on the trousers, causing it to be banned in Spain.
The classic follow up to "Dark Side of The Moon", , "Wish You Were Here" featured stunt men Ronnie Rondell and Danny Rodgers on the front cover. Rondell had the tougher gig, having to be set on fire. Luckily, after about 17 takes, he escaped with only a singed mostache.
Arguably the most famous of all the vinyl covers, The Beatles "Sgt. Peppers" still is as interesting today as it was on release in May 1967.
Featuring Bruce's beloved "Mutt" guitar, a Fender Telecaster with Esquire neck, purchased nearly 50 years ago, the "Born to Run" album also shows Bruce's sax player from 1972 until his death in 2011, Clarence "the big man" Clements.
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Don't Know what vinyl is? Forgotten? Take a look at this classic hit!
Just Starting Your Collection?
so, here is a book to get you started on what to buy. In 100 Greatest Albums You Should Own On Vinyl, they have collate the greatest albums to have ever been pressed and then sold on vinyl since the '50s.
From the bands and solo artists that made the music possible, to the sleeve art and limited edition extras of the records themselves, take a trip back in time to discover the ultimate artists and their best records for the definitive list of vinyl that should be part of any collection!
The Best Re-Issues of 2023
The Beachboys "Sail On Sailor" Special Pack....
The Beach Boys “Sail on Sailor” collection celebrates the
landmark 1972 albums “Carl And The Passions” and “Holland”. This 5LP set
features a 38-page book with extensive liner notes, rare photos, and more. The
collection includes remastered versions of the original albums as well as a
previously unreleased concert from Carnegie Hall recorded in 1972. It has 4
previously unreleased bonus tracks and includes the original Mount Vernon and
Fairway 7-inch EP from Holland, unavailable on vinyl since the 1970s. Limited
Super Deluxe Edition Box Set includes a reproduction of the original Holland
promotional book telling the story of the making of the album.
The Beatles Red and Blue Albums Re Issue.
These “Best Off’s “were first released in 1973 and commonly known as the “Red” (1962-1963)and “Blue” (1962-1970)albums. They are the most popular of Beatles compilations—the original track selections of the band's biggest hits and iconic album tracks were faultless. To mark the 50th anniversary of their release, the two collections have been expanded to include bonus tracks (among them “Twist and Shout,” “You Can't Do That,” “Taxman,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Within You Without You,” “Blackbird” and “I Me Mine”). Most notably, the updated version of 1967-1970 contains the long-awaited final new Beatles song, the reflective “Now and Then.” A John Lennon demo that had been worked on by the three surviving Beatles for The Beatles Anthology but later shelved, “Now and Then” was finally completed nearly 30 years later thanks to new advancements in technology.
Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” has been such a huge presence that it often feel as though there was never a time before its existence. In real terms, one of the best 70’s albums is actually turning 50 this year, (!) but its main themes (madness, consumerism, loneliness and death) remain so universally relevant that songs such as Time, Money, Any Colour You Like and Brain Damage could easily have been written this week. The Dark Side of The Moon’s re-emergence has already inspired numerous spin-off events, among them playbacks in planetariums around the world, and its weighty 50th-anniversary reissue, featuring the remastered album, an array of mixes, an additional Live At Wembley concert.
The Who's Who's Next Re Issue
The band’s fifth album emerged from the ashes of a project called "Lifehouse", an ambitious multi-media rock opera conceived by Pete Townshend in 1969, but ultimately aborted. Who’s Next features some of The Who’s best known songs, including ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’.
All the audio has been remastered from the original tapes by longtime Who engineer Jon Astley ressed on 180gm black vinyl. This has been cut at Abbey Road Mastering Studios by acclaimed engineer Miles Showell from tapes prepared by Jon Astley.
An excellent collection of Who classics and "Odds and Sods" thrown in.
What Turned 50 in 2023!
The Faces Ooh La La
The Faces "Ooh La La" was the last studio album, coming out in March 1973. By this stage Rod Stewart was more occupied with his solo career, and not only missed the first two weeks of the recording sessions, but showed a distinct lack of interest in the whole project. So the album is a Ronnie Lane influenced album. But the single, "Cindy Incidentally" featured Rod, and got to No. 2 in the UK and 48 in the US. The album reached No. 1 un the UK in April 1973.
HAPPY 50th!
Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon"
I was provably the last person in Australia to get into "dark Side of the Moon", but then stole the albums logo for the front window of my Record Shop! One of the all time great albums, it came out in March 1973, and immediately became Floyds breakthrough album. It reached No. 2 in the UK, and got to No. 1 in the US, a fact Nick Mason used on his bank manager when trying to get a home loan. A consistent best seller to this day.
