This may have been asked before, but I just started following the forum so if it has been asked before, I missed the thread.

I am curious about the various ways that people got started collecting records.

Back in the 70's I used to buy cassettes, not records, and when I was hitchhiking around Europe I travelled with a small tape player and a cassette case that held about 60 tapes.

For me the initial spark that started my interest in music from all over was probably a comment a friend made back in the '70's that stuck in my mind, that there had to be a lot of great music out there that we never heard of.

I started collecting records after I bought the "The Acid Trip: A complete guide to psychedelic music" book by Vernon Joynson when it came out in 1984.


From there it record lists like Funhouse, Sound Effects and many others, Record Collector Magazine and record fairs, second hand record stores like Record and Tape Exchange in Notting Hill Gate, thrift stores and charity shops, flea markets and so.

I have been at it ever since.

I would say the key event that started the whole thing off was buying "The Acid Trip: A complete guide to psychedelic music" and learning about US psychedelic music.

I began late, actually. In very early 70s I had just one friend who had turntable and records player, mostly ELP, Jethro Tull, Genesis, Bowie... Mind that we had afternoon disco parties in private houses (garges I mean) back then, and we dance with US funky and slow ballads by Rolling Stones (Angie...) or Genesis etc! Not a big listener to the Rai Radio programs, anyway around '74 my father was presented of nice Grundig radio/cassette for his retirement, at the place of our old Graetz and in 1976 there was the Free Radio boom here in Italy, so suddenly hundreds of programs broadcasting any musical genre. So I began to hear sounds very different from the usual mainstream national Rai Radio (even if I still have a cassette of a Rai program with a Comus track, the more commercial Figures in My Dream, still stuck in my head and still I don't understand why they didn't release it as a single!). Began going around the local Vinyl shops and met a really passionate shop assistant, the guy was very competent and introduced me to the sounds of Pentangle and Tim Buckley, just to say to well different names. I still was without a turntable till end of 1980, when I got one for my University degree, so in the meantime I used to buy records I liked and present them to my friends for their birthday. I celebrated my degree the same day with a John Martyn concert and then left to London for a 3 days of grabbing records! Sadly I still didn't know many of the more obscure titles now selling for hundreds pounds. Discovered them a few months later through a little Italian book called Enciclopedia Pop. It was issued in 1976, actually, and just tell me who were talking about Cob or Forest anywhere in the world in that period. Had I the chance to discover that book when released... I'd be a rich man now! So i went on with all those mailing list Clashton talks about (and many more), some Record Collectors and especially the Oldie Markt auctions, where you still could find Zakarrias or Dogfeet for a few quids in the 80s. By the way, the competent shop assistant was so good to become general manager of CGD East West/ Warner Music Italy in 2001, before he also distributed Hanniball Records here in Italy so I had the pleasure to spend a dinner with Joe Boyd himself, great guy!

It all started with Stauss:

A man owed me dad money but could not pay. He worked with glass. So he gave us instead a "console" record player, the front of which he covered with beautiful gold glass. I think the turntable was an ancient Gerrard. (I still have this console but I eviserated it long ago and it holds lps now.)

My parents were not into music. Me mum had some orange label Polydor 78s: Alfred Hause Radio Tango Orchestra ,Hamburg. I adored these records.
But there was ONE lp - Strauss "Tales of the Vienna Woods" (or summart loike that). It had a marvellous crimson label with sorta Regal Zonophone design. When the lp played I would just sit hunched over it ,mesmerized by the wonder which is moving vinyl.

My first contact with vinyl was playing my big sisters record Jailhouse Rock I was most probably 12 yo. Later when I left home at about 17 I met a guy called Geronimo[his nick name] who really got me into music as he was a guitar player himself. This was the mid sixties so music and fashion seemed at the forefront of life and living.
Since then I've always been into music embracing vinyl,cassettes ,cd's and digital.
Ive always been fascinated by the artwork on record covers but I dislike the coldness of jewel cases so like digi paks[must remind me of record sleeves]

I started with cassette tapes back in the mid 80s before vinyl records. Bought my 1st turntable in early 90s bought some mainstream albums and slowly discovered the private pressings later on then I bought a copy of Fuzz,Acid,Flowers Book By Vernon Joynson.
I like vintage aspect of lp's,45s,cd's,occasionally cassette tapes,8-track tape cartridges rarely see them in the wild but buy them when I find them, also have a 4-track tape adapter. Have learned a lot, traded music with a few good friends who have collected records longer than I have. On occasion I surprise them when I find an obscure record that they haven't heard before.

Here is a documentary about Joe Bussard who has been collecting old vinyl for nearly 50 years
This link only lasts 7 days

Download link
https://we.tl/t-KVXLBHgHkw
1 file
Desperate Man Blues.mp4.zip

What a great topic! Thanks clashton for posting it and hope to see you here again soon on UKPDF.

Well, my interest in music started in the womb I suppose, as despite my mother's indifference to music, my Dad always ensured there was music in the house, as he understood the beauty and the power of song. After my birth it was Dad again who stimulated my interest in sounds and filled me with a curiosity and a desire to learn about the world - a burning desire that has never left me. When I was a child it would be a few years before we got a TV so I was fortunate to be entertained by my Dad's 78rpm records collection - people like Hutch, Nat King Cole, Kitty Kallen, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby etc and when he wasn't playing his records for me he'd find a music programme on the radio playing the popular music of the day. My mother would often come into the lounge and turn the radio off if Dad was asleep in his chair or gone outside - until I cried, then she had to turn it back on to placate me!
Next, from about the age of 5 my amazing Auntie Joan and Uncle John would play me their early rock 'n' roll records - early elvis, bill haley, eddie cochran, gene vincent, chuck berry, jerry lee lewis etc. mixed in with records by people like neil sedaka, connie francis, everly brothers, johnny cash etc and as the 60's arrived they'd bring me their the early soul and tamla motown sounds for me to hear - early beatles, marvelettes, fats domino, the ronettes, jackie wilson etc ... oh, the music goes on forever!



Into the early 60's and beyond, my love of learning had crossed over from mostly comics and books into primarily music. I'd exchanged my late night learning from using a torch to read comics and books, for now I had my own little portable transister radio with earphones and I'd be under my bedcovers listening to Radio Luxenburg fade in and out, long into the hours of early mornings, opening my mind up to the transatlantic and world music they were broadcasting.

So now as I became 8, 9, 10 etc I started to be given my first records from Joan & John and I had my own little portable mono record player - a birthday Gift from Mum and Dad.

My lifelong obsession with music was now well entrenched in the foundations and development of what would become my lifetime characteristics. I was a true music addict at a very young age!

Pretty soon Pirate Radio stations started broadcasting off of the English coast, starting with Radio Caroline. I lived then in Kent, very near to the Kentish seaside town of Minnis Bay, so the radio signals were strong and the music flew across the ether loud and clear. As soon as I could earn enough money doing odd jobs and a paper round, I started to buy records - I think the 1st 45rpm single I bought was Nina Simone's magnificent Ain't got no [I got life]. That put me on the road of record collecting - straight into the fast lane and I've never looked back. I then started buying old 78s from the back rooms of 'antique' [junk] shops, browsing charity shop stacks of records and the 'sale' bins in record stores. From turning on with hash to stretching my mind with psychedelic substances, music and the wonderful record art of those LPs developed into and became an integral part of my being.

These days I don't have a decent hi-fi set up nor much to spend on records, so I make the best of digital music and LP artwork.

I can't remember which came first, the UK papers-NME, Sounds, Melody Maker or the purchasing. They went hand in hand that's for sure. I had got a few singles previously but my firat album was Aqualung and my my thought it was disgusting. Maybe that encouraged me more.

Sitting on a park bench
Eyeing little girls with bad intent
Snot running down his nose
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes

After that it was regular trips to the two import shops where you could listen to albums before purchasing. Always a sucker for a good album cover too. Then on the bus back home with my mate, albums out of the bags to check out inserts, gatefold sleeves, etc. Couldn't afford to keep up with my wants so would tape some albums to cassette then trade it. Some big money regrets there.

Have both cds and vinyl but always like vinyl the best.

Yeah, I think a lot of people were repulsed by that creep ian anderson and his scumbag mind.
Unfortunately even more were conned by that fake piece of shit into thinking him and his stupid band were 'far out' and must be making music inspired by this new psychedelic drug inspired age we were slipping into. Oh no! His inspiration was MONEY only and the worship and accumulation of it by false pretence and just by fooling enough shallow shit for brains gullible young people to buy his phoney crap LPs. I remember as a kid who took lots of acid, thinking - hang on a minute. There's something very wrong here as people I knew were listening to this shit and spending their pocket money on this bullshitter, making him a success as a con artist. Years later after accumulating enough wealth to retire in luxury and laugh at the silly kids who made him rich, he confessed everything.
Still some very daft people still continue to think him and his filthy music was cool.
Ha! Damn fools. Every one of you!

Forgive me, Stevie - he said with exaggerated contrition - are you posting drunk? Are you taking the piss?

Coming in out of the blue on Anderson. WTF?



"Yeah, I think a lot of people were repulsed by that creep ian anderson and his scumbag mind. "

"Yeah" wot? Who you think was bad-mouthing Jethro Tull here?

Yes Wallace, I don't know why but Steve has mentioned this before. I'm guessing he's read something about him that was not too nice unless he knows him personally.

Couldn't find anything along these lines myself but the Wikipedia entry doesn't paint him in too bad a light.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiCvoii49DgAhVLk3AKHcxKCKYQFjAAegQIABAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FIan_Anderson&usg=AOvVaw1v0Vn19d-yH4OvYbZCKgNE



https://www.popmatters.com/jethro-tull-2018-interview-2566517482.html

Well hello people.
Wallace, Mr WW said "... but my firat album was Aqualung"

Yes, for your information I'll use up a bit of my precious remaining time left being alive, as I'd love to confirm to you, yes:
a) I'm posting pissed again. I'm well over 18 years old so allowed to drink.
b) I can't smoke dope any more as I have emphasaema.
c) I can't take acid any more as I forget to remember how to breathe when i do it. {Not a good idea for someone who's lost over 90% of their lungs to disease}.
d) I despise con artists who jumped on the gravy train when they saw psychedelia sold records.
e) I don't tolerate fools very easily [understatement].
f) I hate to see weak and vulnerable people be led astray by the likes of i. anderson etc.

As you are so quick to criticise and slow to check anything out for yourselves, here's the link again to the film introduced by the great Bill Bailey I posted on October 1st last year, so you can once again hear from the mouth of the scumbag himself how smart he sees himself for conning a load of young naive kids who couldn't tell their arse from their elbow 'cos you were a little bit stoned.
I EXPECT IT TO LEAVE SOME OF YOU GUYS AS SMUG AND DUMB ARSED AS EVER.
That flute playing fake is laughing at YOU, sitting on £30 MILLION OF YOUR MONEY!

Top Ten Progressive Rock (British TV Documentary),Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes, Jethro Tull etc

Intro by Bill Bailey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUU1QtQBVbo

Awwww ... and there was me thinking prog rock was just a load of old tosh by pretentious, rich mummy's boys wanting to be rock stars.

I can't be bothered to find the place where the scumbag anderson personally tells you what mugs you were if you liked and bought his bullshit records, so you can do a bit for yourselves if it's too painful to watch the bits before - find that part of the documentary for yourselves. I may be wrong but I suspect you have a very short attention span [2 minutes?] like you think golfish do but maybe goldfish have an advantage over you!

Enjoy!

PS. If you hate my comments and don't understand me - good. You can ask the forum moderator to ban me!



OK. I want to help you, so go to part 3 at 45 minutes into the documentary if you can't bear to see all your other plastic heroes being ridiculed and/or your mind is incapable of being in the Here & Now for more than a few minutes. I'm really not your enemy or someone to be afraid of - unless I see you as a threat!

Okay Steve, I know when something upsets you you really take it to heart and it tends to consume you. I also realise you've got some difficult problems on a daily basis and I'm not trying to become your enemy or whatever you think but when you call people dumb arsed, mugs, goldfish, etc for listening to a particular band or album it doesn't make sense to me.
I would imagine there are plenty of people that perhaps don't like some of the artists and albums you post about, but don't let it get to them.
I watched it and can't hear him slamming other bands or claiming to have taken people for a ride in buying their albums.
Is it the fact that he made big money from salmon farming? Is it the discussion on concept vs non concept albums? Is it the part where he says he's okay taking the mickey out of the band but doesn't like others doing it? Is it the fact that they weren't into drugs? If so he didn't comment on that. Bill Bailey, some studio guy that I don't know and Martin Barre were the ones commenting on that..
Each to their own of course, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be the only rock star worth millions who may or may not be a nice person.
I reckon Jagger, Richards, McCartney, Fleetwood, Starr, Clapton, Page, Plant just to name a few from that era would be worth as much or more.
So if you bought some album in your youth which you still enjoy, should you get rid of it if you find out the artist wasn't the person you thought he was. For instance, I didn't realise until later how badly Jimmy Page ripped off other artists without acknowledging them.
And as for not nice musos you could check these but whether they're particularly close to the mark or not, who knows. And that's without John Lennon included.

https://youtu.be/NfkULtxbO3I

https://youtu.be/1NGAaLYIUVk

One thing I believe though is that it's beyond your control and not worth the worry of getting so upset over something you have no influence over. Sort of like politics!

I posit that this could be all down to religious fanatism.

Stevie springboarded off "Aqualung", so I'm going out on a limb here finking hims don't loikes the lyrics to "My God" or "Locomotive Breath".

(That would make him no big Lennon fanboy either.)