 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
That cute 45rpm single of the Superman: The Movie Main Title edit b/w Love Theme from Superman got me to thinking about the very first record of any kind I ever bought.
It was the 45rpm single of the "Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind" b/w "Nocturnal Pursuit". I found myself listening to "Nocturnal Pursuit" much more than the A-side dance single, especially the "Stars and Trucks" interregnum between the two "Nocturnal Pursuit" statements; the "Stars" component of "Stars and Trucks" being one of the most beautiful bits that John Williams ever wrote, with its lovely harp, shimmering strings, vibraphone and flutes.
Now, what was the first record you ever bought yourself for pleasure, of any kind of music on any carrier format?
|
|
|
|
|
|
A 45 of Jay and the Americans singing "Walking in the Rain," which I didn't know was actually a cover version of an older hit.
And more importantly, I didn't understand the difference between 45 rpm and 33 1/3 rpm, so I was baffled as to why the single sounded so weird on our turntable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
A 45 of Jay and the Americans singing "Walking in the Rain"
Just the kind of musical first love I want to read about, Scott.
Love the Tom Townsend thumbnail, too. Maybe I should change mine to Nick Smith.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tom Townsend-related footnote. Before she passed, I learned that in her youth my mom had worked at an establishment called "Sally Fowler's Tea Room." Since it was in Hyannis Port, and apparently Whit Stillman's dad worked for JFK (if I'm remembering correctly), I wonder if the name inspired the "Sally Fowler Rat Pack" from Metropolitan.
Back to music: I think my first LP was the album "Sugarloaf" by the band of the same name, featuring their hit "Green-Eyed Lady." But I think my first soundtrack LP may have been the original Silent Running (not the green Varese disc from years later).
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think my first LP was the album "Sugarloaf" by the band of the same name, featuring their hit "Green-Eyed Lady." But I think my first soundtrack LP may have been the original Silent Running (not the green Varese disc from years later).
My first LP, bought shortly after the Close Encounters 45, was The Story of Star Wars with snatches of the score that weren't on the soundtrack album, and that great narration by Roscoe Lee Browne.
So, essentially two soundtrack records to start with, and I haven't looked back since.
And yes, I did eventually get the Metropolitan soundtrack CD on Bay Cities. Still got it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lawrence of Arabia the original soundtrack LP.
I wasnt interested in the 45rpm EPs that were available, I wanted as much of the score as was available.
That was back in 1962, at the age of 10.
Come to think of it, I haven't changed, I still want as much of a score as is possible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
This was the first record I ever bought and the "starting" block of my own music collection.
I should say that, like many kids growing up, I had cassettes and a couple of radio play LPs before that, and I was already audio taping movies from TV.
A friend of mine had the soundtracks to STAR WARS and STAR TREK - THE MOTION PICTURE, which I taped onto cassette and played over and over back in the day... so this LP was the first music LP I purchased. I love it to this day, great recordings.
We also had a lot of classical music at home, both on tapes and on LPs, so I didn't need to focus on that when I started to buy music on my own.
Curiously, later CD editions of this LP leave out Stratta's own "The Late Planet Love" (Richard Hayman has later recorded the piece for Naxos though).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Jan 17, 2025 - 1:14 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Thor
(Member)
|
We've had topics like this before, and I'm terrible at remembering firsts of any kind (insert joke about sexual debuts here). But I'll try to wrestle my memory:
LPs -- I had a handful, but they were either birthday/Christmas gifts or from my dad's collection. I didn't buy them.
Cassettes -- my primary source of music listening throughout childhood and early teenage years. But they were mostly copies that I had either made myself, or gotten from my dad. The handful of ORIGINAL cassettes were again gifts, I can't remember ever buying an album on cassette myself.
CDs -- THIS is when I finally started to buy music myself. Bought a CD player for my confirmation money in 1992. I'm not 100% sure, but I have a few candidates for firsts here - Dire Straits' COMMUNIQUE, Jean Michel Jarre's CONCERTS IN CHINA (2CD) or THE COMMITMENTS soundtrack. I think one of those, most likely COMMUNIQUE, and they were bought for my allowance money in the local record store a couple of months BEFORE I actually got that CD player; I remember that. Had to play them on my dad's system when he wasn't using it.
Soundtracks -- this is where it gets even trickier. As I said in the Lynch thread, the first instrumental soundtrack I got was a cassette copy of the TWIN PEAKS CD, but this was not bought. Then the COMMITMENTS CD mentioned above, but this was not an instrumental score album, it was all songs. I just can't, for the sake of me, remember what my first instrumental soundtrack CD purchase was. It frustrates me!
I'm always shocked by the apparent ease with which you people remember these things with such details.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael Jackson's "BAD" MC cassette.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
. And still remember how I loved the music -- which was only heard through dialogue and effects, of course.
