Like a virgin, touched for the very first time (Madonna)

 

The first 12 - 18 Korma Ave. Royal Oak, Auckland, 1971

Wie geht's?

Warning for the fandamilly - this one's about music and records...

That grainy photo above was taken by me over fifty years ago. It shows my record collection at the time.

I thought I'd recreate it for you and talk about the distance of time.

First albums - 50 plus years later in Hawke's Bay 2022

Last week, I found myself in Hamilton on school biznis. After searching Record Shops Near Me on my phone I visited Tron Records. Of course, right!

While there I noticed a sign the owner had put up saying something like, 'Some of these records are 50 to 60 years old, so please consider that as it relates to quality'. That was the basic message and it got me thinking.

Doh!! Of course they're that old! And of course they will be! Miraculous that some of the records from that time are in near mint condition really.

My record collection goes back 50 to 60 years as well. 

The black and white photo of my first records (above) has a few that I've lost along the way and the singles outnumber the albums because they were cheaper and much more available to my early teenage budget which came from pocket money and returning glass pop bottles to the corner dairy on Pah Rd. That's also why there were some budget albums and compilations in the mix.

But I still have the majority of them:

• Santana (Santana) - 1969
• The Cowsills (All Time Hits) - 1970
• Headband (Happen Out) - 1971
• Led Zeppelin (III) - 1970
• The Beatles (Hey Jude) - 1970
• The Monkees (Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd) - 1967
• The Hollies (Reflection) - 1969
• Various (Loxene Golden Disc 1971) - 1971
• Various (Solid Gold Hits Vol II) - 1971
• Kenny Rogers and The First Edition (Greatest Hits) - 1969
• Cream (Swlabr) - 1970
• Small Faces (Biggest Small Faces) - 1972 (not in that original photo but acquired shortly after it)

I notice that those albums pretty much cover my core musical taste (I can hear Jacky say, "What taste?") that exists still: harmonic pop songs, hard rock guitar, country rock, blues rock. 

It was a nicely representative collection of cities (San Francisco, Liverpool, Manchester, London), and countries (New Zealand, England, America) as well.

In terms of distance - there isn't any really. Although I'm roughly 50 years older, I am still in touch with that teenage Wozza. I haven't changed much inside myself and certainly my interests haven't changed at all.

Listening to those records now takes me instantly back to my bedroom at 18 Korma Avenue and my Garrard SP25 Mk 3 turntable (yes, I still do listen to them from time to time, but the Garrard has long gone).

50 plus years of additions to the first 12

In other respects - it's some 50 years later and I am another, very different, experienced Wozza (husband, father, grandfather) and the collection has had 50 years of additions and subtractions.

Those first 12 though remain a very special touchstone back to my 13 year old self.

Love and peace - Wozza