275/285 and Stereo VHF

My Dear Fellows & Dear Princess Normal,

Sunday night was always Top 40 night at our house. This is not because my parents particularly loved music. In fact, for my parents, good music stopped in 1964. It was all Mick Jagger's fault.

"Bloody Rolling Stones. They were rubbish. Ugly-looking buggers too."

But they hated Moira Anderson even more than Mick Jagger. She was always on "Stars on Sunday" on ITV on a Sunday evening, warbling on about Jesus and what-have-you. 

BBC was no better. They had "Songs of Praise" which was basically a live performance from a church, featuring a vicar and a LOT of hats. So that was that. The telly would go OFF.

My parents would complain all the way through the top 40, but at least it was better than Moira. As kids, we didn't really care. The only songs we really liked were performed by The Wombles or The Smurfs. The only song we really DIDN'T like was that one by David Bowie about the scary gnome.

(I still get goose-bumps. And still hate gnomes).

But we started to get interested in "proper" music in the early 80's and we were helped by a show that played immediately after the top 40 called 25 Years of Rock. The reason I bring this up now is that I've found it on the internets! I've been listening to it all week! And it's great stuff! The big hits from a given year, accompanied by news snippets from that year.

The news snippets are all from Pathe so the commentary is that sort of adorable old British-style. 

COMMENTARY: ...drama at the United Nations, as Nikita Kruschev bangs his shoe on the table, bringing the threat of nuclear confrontation between the Soviet Union and America closer. But that doesn't bother CLIFF RICHARD, out on the town promoting his new musical! Look out Cliff! Or you won't be a "Bachelor Boy" for long!!

I'm grateful to "25 Years of Rock" for getting me into classic rock & roll. I still love it. I reminds me of rifling through my parents records and singing along to "Johnny Remember Me" (about a dead girlfriend) "Earth Angel" (another dead girlfriend) "Tell Laura I Love Her" (dead boyfriend) and "Ebony Eyes" (girlfriend again).

Look. It may seem weird but there was a REALLY HIGH BODY COUNT in old rock and roll records. You'd get some teen singer squealing "lookoutlookoutlookout!!" 

SCREEEEEEECH.... 

And the next thing you know Betty has lost another boyfriend.

Fortunately, Er Indoors loves all this stuff too. She has been "indoctrinated" by Shetland Dad, she says. He used to play the dollar game with her. If she could name the person singing "Take Good Care of My Baby"* or "24 Hours From Tulsa"** or "To Know Him Is To Love Him"*** she'd get a dollar. 

She's pretty shrewd is my wife. She made a LOT of money off her dad that way, and her knowledge of music of the 50's and 60's is still encyclopedic. You totally want the pair of us on your pub quiz team for the oldies round. And in fact, right at this moment we are watching Crossfire Hurricane.

So now I'm listening to "25 Years of Rock" again, and LOVING it. It has re-fired my love of this stuff and prompted me to go on an Amazon expedition for oldies. 

Look out Cliff! You're next!

S.

* Bobby Vee.
** Gene Pitney
*** The Teddy Bears ****
**** That's three dollars you owe me.