Sunday 12 February 2012

Magical Musical Memories


I've signed up for Erin Prais-Hintz's challenge of music later this month which will see participants create an accessory inspired by music of their choice. For me this is no easy feat since I love all sorts of music and I've spent the past week listening to my entire collection trying to choose something - so far with little success. I do have a rather long short list though so I need to get to work on that.

 challenge of music
Going through any collection that you've compiled over a long period of time will always pull things up from the depths of your memory... people, places and times that have significance and this exercise was no exception. I found myself thinking about a song that was not in my collection (but is now) and which I hadn't heard for the best part of 50 years.

When I was a very small child of maybe 3 or 4 we didn't have a record player or tape recorder at home (vintage stuff this!) but my Grandfather had a Stereo Radiogram which was his pride and joy. For those of more tender years, this was a radio and record turntable housed in a cabinet (the forerunner to the old Music Centres) and it held centre stage in my grandparents home. 'Grampie' loved his music and had a very eclectic collection from classical to the hits of the day and he was also very fond of show tunes.

As I recall Grampie's pride and joy looked something like this...
I was the third grandchild in our family and at that time there were a couple of younger cousins on the scene too. We were all enthralled with the music that he loved to entertain us with. I can remember sitting on the floor listening to South Pacific, Carousel, Paul Robeson and countless others. But there is one record that I used to insist on hearing over and over, driving all the adults to distraction and eventually I think, wearing it out so as to be unplayable - or so they told me!

As I said, I've not thought about this song in decades and for some of those I wouldn't even have been able to track it down easily but now, thanks to the wonder that is the Internet and 'You Tube' I've managed to find it again. It's sung by Tommy Steele, an archetypal cockney lad and Britain's first teen idol (even before Cliff Richard) and comes from the soundtrack to a 1959 film called 'Tommy the Toreador'.

So without further ado I'd like to share with you my first musical memory - Tommy Steele singing: 'Little White Bull'

I hope you're ready for this!



Now that's what I call a memory!

Oh, and if you're wondering why I didn't use this for the challenge, well now that I'm all grown up I, like the adults all those years ago, can only cope with hearing it so many times, but I will certainly revisit it now and then.

Don't forget to put the "challenge of Music' blog hop in your diary for February 29th.

Have a great week.

Lesley




8 comments:

  1. hehe I've always been partial to Danny Kaye. The Court Jester has always been a favorite.. how can you beat the 'pellet with the poison' scene? lol
    http://youtu.be/3OFHFN8YkI4

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    1. Oh yes, sunday afternoon films with Danny Kaye in them...fantastic!

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  2. First song I can remember... either Thriller by Michael Jackson or "Magic Dance" by David Bowie. However, I agree with Skye, I am very fond of Danny Kaye :D. My choice for the music challenge isn't any of the above though...

    Thank you so much for sharing your memories, Lesley! Wonderful!

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  3. I was "in love" with Perry Como and played his records to extinction. We had a combination TV & record turntable!

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    1. Ah, Magic musical Moments for you then Linda..!

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  4. Hi Lesley,
    Thank you for sharing your memory with us. The first song that I can remember at the of age 5 was The Beatles I Want To Hold Your Hand! As I recall I drove my Mom crazy going around singing it all the time.
    Therese

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  5. That was a great story you shared, Lesley! I look forward to seeing what you will create for the challenge! I recently found an album I haven't heard since I was a child ("Pac Man Fever") and I enjoyed listening to it and remembering when we would roller skate as kids- but I couldn't listen to it too many times either!

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