Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Fri, 11 Dec 1992 13:13:27 EST
From:         RTURNBUL@TOROVM1.VNET.IBM.COM
Subject:      childhood music

>What was the music that your parents played
>for you as a youngster?
>What is your first recollection of playing a record?

>What kind of music did your parents listen to, and
>did it affect the way you listen to music today?

Well, the one thing I definitely remember is that there was always music in the
house. Whether my parents had the easy listening sounds of CFQR (now one of the
annoying MIX stations I think) on the radio or Lawrence Welk and The Boston
Pops on the TV. I really didn't like much of that (though my Mom did have a
tape of the Boston Pops playing Simon and Garfunkel that I didn't mind), but
my Dad was also a fan of Benny Goodman and especially Glen Miller. To this day
I can't help but tap the old foot to "In The Mood".

I think Glen had a lot to do with the way I listened to music. The beat was
always a big thing for me. I remember going to high school band concerts (when
my brother and sister were playing in them; just before I joined) and staring
intently at the drummer. Whenever they played a more up-tempo number, I'd lean
forward, elbows on knees, and just focus completely on what the drummer was
doing. I couldn't keep still either...Some part of my body had to be moving.

The first records I remember playing myself (like many others, on a suitcase
that folded out into a record player) were some early 70s K-tel albums. The
favourite ones were _Fantastic_, _Dynamite_ and _Daffy Dances_. Had songs by
groups like The 5 Man Electrical Band, B.T.O. and Edgar Winter Group. Also
"The Twist", "Land of a Thousand Dances" and "The Locomotion". Oh yeah,
"Brother Louie" by The Stories...

Actually, I guess I did play a few other records first..."Bambi", "Puff The
Magic Dragon", some album of songs by Goofy...But those K-tel ones were the
first to be played into the ground.

The next step of awareness was when I transferred into an English school in
Grade 6 (to make a long story confusingly short, I had been going to French
elementary school up until then, but the Quebec government was just passing
Bill 22 at the time and I had to be in an English school if I wanted to go to
English high school which started in Grade 7...). Anyway, all the kids talked
about CKGM-AM. I finagled one of my Dads radios and started to tune in. Yes,
this was your basic Top 40 radio, but what a world of music I'd never heard!
(although my brother and sister played in the high school band and enjoyed
music, they didn't have my curiosity and didn't listen to much on their own).

I started taping songs from the radio (with an external mic, so no one was
allowed to enter my room during taping) and began the process of filing away
useless information...Right around this time, the disco scene hit (1976?) and
I listened to all of it as well (hey, I was young). I remember once listening
to CKGM's top 300 songs of all time. As they counted down I heard songs that I
really liked (America's "A Horse With No Name", Golden Earring's "Radar Love",
"Hotel California", etc.), but was really hoping that Deco's disco version of
the Star Wars theme would be number 1 (how embarassing). When they hit number 1
the announcer got me all excited as the first syllable was "ST"...I was crushed
to then learn that it was "Stairway To Heaven".

Led Zeppelin came in for me around Grade 10 or 11. But before then was my
discovery of FM radio...I had just bought one of my first albums (_Grand
Illusion_ by Styx) and _Pieces of Eight_ had just been released. I was spinning
the radio dial one day and happened across "Blue Collar Man"...That did it. I
taped everything in earshot...

Went through heavy metal phases (new - Iron Maiden, old - Deep Purple) and then
discovered Rush in a big way. Also, a good friend of mine was following the
punk and New Wave scenes and I picked up as much as I could from him (The Jam,
Stiff Little Fingers, Sex Pistols, Siouxie and the Banshees...).

I continued to listen to FM radio, but gradually grew more and more tired of
the sameness. I found out a lot of the 60s and 70s music from FM, but they
just didn't give me enough! I mean, why did they only play one song by groups
like Free, Argent and T-Rex? Hey, if I like that one song, I just might like
the rest! Thus began my career purchasing music. I can trust the media to play
what I want to hear, so I'll do it myself...

Through university I met many and varied people and they helped broaden the
horizons to blues and jazz (not much in the collection yet, it's improving).
Classical is coming slowly, but it'll get there...

At this stage, anything musical has appeal to me. I may find out I hate it, but
I want to KNOW about it.

Bob Tee
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