Slide Slide

Buzzcocks – Spiral Scratch

As a little kid, my Dad had a mate we often visited who had a huge record collection. One day he put this on and I absolutely loved it. I kept asking him to play it, so eventually, he gave it to me, and I still have it, 45 years later!

Winelight

When I was in high school I started learning the saxophone. My Dad would take me for a sax lesson every Saturday morning, and afterwards we would hit up the local op shops and pick out a record that featured sax, jazz or big bands, go home and listen to our find. One of the first records we found was Winelight. It quickly became my favourite record, and Grover Washington Junior became one of my biggest inspirations. I listened to this record so much I was eventually able to transcribe and play his entire solos for Winelight and Just The Two of Us on my sax, and fast forward 20 years I’m now a professional musician and music teacher and I still enjoy playing these songs! This record brings back so many good memories of fun op shop adventures with my dad, sitting around the record player with excitement waiting to hear what we had found, and the many hours of fun I had practicing my saxophone trying to learn these epic solos. For me, this record was life changing!

Buddy Holly ‘Raining in my heart/It doesn’t matter anymore

As a toddler in England in the early 1970s, my family played a game where they would mix up all the 45rpm singles and I would pick out my favourite to play. What they didn’t know until later was that the ones I didn’t like were ‘posted’ over the top of the water-filled radiators (often used to warm English homes), where they would warp and become unplayable. This Buddy Holly double-A side single was one of my favourites, purchased by my mum back in the late 1950s (her maiden name is visible on one side). She has passed away now, and this earliest single of my collection always reminds me of her and the birth of my love of vinyl music.

“caribbean guitar” Chet Atkins-1962

I bought this record at a record shop called “Plastic passion” in Mayland WA .I love the unique clean tone of Chet Atkkins.The cover itself takes you places and the music is the Cherry on the top.

The Beatles Greatest Hits Vol 2

My older sister gave me this record when I was 15 and it has never left my turntable since. Brilliant songs and Lennon and McCartney’s song writing are 2nd to none. Sounds awesome on vinyl and brings the real sound back to life.

Christmas In My Heart – Connie Francis

When the eldest of my 3 daughters was about 8 years old, in 1983, I bought her a second-hand study desk for homework. The desk was pretty old and cheap because we didn’t have much money back then and I needed to give it a coat of paint before my daughter could use it. When I opened the bottom drawer to take it out for painting, there were about 6 or 7 old vinyl records that had been left there by the previous owner. I don’t even remember what the others were but this one, Christmas In My Heart by Connie Francis from 1959, is now the oldest in my collection and my absolute Christmas favourite!

New order 1981 Factus 8 1982

Got it at a record store 2 years ago. As a NO fan I couldn’t afford them all when I was a teenager working in red rooster for $5 per hour in the 80s. Another cog in my collection complete after over 35 years. Thank you record stores.

Gary Lewis & The Playboys

I am no. 4 out of 6 kids and we were all music mad. Our dad played records in the 60s and mum started buying us all an album for Christmas each year. I was 7 when I received this record in the late 60’s and it was the first that was 100% my own. It ignited a lifelong passion for vinyl and I am still collecting to this day.

1984 The Smiths – William it was Really Nothing 12″

I haven’t had this vinyl that long, but it’s very important to me. I was thrift shopping with my son, who I never got to spend much time with when he was growing up. He had recently purchased a record player & was discovering vinyl for the first time. We came across this 1984 original UK pressing 12″ single of William. To my surprise the B side was the first appearance of How Soon is Now? At that time, I didn’t even have a record player. Now I do and I have reconnected with my son over the love of vinyl. I still spin up How Soon is Now & it’s as good as ever!