Ok, I know I’m showing my age here. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, records were those curious vinyl items used to play music before mp3s and before CDs, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. When I was a little kid, my father came home with a record player for me. It was a previously loved item he bought from Ross’s junk store in the Junction. It was one of those record players that required you to place a penny or perhaps even two pennies on top of the tone arm to weigh down the needle so it didn’t skip over grooves in the record. He also brought me my first ever record. I remember it clearly. It was a 78 from the 40s called Walking the Floor Over You by Earnest Tubb. Here’s Mr. Tubb performing the tune live.
I still remember the lyrics. I listened to that record over and over. Maybe that’s why I still have such an affection for old time country music.
The next record I added to what would eventually become a bit of a collection was by Burl Ives. It was a 331/3 recording. I don’t recall the title of it, but it had on it Mr. Ives version of the great hobo tune, Big Rock Candy Mountain.
I think that song dates back to the 20’s. It may have been penned by Harry McClintock AKA Haywire Mac. The song was all about hobo paradise, where you go after you board the Wabash Cannonball I guess.
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
There’s a land that’s fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out ev’ry night
Where the boxcars are all empty
And the sun shines ev’ry day
Oh, I’m bound to go where there ain’t no snow
Where the rain don’t fall and the wind don’t blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
Oh, the buzzin’ of the bees in the cigarette trees
‘Round the whiskey fountains
Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
You never change your socks
And little streams of alcohol
Come a-tricklin’ down the rocks
The hobos there are friendly
And their fires all burn bright
There’s a lake of stew …and whiskey, too
You can paddle all around ’em in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
Oh, the buzzin’ of the bees in the cigarette trees
‘Round the whiskey fountains
Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
I’ve also heard a version that talks about “a jerk that invented work” Har!
27th Street 
Lonnie Donegan ‘Gran Coulee Dam’ (sp?)
My first was Uriah Heep!
Too many records at once to remember the very first ones. Michael Jackson, David Bowie….Diamond Dogs…one of the best records ever, T Rex, Velvet Underground, The Ramones,
I remember my dad got us The Supremes “best of album” but we always had music playing…all kinds of music. there wasn’t any separation of styles. We lived with our grandparents as well so we always had dixieland music from my grandparents and swing and Elvis Presley Don Messer’s Jubilee, Burl Ives, Tom Jones, Django Rhinehart. Then my parents had Bob Dylan, Led Zepplelin, Louis Jordan and The Tippany Five, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, Steppenwolf, The Beatles and their favourite band was the Rolling Stones.
It was all over the map. All music all day all styles and genres. Variety shows were always watched all together as a family with representation of all kinds of stuff.
We had some pop music 45’s, including a couple of Micheal Jackson records. We had a beat up, portable record player that, like the records, sat in my brother’s room. I wouldn’t be surprised if the 45’s actually came with the record player.
My father has small collection of 33 rpm’s which were mostly classical music. There was a turntable, receiver and speakers downstairs that pretty much srved the purpose of listening to classical music and “All Things Considered,” and later “A Prairie Home Companion.”
My brother eventually went the Rock and Roll direction, and I went towards Classical. Having two record players came in handy then.
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols was my first official purchase.
(My dad cracked up when he saw the cover)
It was Tubby the Tuba, and I went on to play a brass instrument in school.
http://www.tubbythetuba.com/history.html
I love vinyl! I grew up playing my parents extensive collection on their turntable. I collect records of my own today, hunting through garage sales and sally ann stores.
I didn’t own anything as cool as what’s listed here. Our family had a pretty eclectic colletion of music so I heard everything, but the first LP I remember owning, as in it was totally 100% mine, was Abba’s Greatest Hits Vol 2. It had 2 LPs in it, and opened like a book, which I thought was pretty cool. I think I was 10.
“Where they hung the jerk who invented work…” I’ve heard that version too. And something about “the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the cops have wooden legs.” It was on a Jim Reeves album Mom played for us when I was a toddler, I think.
The version I’m thinking of isn’t by Jim Reeves but yes, same lyrics!
I remember Jim Reeves though: “Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone….and tell that guy who’s right there with you, he’ll have to go”
The Grasshoppers…it was a 33 1/3 album that did covers of Alvin and the Chipmunks songs…in the same voice.
The first 45 I bought was Indian Lake by the Cowsills.
spectacular!
Elton John Yellow Brick Road but in hindsight I think Steppenwolf would have been a better choice
Muppie
I loved Leo Sayer as a tike and my parents bought from Venture the 45 of Love You More Than I Can Say-I got a stack of 331/3rds of odss’n ends from my Dad-I also bought with my parents a disco compilation @ Venture!!
The first record I ever owned was Steppenwolf’s Born to be Wild, followed closely by a Gordon Lightfoot album, and then an Elton John. Even back then I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself.
First vinyl I ever owned was The Rolling Stones ‘Paint It Black’
My parents were not impressed which only went to show how bloody good it was!!!