A Story of First Love

On By DanicaPicheIn Everyday Beauty in Your Life

Would you like a wonderfully evocative story of first love?  Of course you would!  Rob Goldstein left this comment on my post Come Back, Baby! and it’s so richly textured and stirring that it deserves its own post.  Here is Rob’s story, in his own words.  Enjoy!

Here’s a little story.

I used to spend Summers in Queens with my Grandmother.

The year I turned 11 “Respect” by Aretha Franklin and “Sgt. Pepper’s” by the Beatles were released.

I had never heard Sgt. Pepper’s but I was already dancing to “Respect”.

My Grandmother introduced me to the beautiful “new” girl in the neighborhood. She was about 17.

I’d never seen anyone like her. She had thick black waist length hair, wore a pair of elephant bell hip-huggers and layers of tortoise necklaces over a tasteful black turtleneck sweater.

She heard my Southern accent and asked me to her place to hear a record.

The record was ‘Respect”. She placed it on the turntable and asked me if I understood the words.

Of course I did.

She couldn’t understand the lyrics.

I looked at her albums and saw Sgt. Peppers.

She placed that on the turntable and I heard “A Day in the Life” for the first time. I was mesmerized.

We made a deal.

I would write down the lyrics of “Respect” and she would give me the Sgt. Pepper’s Album.

And that was how I came to own my first record…

***

How did you come to own your first record (album/8-track/cassette/CD/mp3/wav/etc)?
Or first fall in love with music…or a beautiful stranger?

 

Visit Rob at:  http://robertmgoldstein.com/

 

 

51 thoughts on “A Story of First Love”

  1. I never had a record, but I remember my first two cassette tapes. They were Men At Work and Michael Jackson. I was young, but I got this and a real character player and radio (not some Fisher Price one) and felt so cool!

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  3. First record was a copy of Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted to Love’ single. I bought it because I liked the jumper bulges of the girls in the video. I wish the story reflected a more spiritual side of me!

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  4. Danica, in 4th grade I liked Elvis Presley’s song, “I Can’t Help Falling in Love. . .” There were 2 boys in my neighborhood, Rick M and Todd C. I had been at a sleepover and we jokingly called each of the boys we liked, adding up to 10. We asked if each of them would like to go to the back yard of our hostess, Sandy’s house at 10 pm. Dark and her parents had a card party to keep them busy. We put the Monkees, Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and Elvis on the turntable. I was asked to slow dance with Todd C. My first time. The song for us was not Elvis but “The Long and Winding Road.”
    In less than 6 months his mother died of a brain aneurysm and his father moved his family to another state.
    Years later, Todd showed up at my college dorm door.
    We were friends all through college. I sometimes wonder, had he been there in 5th grade and the rest of the years would we have become closer? ♡ Thanks, Danica. 🙂

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    1. Robin, what a lovely first slow dance! I wonder how many of the boys had to sneak out to meet you? I’m sure nothing would have stopped them. How wonderful that Todd later showed up at your college dorm door! Ah yes, “What if…” hmm….

      Here is Elvis recording “I Can’t Help Falling In Love” in March 1961. These are alternate takes from the session including some of Elvis’ commentary. It’s so beautiful — even with the pauses and comments. I hope you’ll like it.

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  5. What a perfect “first record” story. I’m glad Rob shared it with you. Mine is much more mundane. I believe the first record I owned was the 45 of Cheech & Chong’s “Sister Mary Elephant.” Even though my brother & sister each owned a copy and we played them multiple times a day, I needed to have my own. I believe the first album I bought with my own money was Kiss “Alive” in 1975 when I was 9. Until then I listened to the dozen or so albums my parents had in their collection. It was a slippery slope of record buying after that.

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    1. Absolutely! I’m happy that he shared it with us. I like your Cheech & Chong 45 story! Yes, it’s important for kids to have their own copies! Your parents’ collection turned out to be the thin edge of that slope, didn’t it? Kiss “Alive” — a most excellent choice for a first album (and one I must-must-must get soon :))
      Here is C’Mon and Love Me, from 75:

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  6. Wonderful! That really made me smile. My first record was a cassette, I believe. Michael Jackson’s Bad. Quite possibly a Birthday gift. The first album I bought (again cassette) was Guns N’ Roses Use Your Illusion II. GN’R was the hook that reeled this fish in …

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    1. I’m glad Rob’s story made you smile too! It stayed with me long after I read it, so I had to post it so you all could enjoy it too! Michael Jackson’s Bad is a fantastic gift. Ah, yes, Use Your Illusion II — a classic! Understandably, it must have been a hook that reeled in many a fish….
      Here is Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (with Only Women Bleed intro):

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    1. I’m so glad that you like it, Rob! The stories are all wonderful, aren’t they? So different, yet linked by the common thread of first love.

      Thanks again for sharing your story and inspiring this post and discussion! 🙂

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    1. Thank you for the reblog, Rob! The first music that had a noticeable impact on me was that of street musicians. I’m told told that from the time I took my first steps, I’d always stop and dance. Apparently, I was rather insistent and refused to leave much to the amusement of onlookers. I have no recollection of these events but they’re easy for me to believe. 🙂

      The first album that captivated me was Tattoo You by the Rolling Stones, specifically “Start Me Up”. I discovered it in a relative’s music collection and played it over and over, dancing around…until I was eventually dragged away. I’m seeing a theme here!

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        1. That has got to be the best introduction to music! I listened to more soul and Motown later, around the time I discovered my love of blues.

          Now those are some moves! I especially like the finale. James Brown would surely approve. 🙂

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            1. Very well stated! I whole-heartedly agree. Those times when dancing is irresistible and there is no alternative, those are the moments we experience the infinite.

              “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” ~Martha Graham

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  9. Great story. It is not a first album, but when I bought my brother’s first car when he got another, it came with a mounted 8 track player. I had two eight tracks recorded off albums that I listened to relentlessly. On one end of the spectrum, I had a Deep Purple live album recorded. On the other end was Jim Croce as he had died not too long before and his music was still being discovered.

    A sad day occurred, when my car was broken into and someone stole the 8 track player. Mind you the radio did not work, so this was huge loss.

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    1. Hi Keith! I’m happy that you like this one — it’s a memorable story, isn’t it? That’s an ideal first car, complete with sound system! A spectrum, indeed, and a song for every mood. It’s interesting when you find an album (song, etc) that you love so much it sounds great replayed all week — or 100!

      What a sad day. There should be additional penalties for sound system theft (and an international task force dedicated to their recovery)! I hope you were able to quickly replace the 8-tracks and player.

      Here is Jim Croce performing Bad Bad Leroy Brown for you:

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  10. Danica such a thought provoking question.

    One of the first albums I became obsessed with was the Mamas and Papas greatest hits, I try and convince people because it was the best album my parents had but in truth it was the picture of Michelle Philips on the front cover, she is far from the most glamorously dressed on the cover with her long blonde hair blue eyes, blue sweatshirt and Levis. The archetypal west coast girl. As a teenager in Liverpool this was the height of exotic and I became a little obsessed with her as I am sure many a 13 year old did around the world.

    Yesterday as I was thinking about your post and my wife walked out of the bedroom in a blue sweatshirt, blue jeans and her long blonde hair I remembered that album cover and smiled. Maybe those obsessions we have as a teen really do have an impact and it has taken me 25 years to realize.

    Now my first record that is a whole other first love.

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    1. Neil, your album cover story made me smile and I’d have to agree that our early loves and obsessions have an impact whether or not we’re aware of them. You raise an interesing point too, about exoticism. What is right next door and, possibly, overlooked by some is the height of exoticism for others.

      Your first record first love — do tell! You’ve left us in suspense!

      Here are The Mamas and The Papas Greatest Hits complete with album cover for you:
      (P.S. I see what you mean!)

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  14. Danica – I appreciate how you included 8-track as a 1st format option. I can’t remember my first tape/cd/lp clearly, but I distinctly remember buying an Elvis 8-track within the past few years to test if an 8-track player still worked. Good news, it did! Hope all is well with you

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      1. Tech articles will be a valuable contribution and very interesting!

        I wonder how long it takes for belts to stretch like that? Which has a negative impact first, the usage that causes stretching or the neglect? Enquiring minds need to know, Boppin! 🙂

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        1. I hope to lure in the handful of people in the world that want to get their 8 track players in top shape.
          Perhaps for the 8 track resurgance.
          Yeah. That’s it.

          I suspect lack of use for a long time is the biggest issue. Rubber belts stretch or crumble. I would suspect a new belt would last 20 years or more if used constantly.

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    2. Which Elvis album? They’re pretty much all great choices. I’m glad to know the 8-track player still works! History is important, including technological history. It’s also wonderful to see mechanisms working well for decades.

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