When I were a lad, eee by gum, I were right into music.
By the time I was fifteen I’d already absorbed rock ‘n’ roll, blues, folk and was really into the beat bands of the day. These were heady days. Every week seemed to bring forth another brilliant group. My whole world was music. I’d save all my money for singles and LPs. My dansette (record player) was on the go continuously.
Apart from my obsession with Elmore James, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard there were the first singles of the Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Smallfaces, Who, Prettythings, Yardbirds, Animals, Manfred Mann, Spencer Davies, Them and Nashville Teens to purchase.
The weekend always started with Ready Steady Go and there always seemed to be a new fabulous band bringing out a new sound. Fabulous and exciting.
But I wasn’t content with all of those. I was constantly searching for the more obscure bands who were equally as good – The Downliners Sect, The Others, the Undertakers, the Measles, Bo Street Runners, Cryin’ Shames, Birds.
Then there were the fabulous black R&B artists who were doing the originals. The Chicago blues from the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James and Jimmy Reed.
The folk of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Dylan and Donovan.
The R&B of Arthur Alexander, the Contours, Isleys, Rufus Thomas, Big Mama Thornton, Irma Thomas, Ray Charles, James Brown, Crystals, Ronettes, Inez and Charlie Foxx, Rosco Gordon, Miracles, Four Tops, Drifters, Cookies, Hank Ballad and Willie John
There wasn’t enough time in the day or enough money to buy iy all. I scrounged, did odd jobs, sold things, swapped, hunted and gathered quite a collection!