My husband and I each have an extensive vinyl record collection. The variety of these records is a testament to our eclectic musical interests. He didn’t start buying vinyl records until he went to college c. 1970. He didn’t grow up in a music-listening home, and there wasn’t radio reception in his area, so he enjoyed music when and how he could find it.
I have my 45-rpm and 33 1/3 records from my childhood and on up through when I stopped buying vinyl…probably around 1980. I also have a stack of 50 or so 78 rpms. My favorite is Tex Ritter’s Blood on the Saddle. The lyrics and his dramatic presentation make me laugh.
My mom was ‘meh’ when it came to music, but my dad loved country music (classic country: the Marty Robbins, George Jones, Kitty Wells, etc. heyday). Our local radio station, KFTM-AM, was always on out in the shop/garage and in the barn when he wasn’t at work. I played my records in my room on a record player that looked a lot like this one below. I had a 45 rpm adapter that slid over the spindle, and I also had those yellow plastic adapters that you wedged in the 45 center hole to slip over the spindle. I’d stack several records (45 or 33 1/3) and life was good. 😉
My maternal grandmother had a cabinet style record player something like the picture below, but I only remember the radio being turned on occasionally. It never played records that I remember.
We don’t have a functioning record player – turn table – and we haven’t for years. With my husband’s retirement in two weeks, I suspect he will start tinkering with his turn table that has been dormant for at least 20 years. We’ll see.
Linda hosts Stream of Consciousness Saturday.
Until next time,
Kaye Spencer
Lasterday Stories
writing through history one romance upon a time
I wrote about vinyl too. I sometimes miss the experience because I do not have a record player anymore.
Your post reminded of those long ago days of records, CDs and cassettes. Now we listen on YouTube 🙂 Music is a very nice part of our lives.
I heartily agree that music is a very nice part of our lives. I often spend time on YouTube listening to/watching music videos from the MTV days of the 1980s. It’s comforting and soothing to me.