When you were growing up where did you come across your fave stuff for the first time?

[ahpook]

The Grattan's Catalogue

 

[Mykesbass]

As much as it sounds hard to believe nowadays, Capital Radio. Nicky Horn with Your Mother Wouldn't Like it, Alexis Korner, Adrian Love, Roger Scott, Dave Cash - all big music lovers who would champion their favourite artists. 

[Old Man Riva]

10 minutes ago, ahpook said:

The Grattan's Catalogue

 

Grattan’s was seen as the posh one on our estate! We had Trafford (known as the ‘club book’, for some reason)…

 

 

 

[Old Man Riva]

Early 70s ToTP was the gateway to the world of music for me. It was life changing.

 

I was drawn to the singles that had a rockier sound, and in 1972 alone the following appeared on ToTP with singles that I liked: Slade, The Faces, T Rex, Argent, Colin Blunstone, Badfinger, Jo Jo Gunne, Ringo Starr, Rolling Stones, The Move, Hawkwind, Alice Cooper, Electric Light Orchestra, The Who, Blackfoot Sue, Mott the Hoople, Roxy Music, Family, Python Lee Jackson, The Osmonds, Wizzard, and of course Bowie.

That was just in one year!

 

After that it was recommendations from mates, their siblings and the like.

 

I also had an uncle who later in the decade opened me up to the likes of Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and Weather Report.

 

But as a starting point to everything it was ToTP… 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Old Man Riva

[SteveXFR]

After getting started on Hendrix and The Who through my dad's record collection in the 80s my best mate Stu started stealing his brothers cassettes which included Faith No More, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Slayer and Metallica so we copied all of them and pretty much wore out The Real Thing and Ride The Lightning. 

After that it was Headbangers Ball and Raw Power which introduced me to grunge and a lot of alt metal including Helmet, Tool and Therapy?

[diskwave]

Blimey, interesting thread. First exposure had to be Radio 1 in about 72, then about the same time running to a friends house at school lunchtime to play his dads brand new Dark Side of the Moon album...( he would have killed us if he'd known!) later still Luxemburg, from then on I was obsessed with music, instruments and bands. Still am at... 63!

[Man.about.Tyne]

11 hours ago, Old Man Riva said:

Early 70s ToTP was the gateway to the world of music for me. It was life changing.

 

I was drawn to the singles that had a rockier sound, and in 1972 alone the following appeared on ToTP with singles that I liked: Slade, The Faces, T Rex, Argent, Colin Blunstone, Badfinger, Jo Jo Gunne, Ringo Starr, Rolling Stones, The Move, Hawkwind, Alice Cooper, Electric Light Orchestra, The Who, Blackfoot Sue, Mott the Hoople, Roxy Music, Family, Python Lee Jackson, The Osmonds, Wizzard, and of course Bowie.

 

Well that saved me a lot of typing…. You missed out Lindisfarne (or maybe that’s just us up here on the Geordie Riviera)

[Paul S]

11 hours ago, Old Man Riva said:

Early 70s ToTP was the gateway to the world of music for me. It was life changing.

 

I was drawn to the singles that had a rockier sound, and in 1972 alone the following appeared on ToTP with singles that I liked: Slade, The Faces, T Rex, Argent, Colin Blunstone, Badfinger, Jo Jo Gunne, Ringo Starr, Rolling Stones, The Move, Hawkwind, Alice Cooper, Electric Light Orchestra, The Who, Blackfoot Sue, Mott the Hoople, Roxy Music, Family, Python Lee Jackson, The Osmonds, Wizzard, and of course Bowie.

That was just in one year!

 

After that it was recommendations from mates, their siblings and the like.

 

I also had an uncle who later in the decade opened me up to the likes of Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and Weather Report.

 

But as a starting point to everything it was ToTP… 

 

 

Yup.  Couple from 1970 - Deep Purple with Black Knight and black Sabbath with paranoid.  But, yes, also OGWT.  Pirate radio stations.  My mate Clive who used to borrow his older brother's records.  My mate Bill who just seemed to have bought whatever was cool before anyone else.

[Old Man Riva]

1 hour ago, Man.about.Tyne said:

Well that saved me a lot of typing…. You missed out Lindisfarne (or maybe that’s just us up here on the Geordie Riviera)

There were other tracks that were of interest, definitely; Lady Eleanor being one of them (I think there may have been a film of them rather than in the studio?).

 

I also missed out Mouldy Old Dough by Coventry’s finest, Lieutenant Pigeon, and also a particular favourite of mine at the time, The Young New Mexican Puppeteer by Tom Jones - a song that, for many years after its release, I could recite the words to!

[Old Man Riva]

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

 

Yup.  Couple from 1970 - Deep Purple with Black Knight and black Sabbath with paranoid.  But, yes, also OGWT.  Pirate radio stations.  My mate Clive who used to borrow his older brother's records.  My mate Bill who just seemed to have bought whatever was cool before anyone else.

I missed out on OGWT due to it being “way past your bedtime”!

 

(”But mum, I’m 27” etc.) 

[Man.about.Tyne]

14 minutes ago, Old Man Riva said:

 

I also missed out Mouldy Old Dough by Coventry’s finest, Lieutenant Pigeon, and also a particular favourite of mine at the time, The Young New Mexican Puppeteer by Tom Jones - a song that, for many years after its release, I could recite the words to!

Shh! Not in public!

 

Even at that tender age, I thought what on earth is Tom doing singing that!

[ahpook]

13 hours ago, Old Man Riva said:

Grattan’s was seen as the posh one on our estate! We had Trafford (known as the ‘club book’, for some reason)…

 

 

As long as the, um......'content' was up to scratch

 

[Old Man Riva]

11 minutes ago, Man.about.Tyne said:

Shh! Not in public!

 

Even at that tender age, I thought what on earth is Tom doing singing that!

I’ll not hear a bad word against Tom and that track!

 

Granted, Tim Hardin arguably wrote a better song about wood crafting with If I Were  A Carpenter, Marvin Gaye (What’s Going On) with social injustice and the need for change, and Cabaret is right up there with songs about performance art, but what about a song that combines all three?!

 

There are none, I hear you say. Well, my friend, that’s where you’re wrong.

 

Enter Tom…

 

 

 

 

[SumOne]

Partly radio - John Peel and various Radio 1 shows like One in the Jungle and Essential Mix.

 

And record shops with listening decks , places like Blackmarket records took a lot of my time and money!

 

 

[ubit]

How could I forget the Friday Rock Show with Timmy Vance? I used to go to sleep listening to it but would tape it and listen back. Great times and he introduced me to so many bands.

Edited April 26, 2022 by ubit

[Barking Spiders]

Other than John Peel, back in the 80s the Liverpool/Merseyside indie/new wave/post punk music scene was buzzing so there was always the grapevine viz who was worth checking out. Frankie GTH, Echo ATB, Teardrop Explodes, Icicle Works, China Crisis, The Christians, OMD, Half Man Half Biscuit, Wah, Lotus Eaters, The Room, Dead or Alive, It's Immaterial, the La's, FoS.... Then there was Probe Records which was always up to speed with what was new and interesting. Great time and place to be a teen.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Barking Spiders

[Rich]

Mainly TV and radio, like all the other old(er) gits here.

Top of the Pops, August 1979... up until then, there hadn't been anything musically that really moved me, but suddenly there was this https://youtu.be/qU7pIVt29Bw?t=1495 and my world changed.

After that I started opening my ears. While my mates would be listening to Thomas the Vance and his Friday Rock Show, I was tuning into Capital for David Rodigan's 'Roots Rockers'. 

 

[Woodinblack]

48 minutes ago, ubit said:

How could I forget the Friday Rock Show with Timmy Vance? I used to go to sleep listening to it but would tape it and listen back. Great times and he introduced me to so many bands.

 

Tommy Vance.

 

Some here from the 80s, I am sure I have seen the others somewhere

 

https://www.mixcloud.com/TheFridayRockShow/

[Cliff Edge]

Melody Maker ( I didn’t bother with the other comics) Radio Luxembourg and pirate radio. I would note the British pop stuff I liked, much of which was covers of US blues and early pop. Then I’d go down to South Harrow market where there was an excellent second hand record stall and buy the originals. I had a load of imported 45’s with big holes in the middle. 

[Barking Spiders]

As an aside if trying to find new stuff to listen to, do you check out vids of unfamiliar bands etc on the 'What are you listening to right now?' thread. Or do you skip over those that don't look like they might be your bag and just look at those that might? I've come across a few I'd never heard of before and checked more of their stuff and even bought the odd CD.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Barking Spiders

[knirirr]

Jazz mags. That is, the ones which contain actual jazz.
I recall one which had an excellent Blue Note sampler tape with, IIRC, these on:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv9NSR-2DwM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2KvM2T40RQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIBNV_RYQx0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuMd8ldLqxo

 

Compilation tapes from music shops were often worth a try as well. I got some useful leads from this tape:

 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/545217098612161071/

 

 

[Nail Soup]

19 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

As an aside if trying to find new stuff to listen to, do you check out vids of unfamiliar bands etc on the 'What are you listening to right now?' thread. Or do you skip over those that don't look like they might be your bag and just look at those that might? I've come across a few I'd never heard of before and checked more of their stuff and even bought the odd CD.

I listen to most of the stuff on the 'What are you listening to right now?'... I can't say everything though, there is a little bit of pre-screening. Discovered some very good stuff there which I didn't know before, and yes bought the odd CD or download.

I'm always o the lookout for new suggestions. As much as (if not more than) ever.

[Dr.Dave]

TOTP. I wasn't that interested. Loads of pretty people making bland sounding noises. I watched it so I could join in conversations at school but I preferred my Dad's Black and White Minstrel LPs. 

 

One day in 1972 - I was 10 - on come 4 ugly blokes dressed up as circus clowns making a big guitar noise. Huge rough voice. Tune I could remember etc. Having a ball , they were. I wanted a piece of that , pure and simple.

 

I'm sure most of you don't need telling who I'd seen !

[BigRedX]

I first discovered "pop music" through daytime Radio 1, and then Top Of The Pops in the early 70s.

 

After that is was by recommendations from friends at school although most of it was Prog which I didn't really like.

 

Once punk and post punk came along I was religiously listening to John Peel.

[Woodinblack]

51 minutes ago, Dr.Dave said:

One day in 1972 - I was 10 - on come 4 ugly blokes dressed up as circus clowns making a big guitar noise. Huge rough voice. Tune I could remember etc. Having a ball , they were. I wanted a piece of that , pure and simple.

 

I'm sure most of you don't need telling who I'd seen !

 

I thought send in the clowns by Glynis Johns was in 1975?

Otherwise, no clue - Slade / Wizzard / Gary Glitter?