Early Music Influences

When thinking about writing a blog, people always tell you to write about what interests you. Since music is one of my favorite subjects, I am going to start there. Now I should let it be known that I am not a stunning musician in my own right. I did play trumpet and tuba at one time, and I can carry a tune, but my greatest interest in music is that of simply being a fan of many different types of music.

Like most kids, my earliest influences in music consisted of what my parents owned in their collection. Yes, they owned an 8-track tape player and a record player, which will date me a bit :). On the 8-track circuit my father owned some Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, Donna Fargo, and a Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn collaboration. The only songs I really remember are "Behind Closed Doors," and "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" by Charlie Rich, "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" by Donna Fargo, and "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" by Twitty and Lynn.

The album side of the equation proved to be more interesting to me and my identical twin brother Brent. We would listen to The Supremes, Herman's Hermits, Johnny Cash, and The Beatles. We also listened to a Lester Flat and Earl Scruggs album, but it was exclusively to hear the theme to "The Beverly Hillbillies." Hey, this blog is going to show my warts and all. We usually listened exclusively to "I Walk the Line" for Johnny Cash, and I really don't remember what Supremes we listened to. I think "Where did our Love Go" was the most memorable.

However, we played the heck out of that Herman's Hermits and the "Meet the Beatles," and "Hard Days Night" albums. Herman's Hermits featured "Can't You Hear my Heartbeat," a version of "Silhouettes," "Heartbeat," and the most popular in our household was "Henry VIII." I remember my brother, sister, and cousins all enjoying that song. With the Beatles "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Hard Days Night" seem to be the most memorable tunes.

Soon we would be buying our first 45 singles. My first two purchases were "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'day and "Da Doo Run Run" by Shaun Cassidy. My brother chose "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" by John Denver and "Black Betty" by Ram Jam. We were young enough that I think we deserve some slack! I remember "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers being my first favorite song back in Kindergarten.

My sister would bring in lots of pop influences including the 45's of "Handy Man" by James Taylor, "You are the Woman" by Firefall, and 2 K-tel Albums. The K-tel Albums featured everything from Jay Ferguson's "Thunder Island" (A song I still love,) Andy Gibb's "Love is Thicker than Water," and Player's "Baby Come Back," now of Swiffer commercial fame. It was at this time period that my brother also bought "Spirits Having Flown" by the Bee Gees. "Tragedy" was our definite fave and we marveled at Barry Gibb's vocal range. "Too Much Heaven" was on that album as well.

I still have a fondness for this potpourri of Country music and pop that we grew up with. You will find some Charlie Rich, Player, Firefall, and other songs on my Ipod as a tribute to that time period. However, the next three albums that my brother would purchase would totally re-shape my musical ear. They wore makeup, and spat blood and fire... what was not to love?