Put another record on - why we are falling back in love with vinyl

Emma Brennan with her vinyl.

Readers and staff have this week been celebrating their great love of vinyl, which, like all the best things, is on its way back.

For Emma Brennan, our chief reporter for West Suffolk, splashing out on a U2 record is an event ingrained in her memory.

“That’s rubbish – I can’t see them doing very well” - that was the reaction I got from the man behind the counter at Andy’s Records, when he listened to one of the very first singles I ever bought in the early 1980s.

“The record was 11 O’clock Tick Tock, the first single by the recently formed U2. No-one in Bury had heard of them so it had to be ordered in especially from Kick Records in Ireland. Some 35 years on, U2 have one of the most enduring careers in the music industry and Bono is a billionaire so I really wish I could go back and tell Mr Andy’s Records how wrong he was! “Still, I can’t complain because I still have said single and it has gained nicely in value over the years, with some copies changing hands for three figure sums.

Queen pictured in the mid-70s at the height of their glam-rock phase, the time when they released their hit single Killer Queen.

“As it happened, I proved to have quite a talent for spotting cult bands. I bought and still have all The Smiths singles, including the limited edition of their first ever effort, Hand in Glove.

“Some have been very good investments, although I’d struggle to part with them. My record collection, which was small but select, is such an important symbol of my early teenage years – when I had sticky up hair, wore pointy toed boots covered with buckles and made my clothes out of tie-dyed curtains. I spent most of the small amount of money I had on records and was a vinyl marketing man’s dream, buying into all the ruses they employed to get you to buy more than one copy of every song. There were 7”, 12” extended mix, gatefold sleeve and picture disc versions and sometimes ones with a free ‘limited edition’ poster – I had to have them all to be a proper fan.

“Eventually, after tiring of queuing to use my parents’ record player in between my sister’s Thin Lizzy and my mum’s Petula Clark, I managed to plague them into buying me my own record player for my birthday.

“They got it second hand from the ‘under a fiver’ section of the paper – a move my father later came to regret as I played my handful of records over and over again.

“Morrissey from the Smiths wailing ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’ once is quite enough without having it on continuous loop,” he would say. Another record, ‘Reward’ by the Teardrop Explodes, would quite literally send him out into the vegetable garden for a ‘break’.

“I was working in local radio by the time CDs came in and were heralded as ‘crystal clear’ and virtually unbreakable. But it never felt the same. And now you can just download songs to your phone, it’s even worse. It’s all very convenient but it just doesn’t feel like you’re getting the whole musical experience. The only downside I recall with vinyl was remembering not to stack them near a radiator and trying not to scratch them, which made the needle ‘jump’ or even worse, get stuck!

“But I can still remember the excitement of a new record – the cover pictures, the pristine shiny disc and if we wanted a laugh, putting them on 45 speed to make them sound like Smurfs. “There was just something magical about vinyl. Even in our modern world, I totally understand the allure.”

Alex Spencer, media and communications officer, West Suffolk College, said: “My first record was Summer Nights from Grease (it was bought for me when I was about five) but the first record I ever bought myself was Wild Boys by Duran Duran.

“I was disappointed as all the special covers with John Taylor on had sold out and I had to buy the one with Andy Taylor, who was just not as handsome.

“Sadly, I lost half my record collection when I split up with a boyfriend many years ago. He got my copy of Ruby Trax, a special album of cover versions published by NME. I especially liked Suede’s Brass in Pocket. Sigh.”

Terry Hunt, EADT editor-in-chief, added: “The first single I bought was John, I’m Only Dancing by David Bowie, in 1972. For me, it was the best thing since sliced bread. I played it to death on my dad’s Dansette record player.

“The first album I bought was Mott, by Mott the Hoople. It contained the classic hit singles All the Way from Memphis and Honaloochie Boogie.

“At that time, albums cost £1.90, and I recall my parents being gobsmacked when I wanted to pay the princely sum of £4.30 for the Who’s Quadrophenia later in 1973.

I had to explain that this was a bargain for a double concept album, complete with picture-led story book!

“I still have those two albums and about 150 others, and they still get regular plays – but only when Mrs Hunt is out of earshot!’’

David Henley became the principal of Easton and Otley College in April 2015. The keen music festival goer - who went to Glastonbury and Latitude this year – says: “My first vinyl record was Red Light Spells Danger by Billy Ocean.

“It really appealed to me as a 15 -16 year old youth and the song really gets me going even now.

“In fact, I finally achieved my ambition of seeing Billy play this song live when I attended the music festival, Reload, the other weekend. He just seems to get better with age and he is still a great performer.”

“I was very very young so can’t remember very well but I think my first record was a CD album,” says Danny Hewitt, 24, from Elmswell.

“Gold: Greatest Hits – Steps (2001) Soooo embarrassing! Seriously, I don’t know why but I was young!”

Richard Turner, by email, from Boxted airfield, said: “The first record I ever bought was Marvin Gaye, “I heard it through the grapevine”.

“I was in my teens with a record player in my bedroom. I was hooked on music from that day on. Aged 16, in 1968, I started running my own mobile disco in the Ipswich area which developed into the “Purple Haze Roadshow” which continued until 1994.

“During the 1990s, I ran a mobile disco business. My record collection grew into 3000 vinyl records.

“I have lots of amusing stories from that time but I thoroughly enjoyed the music and providing entertainment for important times in people’s lives.”

PR consultant John Nice, of Whepstead, said: “My first record was 007 by Musical Youth. It was released in 1983 so I must have been about ten.

“I remember seeing them on one of those Saturday morning kids TV programmes and just loved the song straight away.

“I subsequently realised in later life that it was originally a hit for Desmond Dekker.

“After that I was a frequent buyer of vinyl. I used to go down to London and trawl around record shops to buy a mixture of current classics and vintage vinyl. Probably the best record I have in my collection is the seven inch single of This Charming Man by The Smiths. It was originally deleted early in the print run so it’s quite rare I believe.”

Photographer Su Anderson said: “I have memories of flipping through my parents’ dubious record collection - does anyone actually know who Leif Garrett is?

“The first record I was given, a Jackson Five seven-inch, came with a strawberry shaped record player to appease my Strawberry Shortcake obsession. Hey, it was the 80s!

“The first record I spent my hard earned allowance money on was “Nevermind the B******s, Here’s The Sex Pistols”, the pivotal punk album that hurled me face first into the early 90s punk scene.

“I bought it from Confusion Records on Confusion Corner, one of Florida’s first double roundabouts. I still know every word off the album that sent a goody-goody girl to the barber to have her head shaved.”

Andrew Clarke, arts editor, said: “It was the cool, finger snapping intro, followed by the rhythmic piano notes that first caught my attention.

“It still stops me in my tracks and then it was followed by the most incomprehensible lyrics imaginable but somehow it lodged itself in my brain. “She keeps her Moet et Chandon

In her pretty cabinet

‘Let them eat cake’ she says

Just like Marie Antoinette

A built-in remedy

For Kruschev and Kennedy

At anytime an invitation

You can’t decline

Caviar and cigarettes

Well versed in etiquette

Extraordinarily nice

She’s a Killer Queen...

“The beguiling Killer Queen by Queen was the first record I bought with my own money.

“It came from a small record shop opposite the old Cattle Market bus station in Ipswich, which used to stock ex-jukebox singles – I can’t remember the name of it – but I remember having to buy replacement centres so I could play this single at home.

“At the age of 10 I didn’t really know who or what Queen were.

“I had no idea the lead singer was called Freddie Mercury or that Brian May was the lead guitarist but lost myself in this wonderfully surreal song.

“References to the French Revolution and the Cold War would have flown high above my head but I loved the grandiose style and hypnotic nature of the song.

“I still love Queen and was lucky enough to see them live at Wembley in 1986. I went wild when they played In The Lap of the Gods, an obscure album track off the Sheer Heart Attack album which funnily enough also contained Killer Queen.

“But, way back in 1974, I’m not sure I knew that they were the same band who recorded the riff-driven Now I’m Here, their follow up to Killer Queen, which I remember taping off the Radio One chart show and playing to death.

“Queen are, like the Beatles or the Roling Stones, a band that defines British music.

“They survived punk, early 80s electro-pop, even the rise of dance music to become a genuine national treasure – a musical instituion that defies age and the generation gap.”

John Shallows emailed to say: “My first vinyl record was also my first album, although I seem to remember we called them LP’s

“It was also the first Shadows LP, aptly named ‘The Shadows’. I still have it today and my old Music Centre as well in the garage.

“It is on a shelf at the end of the bench and I have a stack of LP’s I still play when working out there.

“I just enjoy music whatever I’m doing. Strange as it may seem, I cannot cope with ear plugs.”

Bildeston’s Lysiane Halls said: “I had never been to the London Palladium. It was 1953 and I put my savings together not knowing who was appearing. I had no ticket, got there, all tickets sold out, big new American star, sensational new style of singing, so rock and roll was born! I was prepared to go home when the stage door manager approached me and told me sometimes tickets are returned so wait a while. He was soon back and said ‘follow me.’ He took me to a box and told me to enjoy the show! Artists came and went then second half, waiting for the curtains to open, I could see this tall, fair very handsome young man waiting to walk on. He was simply terrific! Great, different, a new star was born. I couldn’t wait to buy his record so it was the start of buying records - thanks to Johnnie Ray! I got asked back stage (so warm, charming!). I had made a new friend for life. I never missed the new records and Johnnie used to send me photographs regularly right up until he passed away. So it was so special to me - I say vinyl forever!”

“My first record was Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics,” says Tracey Macdonald. “My brother Kevin bought it for my birthday.

“I used to buy loads of records when I was younger. I was really in to Bros and New Kids on the Block.

“I saw New Kids twice. They played at Wembley Arena. Jordan Knight was my favourite. I used to have all of their pictures on my wall, courtesy of Smash Hits.

“I wouldn’t go and see them again now (New Kids recently reformed), but I still like pop music. I recently went to see Blue at the Regent in Ipswich. They were excellent.”

Dave Vincent still has a large vinyl collection. He said: “From soul to Queen and R & B to rock, even pop. But the album I miss most is Steve Wonder’s Innervisions, from 1972-73.

“I knew all the songs, and what was coming up next before the first notes played. I had it on a cassette tape and took it everywhere, playing it on my portable player.

“Eventually, the tape snapped. That always happened to cassettes eventually. By the time I thought of replacing it Stevie had other hit albums including Songs In the Key Of Life, which I bought on vinyl.

“I never did get Innervisions again. Perhaps I can find it on CD?”

Remember Agadoo? Chris Abbott, of Ipswich, does. “Embarrassingly the first 7 inch single I bought was “Agadoo” by “Black Lace” back in 1984 when I was a mere 8 years old,” he said.

“Pretty much the whole estate of kids where I grew up would line up to dance to it blasted over my much loved record player. The most cherished however would be the semi transulcent limited edition blue and yellow double LP “Bizarre Ride II” by “The Pharcyde” in the early 90’s. Neither of which fit in my Ipod dock so gather dust in the loft!”

“Unfortunately I have none of the vinyl records from my youth – they were victims of one of my mum’s clearing out purges from years ago.

Ross Bentley, who is still 15 at heart, said: “Early seven-inch purchases from Woolworths in Halstead included Gary Glitter’s ‘Do you wanna be in my gang’ – no thanks Gary, and Sugar Minott’s ‘Good thing going’ which still sounds great today.

“Albums I remember poring over, studying the pictures and learning the lyrics by heart, include ABC’s ‘Lexicon of Love’ and the first Smiths’ album. I also loved the gatefold Complete Madness – you opened it up to find a big double spread image of the Madness boys in ‘One Step Beyond’ mode.

“Fortunately, my young sons have learnt about vinyl records because my dad has a jukebox at his house. They love to push a button, see the record selected and placed on the turntable, and the stylus arm come across. A crackly Del Shannon singing ‘Runaway’ gets us all moving.”

Richard Crisp of Hadleigh, said: “The first vinyl I ever bought was Zambesi, recorded in 1956. I played it continuously while teaching myself jive dance moves in the mirror of my bedroom.

“This then gave me the confidence to ask girls to jive with me at the local youth club. Since then I have entered many rock and roll competitions and learnt many forms of dance. My granddaughter followed in my footsteps, becoming national under 14s dance champion at Blackpool. I also remember my father, long since gone, buying his first vinyl after condemning a lot of my purchases. It was Fanlight Fanny by Clinton Ford in 1962.”

My first vinyl was T Rex, Electric Warrior,” said Jayne Lindill, editor, Suffolk magazine. “And the album I wish I’d never lost is probably Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. I’ve got it on CD, but one of the brilliant things about vinyl was the covers. So much work went into the design and by the time DSOTM came along you got posters and all sorts included in them. Not the same with downloads – nothing to put on your teenage bedroom wall!”

Will Rodwell, 33, said: “My vinyl collecting started with a box load of 70s and 80s records my Dad had in the garage and was about to throw away.

“I rescued them and gave them a new lease of life. I think the first record I actually paid hard cash for was a 12” EP by a London Jazz / Hip Hop group, The Herbaliser entitled Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks way back in 1998. I still buy vinyl to this day.”

Karen Byrnand, from Hemingstone, said: “My first record was Boogie Wonderland by Earth Wind and Fire. I’ve always liked Motown music and I guess that’s why I loved this song so much.

I also remember watching the Bay City Rollers at the Ipswich Regent. I went along wearing all the tartan.

“I also saw Hot Chocolate at the Regent. I managed to get to go back stage where I met Errol Brown. I still buy music but I tend to download it now. The last band I saw were Dire Straits at Portman Road back in 1992, although I did go to Easton Farm Park to the Maverick Festival.

“I still like music but tend to go the theatre more these days.”

What was your first record? Tell us using the comments section below.