My first record was from when I was about 3 or 4 years old and I was living in an apartment in Brooklyn with my grandparents. While I was there I had my own little record player that played 45’s. I cannot remember how many records I had or what most of them were but I do remember I had “High Hopes”. I loved that song… and how can you not? “Oops... there goes another rubber tree plant.”
When I got a little older I can remember my first trip to the record store with my father. It was the first time we bought records that I liked. I wound up with Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Madonna’s Like A Virgin album. I’m not even sure that those albums were mine specifically because my dad liked them and listen to them a lot too. But, I was Beat-ing It with the Material Girl all around our living room.
I also got exposed to a lot of oldies as a kid. My father was a big music fan and used to play oldies on the road trips we took from New York to Florida to visit our family. I should say we would listen to oldies when we weren’t listening to Sesame Street music to keep my younger brothers and sister quiet for the long ride. On those rides we had maybe two or three tapes to listen to over and over again all the way down to Florida, and then again all the way back to New York. I’m probably one of the only people in the world who can still say the whole alphabet as one long whole word because there used to be a Big Bird Song about it and I to this day have it memorized.
But, whether it was Sesame Street or the oldies, we would listen to these songs over and over again and in my head I would see the characters singing and acting out the songs. I would see the Sesame Street characters singing C is for Cookie. Songs like the Carpenters One Fine Day still brings back memories of what I can only describe now as the video I had created for it in my head, of me singing it to a boy from my neighborhood I used to think was so cute. I would have all of these images and plays going on in my head and it kept me busy on those long boring road trips.
In summer camp, I would bring my Grease, Grease 2, Annie and any other soundtrack I had with me. My friends and I would put on silly productions of all of these musicals for the counselors every Friday. I was always in charge of bringing in the music, handing out the parts, running rehearsals and running around camp to find whatever props we could use to make the show more interesting. I can remember Grease 2’s Were Gonna Score Tonight having a massive amount of basketballs on stage with us, and we just kept rolling them across the stage until by the end of the song there were just basketballs bouncing around everywhere. I proudly received the award for most musical camper that summer.
Later on came the creation of MTV, all music television all of the time. (Does anyone else remember those days?) I was first introduced to MTV when Motley Crue’s video Home Sweet Home was the hottest power ballad on the station. It was like a dream come true to a music lover. Now, I didn’t just have to look at my Circus magazine to see my favorite artists, I had them right there in my living room, rocking out on stage in living color. I was on my way to my love of hairbands and rock and roll.
You know I'm a dreamer
But my heart's of gold
I had to run away high
So, I wouldn't come home low.
Just when things went right
Doesn't mean they're always wrong
Just take this song and you'll never feel
Left all alone.
Take me to your heart
Feel me in your bones
Just one more night
And I'm coming off this
Long and winding road.
I'm on my way, I'm on my way
Home sweet home, tonight tonight
I'm on my way, I'm on my way
Home sweet home.
- Motley Crue
23 days and counting!