The Music Lover

When I was downstairs over the weekend, I noticed my container of 45 records, and I thought it might be fun to get them out and have a look. I brought them upstairs, pulled them out of their storage container (that yellow furry beast in the upper left), and spread some of them around all over the bed. Of course, Dexter (that gray and black and white furry beast in the upper right) had to check out my collection by sniffing every single one.

For those too young to remember, these are records, 45's to be specific, so called because that was the speed they were played at: 45 revolutions per minute (rpm). You placed one on a record machine, a mechanical device with a turntable that spun around, a needle sat on the grooves, and music played through the speakers. I know! Just like magic! Only if you got real excited and jumped around too much, the needle might jump and skip. So settle down, peeps!

I bought all of these 45's when I lived at home in the 70s and 80s. My recollection is they were about $1 apiece. Featured artists include Carly Simon, Billy Joel, Cheap Trick, the Charlie Daniels Band, Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton & Willie Nelson, Andy Gibb, Boz Scaggs, Shaun Cassidy, Abba, Little River Band, the Steve Miller Band, the Eagles, the Knack, Merle Haggard, Styx, Supertramp, and more. Do I know how to party, or what?

On this day, though, we weren't actually playing the records, as we only have one record player in the house and I'm not even sure it's set up to play right now. But I did take a little stroll down memory lane and enjoyed a bit of reminiscing. Dexter did too. (Of course.)

It's my custom to include a soundtrack song to go with my photos, and this one is ripe for soundtracking. So I'm including not just one, but TWO songs. First is the fun tune by Dead Or Alive, You Spin Me Round (Like a Record.) The second is a rock and roll winner: Old Time Rock 'n Roll. I'm including two versions: the first featuring Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen, and the second that famous dance clip from Risky Business.