Probably over the course of about 35 years, the one Artist/Singer I have brought more Music than any other, is my Favorite and in my opinion the Greatest Soul Singer of all time.........AL GREEN
The first Album I purchased was "Greatest Hits" back in 1975, by this time AG had already been releasing Albums for 8 years, This was his 11th Album release, I believe! see Album covers and links below.
After I purchased that first Album, I had to go and buy all previous releases, but as I said previously I lived in a fairly small Town, so getting hold of older Records was quite hard to do, luckily I had a Friend who worked in Wolsey and Woolsey Record shop in Town , so I used to order from him, I also by now was buying the Soul Music Magazine "Blues and Soul" so Mail Order from there as well!
I had soon brought all of the albums, which most of them, still have in my loft and obviously now I have most of them again on CD's!
See a selection of my Favorite Tracks from the Albums, at the end of this post!
By now around late 1977, I was back at College, doing the second two year part of my Catering Course, things were going well at my new Job, I still had my Car and me and Susan were still seeing each other!
We had, had a Great Summer, as I said Susan worked in her Father's Shop, during the Summer Season, I used to go in there all the time and sometimes help out! but that Work had now finished and the Winter months were now upon us, I remember we used to Baby Sit for several of Susan's Brother's and Sister's on a weekly basis, to think now all them Kids we babysat for are now, are in their middle to late 30's!
That Christmas was my First with Susan Really, although I knew her the Year before, this was our first together! Being single I can remember us buying each other loads of Presents, one item in particulary I remember buying Susan was a red and multi striped coloured Robe, I think it was for Bedtime!
But all the Excitement of Christmas was not going to prepare me for what Susan told me while we were sitting at the back of her Mother's Front room, I think it was Christmas Day when she told me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I'M PREGNANT"
What a SHOCK this was, I was just 19 and Susan was 18, this obviously this was going to change our lives forever! I cant honestly remember how this News affected that Christmas,
We were both in Shock!
How the HELL would we cope, we were Still Teenager's ourselves, I know nowadays it seems to be the Norm to have Kids Young, but back then it was unusual to have Kids at that Age!
6 more Great Albums from '77, all of which I purchased on Vinyl, some of which I have since sold and some are for sale on my Website.
I had 2 periods where I sold some of my Vinyl and Tapes (including Albums, 12" and 7" singles), I also sold quite a few Music Magazines including Blues and Soul Mags, The Street Mags and Black Echoes Papers, the first time was around 1990 and the Second Period was about 3 years ago on Ebay, I had a Shop on Ebay, but after paying them too much money, decided to get myself a Website, which is going well!
The reasons why I decided to sell my Record Collection were, in the early '90's we were going to try and get a Mortgage to buy a House, so all monies would come in handy, I can remember thinking about Selling for ages, before finally saying "YES" and for the last couple of Years, I now have plenty of Soul Music on CD, mp3 and of course the PC. So I thought others could benefit from all the Great Music I have Purchased!
I also think CD's are Superior to Vinyl, but there are plenty of People who think VINYL is the BEST!
I have sold my Music All around the World including all of Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and Japan.
I think at one time including all Vinyl Formats and Tapes I had about 3000 items, the first selling period, everything I sold I put on Tape first, and this time I have most of them burned to CD.
But of course I still buy CD's most of the time! you get some Great bargains online! and not to mention mp3 Downloads!
As I said in earlier Post, things were going to change this Year! Susan was working in her Father's Shop during the Holiday Season, but by around August time Susan and her Family moved House, to an area about 5 miles away from our Town, I still had my Car so that was no problem!
While working as a Trainee Chef, by now it was for nearly 3 Years, I was going to Catering College on Day Release from Work, I had about 4 Months earlier Passed my First 2 Years Exams and was thinking of Changing Hotels before College resumed in the coming September!
So I was having several Interviews at Hotels in our Town and the next Town, about 5 miles away! I ended up going to the Biggest Hotel in our Town, it was on the opposite end of the Seafront where I had been working, and were my previous employers biggest rivals!
As it turned out my new Hotel wasn't a patch on my previous Hotel, but the work was easier, and the Money was better! and what I was about to find out in about 3 Months time, I would need all the money I could get!
See Pictures at top of both Hotels!
Around Summertime of 1977, I was still working as a Chef in the same Hotel, but by now I was by now seeing Susan all the time, I will always remember sitting in her bedroom with her listening to The Isley Brothers "Go for your guns" album, we both had the Vinyl Album! our Favorite Track was "Footsteps in the dark" GREAT TRACK!
By mid "77 most of the Music I brought was Soul, apart a few Funk Albums i.e
BRASS CONSTRUCTION, BROTHERS JOHNSON, BOOTSY, BOHANNON, FATBACK.
I recall one day going to Airfield Tapes to buy an Album, and one stood out from the rest, it was the Front Cover that caught my eye, they were called "SLAVE" I had never heard of them!
anyway there was 9 Band Members pictured on the back Cover, so I brought the Album!
What a GREAT ALBUM it was, I recorded it to Cassette Tape for the Car, and listened to it for Months, I still have the Vinyl Album to this day, but of course I now have the CD version!
The GREAT TRACKS on the Album were "SLIDE" "PARTY HARDY" "SCREW YOUR WIG ON TITE" and my Favorite "YOU AND ME"
This Album was nothing like I had ever heard before, it was what I had been listening to up until then, ie Soul Music but it had something else, what you would describe as Rock Music, please listen to the Album Tracks on the Walkman at the bottom of this post! and to this day I still regularly play "SLAVE"
