Friday 13 April 2012

Do you remember your first?

A commonly asked question in many music artist interviews is. 


What was the first Single you bought? 


I'm sure that many make up an answer to look cool and suave as truthfully they do not remember exactly what it was. It is as if that one moment in life is something that defines you as a person or effects your taste in music. 


I whole heartedly believe it does not. 


I cannot remember mine.
I do not recall saving for days to buy it or what the cover looked like.  I remember as a child owning a small box of many 5inch single records and playing them on a small red record player that I adored.
I remember lusting after Kylie and Jason at the age of 5 but at the same time I had posters of New Kids on the Block and Michael Jackson on my wall. 


The first song that i fell in love with according to my Mum was Aha's "Take on Me" Released in November 1985 when I was 2 years old. I loved it. (Still do) I was a toddler so i did not purchase this single myself. Does that Count?


There are many singles I bought in my childhood and Teen years that I still love. I do remember scamming my dinner money (Sorry Mum) each day in order to buy my new favourite at the weekend. But which was my first? 


I grew up in the 90s when boy band central had a hold on the music industry. I had floor to ceiling posters of Take That and bordering on obsession kept the diet coke bottle that i drank from with a note saying 'I drank this while watching Mark Owen'. It was my first live concert and I was 9 and I am in no way ashamed to admit it. As it was my first taste of live music it think I wanted to preserve it for as long as possible. So with the benefit of hindsight I believe it was more than likely the first single I bought by myself with my own money was more than likely a Take That single and it most definitely was on cassette tape. Now that the band have had a comeback 20 years later. I wonder if it is in the loft and if it is worth any money?


As I said this first single purchase does not define me. It did not mean that I was destined to forever more like only boy bands. We grow up, we change As do the bands and artists we love. It all becomes memories we hold on to. They are only immortal in the music that is left. We can still listen to them as our own guilty pleasures. Which leaves us revelling in those times spent with friends of - Do you remember this band?, this song?, this one hit wonder that still gets played at parties. Which inevitably results in an onslaught of YouTube videos being played trying to out band each other. Or as I do when hearing a blast form the past, Shout TUNE! at the top of my voice.