What song first turned you on to music? For me it was "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" by Middle of the Road, blasting out of a shop into the street in 1973. I was either 9 or 10 years old.

"A Hard Day's Night". That strange diminished 7th flat sharp chord (or whatever you call it ) that opens the song. Hooked for life.

I don't recall which song it was, but the band that got me into music as much as I am was Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. My dad brought home our first stereo when I was 8 or 9 and bought a few 8-tracks at the same time. That TJB tape really mesmerized me. To date, I still love the sound of horns and latin percussion.

It was a mixture of the first two Beatles albums and the Alvin & The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles album.

I wore those records out.

I can't remember a particular song, but I was 7 years old and was taken to a KISS concert (1977, full makeup days). Became a fan for a while, but it was probably the spectacle more than any love of the music. I didn't really get into music until I was older, about 13, when The Police drew me in with Synchronicity.

I had a little yellow record of "You Are My Sunshine" that I played over and over until my parents begged me to play something else.

My Dad wouldn't let me have Beatles records at first, but my best friend's older sister was a full-fledged Beatlemaniac. Douglas and I used to listen to her Beatles albums at his house. The one song from Meet the Beatles that converted me for life was "Hold Me Tight."

I honestly can't remember a time I didn't like music. My mother always told me that the first thing I ever asked for was a record player. I remember "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley making a big impression on me. One of my older sisters had it on both a 45 and a 78! I wonder how much that would be worth now?

I was always a fan, but I think my turning point was around 6th grade or so, when I checked a book out of the library about the Beatles (There Are Places I'll Remember: The Beatles' England - http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detai ... 38-2566501) which got me to re-listen to my folks' Beatles records. For the next couple of years, I listened to nothing but '60s music, but I caught up with modern stuff in high school, with a special appreciation for the various all-caps bands, REM, XTC, BAD, INXS...

"beep beep" by the playmates.

i knew all the words at quite the young age and my mother would make me sing along with the record for all of my relatives at grandma's on sundays.

renny

I have no idea which song first hooked me. I'm told that when I was a little kid, I used to stare at the record spinning on the turntable for hours! As a very little kid, I specifically remember a Chad Mitchell Trio album I used to sing along with, & a 1946 Ellington Ep my dad had.

First 45 I bought was DC5 Catch Us If You Can, 1st LP was either one of the Vee Jay Beatles or The Rolling Stones December's Children, I can't remember which of the 2 I got first.

1st cd I HEARD was the Cars first album demoed in a store. The sales pitch was "no surface noise, the music comes out of silence". 1st cd I bought............ I haven't a clue!

I don't know which song got me started either. I'm pretty sure that it was a combination of genetics (my Mom has the singing voice of an angel. Linda, I don't know if you've ever read this before, but I've told the guys here from the ol' ICE days that my Mom was once offered a contract by MGM to sing in musicals back in the day. She turned it down) and her singing while I was still developing inside of her before I was born was what did the trick. Combine that with the fact that my late Dad loved music and that we had music all around us and it was just bound to happen. I turned out to be the one who got hooked on music the hardest in my family-by far and away.

I've been meaning to get The Playmates album on Collectables for years! It's probably OOP now.

goog,

i didn't even know one existed!

renny

Slightly embarrassing, but I would have to say "Xanadu" by ONJ & ELO.

Very first song was El Paso by Marty Robbins -- still in my all time top 10 today.

In terms of getting hooked into the whole rock radio record collecting thing the following medley kills me every time (in any order, individually or collectively):

Strawberry Fields -- Beatles
I'm A Believer -- Monkees
Ruby Tuesday -- Stones
My Love -- Petula Clark
Lightning Strikes -- Lou Christie


whoa! Maceo, get my cape!

Geff R., I did the same thing. I stared at the 45's going around on my parent's Admiral bakelite player (the one in my avatar).

My parents used to tease me endlessly because I continually sang the refrain to Margie Rayburn's "I'm Available". I distinctly remember the turqoise Liberty 45 label.

Come to think of it, I remember EVERY 45 they owned, from the Davis Sisters' "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" (an AMAZING record, that one), to Skeeter Davis' "Set Him Free" and on through the Brown's "The Three Bells". My mother had perfect pitch and sounded something like Anita Carter. I remember my father often sang a blue-eyed sould version of Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang" when he was doing physical labor. The Everly Bros.' "Bye Bye Love" comes to mind too.

I remember my cousin had her own record player, and the McGuire Sisters "Sugar Time" sounded really lively and fresh in the late 50's. Later of course, she was the first in Somerset PA to own a copy of the Beatles "She Loves You". She even preferred the Supremes "Nothing But Heartaches" to the lighter tunes. Everything changed the first time the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, and first time I heard "Where Did Our Love Go".

Mom was an Elvis fan - 45's of Hound Dog and Teddy Bear hooked me.

With 7 older siblings it's hard to remember a time when music wasn't a constant.

We had a Jan and Dean single of "Dead Man's Curve" b/w "New Girl in School" that we played endlessly as kids on this little flip open player in the basement. Never could figure out the words! We found them on the Internet years later but I still can't get 'em to scan.

I also remember hearing the song that went "Judy Judy Judy, do you love me?" when I was about 7 and thinking it was the saddest thing I'd ever heard in my life.

Edited to add: apparently it's "Julie do you love me?" -- not so sad anymore.

Renny, I've never heard their music, but I like the silly cover:

Born in 1966 - my Mom said I loved the Monkees - I would dance around like a little tyke fool. Forward to 1976 - that Christmas - out of the blue she gave me the Beatles Red Album on 8 track; one month to the day for my B-Day the Blue Album on 8 track...I never looked back. RIP mi madre

it is more of a novelty record that anything else, starts out real slow and ends up real fast (as if the car was speeding up as the song progressed).

and the last line is like a punch line to a joke.

[Very Slow]
While riding in my Cadillac,
What to my surprise.
A little Nash Rambler was following me -
About one third my size.
The guy must’ve wanted to pass me up
As he kept on tooting his horn. Beep! Beep!
I’ll show him that a Cadillac
Is not a car to scorn.
Beep beep. Beep! Beep! Beep beep. Beep! Beep!
His horn went beep beep beep. Beep! Beep!
[Slow]
I pushed my foot down to the floor
To give the guy the shake.
But the little Nash Rambler stayed right behind;
He still had on his brake.
He must have thought his car had more guts
As he kept on tooting his horn. Beep! Beep!
I’ll show him that a Cadillac
Is not a car to scorn.
Beep beep. Beep! Beep! Beep beep. Beep! Beep!
His horn went beep beep beep. Beep! Beep!
[Normal]
My car went into passing gear
And we took off with gust.
Soon we were doing ninety -
Must’ve left him in the dust.
When I peeked in the mirror of my car,
I couldn’t believe my eyes:
The little Nash Rambler was right behind -
I think that guy could fly.
Beep beep. Beep! Beep! Beep beep. Beep! Beep!
His horn went beep beep beep.
[Faster]
Now we’re doing a hundred and ten -
This certainly was a race.
For a Rambler to pass a Caddy
Would be a big disgrace.
The guy must’ve wanted to pass me up
As he kept on tooting his horn.
I’ll show him that a Cadillac
Is not a car to scorn.
Beep beep. Beep! Beep! Beep beep. Beep! Beep!
His horn went beep beep beep.
[Fastest]
Now we’re doing a hundred and twenty -
As fast as I could go.
The Rambler pulled along side of me
As if we were going slow.
The fellow rolled down his window
And yelled for me to hear,
“Hey, Buddy, how can I get this car
Out of second gear?!”
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

To the best of my recollection, it was "Don't Be Cruel" (Elvis, of course).