Tag: music

Remembering the past – The Vinyl Single

On By Rob GIn Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

The last time I visited with my parents, I was looking through a container that had some of my old vinyl singles (also known as 45s or 7 inch singles). This had me remembering back on the good times with vinyl albums and singles. I know that vinyls are making a comeback now, and I’m happy about that.

When I was growing up, 8 tracks were still around, but losing popularity. We still have a few 8 tracks and 8 track players lying around, but I have no idea if any of those would still work after 30+ years of being dormant. I have a few cassette singles here and there, but the 45s were where it was at when I was growing up.

I was able to find what I think was my first single. It was for my first favorite song – “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone. I’m not sure if the single was a gift to me or it was given to me later. I remember singing along to the song when it played on the radio when I was a tiny kid. Who knew I would grow up to be almost 6’5″ and still singing along to that song? I might have liked some songs before, but that was the first one that truly stands out in my memories.

There were some very cool things that came along with the vinyl singles. There were B-sides. These were sometimes songs that were on the same album, but not released. They were also occasionally released at the same time, so you got a two for one in terms of hit singles. The B-sides would also at times include remixes of the main single, or new songs that you could not find on any album or cassette. Sometimes you bought the singles just for the B-sides.

The art work for these singles could also be very elaborate. You could have the basic single release, such as the one shown on the bottom right of the picture (Ready for the World, “Oh Sheila”). You could also get some very cool packaging, like the top two of the picture. In addition to the cool art work you could get on the vinyl albums, you could also get some additional art work on the singles themselves.

There were also the 12″ singles, which would usually give you a few remixes on each side and 6 or 7 songs instead of 2. Vinyl singles started fading away in the late 80s and early 90s, which came with the rise of CDs. I still buy CDs, so I am definitely not going to knock them, especially with the sound quality that you can get from them. But playing a vinyl album or single is a fond memory for me.

The digital age is upon us and is phasing out the CDs, so I have to adjust again. I don’t mind buying the singles digitally, but it’s not the same. It’s more impersonal. When you buy an album or song digitally, there are no memories of going to a record store and fumbling through all the rows of vinyls to find the one or two titles that you are looking for. No joy in opening up a present that you know has a record in there, but you don’t know which one. Clicking a button to purchase just doesn’t bring that same type of joy.

If I got the Debby Boone single as a present, I can only imagine how happy I must have been back then. A small little present, lasting just under 4 minutes to play it once. Probably played it hundreds of times when I was younger. Recorded it onto cassette a couple of times for special mix tapes. Those are the memories that came through my head when I was home and looking through that container of vinyl singles. Good times. Happy times. Positive times.

Do you have any memories of vinyls or 8 tracks? Please feel free to share. I’d be happy to hear from you.

Fun Saturday Morning in Montgomery County

On By Rob GIn Going PlacesLeave a comment

Since the weather was nice this morning (45 degrees when I left), I decided to drive an hour or so down to Montgomery County to get some shopping done. My first stop was at PB’s Coffee & Dessert in Rockville, MD.

They didn’t have a pumpkin frappe, but they had pumpkin spice flavor syrup, so I ordered a vanilla creme frappe with pumpkin spice syrup added (a shot of espresso as well). The drink was a little icier than I prefer, but it was still good. There was a good vanilla flavor to it, and the spices from the pumpkin spice added a nice touch. I sometimes forget about vanilla flavors, since I usually get something with chocolate, or a specialty flavor. So I was happy to have tried that vanilla flavor with the pumpkin spice syrup added.

Once I had my coffee drink, I was on my way to the next stop: Nothing Bundt Cakes in Gaithersburg, MD. I used to go to a Nothing Bundt Cakes every month or so when I lived in California. I’m glad that there is one in Maryland, but since it’s a bit of a drive, I usually only go 3 or 4 times per year, and it’s usually when the weather isn’t too hot. Their specialty flavor is Pumpkin Spice, which has always been a good one. The flavor of the actual cake is really good, and the frosting on there is the perfect proportion.

After picking up the bundt cake, I walked over to Spring Mill Bread Co., which is in the same shopping center. I bought a couple of things from there, but I’ll write up about that separately.

I was then on my way to CostPlus World Market in Rockville for some fun shopping. That is another place I enjoy visiting since it brings back memories of California. When I lived in Southern California, there was a CostPlus about 5 minutes from my apartment, so I would go there once or twice a week, more during the holiday seasons. On this occasion, I just purchased just a few things, but there are times when I really fill the basket up with all different types of goodies.

I picked up lunch on the way home, but I’ll write about that separately as well.

During my drive, I was having a really nice time listening to my playlist. Some of the music I was listening to just enhanced my overall experience. “Gloria” by Laura Branigan played, and I just had to roll my windows down and turn up the volume. I replayed that song two more times. I don’t know why, but that song just really hit my ears in a good way this morning.

A little later, I was driving on East Gude Drive, and the song “Goody Goody” (the Chicago version) was playing. I thought it was a bit funny, since the name of the song is very similar to the street name. Randomness, I know, but that’s sort of why I’m writing.

There were some other songs as well. “Margaret” by Seven Mary Three. Not a song for everyone, but one that I hadn’t heard in awhile, so it was nice to hear it again. “Witch Doctor” by David Seville was another fun one. I believe this was pre-Chipmunks, but the same techniques were used in the song, so it sounds like they were part of it. I had to play “Stars” by fun. twice since I like that song. “Einstein on the Beach” by Counting Crows was another one I enjoyed hearing. It brought me back to memories of driving around in Maryland when I was in college. “Nothing in This World” is another fun one. It’s by Paris Hilton, but don’t judge. I happen to like that song. “Liberation” by Chicago was another one that I had fun listening to. A 15+ minute song that doesn’t hurt my voice to sing along to (if you know the song, you’ll get the joke). “Eternity” has the beautiful sounds of Sheena Easton, with Prince having written the song and lyrics. So a double dose of awesomeness on that song. “Unthought Known” by Pearl Jam, which I think is a pretty great song – probably in my top ten of Pearl Jam songs. “Don’t Disturb This Groove” by The System. Not a song you’ll hear on the radio anymore, so it was nice to hear it again. The last two songs I listened to before I got home were “Ride Like the Wind” by Christopher Cross and “Don’t Walk Away” by ELO. “Ride Like the Wind” may be considered “Yacht Rock” now, but I don’t care. I think it’s a pretty rockin’ song. “Don’t Walk Away” always reminds me of “Xanadu”. There was a nice animated section of the movie for this song. I love this movie. I am not ashamed to admit it.

That was it for my morning. I think it was a great start to the day, and the day continued to get better. Good times. Positive times!