My dad had an extensive record collection. 78s.
Instrumentals. Country. Easy listening. Nonsense.
Thick, heavy records that could easily double at frisbees.
If we had thought of it.
Which we didn't.
We kids would paw through those records in search of our favourites.
I had two.
I listened to them endlessly.
Endlessly.
Till I moved on to the Monkees, which is a whole other story.
Dad upgraded his collection and his stereo system. Replacing all of his 78 recordings with new LPs.
All but my favourites.
Sigh.
I've searched for them ever since in many, many antique stores. Thumbing through the 78s they have on offer for those two little songs. Or even one of them. I'd be satisfied with that.
But always, I've been disappointed.
I was telling my granddaughters about my favourite songs yesterday and describing the archaic 78 records that played them.
Yeah. They didn't believe me.
Then I went to my new friend, Google.
And guess what?!
They are there!
Both of them.
I offer them to you now, exactly as I used to listen to them.
When I was four.
And the world wasn't a scary place . . .
First: Horace the Horse
Then: Smokey the Bear
And, because we loved him too, my favourite Spike Jones:
New Years Resolution
Picture me, a little girl with white, candy-fluff hair, singing along.
My mom's in the kitchen making something grand.
Daddy's in his chair, work boots off and feet up, reading the newspaper and waiting for supper.
That's where I'm going to spend my day!
My folks had a South Pacific [the show, with Mary Martin] album on 78s. I listened to it endlessly in our basement. I have it now on my iPod but it's not the same.
ReplyDeleteI think what's missing is watching that record spin round. And round. And round... :)
DeleteAwww. Those were sweet. The Spike Jones was so funny! I used to listen to my grandparents' "How Much is That Doggie In the Window" record over and over, when I was four.
ReplyDeleteI loved that song! Oops...now it's stuck in my head! :)
DeleteEnjoy your warm blanket, Diane! How lovely that you found your favourites; isn't the internet wonderful?!
ReplyDeleteI have a new appreciation for it today, Jenny!
DeleteOh how I love this post for the memories it brings back. When I was a little girl my mom had records but I also remember having Peter and the Wolf and Teddy Bear's Picnic.
ReplyDeleteTeddy Bear's Picnic?! I love that song! And my kids had a copy of Peter and the Wolf. That I can quote.
DeleteNostalgia is the cosiest of blankets. It smells of cinnamon and vanilla too.
ReplyDeleteYes it does!!!
DeleteMy Mom had a number of 78 records. "Wake Up Little Susie" by the Everly Brothers. "Come On A My House" by Rosemary Clooney. I used to love to watch those records spin.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I did! Watched them go round and round. The new LPs weren't nearly as entertaining...
DeleteI have a vague memory of 78s, but the player was a wind up affair and the sound was scratchy. Then we got a 'radiogram', a radio, record player and storage cabinet combined and we had LPs (33rpm), but only ones that Dad liked: Andy Williams, Nana Maskouri (not sure of the spelling), Burl Ives.
ReplyDeleteYep ours were all Dad's favourites, too. Hmmm . . . now I'm wondering how my Smokey and Horace got into the collection?
DeleteMy dad was a musician and his music collection was mostly blues and jazz, which I love, but the one record I still respond to is Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. My dad died when I was 12 so I sometimes wonder how he would have felt about Dylan and the Stones. Brenda
ReplyDeleteProbably like my Dad when I made him listen to the song, Signs. We'd been listening and then the song got quiet and I said, "This is the good part." And he said, "What do they do now? Throw up?" Yep. No appreciation.
DeleteBwahahahahaha! Thank you for sharing your dad's reaction - priceless!
DeleteAh the old 78's. They had such a wonderful sound. I remember 'String of Pearls', 'Blue Skirt Waltz' , 'Yingle Bells" and many many more. What a wonderful place to spend your day.
ReplyDeleteMmmm...it's been lovely!
DeleteI love how music brings us right back to the moment. Thanks for sharing your memories.
ReplyDeleteI can even picture the spot on the carpet where I loved to sit. Of course I can't tell you what I had for breakfast today, but that is the trade off! :)
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