Unforgettable....
I miss listening to my vinyl records. The sultry voices of
Nat King Cole, Bing, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Perry Como,
Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Artie Shaw--not only, Big Band and Swing but Blues,
Jazz etc. all attracted me as an adult. I had to get a record player and the
records I wanted were old. Very old. I wanted to hear the crunchy sound of the needle
and the pleasant dissonance of warped albums. Unfortunately, my record player
is on the fritz-kaput-broken. Plus it’s just a cheap replica of the old RCA
players and it wasn't even good when it was new but I had begged my husband for
it and it was a generous Christmas gift about ten years ago. He’s so romantic. So
of course, I still love it—even if I have to imagine hearing: “Unforgettable-That’s what you are.
Unforgettable-Though near or far. Like a song of love that clings to me, how
the thought of you does things to me. Never before has someone been
more...Unforgettable....” Isn't that romantic?
 |
| His Master's Voice is now a dust catcher. |
I remember playing my
rock and roll LP's on my parent’s Magnavox record player. Elton John sounded
like he was right there singing Benny and the Jets and Crocodile Rock. I sang
Candle in the Wind a thousand times into a pretend microphone and danced all
around the living room singing Saturday Night’s Alright, while my parent’s weren't
home of course. I played Chicago’s Saturday in the Park and dreamt of true love singing Color My World. I played The Eagles, Janis Ian, Cat Stevens,
Simon and Garfunkel and rocked out to Sonny and Cher. Of course I adored Elvis
and the Beatles but I didn't have too many of their records. In hindsight, it
all seems so romantic to me.
Mom and dad liked Classical and Opera and the Magnavox
blared Verdi and Puccini every weekend. I have to say they inspired me with the
romantic stories that take place in operatic performances. One big influence
was Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade about a Persian queen who tells wild tales
to entertain the King. Telling stories to entertain? Now that was something I could wrap my heart around because it's romantic and who knows, maybe someday, I'll be unforgettable. ...
Chicago, Simon and Garfunkel, Sonny and Cher, the Beatles...oh, yeah! Loved Cat Stevens. I used to dance to Crocodile Rock at the pizza parlor--actually, that wasn't so long ago!
ReplyDeleteScheherazade...she told the King stories every night to save her sister's life and her own. Eventually, he was so captivated, he married her.
Two years ago I purchased an LP turntable online. It's perfect because I had a whole box of old records, and I'll tell you what, there's nothing more nostalgic than listening to the hissing and drumming from the turntable while playing your favorite oldies. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll listen to almost any musical genre- with the exception of hip hop, metal, and rap.
ReplyDeleteHope you do make that push to write one day.
ReplyDeleteSorry that record player died. It shouldn't have if it was only ten years old.
ReplyDeleteThey do still sell turntables though.
Loved all the music you wrote about.
ReplyDeleteSorry your charming record player died.
cheers, parsnip