Music from times past

My mum and dad did not like pop music either; mum played classical all the time, and dad enjoyed old dance music. We had to listen to Welsh hymn singing at Sunday tea-time, they all sounded so miserable. They did have two-way family favourites on at Sunday lunchtime though.
My first exposure to pop music was when I went to college in 1963 and discovered the Beatles; oh my goodness, what had I been missing? We had live bands at college dances who played all the hits of the day, Searchers, Hollies, Dave Clark Five, Manfred Mann.. Oh, I was in heaven! Those days just come flooding back every time I hear something from the mid sixties.

Any music from the 50s and 60s brings back memories but especially those songs that we used to hear on two way family favourites. I can remember my mother and aunt singing Que Sera and Some enchanted evening.

My Mum and Dad didn't mind pop music as long as they couldn't hear it so when they were in the front room watching telly, I was confined to the dining room with my few discs and Radio Luxemburg turned really low.

I was so excited when Radio Caroline started broadcasting

We played Que Sera (whatever will be will be) at my darling grandmas funeral . It was a song she sang all the time and we grandchildren, loved it. She and my grandad used to waltz around the sitting room to (can’t remember it’s proper name) “How would you like to be, down by the Seine with me.....” what happy memories.

Under the bridges of Paris gilly sung by Dean Martin, told you I was old ?

harrigran they were my mum's favourites too!
She mostly liked classical and opera so our liking Bob Dylan and the Stones in the 60s was our teenage rebellion.
I couldn't tell you who's totps now. I've heard of One Direction and Ed Sheeran but not sure i would know anything they sang.
It's all so different. I heard DGD aged 4 shouting Hey Google play Moana and out of the ether the music begins.

Oh thank you Harri yes that’s the one. Oh I love it and it brings back so many happy memories. Dean Martin has the most deliciously soothing voice. I love the Naughty Lady of Shady Lane as my grandad used to sing it to my (then baby) daughter.

You’re not old !

I remember going into a record shop.and sitting in a booth listening to the music. We went up.to the West End from the suberbs, they had a comfortable one in Liberty's. Happy days.
I just loved the Beatles then moved on to all.the wilder stuff in the late 60s like Cream, Hendricks etc.

We saw Cream for 2/6 just as they had formed. It was at the London School of Fashion.

Loved Eric Clapton and George Harrison.

Johnny Ray ?

I was a 'seventies teenager, so loved all the pop of that era.
My dad had no time for pop (though listened to and enjoyed radio 2 during his long drive to work each day, so knew and liked more than he admitted!).
I remember a discussion over dinner once, when he said pop had no staying power, stating that "no one will still be listening to any of this stuff in ten years' time.
Well, he was right about a lot of things, but not that one - forty years on and it's still going strong?

I was a 70’s teenager too MamaCaz . It was a brilliant decade for pop music . My dad was a country music fanatic and “dragged me along” to loads of concerts that I didn’t appreciate at the time .

Just remembered another song that made me laugh when I was a child, Guy Mitchell singing "she wears red feathers and a hula hula skirt"

I remember really wishing someone would buy me the Telstar record for Christmas - they were 6/8d at the time - and nobody did.? I had an old 2nd hand record player that cost £2 of birthday money. I still love Telstar!

Well before that I remember some from Children's or Family Favourites - Little White Bull, I'm a Pink Toothbrush, that Typewriter one - forget the name, Belle of the Ball (there's a lovely version on YouTube!) etc.

Even before that my father had an old fashioned gramophone and some very old 78s with mostly classics - I loved Morning from Peer Gynt, and In The Hall Of The Mountain King, and then there was They're Changing Guard at Buckingham Palace, and Vespers, both from the Christopher Robin verses.

My gdcs enjoy some of the oldies on YouTube, particularly Right Said Fred, and Belle of the Ball, with lovely visuals, is a favourite of Gdd.

I was a 60's girl and went to Leeds Empire every Saturday afternoon and sat in the gods for a shilling.
We saw Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Adam Faith, Georgie Fame, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and many more.

Summer Place was the first 'A' film I sneaked into.

I remember the Beatles playing at our local dance hall just before Love Me Do came out, and also their first appearance on Granada our local t.v. station. My parents were horrified at the length of their hair. When yousee photos from then it seems quite short now. Perceptions.

The earliest I remember is Bless This House, a wartime song. Gran played the piano and I sang. at the same time the big american bands on the record player. And the Inkspots .
But in my teens it was radio Luxembourg. Like harrigran Guy Mitchell was a favourite. And Ghost Riders in the Sky, can't remember the singer.
And the Everley brothers. Wake up Little Susie, Bye Bye Love.

Remember ' sing something simple' on a Sunday mam and dad loved it. Sisiter loved the Beatles and I was. A seventies girl loving rod Stewart and David Essex. Still live rod seeing him this summer for the first time can't wait!

I was amused recently when I asked my 18 year old, trendy granddaughter what she was listening to on her phone. She replied 'The Theme from a Summer Place'

Bought my first record at thirteen...it was Rescue Me by Fontella Bass. I lived all tanka Motown especially the Four Tops. Happy days.

Early 70's my brother and I really embarrassed coming home on the bus, trying to hide our Christmas LP purchases for Mum and Dad: Jim Reeves Classics for Dad, and either Bing Crosby or Des O'Connor for Mum (can't remember which but both singers very high on the embarrassment list for a then 14 yr old girl!) Happy days indeed though!

As kids we would rush into mum and dads room on a Sunday morning to listen to dads reel to reel tape recorder while he did his best Elvis impression. Very happy days. x

Isn't it great how music can evoke such happy memories? Forget brexit and your in-law problems for a while, put on some golden oldies and turn back the years

I'm with you BlueBell.
Loved Stones & Bowie, Bolan & all the Stax artists. saw the Beatles once -under sufferance -& they were terrible- couldn't sing & looked quite bored.
I remember hiding transistor radio under bed covers & listening to Radio London or Radio Caroline when I was supposed to be sleeping ready for school in the morning.
Mum had every record Bing Crosby had ever made & Dad liked Big Band music until he heard Booker T & the MGs (& he nicked my Green Onions LP!!)

I loved the Beatles - Penny Lane, All You Need is Love, Eleanor Rigby.
The Stones - Little Red Rooster, Satisfaction.
Andy Williams - Can't Get Used to Losing You
Searchers - Needles and Pins
Moody Blues - Go Now
Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas - Little Children.

I was allowed to listen to my big brother's records on his Dansette as long as I put them back properly - they were strictly arranged in alphabetical order on those little racks. At the front of these there was a list (numbered and alphabetical) as he was very methodical.
We listened to them in the front room and were thrown out when his girlfriend arrived!

There are many recordings significant to periods of my life. The romantic in me was for, and in particular 'The things we did last summer' by U.S group Lettermen and Michael Jackson's 'One day in your life'.
My favourite 'motorway music'! having to frequently travel with my work was country and western in particular ,'By the time I get to Phoenix' and 'Wichita Lineman' .even though my destination was far from those places.