My voyage of music discovery wasn’t entirely self-navigated. I was ably assisted by a number of co-pilots whose input proved invaluable in reaching my current destination. None more so than my cousin John, a guy who owned one of the most extraordinary record collections I’ve ever known.
I used
to love visiting Auntie Margaret and Uncle Stuart; I’d call in regularly on my
way home from school and never once felt intrusive or unwelcome. In addition to their unconditional warmth and
sincerity, the other big attraction for me was John’s records. It was through this horde of vinyl that I
discovered some of the biggest and most influential names in music – the
Beatles, Queen, Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Led Zeppelin – John had a seemingly inexhaustible
supply of rock music which to a burgeoning music buff like myself, was a gold
mine, a kind of exotic array of mysterious curios.
Yes,
John was an absolute music nut like myself, and he took great delight in
nurturing his younger cousin’s curiosity and fascination with rock music. I remember him playing me Led Zeppelin’s ‘In
Through The Out Door’, Kiss’ live double album ‘Alive II’, singles by the Cars,
KC and the Sunshine Band, John Lennon. I
remember coming across the word ‘Motown’ for the first time when a compilation
album in one of the piles caught my eye. The B-52s debut was another intriguing and hugely influential find – I’d
never come across that sort of skewed quirkiness before. But the very best thing of all was that John
had no qualms whatsoever about lending me records. There were times I would leave the house with
a carrier bag crammed so full of LPs and singles, my arms felt like they were
about to fall off by the time I got home.
John and
his record collection were my keys to the world of rock music. Guitars were the only real way forward for the young Robster, and I’ve never looked back.
John’s still buying music. Much of his old collection is gone sadly, but
these days he scours charity shops and car boot sales in search of obscure and
undiscovered gems. It doesn’t seem to
matter what it is – classical oddities, film scores, long-forgotten crooners of
the 60s and 70s – it’s music he’s after, because music still clearly means a
hell of a lot to him.
I owe
John a great debt, he inspired me greatly in my formative years and I still
listen to a lot of the stuff I discovered thanks to his generosity and
patience.
And
while his rendition of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Brown Sugar’ on the karaoke is
totally rockin’, you really haven’t seen anything until you’ve witnessed John in
skin-tight leopard-print trousers belting out ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’ – ‘tis
truly a sight to behold. Rod Stewart? Pah! Give me John any day!
Soundtrack:
- Keep Yourself Alive – Queen (from ‘Queen’)
- Hot Dog – Led Zeppelin (from ‘In Through The Out Door’)
- Planet Claire – The B-52s (from ‘The B-52s’)
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