Musical Childhood memories

[Blazer]

Let's talk about the songs you loved as a kid and that you still love today.


The Romantics "Talking in your sleep"
I first heard this song when I was eight years old when watching a chartshow on TV where they played a (Mimed) performance, I had just discovered the guitar and this song reinforced my calling as a musician. Every so now and then I'll put this one up, plug in my Fender bass and play along.

A little national Pride

Doe Maar "Een nacht aleen" (Just one night alone)
When I was growing up in the early eighties, reggae was the mainstream music and I ate for breakfast, I LOVED all of that. UB40, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, June Lodge BRING IT ON! But Doe Maar was special because I understood what they were singing about because their songs were in native dutch. This particullar song was about groupies and the need to have at least one good night's sleep, something that a kid has no concept of. But what the hell, it was at least something I could sing along to which wasn't the case with reggea artists singing in English. I always wanted a blue Fender P-bass like Henny (the bass player) Doe Maar have since reunited and I'll be attending one of their major gigs in a few months.

But the most important of them all is this one.

Stray Cats - "Runaway Boys"
This is the song that changed my life, this is the song that opened my eyes to my calling to become a musician. It was seeing Brian Setzer rocking out on that orange gretsch of his that made it clear that my hands were meant to be around a guitarneck. I STILL love the Stray cats and if I ever meet Brian Setzer I'll ask him to autograph my chest and I'll have it tatood in, signed for life like his music did before.

[drbassman]

Here's mine....

First song I ever learned.

[ilan]

^ Yep, the first time I heard I Want To Hold Your Hand, I think I was 5 years old, is the moment that changed my life and the reason I became a musician. I still think it's the best song ever written.

[drbassman]

I learned Ghost Riders in the Sky on an old Harmony 6 string guitar and then got into R&R, mostly surf music, Beach Boys and popular stuff like Chuck Berry and his contemporaries.  When the Beatles came along, their sound was so clean and catching, I couldn't resist wanting to learn to play it.  Then there were the Stones, Dave Clark 5, Moody Blues, Hollies, Yardbirds, and on and on...........

It was a wonderful life for sure!  I miss it.   

[godofthunder]

 I was 5 when I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. I had no idea what they were doing, just that I had to do it ! Rain was the song that made me want to play bass, I heard that riff and said to myself  thats it ! Thats the sound I want to make !

[Blazer]

I was 5 when I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. I had no idea what they were doing, just that I had to do it ! Rain was the song that made me want to play bass, I heard that riff and said to myself  thats it ! Thats the sound I want to make !

I wonder how many people who were inspired by that song like you were, went out and bought a Hofner 500/1 because Paul had one in the Promo of "Rain" and then found out that they couldn't get that sound. Because Macca played his Rickenbacker on that track, resulting in a much more powerful and better intonated sound than he got from his Hofner.

My Uncle bought himself an Epiphone Casino because of seeing John and George playing those and wanting to get that magical "Nowhere man" sound and failing at getting it. Because he didn't know that they used Fender Stratocasters on that track.

[PWV]

Well... um - "When I was a kid" - this was a big hit in our elementary school circles:

*edit cuz I noticed there's "two" electric bass players playing the song - one in the group, one in the orchestra.  Heh!  Details...*



This song had a bigger impact on me later and led me down the path towards wanting to be a bassplayer (sorry, I never was much of  a Beatles fan    but I loved Paul's "other" group:

[Dave W]

All you young whippersnappers. 

Not a lot of rock videos from the 50s, but I still love listening to some of the music. From the well-known like Buddy Holly or The Coasters to the lesser known like Billy Lee Riley or Big Al Downing.

Here are a couple, though:


Recorded in one 1:50 take. No Pro Tools.    Note J.W. Brown (Jerry Lee's uncle) with the Precision.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yQMYtUB2Y_k



A movie clip featuring Bill Haley. This is how Hollywood looked at it. 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nB9egSP0Bpo

[gweimer]

My dad brought back some records from Okinawa.  "Tokyo Boogie Woogie" will always be part of my musical heritage.

[Barklessdog]

This will speak for Scott & Myself!

[godofthunder]

 Oh Man and they said TV would rot your brain ! Seriously that show was a ton of fun for a brief period in my childhood, I still walk around humming that tune !

[PWV]

This Hanna & Barbera theme wasn't as memoable as the Banana Splits for me, but I do remember having a crush on Joy:

[PWV]

Here she is! 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Q-O0ioC1M&feature=related

[nofi]

the la la la melody from the banana splits is grafted nicely into bob marley's buffalo soldiers.

[Dave W]

This Hanna & Barbera theme wasn't as memoable as the Banana Splits for me, but I do remember having a crush on Joy:

At least you didn't have a crush on Martha Raye!