Dad's Reaction to Me Hanging His Old Records with @storybird

Alo, Steemians! This article is a follow-up to the post "Hanging Up Dad's Old Records." To check out this post, please click here: https://steemit.com/music/@storybird/centerhanging-up-dad-s-old-records-with-storybird-center

Texting My Dad Photos of the Display

I texted my dad these photos of his old records framed and hung on the walls leading up to the studio:

In true Dad fashion, his first reaction was to ask me where I had put all of the album art. :) I told him I still had them and ran out of frames for now. It wasn't until later that I learned that some of his decisions to purchase particular records were actually based on the album art themselves.

In my last article, I talked about wanting to know the stories behind all of the fingerprints on the records, but I realized the person who held all of them was just a call away! I decided to interview him.

Memories of Record Shopping

My dad bought all of his records around his final year of high school and during college. He used savings he had from work-study programs, like checking books in and out at the library as well as co-ops related to his area of study. The records he purchased were generally around $10. There was a different vibe to each store, depending on if the location was in a busy shopping center or next to the downtown university.

My dad described the record purchasing experience as "complete exploration," similar to combing through the archives of a library. He was usually there to browse and admire record art or buy a particular record. Sometimes popular artists were displayed on the shelves and became an impulse buy. Half of the purchases he made were ones he knew he wanted ahead of time and half were impulse purchases. He would often see people purchase two copies - one opened and one shrink-wrapped as a virgin copy.

Unless he had previously heard the songs on the radio, there wasn't an easy way of knowing whether or not he was going to like the songs (boy am I spoiled with my iTunes previews or what?!), so he relied heavily on his draw to the album art.
The faces of the artists and graphics were sometimes what made the sale!

Bringing the Records Home

My dad had two or three record players. He bought one and then another that had linear tracking (a feature that didn't require him to physically touch the needle handle).

If my dad purchased the record due to liking the album art, playing it for the first time was about discovery. "Okay, let's see what they've got," he would think. It was the moment of finding out if he had spent his money on music he would enjoy and if there were any gems on the record. For records he had heard on the radio before, it was less of a process of discovery and more of a process of expectation. "Is it going to live up to my hopes and give me the feeling it did when I heard it air on the radio?"

Many of the records purchased revolved around songs his band liked to play. One of the incentives of purchasing the records was that the lyrics were sometimes included in the sleeve, making it easier for the band to learn. When lyrics weren't included, they would listen through the entire song and make their best guess at the words the artist was singing.

The smaller records with select hits went for maybe half the price of a full record, so sometimes, it felt worth it to just buy the whole thing. At times, though, he wasn't pleased with his purchase if he ended up only liking one or two songs on the large record.

Where Did the Fingerprints Come From?

Just as I had thought, these records were used for band rehearsals, occasional personal listening, and several college parties for my dad's student organizations. Him and his siblings were popular and often received requests to DJ and bring their big band speakers with thumping bass. Other people would bring their records to the party, too. Some people brought pre-mixed cassette tapes for the ease of size and to protect their records.

No More Record Player!

My dad's record player broke a long time ago, so he stopped listening to his records. He personally doesn't miss hearing the popping and skipping, though some find it nostalgic. He sees great value in using his records for display today, since the album art was a significant factor in bringing him joy throughout the entire experience (I should probably hang those!). He finished by stating that the stories and memories behind his personal connection with the records are what make them the most valuable treasures.

The Twelve Records

Below are photographs of the twelve records I used to decorate the hallway and brief memories he has of each artist (though not always commenting on that particular album).

Santana Borboletta

His band played a lot of Santana music, including: "Flor de Luna," "Oye Como Va," "Black Magic Woman," and "She's Not There." The records were incredibly useful as style reference. I have to say that this particular album art has been my favorite since I was a little girl! Must have something to do with the butterfly and it being so very shiny...

The Beatles Abbey Road

His band used to play "Let it Be."

The Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 2

Another favorite band with two of his favorite songs including, "I Can't Tell You Why" and "Hotel California."

BeeGees Living Eyes

His band played "Stayin' Alive."

Madonna True Blue

My dad says he wasn't a die-hard fan, but because Madonna was a hot star at the time, he wanted to purchase a record to see if he would like her music.

ABBA The Visitors

My dad played "Dancing Queen" with his band, which was a real crowd pleaser!

Michael Jackson Thriller

A must have!

The Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue

His band never played rock songs, but there was one song he bought this album for in particular (he can hum how it goes but doesn't remember the title).

John Lennon Yoko Ono Double Fantasy

My dad sang lead vocals on the song "Woman."

Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston was a shining star, so he had to have it!

Queen The Game

Carpenters The Singles 1969-1973

He enjoyed their ballads. I do remember growing up hearing their music!

Steemians, are there records buried somewhere around your house or your family's? Please share your findings/thoughts in the comments below.

Thanks so much for reading!
Ca-caw!!