General Music Chat

Three for me:
1). First time I heard Bohemian Rhapsody I was driving down the highway. I pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car, listened to the whole song, then drove directly to a music store and bought the album. I had never heard of Queen before, and was elated to find out they had three previous albums, which I also bought right after that. Changed my musical life.
2). I was working a Summer temp job and got to talking music on break. Somebody told me to get the album Loading Zone by Roy Buchanan. Opened an entire new world of music to me, the blues.
3) I had already started messing around with harmonica and singing with some guys in the basement when we went to see Albert King. They had this opening act called The Bill Blue Band which MADE me pursue music to this day. While no band I've been in has ever approached Bill Blue, the pursuit has been lifelong, and while bumpy and frustrating at times, I have finally after 30+ years consider myself to be pretty good at both bass and vocals, and I'm my worst critic.

Watching the Beatles play their first time on the Ed Sullivan Show...it caused 2 things.

1. I immediately became a dedicated rock and roll fan

2. My father immediately hated me forever because of it.

I'm still a rock and roller, he's been dead about 7 or 8 years and probably still hates me...

Bob - I've been into Roy Buchanan for many years. Can't remember for sure, but I think I heard the short version of Green Onions on the radio, first time I had the chance I bought Loading Zone. Someday I have to get that one on CD...also saw him on TV one night, Johnny Carson show I think, played Green Onions and I was amazed he could just stand there almost motionless and play like that...

Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead
" its a obsession but its pleasing "

Listening to "Peter and the Wolf" as a child I had the desire to learn to play the clarinet. I bought one but I was refused taking the music classes in school because the teacher said I was tone deaf. The ignorant bastard truly cheated me in my life.

When I first heard Rock a Billy, I knew I wanted to play guitar. But the teachers evaluation kept me from getting one, I thought, why bother.

Years later a peculiar circumstance brought me into direct contact with a guitar. I had an old blues guy show me a couple of simple chops. I learned them and continued to pursue playing the guitar as a relaxing pastime.

Listening to "Peter and the Wolf" as a child I had the desire to learn to play the clarinet.

Melody is THE essence of music IMHO
Melody is lacking in much of modern day pop music.

Ray Jackson and I did our first gig together.
Ray doing vocals, had a keyboard with some drum tracks, the two of us playing guitar.
Start was s-l-o-w and painful ( ain't the way ) I bet I hot boxed three cigars on our first break.
Second half, the youth and some parents, got to moving to our noise, when it was all done everyone was just thrilled with our performance.
Loaded up, looked at Ray and said " We can do this" . . . got in my jeep and went home.
Never looked back . . .

Watching the Beatles play their first time on the Ed Sullivan Show...it caused 2 things.
1. I immediately became a dedicated rock and roll fan

That was definitely my #1 (my father didn't hate me for it - I was still too young for him to realize the effect it had on me, but he hated long hairs until his dying day.)

2) Getting my first guitar. A $40 Aria acoustic. I knew a guitar belonged in my hands that day.

3) First-ever band gig. High school 'cafetorium' stage (it was a small school!) We probably sucked, but we were loud and people danced.

I would have to say , after high school my second concert. 1974, Shawn Phillips in San Antonio.

When my family moved to Commack, NY... I was still into my 1st year in college majoring in music.. I took a pt job in an all girls clothing store... It was heaven! Only 2 other guys and I were the only male employees among 50 or so females. One of the other guys, I found out, only lived a block away from me and he and his brother needed a guitarist for their band. Turns out the 3 other members were all in the same high school.

We practiced in his garage for about a month and booked our first gig in this winky dink bar.

That night the place was sooo freakin' packed with all of their high school friends that they had to stop allowing people to enter the place... It was mine and their first gig EVER! We were soo nervous but after the first song, the crowd went nuts! The owner flipped and had us playing there almost every single weekend for the summer!

That experience made me realize the "high" one gets from being up there on stage with a very big and adoring crowd. We were kids. We ended up being the local "Rock Stars" and word got out to other local clubs which opened the door for us and we all had a blast until each member finally went their own way in other bands.

Now... the singer and I are the only ones to this day that are still playing out. The 2 brothers gave up shortly afterwards.

If it weren't for me meeting this guy by chance in a clothing store, who really knows if I was going to pursue music??

1. Elvis Golden records. I figured out quickly that I could sing, the songs were awesome, and it was fun.

2. Got into writing with my first good band "Ancient Otis". Writing was the real thrill. The girls were just a perk. Our FB page with a few of our old songs and one recent pic.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater
3. My brother-in-law gave me a bass. It went slow but I realized I could write simple stuff with it and sing over it.
4. Picked up my treasured wurlitzer electric piano. Oh man. Changed my musical life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yySD9TG2Jfg
5. Bought my favorite toy, my cigar box guitar. As a singer/bassist/non-music-reader it just makes sense. Grab a root like you do with a bass, but have a chord with it. Super simple. It handed me instant playability. If I can hear a song in my head I can play it right away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXEyQWC9L7M

Thinking on this, I think the thing that got me, was my first gig playing my Fender Music Master bass, I had only had it for about 2 weeks, but we played this girls 11th birthday, knew about 3 songs, and played them over and over, but what really got me was the teenage girls screaming and dancing. I was hooked right then and there to rock n roll!

Screaming girls will change your life John! My parents played classical music from the time I was born so I would say that's my first life-altering experience; I still listen to classical more than any other music. Seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan was huge, as well as buying "More Of The Monkees", my first LP. But hearing the album version of "Light My Fire" on my little red transistor radio was when I decided I would do music.

Yea Jimmy on that note, I dont think I feel right unless a female is screaming at me, on that note, my wife and I decided to end it this weekend, so here I go again, maybe I will get a few good songs out of the emotions you go thru!

Wow sorry to hear that John I thought you two were going to last. But things happen, I know. Best of luck and remember I am always here to listen, I've been through it myself.

Summer of 1973, hearing the album, "In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall" (1972) by Miles Davis, after smoking a couple of joints of very potent Vietnamese weed.