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Music
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Music
First interest I can recall wasn't until I was almost a teenager. I loved Nat 'King' Cole, Frank Sinatra. I had discovered girls and all the ballads seemed directed at me and my mixed feelings of the time. I wasn't musical myself, I still can't whistle in tune and have no sense of rhythm on a dance floor but the melodies had a great affect on me and still do. So much so that a friend who was a classical music enthusiast game me an old recording of Beniamino Gigli and even though I didn't understand a word of the lyrics the melody and vocalisation scored a direct hit on my sensibilities. My first gramophone was a wind up one with steel needles and then slowly but surely I made it to an electric one that held the speed steady and with a pick up arm and cartridge that had a diamond point. Marvel of marvels. This was all with 78 rpm records of course. I well remember when I bought my first vinyl 33 rpm record. South Pacific it was, the USA stage version. It took me ages to get used to seeing the record go round so slowly and the sound being correct after years of watching a 78 rpm's mad spin.
Next came stereophonic sound and I joined that merry band of hi-fi enthusiasts who listened to trains going across the room with every clank and screech of the wheels vividly replayed. Ping pong players with the ball bouncing back and forth and the player's pumps squeaking on the floor.
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