Songs in the head

We all get them - those annoying songs that suddenly enter you head and they stay there for the day. I don't mind so much if it is a song I like but even then you can have too much of a good thing. When it's a song I would never sing out of choice, that is really annoying.

Music can be a strange beast. The other day I kept going over one line in a Tangerine Dream album called Ricochet (well you could never hum/sing the whole thing!). Maybe it was because I had recently listened to it (then the same day the group came up as an answer on Pointless!). Songs used in adverts often get me going - 'Oh I haven't heard that for ages,' I say and then have to find my copy and play it!

And then there are those songs that take you right back to certain times in your life. Over the last few days I have been putting together a playlist on Spotify with songs that do just that. There is the first single I bought (or was bought for me), stuff that reminds me of school (which usually I don't like being reminded of), a particular summer playing in a tent in the back garden with my brother, past boyfriends, an album playing on honeymoon, musical influences and many other events and times when certain songs meant something. It's been great to do, very nostalgic (I get more nostalgic the older I get). It was interesting to see that one song had two memories - one happy, one sad. Some groups appeared twice too for different reasons.

I remember the first record player we had at home - my aunt gave us an old wind-up thing with a needle and a a few 78's. My brother and I had great fun using it and particularly enjoyed hearing it wind down and how it sounded! We laughed so much. The next record player was a Disc Jockey. You had to wait for it to heat up and I'll never forget the smell or seeing the valves shining through! I wish I'd kept one of the old record players. My dad had an HMV radiogram, a wooden thing that took up half a wall but it had great sound.

Believe it or not I still have an MFI record cabinet. It contains some of my albums. My dad had one too. I can still visualise it sitting in the corner of our lounge back home. He kept albums, cassettes and singles in there. In with the singles was this one (see video below). It always reminds me of him, My brother has this single now but I still have a few of my dad's records.  I love this song, so lively, great beat.

What was your first record? What memories does your music hold? Why not share.