55 songs in 55 days - one for every year of
my life...so far.
In 1977, finally, a year later than
practically all my friends, I got my first
job. I also purchased my first ever suit, a
mandatory requirement at the office. I
arrived home from work at the end of the long
first day, head throbbing from all the new
information I'd absorbed and feet throbbing
from my new leather shoes that weren't yet
worn-in, and immediately ran upstairs to
change into the comfortable familiarity of
jeans and t-shirt. Mum was horrified. She'd
been thrilled that morning, to see me dressed
smartly for the first time in living memory
and had been poised with a camera, awaiting
my return, in order to document the moment.
Before she would hand over any dinner, she
made me go upstairs, change back into my new
threads and pose for a photo-shoot outside
the front door. This was the result.At the end of the month, I received my first pay slip - £92! At lunch time, a friend took me to the bank and showed me how to cash a cheque, I hadn't got a clue. I took out £10 and headed straight to the record shop to purchase 'Live! In the Air Age' by Be Bop Deluxe - after which I still had £7.50 to spare. So began the lunchtime ritual of propping up the counter at the record shop, which would ultimately result in me getting a job there. Hidden under the counter was a 'Punk' singles box, available to peruse upon request. After hearing The Only Ones' debut single, 'Lovers of Today', on John Peel's programme one evening in the Summer of '77, I rushed into the shop the following lunchtime with the title scribbled on a scrap of paper, asked for the box, rifled through and found it. How great is this?
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6 comments:
So freakin' suave.
Your mum did good to get the shot.
Aren't you glad you have that photo of a handsome young mod now to share with your family and your pals in the blogosphere? Good on your mom!
(Couldn't play the tune, but I'll see if it's posted elsewhere on youtube - I'm intrigued.)
Ah, that's a great pic; as Erik says: suave! Even without the 'tache ;-)
And you have a slight touch of the young Danny Baker there too (just found a copy of Going To Sea In A Sieve in charity shop and there are some similarities in the photographic charting of his childhood to this lovely series of yours).
'77 and it's all starting to happen...!
Erik. It was a variant on singing for my supper.
Marie. Yes, I am pleased now, but at the end of my first ever 8 hour day all I wanted to do was eat and veg out. Little did I know then that in my 40's I'd be working 12-14 hour days, 6 days per week.
C. I've got the Danny Baker book on order from the library actually, so I look forward to comparing and contrasting!
The Only Ones are such a treasure. Hope your Mum wasn't too crushed when you went from a suit and a office to a T-shirt and record shop.
Musical memories you can't beat them.
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