Teenbeat: 1979 revisited

Yesterday happened to be my birthday more of which will be written about elsewhere but birthdays are anniversaries that bring back memories from the past and for me 1979's was important as it was a year before my GCE's and I was laying the foundation of my record collector as a boy who loved music.

The Rolling Stones were an influence on me and between owning a few of their albums on record and having taped copies of others I bought this album originally issued in November 1966 as it had all but one of their pre 1967 singles on it.

It also happened it's September 1969 counterpart "Through The Past Darkly" was bought the same birthday for me by my older brother.

In terms of art and packaging it was excellent with a gatefold sleeve with the seriously arty "fish eye" picture of the group and photos on the gatefold.

The rear picture was used for the (inferior) U.S. version and at the time it was issued in mono and stereo.

If that wasn't enough there was an insert with even more photos and some information about the recordings.

It was a late 1970's pressing and I loved the disc, copying to tape straight away but it left after an ill advised clean with Surgical Spirit that destroyed one stylus as it unbonded the glue holding the stylus tip to the carrier.

I did get a early 80's edition but the cover and the vinyl was thin and by that point the insert had been dropped so I was very fortunate to spot a near mint (cover, insert, vinyl condition) edition from 1976 that was a very close match for that original recently.

So by this birthday, I've been able to restore it to the collection the way it was. 

In the same year an album entered my then meagre collection, a birthday present from the local independent store in the northern district of the city whose looks and track selection never really left me even in the days when it just was no longer available new in any format.

 

The collage style cover, bold coloured title and a great tag line on the rear top of the jacket just screamed Beatlemania as America fell for them in a package that mixed covers, new to america originals and a couple of newly recorded tracks that were to come on a British extended play 7 inch record.

 

My first copy with an Apple label went  for same reasons as the first album I mentioned being replaced in 1986 by a Purple capitol copy as I learned this and the other albums I grew up on were to be replaced by UK versions coming on compact disc too and hurried up being "last chance" copies for posterity.

After a long period where they were ignored as if they never existed, deleted from the catalogue they've  been reissued accepted as part of the legacy hence last years issue of the 1964 Capitol Albums in mono, a good number of which were bought.

 I decided to get a near mint  american stereo edition in the short lived 1980's rainbow rim label to go with my Canadian issues of the era probably as good as this record ever sounded, one I've always wanted.

This came while away for a few days and I'm delighted.

Looking back on it, a good number of those early albums were restored, often with period issues because to pick them up and play them takes me back to that time and all the memories from it.

Bearable times move forward

Week started off with the much needed repairing of our pavements which of necessity did place restrictions on going with tape in front of all the houses which now have less twists and turns and much improved grip having tested them making my way out towards the playground.

Much has started to come out such as cherry blossoms, daffidils while towards the woods you can see many birds such as magpies about and if you really lucky the squirrels out exploring. 

Preporations, not least the odd thing for next Wednesday are starting to come together given that with everything that happened last year there was scant interest in marking ones birthday with the house feestooned still with funeral cards and arrangements being made so in a number of ways it was unbirthday with nothing special happening.

While that loss is still keenly felt, all being well something should happen this year and one hopes for another in the 70's Now Yearbooks to announced for end March, early April as that series progresses capturing whole years well.

Birthday and moving on

It's been a different week for reasons that would be obvious to anyone following the other blog and yet elements tie into things that have been a common theme.

Birthday was marked with presents including some cds, a couple of blu rays and books and I went out to  lunch on Tuesday pretty much as little me but toned done a little in a bit longer than usual grey shorts and argyle long socks but nonetheless a grey jumper, white shirt and off white and blue tie.

I had Cod, green garden peas and chips with the cod being in batter and a glass of orange which as the initiated know is normal given I don't do alcohol and am trying to drop off tea consumption.

You could say it was a fairly modern era boys birthday minus any kind of special venue but then covid did put pay to that for a good many in last two years too.

I've always liked animation and cartoons, buying certainly from the last years of the early two thousands a number of complete anime series of the shirt that tend to have twenty minute or so episodes.

There have been a number of streaming sites in existence for as long as the modern internet has been around, some authorized by the anime studio rights holders others not which can be useful for either trying out a series before buying or in some instances the commercial and geo-politics of licensing mean a physical release just isn't going to happen.

I have an account with one completely legal US based one which sometimes has problems around showing animes in a few territories since around two thousand and nine which was pretty handy and to which I actually have a annual membership of.

Rather like a few other places I joined in this era bits around my profile were muddled so recently I decided to renew chunks rather than starting entirely from scratch cos in fourteen odd years a lot does happen in peoples lives and it was obvious those people I had associated more with in its forum and clubs had moved on in life and so were not in any way active.

I also resumed watching the short animated feature Chi's Sweet Home which has episodes around the three to four minute part featuring the really cute and sweet cat.

It just felt right now my preference of profile description and avatar, confident in me.

Birthday Edition

Another year as I don't get any older really and it happens to be my birthday even if presently elsewhere so I've had to pre-prepare this post.

Everybody who reads this blog knows I love and need lego to play with and this set from the Lego Educational range comprises of wheel parts like axles, tires plus the baseplates and connectors to attach them to your lego.

This at a stroke expands the range of things I can just make and play with.

One thing I had mentioned was the shortfall of traditional bricks in my Classic starter set and getting some white bricks and baseplates.

I got twenty-five type #3001 white 2 by 4 bricks to go with them.

I also got twenty-five type #3001 red coloured bricks as they're handy for building structures with.

As mentioned in February I had been updating some of my earlier Status Quo cd's and this one in the double deluxe series has the 1975 live EP which charted with Roll Over, Lay Down and a version of The Doors Roadside Blues added which my original lacks which was the home of the much mocked #1 single Down Down.

Thunder were a British blues influenced hard rock band I followed in the early to mid Nineteen Nineties the original mixture of lp and cd format albums disappeared a good many years ago so I was pleased to get this Greatest Hits set on two discs with some hard to find bonus material on a third disc. 
It has all their singles on it plus a few choice lp tracks too.

Finally a box set that has the first four Def Leppard albums, a live show from 1983, a rarities disc and the "Getcha Rocks Off" EP in 3 inch cd form that covers 1979-1987 quite well.
Def Leppard were a heavy metal band I loved during this era, probably mentioned it at some point, and this is just the ticket for me.

Birthday edition

It was my birthday two days ago in the present into past life I live as this adult in law in all other respects a child it is not that surprising that parts of my birthday are just as you might of expected them to of been when I was younger by date of birth.
I still watch children's programs some different than I did back when I could sing along to "Remember you're a womble" and some that actually still run one of which as you know is my favourite all time program, Blue Peter. 

I might of mentioned I have a many of the books I was given from the late sixties up to the early 1990's for Christmas that I then bought myself but as anyone around that time knows, there were a number of years where they were not issued such as in 1986, 1990 and 1993 through 1998.
Typically they had accounts of the main features on the show, overseas trips with pictures and the 'makes' - things made from paper, card recycled bits and bobs not forgetting the sticky back plastic - of the previous 12 months.
That means some of things I remember by way of the 'makes' such as Tracy Island one of the 1990's featuring locally born Anthea Turner were never documented and as I don't have books 1 through 4 and from 28 onwards there are gaps.
This book with its forward from Valerie came out on the back of last years 60th anniversary covers many of the such as the classic Advent Crown and yes Tracy Island too!
It has suitably old-fashioned feel too it.
For some reason I didn't get that at Christmas so it kind of makes up for it.

The year 2008 that in this blog is only covered by some of my recently imported photography centred posts saw the 50th anniversary and the then recently sacked producer Richard Marson wrote a book giving an impression from what being inside the program making team of what making the show, the challenges of the live segments, filming and so on was like.
For someone like me this kind of book is of interest as the only show I can recall watching about making it was the November 4th 1974 Blue Peter show that explained camera work and the studio side.

Coming out during the same year, Biddy Baxter who played a big part in making the show what it was (and is) wrote an introduction to this book and selected the letters sent to the show by viewers.
Letters as the ten year old me recalls were a big thing about the show because it was how we interacted with it and was a main route by which you earned your badges so it reflects very much what we felt about the programs and our interests at the time.
It also has some letters from adults too as sometimes the show caused controversy like how in 1969 Peter Purves showed men caring for baby Daniel by being doing so and some adults actually thought he should of been doing an adventure instead with Valerie Singleton doing that as she was a woman!
Thank goodness as a society we've moved on from such attitudes!!!

I also had some money that will help pay for some bits for my new digital photography kit I mentioned a few weeks ago.

Birthday Boy

Birthdays are both a important part of your social life as a boy because you often have friends over for tea and some kind of games such as pass the parcel, board games or maybe a kick about.
They came be awkward too for those family members who you don't really get on with but nonetheless mommy and daddy have invited least they be offended or for what I tend to call the wrong kind of presents.
They can be things you all ready have so are pretty boring, things that if they truly knew me they'd know I just don't like but cos maybe most boys do they assume I'm the same or if they're clothes they tend to be miles too big cos I'm small for my age.

I like teddy bears and oddly enough for a boy dolls although I do like models and music and this year I have some cds seeing it was my actual birthday a few days ago plus I love birthday cake to share.
I like to read and had this book which may be for girls but I like the whole series anyway.

Something that's a bit awkward is birthday focus peoples minds on your age and how you have developed especially if they haven't seen you for a while. The thing with me is I haven't much because of how I am so I don't have what adults call milestones outside of stuff connected with school like tests and exams so I am still a little boy except I'm taller and maybe weigh a bit more than I did.
It's kind of fitting then I tidy myself up and wear my shorts on my day as that's still me.