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[NightRider]

This has been asked on many occasions on many forums...so why not ask again. If you can remember...which i can [img]style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif[/img]

I was always a music fan, from a youngster. Which i find very suprising considering the music that my Dad used to play. Classical and Country were ( and still are ) his passions as far as music went. Let me just say that neither inspired me that much.

The first Band i ever liked was Queen. They were the first 'music' that i ever bought. The single 'Sheer Heart Attack' and 'Spread Your Wings'. The latter still remains one of my all time favourite tracks by anyone.

In the summer of 1976 we had an uncle come and stay with us. I was a mere youngster at the time and i guess i looked up to him as he came across as pretty cool to my young eyes. Sam was really into music. Brought a couple of hundred tapes and around forty albums. He moved to the Midlands from Yorkshire and stayed with us until he got himself sorted.

He took to playing his tapes and LP's when my Dad was out...and i often sat and listened to the music with him. A very varied playlist....most of which i can't remember...except The Beatles ( which i had heard of ) and some guy called simply 'Elvis'.

The album he played one particular day was Elvis' Golden Records Vol 2. It was the late 60's re-issue. As soon as i heard it .. i was impressed. A big Hunk O' Love had me excited as hell. The whole album sounded so damn cool that i was an Elvis fan within minutes of him playing tha songs.

I then went into asking him all about Elvis. He wasn't a big fan...but thought Elvis was pretty cool. Luckily he had a few Tapes and singles. Even a tape of the LP he had just played and i was over the moon when he said that i could keep the tape.

I spend weeks playing that tape over and over. So much so , that i drove my parents nuts.

The next time Sam had his music on, i asked him what else he had. He played a few singles first ' In the Ghetto' and 'The Wonder Of You'.

(IMG:http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y36/NightRiderDesigns/0b89f79c.jpg)

They were so different from the other material he had played. And yet, still so damn cool at the same time.

It is safe to say that i was from that day a fan. I have never looked back. Spending every available penny on Elvis records. Elvis LP's were not that easy to find. The local music store had about 6 albums as i recall. I just picked the one with the coolest looking cover.

'From Elvis In Memphis' was the album that i came home with. I don't think i could have picked a better a better album had i known what was out there. This still remains probably my favourite Elvis studio album.

I still have that same copy. Its long since been stored in my loft....along with around 20 other LP's. Thats all that remains of my Vinyl Collection. The rest i sold when i started to cahnge over to CD's.

Every month i would go to the same store with my saved pocket money...and pick an Elvis album up.

As time passed. I used to get my Dad to drive me to Worcester - to bigger stores where they had more of a selection. And slowly but surely my collection started to build.

I am not sure how many albums i had when the very hard decision was reached to sell them. Something i had to do, if my CD collection was ever going to take off. A decision i regret a little now, but on the other hand, i would not have the Cd's that i do have , had i kept the Vinyl.

So, to finish, i would like to thank Sam. I haven't seen him for many years. But its down to him. Without his music i may never have discovered the greatest entertainer the world had ever seen.

Thanks Sam B)