Baby, go ahead and rock the funk, it's alright -- could you just die when Sly showed up and played on the Grammys? (Yes, I was born in '67 and lived through the funk years. Adore. It.)

But where do you stand on Boy George? ;-)

I love that you verbed "Mastercard."

And I can chart my first purchases right along with you.

"Thriller" was my first cassette and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" was my first 45 (followed by "Like a Virgin"). That was before the Great Middle School Prince Binge. Ahh, the salad days. Now they're all on social security and wanted for various sex crimes. Sadness.

Laurie, you know I love you, truly, but sometimes you make me feel old. My 5 favorite artists, in no particular order:
Dire Straits
REO Speedwagon
Heart
Don McLean
um, some guy named Wolfie

Really, really old.

Oh, and I forgot Weird Al. Sorry, Al.

Of course we all liked Midnight Starr...but girl, here I am admitting to the world that on my ipod is: Night Ranger (Sister Christian), Silver Convention (Fly, Robin, Fly) Nick Glider and Time Machine (Hot Child on the City) Motley Crue (Smokin' in the Boys Room) and Kermit & Fozzie Bear (Movin' Right Along). I am truly lame. And I love it!

My first two 45's: Beatles' Hey Jude (actually purchased for the b-side Yellow Submarine); and Juice Newton's Queen of Heats.
First two LP's: the Fame TV Soundtrack; and Michael Jackson's Thriller.

OMIGOD. (1) I, too, love Poi Dog Pondering (especially Spending the Day in the Shirt That You Wore and Pulling Touch). How could you not love a band with lyrics like 'Are you the cup that I hold by the cheekful? I pull you close and I drink you up.' Sigh.

(2) Joan Jett & the Blackhearts was my first record, too! Except I didn't buy it. I won it at my afterschool daycare place. I think playing bingo, but the memory is hazy.

Put another dime in the jukebox, baby.

Oh, Poi Dog -- I'm gonna have to go home and play that album. I think I own 2 but one of them is decidedly better than the other.

Happy spring day in college music when you're out sipping a beer cause the sun is shining for the first time in months (went to college in Iowa, where this does happen).

First album ever purchased with my own money: Thriller. Yee haw!

First cassette -- Like a Virgin, I think.

First CD purchased -- Depeche Mode, Violator

Whee -- this is like an unintentional meme!

Lucia, you are NOT old. Old is ... the Monkees and the Stones (when a concert ticket was $6, not $600) and Paul Revere and the Raiders.

I am SO embarrassed!!!

(Still, Paul Revere rides in Rolling Thunder in Washington DC every year, and gives free concerts for the vets ... can't be ALL bad!)

Faith, I LOVE Sister Christian. You are not lame for loving that song -- it is magic!

Laurie, I can't wait til we exchange iTunes collections!!

I can't even remember my first 45 or 33. There's just always been music around me. Now that I'm all *grown up* (ha), my husband and sons have a rock/blues/punk/country band. They're legends in their own mind. Really.

And oh, thanks for the John Cougar mention. He'll always be John *Cougar*, not Mellanwhatchacallit, to moi.

Ha! All the Poi Dog fans come out of the closet. Toast and Jelly was my wake-up song through most of my 20s - you know when you have,/i> to get up to, oh, I don't know, go to work, but you were up way too late the night before and the caffeine won't brew fast enough. That 2 minute cheery number (almost) always did the trick.

*sigh*

I feel the same way about Frank Orall as you do about Bono.

Although I'd happily 'settle' for Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea. Ah, those rogueish hockey-stick-wielding Canadians!

My first cassette purchases were Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. And the first CD I ever bought was the Spin Doctors.

I will also confess that for a good two years of high school I was completely 100% obsessed with Pink Floyd. I owned every single one of their albums. Some of them twice.

I feel so old. My first record purchase was Elton John's Greatest Hits, my first 45 purchase was Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. I still LOVE that song.

OK...it's official...I am your OLDEST (older than dirt) blog fan. My first 45 was "Time is on My Side" by the Rolling Stones, which was followed by several Beatles singles such as "Eight Days a Week" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". ....rock on!

patti smith.

Hmmm. Guess I'll join the trend here. I cannot remember the first 45 as I tended to buy them in groups of ten or so. Nor can I remember the first cassette. I do remember the first LP was Steely Dan's Greatest Hits.

Oh, and you can never go wrong with Midnight Starr or Prince. Go ahead and throw a little Parliament in the mix.

Poi Dog Pondering....my favorite band-- EVER!! I live in Chicago, so I get to see them more often than most. I am sure I am over 30 concerts by now. My life's song is "Complicated"-- .."...gonna get it right this time".
Frank Orall was out to dinner at the same restaurant as me and a friend one time. We sent his table over drinks, he approached us to say "Thank you", and because I am so clever and witty, all I could mutter was "we're really big fans." Yeah, um, hello...Kathy Bates.

My first vinyl was Rick Springfield (Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet, and that still holds true!)

My first cassette was Thriller.....back when Michael was CUTE.

My first yarn was, sadly, Red Heart. Thank goodness we all grow up! :)

Three words: Bay City Rollers

Prince! I have glimpses of my self at about 85, sitting on my front porch listening to Lovesexy as loud as I can get it. I too have that undeniable funk gene. and I can never get enough Neil Finn and Crowded House.

First record ever purchased? The Jackson 5 debut lp. Michael and I share the same birthday, I am one year older and much less weird.

Not counting the gazillion and one "Read Along" records (...at the sound of the , turn the page...) which were purchased by my adoring family members, these are My Very First with My Very Own Money musical purchases:
The theme song to the TV show "The Greatest American Hero" was my first 45. (I think the song was called "Believe or not")
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was my first cassette.

First 45 was "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" Paul Simon. But I don't know where it came from, it was just always there.

My first record ever my own (i.e. didn't share with my brother) was "Mr & Mrs PacMan sing Christmas Hits." Or something...really...but that was a gift.

The first I ever spent hard cold cash on was "Thriller" (didn't everyone?) followed shortly by any and all the Prince and the Revolution that I could lay my hands on...

Then it was a big 80s blur...with Depeche Mode and The Cure playing lead roles...

I'm trying really hard, but it was during college in Santa Cruz, CA that I bought my first CD...those brain cells are dead, oh well.

Ur, um, talk about old - my first 45 was the Beatles singing "My Bonnie." 1963. Age 6. I was a young rocker. First LP? "More of the Monkees," followed inexplicably by the Steve Miller Band "Brave New World" (1968 release).

But Purl, if you like funk (and who can blame you!) You must check out the Meters. They were the predecessors to the Neville Brothers. Anyway, any of their early stuff, like "Looka Pi-Pi" and "Rejuevenation" are Funk Personified. And let us not forget Parliment's "Mothership Connection."

I must stop. Former College Radio DJs should NOT be allowed to rant about music. It gets ugly so fast. Before you know it, I'll be trying to convince you all to listen to The Residents.... Actually, speaking of Funk, they did a great cover of James Brown. Okay, I have to stop now. I AM raving.....

The first CD's I ever bought were:

Snow - 12 Inches Of Snow (shame...so much shame)
Spin Doctors - Pocket Full of Kryptonite (Still listen to weekly)
The Doors - Greatest Hits (which I got signed by Ray Manzarek when he came to give a lecture at my college during the *ahem* one year that I was there).

The first TAPE I ever remember playing was an old Joe Walsh tape of my mom's, and Aerosmith's Toys In The Attic of my dad's. I don't recall the first one I ever bought, because I spent most of my formative years calling up the radio and making requests, then standing by the radio with fingers poised on the "record" button, waiting for them to play my songs. I made some kick-ass mixed tapes that way. :)

I love this place! I love your style!

I LOVE Prince. (Is he calling himself Prince again? Lord, I hope so.) My husband is embarrassed by this, but I honestly have never met a Prince song I didn't like. My first 45 I don't recall, but the first cassette that I purchased my own self was "1984" by Van Halen. My mother was so offended by that smoking cherub...and then she got a load of David Lee Roth. She would never admit it right out loud, but I know she was fond of him. Not that I blame her. How do I love Diamond Dave? Let me count the ways! But my biggest 80's musical crushes - I do love the Englishmen best of all - were Rick Astley and Julian Lennon. *sigh*

Ahem, step aside Lori (and put that walker away)...

MY first 45 was "Deadman's Curve" by the LETTERMEN. Or it could have been "Build Me Up, Buttercup" - which was so much fun to dance around to!

First album I purchsed was Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy. First CD I purchased was the Borodin Quartet playing Quartet's #1 & 4. I am old, dammnit.

Fav music has stayed constant, though - Joan Armatrading, The Pretenders, REM, U2, Paul Simon (I limped home, half stoned, listening to Graceland on my walkman more times than I'd like to remember - ah, NYC in the 80's - the Mudd Club - no cover... I'm drooling again...)

I don't think that the first music that you buy says anything about you - mostly because I won't admit to my first music purchases in polite company. I didn't blossom, musically, until high school. Everything before that is void.

I will admit, however, that the first music that I owned (beyond Disney 45s played on a Fisher Price record player) was The Beatles 20 Greatest Hits, a gift from my parents. At least I had a good foundation to build upon, even if my first forays into music were so bad as to be criminal.

Heh. My first 45 was When in Rome "The Promise" or something like that. For real. Followed by Cindy Lauper.

Ahhh...Joan Jett...I actually just saw her in concert (my friends and I were having a flashback night)...Sadly, She's in better shape than I am!

OMG. My first music purchase was "Thriller" on vinyl, followed a few years later by Dead or Alive's 12" single of "Brand New Lover". I still cherish my pristine vinyl copy of Blondie's "Heart of Glass" - got that in a box somewhere.

Aw, man, now I gotta jump in the Wayback Machine!

Hehehe years ago (I actually counted it out and now I'm having an old moment) Erin & I saw Poi Dog Pondering in Chicago on Thanksgiving.

Seriously seriously rocked.

And yeah music takes me everywhere.

:) My first purchase - Cher's "Half Breed". Loved that album. Along with The Hustle (a mix of disco songs - akin to K-Tel), and Tony DiFranco and the DiFranco family.

oh glory I'd have loved to see his reaction to that one...

:)

I don’t exactly remember my first musical purchase ever. I do remember listening to an eclectic mix of records on my yellow and green fisher price turn table as wee one, the Sesame Street Saturday Night Fever and Strawberry Shortcake were favorites, with the Carpenters and the Jackson Five close behind. I also remember my father having a short lived obsession with 8-tracks, mostly of the Elvis variety.

I faithfully bought all the New Kids on the Block (or NKOTB as true fans knew them) albums on cassette, but after I realized I was in fact not going to marry Joey McIntyre and have his babies I cut ties with the band. My first CD purchase I remember well. It was Blind Melon’s self titled album in 1992 shortly after I acquired my first CD player. I still own it and listen to it on occasion.

Gee, Mary in Tahoe, I too went to Uncle Charlie's Summer Camp. I did not make music purchases, too broke, and saving money to go to the Catalyst and drink beer, play pool. It was all about LIVE MUSIC. I honetsly do not remember my first music purchase. I had a revelation in my bf Jack's car when I first heard U2 in 1981. My first CD was Getz and Gilberto. For Valentines day I bought my ten-year-old Imogene Heap and my DH James Hunter. I love love love the funk. Makes me stay up all night!

First 45: Have You Never Been Mellow by Olivia Newton John

First LP: Charles Munch conducting the BSO playing the 5th Symphony of Beethoven & the 'Unfinished' Symphony of Schubert.

I am such a dork!

Where are the cat pictures?

My first was an 8-track as my older brother gave me his old stero and my first 8-tracks were Peter Framptom Comes Alive, Sgt.Peppers, Steve Miller, and a stray Kenny Rogers The Gambler that my mom had (I was like 6 and my bro was in high school) - many of my brother's selections were not real age approriate for a 6 year old and many songs were connected with pot and other drugs, free love, etc.

My first cassette was Duran Duran Rio and I still wish I had it!

Or does another Bad Habit begin to set up house and sleep in my bed?

Yes. I call this the "Whack-A-Mole of Vices." Smack one down and another will rear its head. Someday I'm just going to give up and stick with whatever I'm overindulging it at the time. I hope it's champagne.

My first album was The Monkees Greatest Hits, followed by one of those K-Tel collections - Music Machine or Dance Fever or something. Then, the best of Abba. I was a little precocious about pop music, because I had teenaged siblings. I got my first records before I started school.

MonkeyGurrl: Back in the day, my mom was a Cher look-alike-and-wannabe. Oh, the horror.

The software guy is gone. I was not his freak-a-zoid ;)

Hey -- all you fellow Michael Jackson fans, I forgot to mention ... "Off The Wall" changed my life!! I loved cute Michael. I really had an MJ thing there for a while....

The first LP I bought with my babysitting money was, and I deserve points just for admitting this, Leif Garrett. The first 45 was either Andy Gibb "Shadowdancing" or something from his brothers and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
Before that I amassed a fine collection of hand-me-downs from my older brothers that included Crosby,Stills & Nash, Three Dog Night, Derek & The Dominoes, and many other late 60's/early 70's favorites, which I still own. First CD purchased? Janes Addiction--Ritual De Lo Habitual. I was a late bloomer on the CD revolution and didn't own a player until I was 30.

Oh, and re: Lost? Sayid, you can torture me, anytime. Didn't get NO knitting done between 9 and 10 last nite!!!

I just love reading about everyone's dirty music past!

I was just thinking about this the other day. The first album I ever bought was Xanadu. I remember it distinctly because I had birthday money to spend and I wanted the record and some Barbie toy. Mom said I had to choose between them, so Xanadu it was. I remember feeling so grown up!

My first record purchase was Wham - Make it Big & Madonna's- Like a Virgin both in the same day! Oh how I loved George...and oh how I almost cried when his arrest finally proved to me that we would never be together. So sad my little Careless Whisper!

Your still watching MTV in the morning, aren't ya?

hehehehehe

Love and Laughter,
Amy

But what was your first 8-track? Mine?...the Eagles Hotel California and AC/DC Back in Black! ha ha

Oooo. Xanadu. Didn't buy the album. Just bought a couple of 45s from the album. Still have them too. hehe

Oh jeez. My first music purchase was a 45 of Donnie Osmond- Puppy Love. First LP the soundtrack of The Sting, love Scott Joplin LOL, bought that before it won the Oscar.

my first purchased album was Madonna's Like a Virgin. Still have it somewhere...
I grew up in Seattle. Grunge was something that grew on your backporch and was slippery until,what,1991?,then it was a musical genre. I was a freshman in college then. I wouldn't have been caught dead in flannel then no matter how dismal the weather. Of course now I have quite a bit of it,mostly to sleep in with cute little coffee cups and flamingos on them (not on the same pair though).
My grammar is really awful, I appologize.
Miss the pics of the cute kitties. are they sleeping on the job?

I love the way music takes you back - as long as your going back to a good place. Joan Jet was my first tape purchase, same album though. Me and my friend Mo, changed the words to "I love Lance Kerwin" We had a thing for him then - he was often at the corner liquer store playing the tempest machine. Hence the "put another quarter in the tempest machine" line.My very first album was the b-52's rock lobster, and the first concert was Boy George. Come swing with me Karma-karma-karma....

Nothing wrong with Funk, not a thing - -

Many years ago, I worked at a nuclear power plant with a guy who used to be the drummer for Wild Cherry ("Play That Funky Music, White Boy") - - TOO COOL!

I LOVE that funky music!

Hey child, I think I have Lori and Annie beat. My Aunt Mary bought me a portable record player and "P.S. I Love You" for Christmas one year, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I don't even know most of the artists you kids are talking about - although I have to admit, I did go to a Paul Revere and the Raiders concert. It was the biggest thing to ever hit Victoria, B.C. However, my first concert was THE BEATLES, back when they were "more popular than Jesus". My all time forever favourite - EmmyLou Harris.

First record bought - Tears for Fears "The Hurting" followed quickly by "Pougetry in Motion" by The Pouges.

...but did you listen to Bruce Willis's "The Return of Bruno" album?

I now have it on CD (and still listen to it).

How sad am I?

I loved the Return of Bruno!!!

The thrills, the chills. Cher, Barry Manilow, Shaun Cassidy, Captain & Tenille, but I redeemed myself with Queen: A Night at the Opera and the first album of Elton John's Greatest Hits, and KISS (that Rock & Roll over was a pretty damn good album)...I too really loved the soundtrack to The Sting and I still remember being at the record store and buying albums from groups I never heard of (but the album looked interesting and albums were 1/2 the cost of CDs at the time) and the clerk saying "oh, you're STILL buying vinyl??!??"

Since you're checking comments, any chance of you stitching or bitching tonite?

I will not be at snb tonight... I'm still at work. I need a clone.

Drew & Laurie - I don't have the Return of Bruno album, but I do have "Would You Like to Swing on a Star" and "Under the Boardwalk" downloaded on my iTunes.

I THINK my firt 45 was Kenny Rogers.
My first album ws WHAM! Make it big and Michael Jackson Thriller - both purchased at the same time with birthday money.

What a trip down memory lane! 45s! Kids today don't even know what they are. My first 45 -- "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. I was five years old and wanted to go to Studio 54 and be the youngest disco queen ever. Don't ask me how I even knew what Studio 54 was. I guess I was a precocious kid.

Oh no! If your first music purchase says something about you, then what does mine say about me--Bloodrock, the album, which I bought for the #1 hit, D.O.A.?

That would have been about 1974.

ABBA - the one band everyone secretly loved. You can tell by the popularity of "Momma Mia" (great show, highly recommend it).

Purl, you better get your red cheeks to SnB before you leave for Paris or I will NOT forgive you. And you don't wanna risk the wrath of a monkey scorned!

Or is it "Mamma Mia"?! Sorry. It's hard when you're known as "Monkey's Momma". . .

I was just asking my husband about his first 45 and LP a couple of days ago!!!

My first 45 (and I still have it) was Lipps' Inc.'s Funkytown and Who Shot JR? (from that show Dallas, remember??) from 1979.

My first 2 LP's (bought at the same time....I must have been LOADED) was Glass Houses by Billy Joel and the Michael Jackson album before Thriller....I can't remember the name now. He still looked like a normal black man on the cover!

I feel so OLD.............!

First record given to me: Andy Williams, Little Green Apples (I thought he was so handsome when I was in 2nd grade)

First record purchase: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young -- Deja Vu
Still love it.

NO.GOOD.MUSIC.SINCE.1985.
I'm just sayin is all.......

and bad habit breed like weeds....

Oooh, I loved that Midnight Starr song! I also love disco and am old enough to have actually danced to it in the 70's in actual discos. (Well, sort of discos. These were in Bay City, Michigan and also played Bob Seger.)

Oh, and the first record I ever had was "I'll Keep You Satisfied" by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, I think. But (this is weird) we didn't have a record player until I was in high school, so the first 45 I ever actually bought was "Band On The Run"/"Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" (double sided hit-the B side was my fave), by Wings, Paul McCartney's 70's band. First album was, I think, something by Todd Rundgren that had "We Gotta Get You A Woman" on it.

First cassette: Bread Greatest Hits (my mom bought it for me - I hated it)
First gift cassette: Boy George
First vinyl I bought for myself: Barry Manilow (who I bought every album until he went show tunes)
Top five albums for the deserted island:
Annie Lennox - Diva
Prince - Purple Rain
Seal - all of them (I'm counting them as one since it's my list)
Counting Crows - Films about Ghosts
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

cyndi lauper's "she's so unusual"

Oh gosh, gotta love that 80's music! There will never be another time like it, musically. Only the 80's could give us such gems as Kajagoogoo and Cyndi Lauper and Flock of Seagulls (c'mon admit you sang along everytime!) and Devo...Modern English...Def Leppard...Joan Jett...and Prince. Oh Prince.

I grew up in a tiny speck of a town close to the Canadian border--we were starved for music all of the time, so we listened to Canadian AM stations that played Canadian rock and Top 40 music. It was a beautiful beginning. I like to think that I would have been way more shallow in my future musical choices without that exposure to such a wide variety of music.

Having said that, I will still admit to purchasing both the Bee-Gees "Spirits Having Flown" and Andy Gibb "Shadow Dancing" at the same time, the first time I ever bought an album.

First cassette was "Thriller", though "Off The Wall"--still a fantastic album--was way better.

My first 45 was "Working My Way Back To You" by the Spinners!

Before that, I stole things from my older brothers, like Beatles, Cars, and various other stuff. I loved it ALL.

Isn't music great?

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the 80s! First cassette was Boy George with Karma Chameleon on it. Gotta love it. Can't remember what came after that but Night Ranger remains a favorite, along with Meatloaf (although he's not really 80's his he), the Outfield and Prince, always Prince. And as hard as it is to admit, I loved the hair bands. Man I miss the 80's! But not the hair. Or the fashion.

Laurie, you are a mere child. Feral Dustbunny, you are not alone alone in your musical evidence of decrepitude. My first album was Dr. Seuss stories being read aloud, then some years went by and I got the Monkees (still have it!). And Tom Jones’ “Green, Green Grass of Home.” And let’s not forget “Mystery Ship” (“ride, captain, ride!”) and “Brandy” (". . . wears a silver chain/Made of finest silver from the north of Spain . . .") One of my favorite childhood moments was when I was in my friend’s room listening to the radio and dancing with her and her four siblings. They decided to sing along with the song . . . it was The 5th Dimension's “Age of Aquarius.” But not one of them understood the words, and instead they sang “A-a-n-g-e-l-s’ Aquar-i-uuuummmm! Aquar-i-uuuum!”

first 45 - it was a gift- "Dirty Laundry" by Don Henley. my parents joined Columbia House back in the late 70's so I got Abba and Air Supply and Blondie. mmm Abba... still love them. and Duran Duran, of course. First I bought with my own money was Kenny G. But then I acquired my dad's cassette player and made my own off the radio- horrible but budget friendly. Didn't really start mega spending on music until I was in my late 20s- rebounding with single money :)

oh, meant to say, LOVED Midnight Starr- nothing to be ashamed of :)

Gotta’ say, your writing is great and the scary thing is, I follow exactly what you’re saying! Your cats are so adorable and I love the way you caption their looks with sayings because, after all, we all know cats can talk, they just don’t WANT to! How did the visit with the software guy go after you greeted him with the “I’ll be your freakazoid” line, or did you chicken out?

I don't know where my first comment went but I'll try again. Love your blog and I always smile when I read it!

My first 45 record was Get a Job, which could very well explain why I haven't cared for my jobs since. :) Then I bought There Goes my Baby and the rest is history, as they say.

Hey, my first comment is posted under "Tania" on 2/17 at 8:41a.m......have no idea how that happened...sorry, Tania.

Love! Your! Blog! Keep it going, gurl !!