…or first legitimate rig. My first rig gifted to me by my grandfather…
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I also began my journey with a pair of Minimus 7 fed by an Optimus STA300. Both are still in use where they started as my desk top set.
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My very first (other than a Sears Silvertone fold-down record player with semi detached speakers that my parents bought us as kids) was a JVC compact receiver/turntable. I thought it was so cool because it had a 5-band equalizer built-in. Then freshman year of college, seeing all the other kids’ stereos, the bug bit hard. That following summer I got a job and bought my first component system - a Pioneer SX-727 receiver, Pioneer PL-12D turntable, and a pair of Cerwin-Vega bookshelves. My brother did the same thing that summer, but his was a Sansui integrated amp, an AR turntable and a pair of Bose 501s. While I liked my receiver fine, and I appreciated the non-bouncy-fiddly nature of my turntable compared to his, I think he ended up with the better system.
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I had the same exact player and had completely forgotten about it. Inherited also, from my uncle. It was a fantastic model of 50’s design - big, heavy and could take a beating. Like the cars of those days.
I used to play incessantly “Louie, Louie” by the Kingsmen and the early Beatles 45’s .
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Yes indeed. When he retired to Bradenton we were given the RCA and his 45’s. I don’t recall the majority of the 45s except one that was for training your parakeet.
Upon receiving the RCA player my brother and I hiked to the local F.W. Woolworh “Five and Dime” and picked up a stack of 45’s that included Nashville Cats, Wipe Out and as you mentioned Louie, Louie. Great fun, so a big hug and thank-you to grandpa for stating me out on my audio journey, and no I did not purchase a parakeet. We expanded our 45 collection with trips to the “Five and Dime” buying stacks of cut-outs at 39 cents for 10. Many were top 40 hits of the day rom WCFL or WLS radio. With time we upgraded to lPs from E.J. Korvettes, and Elmhurst’s Work Shop. The later clearly not Grandpa approved, being a typical head-shop of 1968.
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.“…except one that was for training your parakeet.”
My brother and I also rode our bikes to Woolworth’s, Korvettes, and W.T.Grants to score the latest pop tunes.
The strangest one I came across, by far, was this one. The cut on the “B” side was the “A” side cut, backwards… Oh, those wacky times.
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Yes, in the day of anything goes, and limited market research capabilities. What kept it interesting and fun was nay idea was a good idea regarding marketing. In music there was a certain novelty element or genre. Alvin and the Chipmunks comes to mind, as well as Clutch Cargo., possibly due to a less sophisticated or worldly public.
Sorry for the Hijack, Now back to our regularly scheduled programming…
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We listened to WLS when I was growing up in Peoria. We had no trouble pulling it in. I mostly remember Larry Lujak (sp?) and John “Records” Landecker. Or “Recordings” Landecker, when he was being faux-formal.
“Don’t be nervous
Don’t be rocky
You’re our teenage
Guest disc jockey now.”
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Love Peoria. Spent 5 years driving down there, from the southwest Chicago burbs, once a month in the Air National Guard. Great restaurant town.
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Here is one I found while visiting Decware when auditioning speakers, amplifiers and the like.
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When I was growing up, Peoria was far from a restaurant town. The places we had were good (like the legendary John’s BBQ), but they were very few and far between. The only pizza in town was at a couple of taverns like Agatucci’s or Lahood’s, or Davis Brothers Tap in East Peoria (rumored during my high school years of putting dog food on their pizza, something almost certainly not true). And the only “Chinese” restaurant in town was Chan’s Chop Suey, in the basement of a building on Main Street at the top of the bluff, not far from the Bradley University campus. We had one steakhouse, the Lariat Club, and the rest were diners and early fast food - McD’s, KFC, Sandy’s (a local forerunner of Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr) and Steak ‘n’ Shake. If someone wanted to go on a fancy date, they’d go to the restaurant at Jumer’s Castle Lodge, a tudor-style hotel on the west side. That was about it. The first of the fast-casual chains to come to town was Cheddars, but it didn’t last long.
But I will say you could always drive out of town a little bit and find decent places like the Sea Merchant in East Peoria, or one of the many small-town supper clubs that served chicken, steak and catfish. My parents had a favorite one whose name escapes me, on the riverfront north of town. They served beer in giant schooners.
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Ah, yes Jumer’s. Having studied in Champaign-Urbana, I still have memories of Jumer’s Castle Lodge. As I recall an abundance of Bavarian themes with an eye on the future state of Illinois gaming.
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