My first records were 7" 45 RPM singles, the original format for Rock ’n’ Roll and Pop-Rock music. It was the music we heard on AM Top 40 radio in the very-early 60’s, and sold on 45’s for 49 cents apiece. The only albums in the house were my Mom's Ring Of Fire by Johnny Cash and Naughty But Nice by Pearl Bailey, and my Dad's Andy Williams Greatest Hits ("Moon River" still brings me to tears; a fantastic song by Henry Mancini).
Then the Surf and Frat Band (as it is now called by Rock ’n’ Roll historians) music explosion came along: Groups (as we called them, not Bands. Bands and Orchestras were what backed solo singers) that didn’t necessarily have singles: The Ventures, Dick Dale, The Astronauts (a Surf Group out of Colorado?!), The Kingsmen (who DID have a hit single---their Garage classic of "Louie Louie").
Then The Beach Boys---who married Surf guitar with Chuck Berry chord progressions and lyrical themes and Four Freshman vocal harmonies (at least at first. Brian Wilson quickly evolved into a master songwriter and arranger) became the biggest Group in the world (even in England), with Paul Revere & The Raiders and a few others like them trailing aways behind.
Then The Beatles and the other British Invasion Groups appeared out of nowhere, and EVERYTHING changed. Everybody bought Meet The Beatles, but by that time I already had a fair number of LP’s. My earliest LP’s were Chuck Berry’s Greatest Hits on Chess Records, Johnny Horton’s Greatest Hits ("North To Alaska") on Columbia (I joined The Columbia Records Music Club), Teen Beat by Sandy Nelson (an instrumental album by Nelson, an L.A. studio drummer), everything by The Astronauts and Ventures, same with The Beach Boys and Paul Revere & The Raiders (if you’re laughing, listen to their "Him Or Me". Fantastic Rock ’n’ Roll!).
