After my Mum came home with Abbey Road and left it as a surprise on my bed for when I got in from school I became an insatiable Beatles nut. I actually started with their later albums and moved backwards to their earlier stuff. So after Abbey Road I bought what is known as the White album.
I had to save up for a few weeks using money from my chemist round. Delivering prescription drugs to sick people. I wonder if they still let teenagers do that. When I got the album home it looked so beautiful. all white with raised lettering. Four photographs of the band plus a big poster with snapshots on one side and lyrics on the other. The poster was censored cutting off a picture of John in the bath.
The music was just wonderful and would keep me entertained for years to come as I would alternate my favourite songs and sides. "Happiness is A Warm Gun" was the first one to grab me. Our neighbour (3AK DJ Graeme Boyd's wife) came over while I was playing that song and was convinced it had swear words and wouldn't stop going on about it. Still can't think which bit gave her that idea. "Back in the USSR" which became massive down the Rubber Soul. "Julia" "Martha My Dear" it just goes on and on. I even listened to Revolution 9 a few times but late at night I would find that too scary.
At the same time I'd picked up the Hunter Davies Beatles biography so this was the soundtrack to those summer days in Blackburn South. And because I had quite a shitty record player I missed whole pieces of music, particularly in Yer Blues. Even now when I hear it properly it gives me a jolt.
(This happened a lot with those mid-period Beatles albums.. my stereo didn't pick up bits particularly the start of Sgt Pepper where some of the lead singing was way in the background)
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