Pop!

Well, Rachel started it here

http://crowd-pleasers.blogspot.com/2010/11/pop-picking.html

so I'm going way back in time to my earliest pop memories. The following two records are the ones that first entered anything you could call pop conciousness in my life.

The first I obviously didn't learn from the radio, as it was released in 1961 (2 years before my birth). But in the house we had the single. There were about twelve 45s my little brother and I were allowed to play (never, never, touch the boys Beatles' collection!) and this was our favourite. The first picture shown on the YouTube clip is the actual single we had, and I can sing all the words of I won't go hunting with you Jake, but I'll go chasin' wimmin too. And look at that feminist spelling!

The song is Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean. Yes, it undoubtedly made us think of our big brother, who was not only a man in our eyes, he also answered fairly exactly the physical description given in the song. But that's not the main reason we loved it so; the song just resonated with us. Death and sacrifice? We were both at the Convent at the time. Though given the depth of the voice, perhaps it just resonated us.

Having just listened to it, I'd go out and buy it tomorrow. One thing I do remember is never really understanding the line about the cage and queen. I doubt the word Cajun had been heard in Great Britain in 1961. Certainly not in our house, anyway.

And the second? The first song I really remember from the radio, sitting on the central engine block in the cab of one of the cattle floats whilst being driven by Dad, John or Giovanni John (our Italian lorry driver). From 1971, Bridget the Midget by Ray Stevens, a number 2 in the UK that year. I think I thought the song could have been about me, or that I could have been a Shortcake. Hey, I was 8.

And listening to it again? Bloody awful really, and boy, can you hear the foetus of The Streak in there. Still, here it is.

Obviously, novelty records were pop for me in the earliest days...