I moved a few months ago. The furniture is in place, walls have been painted and the flat screen is mounted. I really need to unpack these records, though - all 7,543 of them. If you were alive before the CD or iPod explosion, then owning records was once more than likely a major part of your life. Records became a part of mine during childhood. My mother used to get her Saturday morning Pine-Sol on, cleaning the house to the smooth sounds of Teddy Pendergrass, Aretha Franklin and Stephanie Mills. “Feel The Fire.” The turntable or record player - depending on how serious your people were about their music - didn't have continuous play, auto reverse, repeat or shuffle. Being the oldest child meant that I was in charge of turning albums over once a side ended. The music was good and album covers easily doubled as dustpans and conversation pieces in my house.
Album covers were an artist’s bio, music video and concert in one. They were the voice of each song. Do you remember New Edition’s Candy Girl album cover? What about Heatwave’s Too Hot To Handle or Def Leppard’s Pyromania? I wonder what ever happened to that white whicker chair featured on Al Green’s Still In Love With You album? That chair was a star in its own right. The King of Pop’s Thriller record proves just how important album covers were. I mean, Michael had 9 hits, and was still inspired to pose with a baby tiger to guarantee the wow factor? That’s commitment! The sender of this e-mail would never consider wearing bead-azzled white socks with black dress shoes, but Off The Wall’s cover art was off the chain.
Like most adults, my father imposed a strict rule, banning all “scratching and that jiggedy jiggedy stuff” on his turntable by the time I was 13. Parents just don’t understand. So I claimed my independence a few months later by buying my own stereo and Gemini turntable. I soon realized that older records had hidden gems, and suddenly, I was on my way. I got deep into collecting albums with the help of my uncle, parents and friend’s parents – all of whom gave or loaned me their records. That was 7,500 records ago.
Loaning records is a serious mater of trust, and my credit is well above average. I still maintain a batch of my friend Lauryn’s records separate from my own. My friend Sanford's father, Mr. Irwin, loaned me his Sly Stone and New Birth albums at one point. Sorry, I know it’s been 16 years, but I promise to get those back to you if you remove it from my record. From Das Efx to Dr. Dre, my friend Thembi’s father had an “OH…THAT’S WHERE THEY GOT THAT FROM” collection. Years later, I think I might be able to give his collection some real comp. Thembi's dad didn’t loan out his records, so I need to invite him over or find that pause tape I made at their house during Spring Break of ‘93 to be certain.
I got a call from an animated DJ Kid Capri one Monday. He wanted to know if it was true. He asked whether or not Kay Gee of Naughty By Nature had really dropped $45,000 the weekend prior. Apparently, Kay bought everything inside a Bronx record store. Everything except for the sign that read: THANK YOU, PLEASE COME AGAIN. Who could compete with that? A few years later, I called Kay, and played him a sample that I thought would fit his group, Next. We added some lyrics and vocals, and the result was “Whatever” by Ideal feat. Lil Mo. I love records. You never know which ones contain good ideas for a story, the basis of a new song, or a word to uplift your day.
Most of today’s records are corny, minus an occasional single. What happened to the album covers, artist’s zodiac signs, the 3D glasses, the P Funk cartoons, the bald lady on the Ohio Players album covers, the whicker chairs, detailed musician’s credits, the thought, and most of all, the overall statements? How many more generic head shots accompanied by an artist’s name in one of four possible fonts can we take? Let’s talk about it.
As for me, if I ever lose every red cent I’ll sell my CDs and be the guy on a friend’s couch, plotting my economic recovery with a cavalcade of 7,543 records nestled in my car parked out front.
SPECIAL THANKS
All that pursue their passion. Njeri for the Vanity record. Kay Gee for offering to loan me your Shaft In Africa album - that was big. Pete Rock, Gary Harris, Karen Durant, Salaam Remi, Da Beatminerz, Kid Capri, A Kid Called Roots, Timbaland, Joey Carvalho, Tone Legend, Lauryn Hill and countless record lovers that I've met.
© 2009 Kobie Brown. All rights reserved.
