| Subject: Re: Why? |
Author:
Mike C
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Date Posted: Wed April 23, 2008 11:10:04
In reply to:
Mark R. Deaver
's message, "Re: Why?" on Wed April 23, 2008 06:02:42
Mark, it's certainly the case that living standards were rising in the UK by the mid 1950s and that the working class was beginning to acquire disposable incomes for cars, fashion clothing, household appliances and records etc. Our then Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, uttered the words that have now gone down in history: "Let us be frank about it: most of our people have never had it so good". As deliverer in chief of the post-war economic miracle he became known as Supermac and won the 1959 general election with an easy majority. Talking of Ike, his live TV discussion with Eisenhower in 1959 was about the silliest and most ludicrous political pantomime I can remember - two old guys from a bygone era who seemed hopelessly out of touch to this fifteen year old.
We lived in social housing and I went out to work in 1960. My net weekly wage was about £4.25 Out of this I gave my mother £2 for board and lodging. In those days an LP was approx. £1. I took out hire purchase to buy a record player over several months and I bought my first LP - The Buddy Holly Story - from a mail order club in weekly instalments. My parents liked it so I had no problem playing it in our living room.
I'll tell you what - we really appreciated what we had in those days. I can still remember the feel and the smell of that LP - you can't do that to a file of downloaded music.
Fifties is best for me because it was the music of my formative years. The UK chart of 1957 must be the most varied and diverse of any year - definitely my favourite chart year. Even records I didn't particularly like then conjure up memories now.
But you Americans were so lucky with your local radio. It wasn't easy to find rock and roll on the BBC. I'm still catching up with some of the stuff from those days that was the staple diet for you guys.
Record stores, where you could hear stuff without having to buy it, were like temples. I don't remember anything like "buy nine get one free".
We didn't have much but we enjoyed what we had.
Mike
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