Musical Memories of Peter Larwood

Early memory, but not going to assault your ears!

(1) Russ Conway, Rocking Horse Cowboy (1958)

Father strongly opposed to TV so no box in the corner until my Mother insisted and they rented and no record player until my grandfather bought them a radiogram. Elder sisters borrowed singles and I remember this one in particular.

(2) Del Shannon, Runaway (1961)

Then at school. I had bought a Dansette - mono but you could buy an add on second channel box to get stereo!!

(3) Unit 4 Plus 2, Concrete and Clay (1965)

Socialising in my mid late teens, Saturday morning was a youth club; table tennis and singing along with mates whilst one played the piano.

(4) The Animals, House of the Rising Sun (1964)

I heard Led Zeppelin for the first time at a friends 18th birthday. I lived 4 doors down and could have heard it from there. Led Zeppelin. 15m sales and about 170th best selling album.

(5) Led Zeppelin, Communication Breakdown (1969)

I went to Leeds University in 1970 and was greeted with a vibrant concert organisation and a big refectory. So getting the top groups was not a problem. First ear bashing during freshers weeks came courtesy of Deep Purple. They had released Deep Purple In Rock that year and they were very loud.

(6) Deep Purple, Speed King (1970)

I had not heard the Taste group before but following their breakup after the IOW festival 1970, Rory Gallagher went out under his name as a lead, plus bass and drums.He became a regular at Leeds. Rolled up sleeves on a lumberjack shirt, very little chat between songs - certainly in the early years - but a very capable performer on electric and acoustic guitars.. Died at 47 after complications following a liver transplant.

(7) Rory Gallagher, Laundromat (1971)

I really enjoyed punk. I was not a rebellious youth by any means but the stripped down nature of the music and a side of life that was so alien to my upbringing just did it for me. I could pick any number of tracks. All short and to the point!

(8) The Ramones, Teenage Lobotomy (1977)

At a show in London we were getting very restless waiting for the band to come on. Then a band member said the lead singer (Malcolm Owen) was unwell and they would play without him. He was dead shortly afterwards from heroin. One of many unable to deal with fame and in some cases fortune.

(9) The Ruts, Babylons Burning (1979)

At a show in London we were getting very restless waiting for the band to come on. Then a band member said the lead singer was unwell and they would play without him. He was dead shortly afterwards from heroin. One of many unable to deal with fame and in some cases fortune.

Still in the punk arena I really liked the Stranglers. In my opinion quite musical for a punk band and not as apparently angry as some others. Was that due to their Guildford upbringing?

(10) The Stranglers, Something Better Change (1977)

I have a long fondness for folk music. Another teenage social event -held on the first Friday of the month - was a ceilidh in Pinner, near where I lived in north west London. There was a singer or some other musical act to give us all a rest in the middle of the evening.

Additionally each Easter for many years I went away with a group of friends and most evenings were in some pub where the better singers lead the rest of us though various traditional folk songs. Somewhat later I met my first wife at a Ceilidh at Cecil Sharpe House.

We went to a lot of live music including to see The Oysterband. One particular occasion we got front row seats at the Farnham Maltings. For the encore they came down from the stage and played this without amplification. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise even now. It was like them performing in our front room. Unforgettable!!

(11) The Oysterband, Put out the Lights (1995)

The early sounds from Bob Dylan were certainly from folk roots. I did not feel the world as we know it had stopped when he went electric; don't most artists reinvent themselves along the way? Anyway from a huge back catalogue please enjoy my next choice. (It was recorded for the album Infidels but released later on a box set - Bootleg Series Vol 1 to 3)

(12) Bob Dylan, Blind Willie McTell (1997)

Now something a bit more British. Every region has there own folkie who comes good but I would like to include Bristols own. A song that leans very heavily on Simon and Garfunkels “The Boxer”.

(13) Fred Wedlock, The Folker (1971)

Very different were Boston. A big sound produced in the studio; and live shows, with plenty of lets say, “background assistance”. Released Sept 1976, from their first Album - imaginatively titled.

(14) Boston, More than a Feeling (1976)

I am a sucker for American rock music - well some of it! Next on my list - The Allman Brothers Band. One of many groups to suffer misfortune; some self afflicted of course. This is from their fourth album released 1973. Fabulous slide guitar.

(15) The Allman Brothers Band, Wasted Words (1973)

I first saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers supporting Dylan in 1987. My recollection is of a Dylan going through an “I am bored “ session. But I loved the easy sound of Petty. His voice is not to everyones taste but he sure has produced some great songs. Another recent death - from “a massive accidental overdose” . Sounds dubious to me.

This is cheating slightly because it was first recorded on Pett's solo album “Full Moon Fever“. The influence of Jeff Lynnes production is strong (Similarly the work by Travelling Wilburys). I listened to this CD twice and changed my mind a number of times ; I could have included any of seven of the twelve tracks very happily.

(16) Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Running down a Dream (1977)

I have never seen this guy live. I was introduced to Keb Mo as a well produced and recorded artist which I could use to help demonstrate the hifi products that I spent a fair part of my working career demonstrating. Of course enjoyment of music is subjective as my choices will have more than confirmed. So with demo music it was often the case to look for space and atmosphere as a test of the equipment

(17) Keb Mo, Tell Everybody I Know (1994)

I first saw Fleetwood Mac at The Marquee in the late 60s. Very bluesy of course in those days. And probably the last time I will see them was at the O2 three years ago.. A very different sound and a very different ticket price. I thought that would be the last time that Christine McVie would ever tour but she will be back for this latest tour. So many bands show their age of course but they were fantastic.

(18) Fleetwood Mac, Song Bird (1977)