John: Vinyl is history – records are memories . . . I know that the summer of 1961 was glorious NOT because I am familiar with weather statistics – but because Del Shannon’s Runaway was pumping out of the tannoy at the Lido in Skegness every day. I was only 9 years old back then, but I was already Hooked on Vinyl. And by the time I was 13 years old, l was walking round everywhere with the 1st Stones album tucked under my arm. That said more about me than anything else could. I lived and breathed that record! We went to parties in the 60’s. We’d pile the 45’s up on the Dansette – Bits and Pieces – 96 Tears – She’s Not There – Apache – You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling – each girl sat on a boys lap and snogged him till the record ended – then all the girls moved along one place. It was all innocent fun:- “who’ve I got now?” – the new girl plonked herself heavily onto my lap and went straight in for the snog – “oh no it’s the one with the moustache!” AND I’ve got to snog her for 4 minutes and 29 seconds. How do I know this? Because it’s the Animals House of the Rising Sun. By the end of the 60’s we were rolling up on album covers – I remember exactly where I was when I first heard the Crosby Stills and Nash album – at Honks flat in Ladbrooke Grove – listening to it now I can still smell the Nepalese Temple Balls – Far out. Vinyl is such a beautiful thing. Our record collections grew. Everyones living room had a stack of records leant up against the wall. It was like flipping through works of art. The Grateful Dead “AOXOMOXOA,” Alice Coltrane “PTAH THE EL DAOUD;” these weren’t just records to me, they were a spiritual guide, a mantra and an inspiration. When CDs came out we thought they were cool – but in retrospect they look and sound shite don’t they? They still have problems with skip ip ip ip ip ip ip ip ipping. The badly designed plastic covers crack and then fall to bits. And you can’t read a word on the insert without a microscope. Despite (so called) advances in the reproduction of sound – Vinyl is STILL the best way of listening to music. And my life is mapped out in those grooves. One thing’s for sure – I’ll NEVER sell my record collection . . . and that’s Vinyl!