Mr Record Man

 

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For years I collected vinyl records mostly for the the quality music they provided. In later years I made hundreds of CD’s from the music on those records. Also, I used the records to DJ several events requiring music. Here’s my story.

 

 

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Mr Record Man

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I started collecting vinyl records in the mid 1980s after we moved to Bartlesville. Pam opened several booths in antique shops and we traveled all over looking for old stuff to sell in her shop which put us out there where the old vinyl records were to be found. I collected old rock, old country music, and anything else I ran across that looked interesting. I amassed a collection of approximately 20,000 33 1/3 rpm LP record albums and 40,000 45 rpm records while I was collecting, but I have since sold many of them after the year 2000 when I stopped collecting. I have kept a lot of the rarest records as it’s difficult for me to let them go.

 

 

 

When we were clogging, I was sometimes called Mr Record Man as I provided all the 45 rpm records we used for the clog routines we did. Many of them were difficult to find, but I had most of them at home in my collection. We all used Hilton adjustable speed turntables with built in 75 or 250 watt amplifiers and portable high quality speakers for our exhibition music systems. I provided 45 rpm records for the Trailblazers clog group, Miscues and the Cuties clog group, and Country Rhythm clog group, all three of which I was involved with starting and keeping running. I also provided my daughter Kristi with cassette tapes of clog music for the clog group she started in Stillwater while attending Oklahoma State University.

 

 

 

There’s a song by Willie Nelson called “Mr Record Man” that I used to listen to on the Honky Tonk juke boxes in Borger, Texas in the 1960’s. I really loved that 45 rpm record version of the song back then. Perhaps this is what stirred my interest in collecting records later in life. Pull it up on your music device and listen to it if you like country music.

 

Willie Nelson in 1965. Looks kind of weird in that suit and clean shaven. Mr Record Man was one of the songs he cut in that era.

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I often set up my portable sound system and played music for private parties with friends, wedding parties, birthday parties, playing music selected by the powers that be. On one occasion I set up on a large concrete slab next to Grand Lake in the early summer and had a bring your own booze country music outdoor dance. I guess everyone liked it because no one turned us in and we got pretty loud. I think everyone in the area joined us and had fun. Our group always found ways to have fun where ever we went.

 

The boys doing the “Fred Shuffle Dance” at Kristi and Carls wedding after party to “Keep Your Hands To Your Self” by the Georgia Satellites playing on my system on the table in back to the left. Mr Record Man (Me) is off to the left selecting the next record to play.

 

 

 

In the future, I will feature some of the rarer LP’s and 45’s that I have in my collection.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading Mr Record Man,
Bill