Welcome to the 15th interview in our series, ‘Stories About Records’ where we ask our members and some of our favourite Djs about their most cherished 45.
This is not about perceived or discogs monetary value but personal value that is tied up in memories, stories, love, loss, life, family and a passion for this particular 7″ vinyl record.
We want to know what the record is, what it sounds like and why it is so important to you.
If you’re interested in being apart of this series drop us an email or sign up for our Newsletter to be informed when these wonderful stories drop.
Now to the interview and it’s great to present My Therapist from the UK.
Firstly, tell us about yourself as a Dj and Collector of 45s, how long have you been playing and collecting, why 45s, what was the first 45 you were given and also the first 45 you bought? Do you still have them?
To be honest, I feel a bit of poser in The Forty Five Kings as before joining the group, 45s weren’t a thing I necessarily looked out for.
When I started Djing and buying records in 2001, I would spend a day going up and down Berwick Street.
I bought a 45 as either that was the format a song I liked was released on when I was in the shop, or the only format a version of a song exists on, a B side that’s not on the album, or I don’t like the whole album, just the songs that happen to be on 45.
Or I was in a record shop and I was starting to get to know the labels and that’s what they had and I liked it and it was only £5 (ah those days!).
I disappeared into a world of digital music, discovering Serato in 2011.
I hadn’t bought too much vinyl for a few years until November 2019 and then lockdown, and at first I couldn’t stream my Serato sets so had to buy all the tunes I wanted to stream on vinyl.
With lockdown I feel I have been catching up with about 10 years of vinyl buying – as attested to by my postman!
During the first lockdown, I was competing on who could indulge in their chosen vices the most, with my flatmate who was buying A LOT of wine and my sister who was buying A LOT of clothes!
That said the first 45 I remember I bought myself was the “Green Cross Code” featuring David Prowse, which I got from a school fair was I was 7 years old.
I remembered it being a 10” record but looking at Discogs, it looks like it was only ever a 7” and must have seemed bigger because of my small hands (I’ve always had small hands).
Unfortunately I don’t still have it (the record I mean, I still have my small hands!).
There doesn’t seem to be a sound clip online but I remember it being very catchy to my 7 year old ears.
I’d like to buy it again for posterity and hear it again, but it looks harder to get than some early Dusty Donuts records.
If anyone has a copy please let me know as not even Discogs has it:
Whilst thinking of what to write in this section, I realised I’ve actually been playing 45s since I was 8 years old.
My mum bought my dad a Wurlizter Jukebox for his 40th birthday, filled with original 45s from the 50s and 60s, which me and my brother and sisters used to dance to all the time when we were very young.
The Jukebox was huge and the only space to keep it was at the bottom of the stairs right by where our front door was, so it was the first thing anyone saw when they came in the house.
We inspired a lot of people who came to the house to get jukeboxes of their own!
So I realise that’s when I first started paying attention to what tunes got people moving and I made sure I played those songs to them to get them dancing.
In 1991, as a 9 year old I was selecting 45s by Fats Domino, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jackie Wilson for people to dance to.
If you listen to some of my mixes, my music taste still seems to be quite informed by these early days.
I’m gutted we don’t have that jukebox anymore, and the 45s have also gone of course.
The most frequent song we played was my Dad’s favourite, “Little Egypt” by the Coasters.
So you can picture a 1 year old, 5 year old, 7 year old and 9 year old gleefully dancing unawares to a song about a man who’s in love with a burlesque dancer.
If you listen till the very end you’ll realise why it might be so entertaining to four young children.
The pandemic has been extremely beneficial for me.
I’ve started two online radio shows with Cutters Choice Radio (Mondays 4-6pm BST) and Brixton Radio (Wednesdays 4-6pm BST).
For Brixton Radio I usually do all vinyl sets and frequently 45s only.
When lockdown was lifted in the summer, I have been djing at a few bars and pubs and playing at Brixton Radio’s studios.
I’ve discovered the ease of taking a Magma bag of 45s with me rather than lugging a load of 12”s and LPs around and with the amount of stress I’m having connecting my laptop and Serato to different venue’s set-ups, I have realised 45s are definitely the way forward!
What is your most cherished 45? Why is it so important to you? What is it’s story (label, year, artist, musicians), where did it come from? Is the B-Side any good?
For Christmas 2018, the Beastie Boys book had just come out and my brother bought it for me as a Christmas present.
As well as the book he was very excited as he had also got me two early Beastie Boys 45s, “Fight For Your Right” and “She’s On It”.
He was more excited than I was about the records!
I got the feeling he thought they were perhaps rare and I was worried he might have overpaid for them.
He really wanted me to play them and hear them.
I regret to admit, I was actually quite ungrateful for the records.
They’re early Beastie Boys which I don’t particularly like.
Before my brother and my mum went home after Christmas, I begrudgingly put the records on at my brother’s insistence and even though I didn’t like the tunes, it was fun to listen to them together and see how much he was enjoying it.
So the tunes and artist are probably quite familiar to everyone and not much of a mystery.
Beastie Boys – She’s On It – (1985) Def Jam B Side – Slow and Low
Def Jam B Side – Slow and Low
Beastie Boys – Fight For Your Right (1987) Def Jam UK pressing
B Side – Time To Get Ill
On 26th July 2019 my younger brother unexpectedly died aged 34.
It is eerily strange and weird synchronicity for me that the Forty Five Kings group was set up on 24th July 2019, 2 days before.
I hope one day I get to enjoy the Forty Five Kings anniversary but for the foreseeable future, for me those days are going to be dedicated to my brother Sacha.
That day he gave me the Beastie Boys records was my last Christmas with him, and these records are the last presents that he ever gave me.
I have inherited his records, included in that are a handful of original Beatles 45s which I am not likely to ever part with, but these Beastie Boys records have transformed from unappreciated gifts to being, not just my most cherished records, but some of the most precious things I own in my life.
I will always have these records with me.
They are very much sealed and protected, and never get taken out except to take these photographs of them for this interview.
Thanks for reading my story.
My Therapist
I would just like to take a moment to thank My Therapist for this deep, emotional, heartfelt and precious interview. I had no idea when I received it how much it took him to write this story and get it to me to share with you. He had taken a long while to get it to me and now I know why. From me personally, I will always remember that you did this interview. My deepest thanks and condolences for the loss of Sacha.
Check out My Therapist’s Brand New Mix For The Forty Five Kings!!!!
Check out My Therapist’s Guest Set for our Coffee & Donuts Show from 19 December 2020
Find My Therapist at the following fine sites:
Souncloud
45 Raiders AV Set
Cutters Choice Radio Show, The Breakdown with My Therapist, every Monday 4-6pm GMT
https://mixlr.com/cutterschoiceradio
Brixton Radio Show, every Wednesday 4-6pm GMT