Simon Dupree and the Big Sound: Kites

Inspired by Christmas on Earth Continued, it is time for me to show you the first single I ever bought, because I must have done so a few days after that happening happened. I still have the disc, though I don't own a turntable to play it on at the moment.

Kites was released in October 1967 and reached no. 9 in the chart the following month. So I suspect that I bought it with a Christmas record token - I have the amount of 7/6 in mind, but it was all a long time ago.

Simon Dupree and the Big Sound consisted largely of the three Shulman brothers, almost recruited Elton John as their keyboard player and later metamorphosed into the progressive rock band Gentle Giant.

All of which was pretty cool for a seven-year-old, I hope you will agree. Perhaps they put something in the school milk in those days?

My first LP was less cool: Band on the Run by Wings. I thought the title track and Jet were great singles when I was 13 - that is the age when you spin the dial after hearing a favourite track, hoping to find another station that is playing it so you can hear it again right away.

But it all sounded pretty tame by the time I sent it to a charity shop.