I would be interested in hearing about any memories you have of listening to JK's music. To me, it has a very definate sound, and my ears always prick-up when I hear one on TV or on the radio.

As a little lad in the 70's (born in '72) I was given a box of 7" singes to play on my hand-me-down Bush radiogram, and when I got to 'Everyones Gone To The Moon' it bought me to a halt. I had never heard anything like it before. When I flipped over to 'Summers Coming' I found my little sister had joined me and was listening intently. Both tracks remain in my 'top 10' of all time. Shortly after this I was given a K-Tel LP (20 Dynamic Hits) and the Weathermen track was my fave on that too. Had NO idea who they were. I remember trying to imagine what the singer of EGTTM looked like - in my mind I pictured a meloncholy gentleman who looked at life a little deeper and diferently to the average singer and they were nice thoughts to have whilst I played the record.

Anybody got any early JK musical memories they would like to share?

RT

PS. I was in Ukraine a couple of weeks ago and spent one day in the city competely evacuated after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 (special permission). As I walked along the totally deserted and overgrown streets, JK's words "Streets full of people, all alone
Rows full of houses, never home" popped into my head. A sad but enjoyable experience. If you wish, you can see a picture I took here: photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6334206

I remembered "Moon", but I was too young to register anything different, musically, about one act to another.
So, I have to say it was "Lazybones" for me in 1971 followed by St Cecilia.
I don`t remember my ears pricking up again to any JK work until Bubblerock, which I heard on DLT just after turning off a Genesis record, obviously knowing no connection whatsoever between the two.

For me the first encounter with JK's music(al vision) must have been "Seaside Shuffle", closely followed by "Loop Di Love".

I love Moon, but was a little too young to be aware of it at its release. The first JK single I bought was Una Paloma Blanca which I loved as a child and played to death. I'm not so enamoured with it as an adult. Sorry, JK, but I know Mart will understand! I'm actually a greater admirer of his current work- Plead Guilty, Riding a Reindeer etc.

I always admired JK as a broadcaster, but for me it was when he took charge of UK's Eurovision efforts in 1995, that I was able to form an objective opinion of his abilities. Eurovision is the only musical sphere at which I'm an expert. Of course, it was down to him that we won it in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves. His first attempt with Love City Groove was a "failure" finishing 10th. In this day and age that would be regarded as a triumph! Mention JK at the Eurovision and you won't hear a bad word about him.

My earliest JK experience was I guess in the mid 70's. My parents owned several of his singles and they got played a lot, particularly "Sugar Sugar". My Mum actually used to play the B' side of that one a lot as well... "Main Line Lady" I think it was called. "Johnny Reggae" especially made a big impression and provided much amusement and we'd all love dancing to "Its The Same Old Song". Ah... those were the days when the family would have musical evenings spinning discs together into the night and JK's music was a major part of that.

It was manna from heaven when the "Hit Millionaire" album came out. I still have that complete with the gold flexidisc. It was in that era I saw JK for the first time on TV promoting "One For Me, One For You" with that wig! So they're my earliest memories of JK. That's partly why I still enjoy the music today because it takes me back to a happier and simpler time when music was great fun.

Same here Anthony. Una Paloma Blanca was one of my first ever singles. I seem to recall it was released at the same time as another version of the song, but I'll be damned if I can remember it or whom the artist was. I'll have to do a google. It wasn't Wogan was it?

Chrissy, it was the George Baker Selection and was released on WB. I used to love there picture labels of palm trees!

As for JK it was also his version of Una Paloma Blanca which my mum had bought. I was fascinated that the b side In Praise Of UK which wasn't actually a song, just JK talking for a minute or so telling us how wonderful his record label was!

I did have a previous UK record release in Fattie Bum Bum by Carl Malcolm, not a record you could release today without people complaining about it I guess!!

I then started collecting UK releases, rather hard being a JK collector seeing as he never stuck to one name, or record label and one of his short instrumental pieces was used as a b side more than one with different titles!!