The Mad Platter Record Store

Hello future readers!

Well, now that school's out, (I'm gonna miss Miss LaSalle!),  and it's officially summer time, (YAY!), it's time to have fun doing the stuff I wanna do! Today, Lisa called and asked me if I wanted to go to the record store. Was she kidding? YES! I love going to the record store! Hmmm...I know I've talked about records before, but just in case there aren't any records in the future, (GASP!), I'd better give you a quick lesson.. Records are black, round vinyl discs that we listen to music on. There are 2 types, (well, there are 4, but a couple of them aren't around much anymore). Anyway there are 45s and LPs. A 45 is a small 7" record that has one song on each side. The reason it's called a "45" is because it spins around on your record player 45 times in one minute. An LP is a 12" record that spins 33 and 1/3 times around on your record player in a minute. "LP" stands for "long playing" because it has more songs each side. These are also called albums. Most albums have 5 or 6 songs on each side of the record, but sometimes there are more, sometimes less. 45s are cheaper, and that's usually all I can afford to buy, 'cos I only get 50 cents a week for my allowance. I've saved up $2.25, (I found a quarter in the couch cushions!), and my mom gave me $2 more, but I gotta help her wash her car tomorrow, and clean the bathroom. But hey, it's cool, 'cos there's more music for me! Anyway, Lisa came over and we walked to the record store together.

The Mad Platter record store has been in Springfield since the '50s. My mom says radio disc jockeys used to call records "platters", and that's where the store got its name. Cheryl and Robyn were there, too. Robyn was checking out some magazines, and Cheryl was listening to a "store copy" of a record to see if she wanted to buy it. I think it was "Saturday In The Park" by Chicago. (Hey, I have that record!)

Lisa told me she wanted to buy an album. I guess she had more money than I did. I looked through the 45s.  This morning I heard KC & The Sunshine Band on the radio. Their music is really far out so I wanted something they sing.

I saw Robyn checking out the posters. I wish I could have bought one, but my mom says I have enough posters on my walls. I guess maybe she's right.

Lisa and I wanted to check out the magazines. I spotted one with lotsa pictures and articles about David Cassidy! Outta site! Lisa has been into Tony DeFranco lately, so she found a magazine with him on the cover.

Well, Lisa found what she wanted, a Jackson 5 album and a magazine. I bought 2 45s, that David Cassidy magazine and a couple of blank tapes so I can record music off the radio. (it's much cheaper than buying the albums). When we left we saw Cheryl checking out the 8-track tapes, and Robyn was listening to a record she wanted to buy, "Love's Theme", (Hey! I have that  record, too!)

Lisa and I went back to my house. I played one of my new 45s "When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees, (I got that one out of the Used Records box!), and we were drooling over the pics in our magazines. I put one of my blank tapes in my tape recorder, and Lisa and I started singing. We don't sound like The Three Degrees, but we did alright.

I wanted to hear Lisa's Jackson 5 album, but she said she wanted to wait and play it at her house. That was OK, because I can always go over to her house and listen to it. We had a really groovy day. And the summer is just beginning!

Until next time future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman