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| Record man |
| This music enthusiast is the proud owner of more than 60,000 albums. |
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For music enthusiast, Ken Grose, there's nothing quite like good old 60's and 70's rock and roll. And there's no better way to listen to it than on vinyl. Today, Shirl's dropping in to check out Ken's record collection. And with 60,000 albums to look through, he's bound to find some that will bring back memories.
Ken Grose has been collecting records for about 15 years. He grew up listening to
rock 'n' roll, which is his favourite era of music. In fact, Ken's collection is predominantly made up of 60's and 70's rock.
It's hard to imagine how Ken keeps track of what he has and where it's stored. He has roughly classified his records into alphabetical order and decade/era, although he mainly relies on memory. Ken claims to have almost a photographic memory when it comes to music and his record collection. He knows what he has and where to find it, with little delay. He also knows a lot of history, facts and trivia related to the music industry.
Ken's favourite artists are The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (not to mention Skyhooks, of course). He buys these records through auctions, garage sales, over the net, and through opportunity shops. He has also been given records by friends. Ken won't say no to a record, and keeps almost every one he finds.
Many old albums and singles have been re-released on CD and cassette, but Ken still prefers the original record. He says the music is rehashed when transferred to CD and he'd rather have a few hiccups or occasional "scratchy" sound, to keep the music authentic.
To Ken, records are antiques, and there is nothing quite like owning an original or something in mint condition. Record collecting is his hobby, and he doubts he'll ever tire of it. There is an endless supply of records, and Ken knows his collection will never be complete.
There are some rare records in Ken's collection, including a 45 by The Who that was recorded before their rise to fame, when they were still called The High Numbers. He also has some rare Beatles recordings which were never officially released. Ken says, if you follow the history of many artists you'll find they played in lots of unheard of bands before their career took off. Ken has some of these "before they were stars" records in his collection.
It's not just the music that Ken loves, he also enjoys the record covers and the history behind them. He has several covers and songs in his collection that were banned in their time because they were considered too risque. One such cover features a picture of a naked John Lennon. Another banned cover was a group of nude women pictured on a Jimi Hendrix album. He has several autographed albums framed and displayed on the wall in his record room. Artists include Neil Diamond, the Sex Pistols and John Laws. And he hopes to add Shirl to his hall of fame!
Ken also has some of the songs that were banned when first released as they were considered inappropriate. These included Rolling Stones songs like "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Satisfaction" (which was banned from TV).
With 60,000 records, storage is an issue. Ken has boxes of records stored in an "attic" like cupboard. The rest, are on display in his record room, which is dedicated solely to Ken's record collection. The room is lined with open cupboards and the records are stored according to music styles, and then alphabetically. There is no furniture in the room so there is plenty of space for family and friends to dance and mingle, while listening to the records.
Ken says the record room is a great success with visitors of all ages. They love the great music and adults enjoy a glass of red wine while listening to their favourite songs. Ken's nine year old daughter also enjoys the room and often brings friends home to listen to records.
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More Info
Anyone with records they would like to sell or donate to Ken's collection please phone 0438 613 194.
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Disclaimer
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