Reader Rich Horton began his record-collecting adventures with a pre-glam-rock stomper from Slade, then expanded his listening tastes out through the genres over the years. But like the rest of us, he still remembers The One That Got Away…
What was the first record that you bought?
“The first record I bought was Get Down And Get With It by Slade in 1972, from Tudor Records. It was a shop in Muswell Hill and I was nine years old.
Which artists and genres are you most interested in?
“In the 1960s, it was mainly The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Then, in the 70s, I got into all the glam bands (Queen, Mott The Hoople and Sparks). Then, after that, it was mainly punk and metal that I was interested in. Over the years, I discovered reggae and country. Then into the 90s, I got into the American alternative scene, then Britpop, Northern Soul and easy listening. I also worked in a London Club for 23 years, which broadened my musical tastes.”
How many records do you have?
“My collection consists of about 4,000 albums and 1,000 singles.”
What’s the most valuable record in your collection?
“That would have to be D’yer Mak’er by Led Zeppelin, the UK demo from 1973.”
What’s the Holy Grail record that you’d most like to own?
“I would love to own a copy of the Sex Pistols’ God Save The Queen on A&M. I nearly bought a copy in 1990 for £500…”
What’s your listening setup?
“I’ve actually got quite a basic setup – a Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10 amp and a Teac TN-200 deck.”