I was browsing my mind through some of the Singles of mine from days of old the other day and the thing that seemed to show up was the fact that I liked, and still do, long records.

Needless to say there are Albums of mine such as King Krimson and Pink Floyd which have tracks on them allowing you to start a track at Ashford and finish somewhere near Paris, but I’ll by-pass those!.

What attracted me to them, beside the fact I liked them of course, was the Record Players back in those days which said they could hold and automatically play 10 records usually didn’t, so being able to put a record on the turnstyle and sit down wasn’t missing too much.
Also, up to the mid 1960’s, all pop records seemed to be minus 3 minutes long, some I recall were less than 2 !

Some I had are; The House of the Rising Sun, American Pie, Hey Jude, MacArthur Park (anyone know what it’s about!!), Music, Stairway to Heaven, Riders on the Storm.

More recently, I guess Bat out of Hell was about the longest – and longer still if you got the Album version, over 10 minutes I think.

Because I’m an old miserable Git now, I can’t think of any very recent songs, released as singles that long, although I’m sure someone could put me right on that.

Back in the 60’s and 70’s a long record was one which would cause word to get round, “Have you heard Watsit by the Whoevers’, great record, 6mins 35 long.

Nowadays I have these songs put on to one CD and when I’ve finally worked out how to use my iPhone around 2018, I shall probably put them on that as well.
Long songs are for me something to get into, ‘go deep’ as we said back then.

There’s no harm in looking backwards and doesn’t every favourite song of yours have a background story to it?