This was my first vinyl record (at least I think so; Wings Band On The Run and ELO’s New World Record are other contenders) but I think Elton’s album was the first. Still have it and love it to this day.
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7" vinyl for this I think, at least with my ‘own’ pocket money.
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So long ago I’m not sure but think it was Rumours, what a way to start! I also remember hearing Sultans of Swing on the american chart show one saturday afternoon and found that Virgin Records in Bristol had ONE copy of the album tucked away in a dark corner. Hardly anyone had heard of Dire Straits over here. I have always loved that album, every track a winner!
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A quick look through the lps and it’s going to be a close tie between Clouds (Joni), Songs of Leonard Cohen, and Disraeli Gears. Where did my life go?
I do have older but mostly collected later or inherited.
That was my first pre-recorded cassette!
Purchased 3 others until realizing at age 12 that taping albums sounded much better
And my first vinyl lp
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What a great thread!
My first 7" was Madonna - Get into the groove.
First LP was The Eurythmics - Be yourself tonight.
Still got them both and still listen to them.
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Focus - Moving Waves.
I still have my very first LP purchase, but with no turntable I revisit this excellent release via CD.
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First single ( my Mum bought it for me):
The Kinks Dedicated Follower Of Fashion
I adored it, and she gave in.
(I’m unsure whether my brother or I had The Beatles’ She Loves You before this)
First album: This Is Soul
(I loved Stax/Volt/Atlantic)
Second album, a few months later: The Rock Machine Turns You On
And suddenly the world opened. I was amazed by The Byrds’ Dolphin Smile, Moondog, Spirit et al.
Then I heard John Peel, and also Pharoah Sanders on Mike Raven’s RnB show…and my mind went
** F L A S H ** - just like the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers!
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Who Are You - The Who at 11 years old heavily influenced by my parents bought in the original Virgin Records, Queens Road, Brighton.
The next two records I bought a couple of years later where completely my own taste
Black Uhuru - Black Uhuru
Gregory Isaacs - Crucial Cuts
Both on Virgin Records and bought either at Virgin or HMV, Churchill Square, Brighton.
Sadly I’ve lost, sold and destroyed a heartbreaking collection of LP’s during a misspent youth. I managed to keep hold of maybe 100 quite rare Reggae and Dance records mostly 12" singles then in the early 00’s my other half bought me a cheap USB record deck to transfer those and the rest is history.
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Coming full circle the first record bought to start off my collecting again was this
Larry Joseph and Science ft Fonda Rae, Leroy Burgess and Sharon Redd - Believe in Your Heart -
Smoking Records (1989)
An absolute Soulful House classic that I’d obviously been banging on about bought for me by my other half to accompany the USB deck.
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To my embarrassment- first single was:
Remember You’re A Womble" / “Bungo’s Birthday”
- Released: 29 March 1974
- Label: CBS (2241)
- Peak chart position: 3 (UK)
- Weeks in chart: 16 (UK)
- Format: 7" vinyl
I was 9 years old. Wasn’t even picture sleeve either!
First album was: Abba- the one with SOS on…
A very cathartic thread this one! 
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The first record I bought and paid for with my own pocket money; Wombling Songs by The Wombles.
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Interesting review from diskomo on Discogs:
Don’t let the roots of this album (children’s TV) fool you. It’s a great whimsical album by master /arranger/singer/songwriter Mike Batt together with some very capable session musicians, among them Chris Spedding. The songs feature delightful catchy harmonies. There’s some first- and some second-person narrative, some lyrics are even in the spirit of Lewis Carroll as The Wombles’ Warning just feels like the first verses of the Jabberwocky poem. Talking about “feeling”, the songs capture the particular feeling of the Wombles TV series perfectly. And it’s perfectly well that they keep in the same style throughout the album without trying the mix of different styles Batt tried on the following albums. Which also had their merits, I grant you that, but since this is a kind of an introductory debut album it couldn’t have been done any better. So whether you just want to re-capture a part of your youth or you’re a Mike Batt fan, there’s a fair chance you will at least like this album because the music and lyrics are not the throwaway garbage that was dished out for far too many children’s TV series, this is pure Mike Batt. Deceptively simple, maybe, but utterly entertaining and a testament to what you can accomplish if you take your subject (and your audience - in this case, younger folks as this album seems to have been geared at children when it came out) seriously. But like I said, the genius of Mike Batt is in every song.
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Fair play, not many would hold their hands up to that one, in defence, any band with Chris Spedding in can’t be all bad
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