I found my Rickenbacker catalog from 1978 the other day, and thus realized that I've been interested in Ricks for...33 years. I was a junior in high school when a friend of mine asked me along to go pick up his brand new black Rick 320 from Melody Music in Denver. Had never heard of Rickenbackers...he was, and still is, the most knowledgeable person I've ever met vis a vis The Beatles. But he also introduced me to The Jam, for which I am forever grateful.

Anyway, I spent the summer of '78 in Boulder dreaming about getting a red 330 just like Paul Weller, which I eventually did. Everyone else was listening to Meat Loaf and I was listening to 'This is the Modern World'. I really have enjoyed Rickenbackers over the last 33 years. Obsessed? Sure. Therapy? Court-ordered! Just kidding.

I think it was hearing 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light' last night that triggered this reminiscing.

Anyone who listened to Meatloaf's "Bat Out Of Hell" album, would have enjoyed hearing Kasim Sulton play a Rickenbacker 4001 on some of the songs.

_________________
Throw that piece of firewood where it belongs and get yourself a Rickenbacker!

Everyone in your area, circa 1978, primarily listened to Meat Loaf? I've heard a lot of stories about how everyone around that time was listening to Van Halen, Rush, Zeppelin, etc, but never Meat Loaf (Despite his record sales). Neither of my parents, or my in-laws, have ever mentioned him in their stories about the late seventies.

Do you own a Ric?

I had the 8 track of Meatloaf's BAT OUT OF HELL circa 1979 on constant rotation... I think Pink Floyd's THE WALL was likely more of an influence though...

Both album's feature RIC basses though...

_________________
Brian Morton
A Rickenbacker Fan in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
===============================
67 FG 625
74 JG 4000
76 JG 430
77 JG 620
77 JG 320
79 JG 4001
80 FG 620/12
81 BG 480
91 JG 610
02 BG 620

Amps -
78 TR7
83 TR25

I stayed at my grandparents in my hometown in Canada that summer and my cousin was playing 'Bat out of Hell' constantly. Then we'd get in the car and they'd be playing Meat Loaf. Better that than 'Grease' which they also played every five minutes. Just like today, you had to find the college radio station to find anything like The Jam. But it was great that the record store had so many British albums.

I didn't know that Meat's bassist played a Rick. Once I became aware of them I started noticing them. On the back of Deep Purple's Machine Head album I saw a Rick bass pic; Reckless Eric had a 320 or 325 on his album cover; etc. I also read 'The Man Who Gave the Beatles Away' that summer and there were plenty of Beatles pics in there with the 325.

I currently have a 4003s/5 bass; I've had two 330s in the past and also one of those 'tulip' guitars.

You can't even hear the Jam on college radio today. I never hear anything good on my college radio; plus their actual radio station is just NPR. All the music is played online.