This was posted a few weeks ago else where but its on topic.
I was given for my birthday one year the album Venus & Mars by Wings. It was a single vinyl record but it was in a double gatefold album, and the inner sleeve had a colourful graphic design on it too. Inside there were two large B&W poster plus two colourful stickers to put on...wherever really.
My best friend and I would often lend each other our vinyl record so that we could record them on to cassettes, which is what I did with this one. In fact he recorded two tapes, one for him and one for me. I left the album with him and I would collect it in a couple of days. I think it was the summer of 1976.
A couple of days later I went to collect the album and tape, and as I went round the back of my mates mums house, I saw his motor bike was outside, a blue Honda CB 175, which meant he was home. As I walked round to the door I had to pass the other side of his bike, and I noticed that he had the same two Venus & Mars stickers on the side panels of his Honda. Funny, I thought, he must have bought the album after all.
Anyway I went into the house, had a coffee, chewed the fat a bit then I asked if he recorded the album, he had, I said "why did you buy it"? "I didn't" says he. " "but you've got the stickers on your side panels" says I. Then I realised. He's only gone and knicked my stickers and put them on HIS bike. My gasted was flabbered! I could not believe his cheek, and quite frankly I was more than a little urinated off with him for it. Not only that he had put the two B&W posters up on his bedroom wall. Well I had them back a bit sharpish, still got them somewhere, but the stickers where buggered. He did apologise when he saw how upset I was, but I never let him forget it for over 30 years.
Anyway fast forward 33 &1/3 years, I was perusing the shelves of a British Heart foundation charity shop and low & behold there was a Venus and Mars album in vinyl. Not only that it was complete with the stickers and posters and the record and sleeve was in good nick too. £2.00 they wanted for it, I only snatched their hand off didn't I ? I paid the money and could not get out of the shop quick enough.
When I got home I phoned my mate, Wayne, and told him about it and we had a good laugh about it. I have the vinyl album here sitting next to me as I type this story. My best friend died last April of cancer 54 he was.
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