I had forgotten about this incident that happened fifty-five years ago but a post on Facebook brought the memories rushing back. My criminal past that had long been buried in the recesses of my brain have returned!

For the past few days since I watched that post guilt and shame have weighed heavily on my mind. You see the post was a YouTube video from the early 1960’s and featured the men’s chorus of the newly established University of Minnesota, Morris.

The musical group was directed by a gifted song writer and music arranger Mr. Ralph E. Williams. The college had been in existence for only two years when the choir members and their director decided they wanted to attend the Seattle World’s Fair.

Financial arrangements were secured and this fledgling choral group did just that. They traveled to Seattle and sang at the World’s Fair!

Now I missed that trip because at that particular time I was attempting to graduate from high school and being successful at that endeavor I quickly enrolled at UMM and left my Clinton Rocket years behind to become a proud UMM Cougar!

I loved to sing so it was natural that I would try out for the men’s chorus which was hurting for first tenors. Since my spindly five foot six inch body had not yet completed it’s journey through puberty my singing voice was still up in that first tenor range. So even though I wasn’t the most talented singer I was welcomed by the director and the handful of first tenors.

In 1964 New York City was hosting another World’s Fair. Again the Cougar’s men’s choir set their sights on traveling to New York and bringing some good old midwestern music to the Big Apple. I was especially excited because I had yet to experience travel out side of the state of Minnesota.

To raise money we taped one of our concerts performed in Edson Hall and from that tape cut a record. For you millennials a record was a flat, round plate-like object with a hole in the center and was made of a plastic vinyl. The record had grooves on its surface and when a metal needle passed over the grooves beautiful music exploded from the record player’s speakers. It was one of our greatest technologies in the 60’s! 🙂

Each choir member was given an abundant supply of records to bring back to their hometown to sell to the unsuspecting locals. The albums sold for the bargain price of $6! Who would have the heart to refuse purchasing one or even several records from a local young man trying to make his mark in the world, especially in New York City!

The marketing plan was a tremendous success and very quickly the cost of the train ride, hotel rooms a block off Time’s Square and a side trip to Washington D.C. were reached.

You are now probably wondering why I should be in such a guilt-ridden state as things seem pretty above board and legal at this point. Let me explain how I was accidently criminalized during this most exciting time in my life.

I don’t even remember the young man’s name now. I think his last name may have been Hanson or Hansen. You know how confusing spelling those Scandinavian names can be! He requested a record and I gladly agreed to get him one. Since I did not have a record with me at the time he paid me the $6 and I agreed to deliver it to him.

Well the spring quarter ended and in the confusion of moving back to my home I neglected to deliver the young man his record. It was not intentional I assure you.

I saved his record and stopped at his house several times but alas his parents shared he had moved on. Just think if this similar problem would have happened today delivering his record would have been a piece of cake as he would probably still be living at home with his parents. 😉

So as the years passed I often wondered if this ‘record-less’ friend misses that men’s chorus record that is rightfully his. Perhaps he is preparing a lawsuit as I’m typing this blog whereby he plans to regain the interest on his $6 investment as well as demanding thousands of dollars for pain and suffering.

If so I will have a surprise for him. You see I still have his record although the jacket is a little worse for wear. The scotch tape that I used to hold the jacket together is yellow and brittle. But the music is as sweet as ever!

And I even have a bonus for him. You see around twenty years ago I was snooping around an antique shop and came upon a large record collection. As I searched through the pile of vinyl I discovered an identical 1964 UMM men’s chorus record. How excited I was and the clerk thought I had lost it when he saw me dancing for joy in the record aisle. 🙂

So if some day I am confronted by Mr. Hanson or Mr. Hansen I will plead guilty to failing to deliver him his record. Then I will hire myself a really sharp lawyer and I think we will be able to persuade the ‘record-less’ guy to drop all charges when he discovers he will get two scotch taped record jackets and records for the price of one! 🙂

Once again this blog writing has allowed me to get things off my chest that have been weighing me down for years! I think I’m going to relax now and listen to that old UMM record for old time’s sake.

Oh, crap that means first I need to locate a record player doesn’t it? 🙁

Until next time.