Today's guest is someone you may have seen her waltzing around Peppermint Park in just a nighty during the 90s. A Liverpudlian born, Norfolk raised, Hertfordshirian resident, a dreamer and a hippy. Ambitions of becoming both an astronaut and playing bass in a world famous rock band. Obsessed with planets, butternut squash, taking photos and drinking wine.
How did you find the experience of trying to whittle a lifetime of music down to just 10 songs? More importantly, did you enjoy it?
Every minute! Though frustrating at the same time. Enjoyably frustrating. Having a list of around twenty songs and having to decide 'Right, out of these two you can only have one. You're on an island... forever... which one is it...?' - the pressure! This is serious shit. I'm on an island! Music is like an extension of your soul, it develops your soul, your spirit, your behaviour, your mood, your mind... So you have all these songs that have partly contributed to creating and shaping the person you are today... which one to choose?! Enjoyable, fun, memory lane inducing, analytical frustration!
1) Love Me Two Times by The Doors
The intro, the 'boing-ness', the instant intoxicating intrigue... it's my favourite of all The Doors tunes and it makes me dance around my living room
When i was 14 there was a boy I loved who had one green eye and one blue eye. He made me a mix tape and on it was this song. He broke my heart when he ended up dating my neighbour and I cried myself to sleep for two weeks listening to this! When i was 28 I accidentally ended up back stage at a James gig and met the band. I told them about the boy with the blue eye and the green eye and how he was responsible for introducing me to their music. They very much liked this story.
This is just an amazing song that reminds me of dancing at parties as a young teenager. Specifically it reminds me of Joe Toll's 15th birthday party in his parents attic room when i got so drunk after consuming half a bottle of cider and half a bottle of vodka that I stumbled and fell down three flights of stairs and got caught at the bottom by the most popular boy at school. Cringe.
4) I Wonder by Rodríguez
Rodríguez was a musician back in the 60's whose career initially proved short lived and unsuccessful.&;Unbeknown to him however, his music was extremely successful and influential in South Africa where he was bigger than Elvis. I watched his documentary (Searching for Sugar Man) and was my soul was uplifted and inspired by his story. I love this song and everything this man represents.
It's powerful! Whenever I hear this tune blasting out I momentarily believe I'm a member of a world famous rock band!
I'm a space geek, obsessed with the universe and the stars and even have a favourite moon (Titan if you're interested). This song is very special to me, put as track one on a mix tape from a sea creature. I guess I'm just a girl, from another planet...
7) Parklife - Blur
This has so many memories for me... this is all about Joe Ludkin's house parties. The students of Wymondham College. Especially Sarah Rivett and Leah Morrison. We listened to the Parklife album on repeat doing headstands on chairs. Happy, happy days!
8) Penny Lane - The Beatles
I'm originally a Scouser, how could The Beatles not feature?! At school we used to sing this song in assembly! And my Dad was a fireman so I always thought of him when it came to the bit about 'On Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass, and in his pocket is a portrait of the queen, he likes to keep his fire engine clean, it's a clean machine...'
9) Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones
My Mum's favourite tune! It reminds me of her dancing around like a loon as she told me about her antics back in the 60's!
10) Don't Stop Me Now by Queen
Well come on, you're stuck on a desert island - this is the song EVERYONE wants to belt out and dance around to. You can not possibly feel anything other than ecstatically happy and a little bit lot hyperactive
whilst listening to!
Great list! I feel partly responsible for one of these entries, Anna; it was my N-Trance CD played to death at Joe Toll's party. I can remember buying the CD (one of two; the other was Pigbag - Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag) the morning of the party. I'll associate that song with that party for a very long time to come, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteLenny - that's awesome! I never knew that was your CD. Even just the opening notes of that song will make me happy eternally! :)
Delete