42. Save Me – Aimee Mann (1999)

This song was originally written for the film ‘Magnolia’ (which incidentally was my mother’s favourite colour!) in 1999 by Aimee Man and I first heard it in an episode of ‘Cold Case’ about a year ago. Unfortunately this masterpiece was beaten to the 1999 Academy Award for best song by ‘You’ll Be In My Heart’ from Disney’s Tarzan written by Phil Collins, which is a total travesty – but hey there’s no accounting for taste is there? Rumour has it that Aimee man has allegedly introduced this number in live performances by saying that it is ‘The Song that lost an Oscar to Phil Collins and his cartoon monkey love song!’ which for me sums up the fact that there is NO JUSTICE in this world, but at least she can see the funny side and appears to be only mildly bitter.

I was trying to explain what this song was about to a friend and why I liked it so much in answer to her question ‘What Kind of songs do you like?’ and as I tried to explain that it was a great song and had such an important sentiment, my friend said that it sounded ‘very depressing’ to which I added that actually I thought it was a song of hope. The line ‘Save Me from the ranks of the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone’ sounds like an acknowledgement of the problem and as we all know once you have the problem you are halfway to the solution.

You will need to decide for yourself however.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6bnN-K11mI

41. Love Missile F1-11 – Sigue Sigue Sputnik (1986)

The excitement that surrounded ‘Sigue Sigue Sputnik’ in 1986 when the papers were saying that EMI had signed them for millions of pounds and that they were going to be massive was something no one could avoid hearing about. At the time I was at school (in the sixth form) in Leicester and was by that time listening more to Depeche Mode and Japan but I was intrigued to hear their first single and must admit I loved it as it raced up the charts in February!

I have only recently discovered that this song was produced by Georgio Moroder who worked with Japan on ‘Life in Tokyo,’ Donna Summer on ‘I Feel Love’ and Sparks on ‘Beat The Clock’ all of which are totally amazing pop singles and now listening to this again I can hear Georgio’s influence. There is something quite exciting about this record that I still enjoy to this day and now and again on the way home after a fun day at the office I play this!

Hope you enjoy it…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk30a0qsVIk

40. Moments of Pleasure – Kate Bush (1993)

‘Moments of Pleasure’ reminds me of my time in Hackney when we lived in a enormous flat just off Well Street in 1993.

Having come back from Leeds where I had been working at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 1993 and having nowhere to live, I moved into a flat in Hackney with my friend Ed and we lived there for a year before moving to Essex. The flat was a converted piano factory and we lived one floor down from the top floor in the biggest living space I have ever seen before or since. It had two huge bedrooms – mine had room for a double bed, a huge desk and chair a sofa, a massive wardrobe and a chest of drawers and the living room was easily 25ft by 20ft. The only odd thing was the pathetic kitchen and bathroom which were ridiculously small but that never seemed to matter at the time.

When we arrived I was busy trying to get a new agent (my previous agent and I didn’t really get on and had parted company) and get some further work as an actor. That year in Hackney was a wonderful one and Kerry came over often and best of all Ed brought his stereo, which had a very powerful amplifier and Mission speakers as well as a top class CD player. Music was very much a feature of our time there and above all we played ‘The Secrets Of the Beehive’ by David Sylvian, which has to be my absolute favourite album of all time most evenings as well as plenty of Depeche Mode.

I remember that one day I was alone in the flat and put ‘The Red Shoes’ by Kate Bush on the stereo. I recall it had been advertised on the television and the ad had a small section from ‘Moments of Pleasure’ within it and so I was keen to listen to that song having just brought it. As I played the song and listened to it, it started to snow and as we were pretty much on the top floor of the block I watched the snow falling on the courtyard beneath. Despite the fact that it was cold outside it was warm in the flat (it also had some of the biggest radiators that I had ever seen too) and I felt warm and cosy as I stood by the huge windows watching the snow fall beneath me. There is something about this song that seemed to encapsulate all I was feeling at the time and I have loved it ever since.

Listening to it now as I write this I am transported back to the living room of our flat in Hackney on that snowy day and it reminds me of that time….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5P0v0kGauc

39. The Other Side of Life – Japan (1979)

This song reminds me of Romford and working there for a year back in 1998.

At the time I had put my career as an actor on the back burner and had taken a job with Lloyds Stockbrokers in 1997 in London following which I moved to Romford where I worked for another city firm, which had an office on

St. Edward’s Way. As I was living in Loughton at the time I had to get the tube to Stratford and then get the train to Romford which was quite a long and tedious journey and so I invested in a Sony Walkman and recorded my favourite songs onto cassettes for the journey.

As I started working there in the winter and the mornings were dark and rainy (having had to get up earlier than usual to do the commute) I found myself making tapes of what I considered to be more soft and more harmonic songs and so this ended up on one of my ‘playlists’ as I began to listen again to music from the 1980s and play the songs that I had never listened to on these records previously. This was a firm favourite and as I sat listening to this on the way home for a brief moment I was transported back to the 1980s and buying ‘Quiet Life’ and listening to this for the first time.

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXC29KsLreA

38. Party Fears Two – The Associates (1982)

This is a record that I no longer have in my collection as I have worn it out by playing it so often! It is one of only two songs that this has happened to, the other being the 12 inch version of ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ by ‘Soft Cell which I also played so much I was forced to buy a second copy in the 1980s! With both songs I was very pleased to discover them as itunes files which (unlike vinyl) do not succumb to wear and tear!

This song also reminds me of my friend Adele who first played it at one of the parties I attended back in 1982 and the fun times I had at the time playing my music loud and hanging out with my new romantic friends. I can’t really put my finger on why I like this song so much, maybe it’s the drama of the music or operatic voice of Billy McKenzie or the fact that I have no idea what it is about, but it meant to be played loud and enjoyed and I hope you enjoy it to.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewiMdGXs3I0

37. La Calinda – Delius (1887)

As a lover of all music I am also a fan of classical music as well and am particularly fond of the ‘Florida Suite’ by Delius.

I first came across this when I was at east 15 drama school in 1989 and as part of our homework over the Christmas holidays we were required to research the history and times surrounding Oscar Wilde’s plays. Back then there was no Internet and so I went to the music library and asked for music recorded during the time and was given this. I listened to it on my stereo and loved it every since.

During one of our classes we were asked to share the music we had found and I handed the ‘Florida Suite’ to Michael Rowland (who was our music teacher and all round musical super talent) and we listened to it! Michael explained that Delius had written this work when a young man and it had not been ‘released’

(if that is the word) at the time and because of this some of the music had been re used in Delius’s opera ‘Koanga’ in 1904 which was a much more famous work at the time. This piece is from ‘Koanga’ and is slightly different to the music in the Florida Suite but remains one of my favourite pieces by Delius.

When Kerry was pregnant with Ophelia we played this music every day as well as ‘The Sinfonia Concertante’ by Mozart as we lay on the bed and watched our first baby grow and (eventually ‘move’) prior to her putting in an appearance! We hoped that playing her some great music would help her appreciate it when she grew up and whether or not you believe that playing music to unborn babies helps them develop musical talent she does play the violin.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oidFGDhPqI

36. Pinball Cha Cha – Yello (1982)

As you probably know by know I love ‘weird’ things and I loved this record from the first time I came across it. Back in 1982 I was going to a rehearsal for the Haymarket Youth Theatre with my friend Ed who had this on in his car. Naturally he was playing it very loudly and it is the kind of record that you just want to put on the stereo at max volume and dance to.

I remember that we were sharing the rehearsal rooms with Anthony Hopkins who was in Leicester rehearsing a play called ‘M. Butterfly’ prior to its West End debut and so the stage set was marked out on the floor and a few props were hanging around the place to help the actors. There was also a very loud music system that the sound guys were using hooked up to a cassette recorder and (in the same way as we listened to Tracy Chapman – Song No.4) we put this on and listened to this too.

Every time I hear it I am reminded of ‘Short Street’ and those rehearsals and I am pleased to say that my sons love it too and we often play this (along with ‘The Ace of Spades’ – Song 13) when we are alone in the car!!

Now listen to this song….

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=265Zn06TguA

35. Will You – Hazel O’Connor (1981)

‘Will You’ by Hazel O’Connor comes from the film ‘Breaking Glass’ where Hazel O’Connor plays an up and coming rock starlet and it is this song which is the one I most remember from the film.

In this day and age with video on demand and the ability to save various media as computer files, it seems bizarre to imagine a time when the video recorder was new, but when I first saw this film (alongside some ‘Gary Numan’ live music videos and horror films!) my friend Melanie had hired a ‘video player’ as well as the VHS video tapes themselves so she could have a few friends round on a rainy day to watch them. At that time a video was recorder was so expensive hardly anyone owned one!

Melanie (like myself) loved her music and was a whizz with technology and somehow managed to hook up the sound from the video recorder to the stereo and so we watched her Gary Numan video first (she was a massive fan of his!) before we sat down to watch the other films listening to the music through the speakers.

‘Breaking Glass’ is a truly great film, however as I have not seen it for 29 years maybe it might seem a little dated now but I loved the music and the story and I loved this song, particularly the saxophone solo which went on to be used in a Phillips Electric Razor advertisement so got a lot of airplay! 

Listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07sL2kjJqc4

34. Sinfonia Concertante – Mozart (2. Andante) (1779)

I have always been a fan of Michael Nyman ever since my friends Georgia and Rachel did a dance at east 15 to some of his music and having discovered that the wonderful music from the film ‘Drowning By Numbers’ was based on a few bars from Mozart’s ‘Sinfornia Concertante’ I decided to seek out the original and this is what I found - one of the most sublime and truly wonderful compositions from the great Mozart.

It was the film ‘Amadeus’ that first drew my attention to Mozart and his truly amazing talent. There is something very special about his music and the fact that he would just ‘knock up’ a symphony or an opera so quickly and so immaculately without any self doubt (and any corrections, if Peter Shaffer is to be believed!) simply enforces the notion that he was a truly exceptional composer. I love so much of Mozart’s music that I have a lot of in my collection but I love this work and this second movement from this work above all others. If you ever get a chance (if you haven’t already seen it) watch ‘Amadeus’ at the Theatre or the film and listen to this piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coy5jddKKAk

33. So Hard – Pet Shop Boys (1990)

This song always reminds me of my time in Yorkshire and more particularly

BBC Radio York. One of the great things about going to east 15 acting school in the late eighties/early nineties was the practice of sending the second year students to the school’s other building which was a Jacobean Mansion in a village called Sherriff Hutton close to Castle Howard.

Unfortunately the school no longer owns the building and it has passed back into private hands, however at the time it was still part of the school and the students lived in (in the haunted servants’ quarters at the top of the house!) and had a unique opportunity to practice some real ‘method’ acting without any of the distractions of London or anything else for that matter! In fact it was so remote the bus came only every other day!  

I spent the first term of the second year there and it was during that term that the school arranged for us to go to BBC Radio York to learn about radio technique. The BBC let us use their tape recorders and equipment and aided by BBC Radio York Breakfast DJ David Dunning (who was running the course) we recorded some improvised plays (which in retrospect are pretty hilarious) which were always great fun to do. On one of the sessions we were learning how to introduce records and this song was the first record that came to hand and so we practiced using it and at the end of the night David D game me a spare copy. I remember dancing to this in the Victorian Ballroom as well and even though it wasn’t a massive hit it is one of my favourite Pet Shop Boys songs.

Listen to the song…. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hjR1Y-iHuE&ob=av2nm

32. Big Hollow Man – Danielle Dax (1987)

The 80s were a fabulous time for me as I was growing up and tried so many new things and listened to so many different types of music and was a member of so many different youth theatre groups! Another group I was a member of was the Leicester Youth Theatre, which was run out of a building in Herrick Road and was a very odd group indeed. With them I appeared in ’Guys and Dolls’, which was great fun and another play called ‘Have’ by Julius Hay which was recently produced at the National. Once again I made many great friends there and it was with some of them (as well as some of my other friends) I was introduced to a venue called ‘The Fan Club’. Formerly ‘Leah’s Discotheque’, the Fan club became an alternative venue in Leicester for people who liked weird and wonderful music and dressing up and it was there that I first heard and danced to this record by the wonderful Danielle Dax.

The venue was very dark and had (if memory serves me well) black walls and a deliciously oppressive atmosphere, so in tune with the dark nature of the times and the music but this was juxtaposed by the marvellous outfits that some of the clients were wearing! Needless to say I bought my 12’ copy of ‘Big Hollow Man’ by Danielle Dax from Ainley’s Records on the following Saturday and am much distressed to find that it cannot be downloaded from itunes, however it is here on ‘You Tube’ for you to hear (should you so desire). Every time I hear it I am reminded of the Fan Club and my friends Barry, Andy (a.k.a Drew), Melanie, Mark, Kayt, Charlotte, Chris and my friends from the Leicester Youth Theatre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqhym59ypUI

31. Up Town Top Ranking – Althea and Donna (1977)

I remember watching this on Top of The Pops and thinking that this one of the grooviest things that I had ever heard but for some reason never bought the single.

I also remember the birth of a new craze called ‘skateboarding’ in 1977 as well, and I remember John Craven’s ‘Newsround’ coming to Leicester to Western Park (near where I lived) to film a segment for the programme on a skateboarding area that had been built in the park. I also recall a short film about skateboarding which was shown at the cinema alongside the main programme which showed a skateboard’s eye view of the ‘sport’ accompanied by this song! An odd choice indeed!

Many years later when the glorious internet came around and the likes of ‘You Tube’ and Itunes allowed me to listen again to things that I thought I would never hear or see again I sought out ‘Up Town Top Ranking’ and now play it regularly.

This is a truly great record…

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iD_qZ3hTDo

30. Rhythm Of Life – Sammy Davis Junior (Sweet Charity) (1969)

30. Rhythm Of Life – Sammy Davis Junior (Sweet Charity) (1969)

This song always reminds me of Nick Lowe (who is the son of Mick Lowe - who was the man who ran the Western Park Youth Theatre of which I was a member when I was a young lad!). Nick was also a member of that group and I also appeared in a production of ‘Grease’ with him in the latter part of the 1980s in Countersthorpe but that’s another story.

Before we did our first show for the group we needed to raise funds to hire the theatre, pay for the costumes etc and so Mick arranged for the group to do some paid shows at the local working men’s clubs. A great believer and fan of working men’s clubs (I am a member of one myself - although they are very sadly now in decline) we would often do our party pieces and a few showstoppers which I seem to recall were treated with enjoyment or extreme nonchalance by the audiences.

Nick’s party piece was to sing this song and I always enjoyed listening to him sing it as he is an amazing talent and always did it with such energy and enthusiasm. Every time I hear it I think of him but as he has made no recording I have to listen to this version of my ipod..

Hope you enjoy it…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SwvrTy0Ywo&playnext=1&list=PL60F1FAB5ADDFBEFA&index=34

29. Hounds of Love – Kate Bush (1985)

I remember where I was the first time I heard this song which was sitting in the living room of Mick Lowe’s house in Braunstone in Leicester at a table in the corner. It was a Thursday night and Marlene (Mick’s wife) was watching ‘Top of The Pops’ on the TV in the corner and Kate Bush came on to sing this song.

As I mentioned previously (see song 10. See You – Depeche Mode) Mick Lowe ran the Western Park Youth Theatre of which I was a member and I was round his house going through some aspects of the latest show and working on a plan at his dining table. Mick Lowe was a truly great man and his drive and energy as well as his massively positive outlook was an inspiration to many especially me. He encouraged me to sing and dance and act and gave me my love of the theatre, which ultimately resulted in my becoming an actor. As a lover of drama my eyes and ears were distracted from what we were doing and drawn to Kate Bush singing ‘The Hounds of Love’ on TOTP. Needless to say I bought the record on Saturday….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pevv1mTu3qM

28. Waiting For My Real Life to Begin – Colin Hay (1994)

Colin Hay is from Australia and is perhaps most famous for being in the band ‘Men At Work’ who gave us the massive hit ‘Down Under’ in the 1980s.

I first heard this song in an episode of the US TV series ‘Brothers and Sisters’ during one of those scenes at the end of the programme where they show various things happening to resolve the issues of the episode (as a type of ‘Deus Ex Machina’ resolution concept) which they do so well in American TV shows and so badly in ours (‘Coronation Street’ being a particularly bad example). It has also been used in various US TV series including ‘Scrubs’ so I understand as well.

Colin’s voice has a wonderful quality that makes his music very appealing and this simple song played just with his guitar reminds me of how effective a truly great lyric, great voice and single instrument can sound when you have the ‘right’ song and the right message. I have this on my ipod and play it regularly. There is no video to speak of but you can listen using the link below…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4tcRlHY-3Q

27. Ca Plane Pour Moi – Plastic Bertrand (1978)

There are some records that are so truly awesome that they transcend the barriers of language and style and this song is definitely one of them! I remember watching this on Top of The Pops in 1978 and then immediately going down to Lewis’s to get my copy, which I still have today.

The very idea that the French who had given us wine and cheeses and the Renault could do ‘punk’ was just too much for me and I was immediately hooked!

As it turned out Plastic Bertrand was from Belgium anyhow and so along with Jacques Brel Belgium and the road to London Belgium has given us three useful things!

To this day I have no idea what this song is about but I love its energy and drive and was reunited with it when Clark’s used it in one of their adverts for shoes!

If this doesn’t bring a smile to your face you’re already dead….

Enjoy…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PITnJAnmjqw

26. I’ll Find My Way Home – Jon and Vangelis (1981)

This song was a hit at Christmas 1981 and was in the charts at the same time as ‘One of Us’ by Abba and ‘Wild is the Wind’ by David Bowie two other songs that I am also very keen on. As a result of this it always seems like a Christmas song to me and so I often include it on my itunes Christmas playlist!

In Dec 1981 I was a thirteen year old and a keen lover of the pop charts and would always listen to the radio in my bedroom on a Sunday evening to hear the latest songs and I can distinctly remember hearing this then. It was bitterly cold in my parents’ house even with the central heating on at full power and as a result of this my mother would often go to bed in her nightie, dressing gown, thick socks and a balaclava! Although this sounds ridiculous it is true! She also had an electric blanket as well but was still cold! As a compromise I had a paraffin heater in my room and I can remember the very distinctive smell of paraffin and watching the blue flame flicker in the dark as liked to lie on the bed and listen to the radio with the light turned low as I liked to listen to my music unencumbered by the harsh light of the 100 watt bulb in the room! Although we were into the 1980s the rise of purely electronic music was only lust starting and I remember being very excited by some of the sounds and textures that Vangelis (previously famous for giving us the theme from ‘Chariots of Fire’) had managed to weave into this song and in his other music as well.

I have this on my ipod today and play it regularly….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Y3m7fisOU

25. Should I Stay – Gabrielle (2001)

I am listening to this song as I write and it always reminds me of a special day in my life – 24^th September 2001. I know exactly where I was that day and what I was doing. I was in hospital in Harlow.

Some 13 days before the world had been changed forever by the shocking and distressing attack on the World trade centre in New York. An event, which made Kerry and myself, wonder what kind of world we were bringing our daughter into. The whole world had been plunged into chaos and friends of friends and people I spoke to in New York where in shock. The news was filled with horrific images and nothing seemed like it would ever be the same again.

Kerry went into labour on a Sunday night and Ophelia was born after a staggering 23 hours of labour on 24^th September! As Ophelia or Phillie as we call her was our first baby we had no idea what to expect so assuming it wouldn’t take too long we only took a handful of CDs to play in the delivery room.

Along with ‘The Secrets of the Beehive’ by David Sylvian we had a copy of ‘Rise’ by Gabrielle and so we played them. As this was relatively new at the time we played ‘Rise’ a number of times and particularly loved this song. Maybe it’s the sound at the opening that sounds like the heart monitor or the lyrics which seem to draw you in but we played this particular song a lot during that 23 hours and so it will forever be associated with what was one of the most positive moments in my life – the birth of my daughter. ‘Rise’ is now known as ‘Phillie’ music and whenever I hear it reminds me of my baby…..

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52F6yjjprfI

24. No Regrets – The Walker Brothers (1975)

As ‘Wuthering Heights’ was the first single I bought when I was 10 this was the first song I downloaded from the Internet and onto my ipod in December 2007 when I was 39! As a result it is (I suppose) the computer equivalent of the first record I bought and as such deserves a mention. It is also another great song!

I have always been a bit of a Scott Walker fan since Marc Almond did a few covers of his songs on his ‘Untitled’ album and I sought out the originals from where I discovered the rich tones and diverse style of his work.

Scott Walker has a fabulous voice and even now sounds fantastic on the stereo or in the headphones (I must admit I love ‘Bat for Lashes’ and have the song that Scott recorded with Natasha on her latest album ‘The Big Sleep’ recently).

In December 2007, I was lying in bed with the most terrible flu and chest infection over Christmas and was unable to move from my bed. I could not even summon up the energy to venture downstairs for Christmas dinner (and some champagne) but I did have the lovely new ipod that Kerry had bought me and as I sat up in bed and loaded the itunes software I found myself thinking how much I loved this song, how I did not have it anywhere in my collection and if it were true that itunes pretty much had anything you could ever want maybe I should find it and download it. That is precisely what I did and 79p later (only 4p more than I had paid for my first record some 29 years earlier) I was listening to ‘No Regrets’.

Hope you like listening to it as well….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7PuSl7AbUo

23. Here’s Where The Story Ends – Tin Tin Out with Shelly Nelson (1997)

As I write my song choices down it’s beginning to become more apparent that certain songs not only remind me of places and memories but often people.

This song reminds me of a girl I worked with and sat opposite when I worked at Lloyds Bank Stockbrokers back in 1997 – her name is Paula.

With my acting career in a slump I was offered a job with Lloyds on a temporary basis and I started in the summer of 1997 when I was 29 years old, however the majority of the rest of the team (with the exception some of the management) were all in their twenties or younger so I was working with a young and exciting crowd! Paula was great fun to sit opposite and I had a wonderful time working there with her and alongside a number of other wonderful friends that I came to know and love during my year there. As the work was sometimes tedious I would often sing along and so I found myself singing this song one day as I was stapling Crest transfer forms and share certificates together. I had heard it on the radio and had it on a CD at home and it was a song that both Kerry and I loved and so naturally it was on my mind as I worked. Paula leaned over the desk as I was singing it quietly and said ‘I hate that song – stop singing it!’ and so I did!

To this day I don’t know why Paula hated that song so much and whether it was a taste thing or whether it reminded her of something and maybe one day I will find out but every time I listen to it I can’t help but be reminded of Lloyds, the fun times I had there and Paula telling me to ‘stop singing!’

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDz7I5KshHE

22. That Same Old Feeling – Pickettywitch (1970)

My Auntie Shelia lived in a maisonette on the St. Matthew’s estate in Leicester until she moved nearer to New Parks, which was nearer to us in 1979. In the late sixties and early seventies the St. Matthew’s estate (which was a typical 60s ‘High Rise’ living type of development) was a pleasant place to live and Sheila’s balcony looked down over the communal concrete courtyard where washing blew in the wind on a sunny day.

My mother and her sister were very close and we would often visit her home and on these visits we often switch on the record player and play music from my auntie’s extensive record collection. A life long lover of Jim Reeves she had a number of his LPs but it was her collection of singles that I loved the most.

She probably had over 100 and most of them were by well-known bands of the sixties however she did not have any Beatles records! She had a number of songs by Herman’s Hermits and others by Nancy Sinatra and The Seekers. Most of these singles were in brightly coloured sleeves which bore the names of the records labels (no picture sleeves in those days) and I remember Columbia records being Brilliant Red, PYE – sometimes a deep purple and others bottle green and blue. This song was one that she had in her collection. It was on PYE records and came in a pale blue sleeve. Once played, I loved this song and it became a feature of our visits in that it had to put on the turntable every time I went around. In fact I loved it so much that Santa bought me my own copy and gave it to me at Christmas where it remains in my record collection to this very day.

These days I have it on my ipod and I often listen to this when I want to be reminded of my auntie Sheila and those sunny afternoons on the St. Matthew’s estate in the 1970s

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfSlzmwkjGw

21. Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush (1978)

‘Wuthering Heights’ by Kate Bush was the first record I ever bought!

I did already own a few records before this one but all of them had been given to me as presents or belonged to my parents etc so although not the first record I ever owned it was definitely the first record I ever bought with my own money.

The fact that you could go out to the shops and buy the songs that we listened to on ‘Top of The Pops’ on a Thursday night was a revelation to me back in 1978 as a ten year old. My Auntie Sheila had told me that Lewis’ department store had a record department and that all of the hit records could be bought individually for 69p each and all you needed to do was make of note of the chart position and then go and buy it from the shop, so it was with some anticipation that my Dad dropped me off outside the store (this was in the days before the place was pedestrianised and you could catch the bus outside Lewis’ and drive right up to the door) and I went in with my one pound note to make my first musical purchase of a record I had heard and loved and wanted!

Needless to say I had to pay 75p as the cost of hit singles had gone up that very day, but I bought my record and it was handed to me in a very distinctive Lewis’ record department purple paper bag and I held it tightly all the way home on the bus before running to the stereo to play it time and time again.

I love this song and I love Kate Bush’s music but more about her and her incredible talent later on…..

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs

20. Delilah – Tom Jones (1968)

This record reminds me of my Grandmother as it was the only 45rpm record that she had in her collection.

When I was a boy my Grandma came to see us, catching two busses from her house near Victoria Park in Leicester to ours on Glenfield Road every Thursday night.

She always bought us some sweets and chocolates and stayed for her dinner following which we would watch ‘Top of the Pops’ and my Dad would take her home in the car. On Sundays we would go to her house where she would cook us Sunday lunch before we returned home in the evenings listening to the ‘Top 40’ on the radio as we pulled into the drive. This arrangement had been in place for years and only stopped when our Grandma eventually came to live with my parents long after I had moved away.

As a young boy in the 1970s whilst the adults talked we would often set up the record player and play her 78s. It was an old mono record player that was housed in a blue box, with a lid, a speaker on the front and two knobs – Volume and Tone and as with most record players of the time it had a spindle that allowed you to stack records which would be ‘dropped’ onto the turntable one at a time and played on top of each other. It had four speeds, 16, 33 1/3, 45 and 78 and my Grandma had two big boxes of 78rpm records.

Over the course of the years I pretty much played them all from Burl Ives ‘Big Rock Candy Mountain’ through to a personal favourite ‘In 1992’ by ‘The Rocky Mountaineers’ which was song, written in the 1930s about what life would be like in 1992 and included fantastic lines such as ‘You can get to Spain in an hour and a half n 1992’ as well as ‘We’ll be in the marble orchard where the tombstones are in bloom…’ Ironically at that time 1992 was still about 15 years in the future and I note with interest you still can’t get to Spain so quickly!!!

‘Delilah’ was played every week without fail and I still love the drama of this song and the rich and deep delivery of Mr Jones. Whenever I hear it it reminds me of my Grandma and those Sundays….

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI5LWwC-cE8

19. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? – Culture Club (1982)

The first time I heard this song was a party at a house on Hinckley Road thrown by a girl who worked on the checkouts at Sainsbury’s on a Saturday.

At the time I was an impressionable fourteen year old but as my friends Mark and Melanie were a bit older I got invited to some of their friends’ parties and this was one such occasion. Someone put this record on and as I heard it I wandered over to the record player and took a look at the sleeve to see who it was. I can remember thinking that the picture on the sleeve – a shot of what I thought was a sweet looking girl singer against a yellow/orange background – was very appealing but you can imagine my surprise to discover (as I bought the 12 inch at Ainley’s Records near the cock tower the following week) and had a look on the back, that the nice girl was a actually called ‘Boy George’ to alleviate any gender confusion! Needless to say as we all know that was the START or it!

Having bought the song I played it time and time again and before long it was number one and Boy George was given to an unsuspecting world.

Looking back my love of all things ‘new romantic’ was born around this time and although most of my school friends were listening to Deep Purple and Motorhead it was with the friends I made at home that I discovered my love of synth sounds, drum machines, effects and smart attire. I have to admit I did sometimes go out wearing make up myself but then everyone else was doing it too (honestly!!)

The 1980s was a wonderful time in music with the rise of electronic music created by the invention of the synthesiser - the first genuinely ‘new’ instrument for nearly three hundred years - and although synthesisers had been around in the 1970s it was not until the early 80s that they became less expensive and began to used by younger musicians along with more sophisticated drum machines and more easily accessible multi track recording. There was also an explosion in tolerance and diversity and the recognition of the individual and their style, which allowed everyone (from kids to grannies) to embrace ‘Culture Club’ and enjoy the music without worrying too much about what everyone else thought or what they looked like.

This song reminds me of that party where I had a wonderful evening and those happy days….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nXGPZaTKik

18. Sit Down – James (1991)

At the start of 1991 I was beginning my third and final year at east 15 acting school and was back in Essex having had a wonderful time in Yorkshire. It was cold and wintry and I had just moved into a new flat that I was sharing with two girls called Kerry and Jeanette (one of whom is now my wife!).

Both Kerry and Jeanette were from Manchester as were a few other people at the college at the time. Another girl from Manchester Georgiea (yes that is spelt correctly) was a big fan of James and I remember this song being played around the school and our home and as a result it is one that I have come to know and love.

My friend Georgiea is a very talented actress and was a very good friend to me when I was at east 15. A feisty red head and ‘dangerous’ to know she ran away to join the circus, became a trapeze artiste and is still an inspiration! Whenever I hear this song I am reminded of ‘Manchester by proxy’ and my pals from that great city and Georgiea in particular.

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGmhLoyZAe0

17. I Put A Spell on You – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (1956)

This song reminds me of a show called ‘I Put a Spell on You’ that I was lucky enough to be in back in the 1989 when a member of the Haymarket Youth Theatre in Leicester. As mentioned previously (Song No. 4 – Fast Car – Tracy Chapman) we were directed by Tim Supple and the show was a devised piece that was made up of a series of improvised scenes connected by the themes of ‘love and relationships’. I had a wonderful time doing that show and made a number of life long friends in that company. It was the first time we had done a show in the ‘Studio’ theatre which whilst a small space was still a professional venue and a joy to use.

Tim chose the title and we played a version of ‘I Put A Spell on You’ by Nina Simone at the opening and this original and definitive version by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins at the end.

Although I love Nina’s version and there have been many other versions of this song over the years most notably by Marilyn Manson and Joe Coker, this is my favourite one. I just love the way that Screamin’ Jay Hawkins who wrote this song punctuates it with grunts and snorts and his amazing cackles which can’t help to make you suspect that underneath his respectable exterior he is quite mad which as I suspect you know by now I find truly appealing….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orNpH6iyokI

16. The Buddha of Suburbia – David Bowie (1993)

This song reminds me of the screening for the ‘Buddha of Suburbia’ which was held at the Riverside Studios in 1993 shortly before the first episode was shown on BBC 2. At the time I was a young actor fresh from drama school and excited by having just completed my first tv production and first stint in the theatre in Leeds.

Working for the BBC was something that I had always wanted and so when I was asked to play the role of Chris Fisher ‘The Fish’ in ‘The Buddha of Suburbia’ based on Hanif Kureishi’s novel of the same name I was thrilled beyond belief and now that the filming was over and the first viewing (which was a private screening for the cast and crew) was about to start I was even more excited.

David Bowie (who I had met previously when I had appeared fleetingly in an episode of ‘Full Stretch’ for ITV) was charged with providing the music and because he was so well connected he had managed to secure permission (where others would have failed) to use a vast array of original songs from the period as well as having written some of the best original music for a long time.

As the first episode ended and the credits rolled and I saw my name on the screen this song played and every time I hear it I am reminded of the show, what a wonderful time I had working on it and what a truly great piece of television it actually is and how proud I ma that this was my first job as a professional actor.

The video contains some footage from the series and if you look carefully you might just be able to see me in it.

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48d4irOHhLY

15. Hold My Hand – Michael Jackson and Akon (2010)

I must admit that I really like Akon even though a lot of his music seems to be about gardening (there seem to be a lot of references to ‘Hoes’ and ‘Poles’ etc in the tracks that I have heard in passing) and as I like Michael Jackson too this track is one that I have been playing quite a lot lately.

What I like about this song is the fact that it reminds me of Christmas (as I first heard it in December 2010 after it was recommend by a friend) and the fact that it reminds us (if we needed reminding) that however weird and crazy Michael Jackson was as a person and whatever he did or didn’t do, if you just LISTEN to songs like this you can’t help to appreciate what a truly amazing talent he really was.

I could go on and say that the universal concept of love and support manifested in the holding of hands is what this is all about but I think you know that and there isn’t much more to say other than – this is a great song!

Now Listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oCCnxBos10

14. I Second That Emotion – Japan (1981)

There are some songs that remind me of certain people and this is one such song. Every time I hear this song I am reminded of my friend Adele who I knew when I lived in Leicester in the early eighties.  As I mentioned previously (song 10 – ‘See You’ - Depeche Mode) at that time I was friends with another girl called Melanie who lived five houses down the road and introduced me to a lot of things in the way of music and art.  Melanie also invited me to my first ‘proper’ party (as opposed to the ‘Ice Cream and Jelly’ type where you got a cake shaped like your age) which she held at her house one Saturday night.

She and Mark said they would call for me when they were ready to start so I sat at home waiting for the doorbell to ring! As this was all new to me I never imagined that they wouldn’t be starting until ten o’clock so by eight thirty I was wondering what was happening and by nine thirty I was complaining to my mother that I had been forgotten! Eventually the doorbell rang and there was Melanie dressed like a cat! Leotard, ears, tail , whiskers – the works!

When I arrived at her house I discovered this was an ‘after show’ party and that Melanie and her friends had been doing a show with their dancing school where they were all dressed as cats! So there was I (one of only three boys) in a room full of girls dressed as cats – needless to say I was in my element!

Adele, who was one of Melanie’s best friends was in charge of the music and as we arrived she was at the stereo and putting ‘ I Second That Emotion’ on for us to dance to. As Adele was not part of the troupe she stood out from the rest as she was not wearing a cat outfit but a nice grey jacket and beret! She was a very serious Japan devotee and it was she that helped me develop my enjoyment of Japan and latterly David Sylvian by introducing them to me.

The last time I saw her was when I was working in Leeds and I saw her in the Green Room at the West Yorkshire Playhouse where she was working with the Philip Glass Ensemble back in 1992, however every time I hear this song I am reminded of that party, and Adele and wonder where she is now…..

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egvZPF-6li8

13. The Ace of Spades – Motorhead (1980)

The thing about musical influences are that they are just that – influences. When I was at school in the 1980s and I was busy buying records by Japan and Soft Cell and other nice pretty boy artistes a significant number of my friends were serious ‘Heavy Metal’ fans and as a result I came to listen to Cream and Deep Purple and Led Zepplin and Motorhead and whilst I wasn’t about to hand over my burgundy trousers, shirt, socks, shoes and super thin bowtie and get a leather jacket and go native I did develop a bit of a thing for certain heavy metal bands and ‘The Ace of Spades’ in particular.

I remember one time I was visiting a friend called Simon who lived about six miles away from Donnington and whilst we were there Motorhead were playing a gig and they were so loud we could hear them!! These guys had so many Marshall Amplifers and so much wattage that the sound was carrying at night to his house!

The Ace of Spades has got to be one of the greatest Heavy Metal classics ever and even now I love to play this (when driving with my son Oliver through Epping Forest – Mrs G isn’t keen so we don’t play it when she’s around) extremely loudly with the windows down!!

Hope you enjoy it too…

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e5cqe_JE0Q

12. Magic Fly - Space (1977)

‘Magic Fly’ by Space was on side one of the 1977 K-Tel compilation album ‘Disco Fever’ which was one of the Gregory Household’s favourite albums. Advertised on the television and including artistes such as David Soul, The Brotherhood of Man and Bacarra this was the ‘must have’ album of 1977 and on that was virtually worn out by the extensive playing it had at our house!

The thing that excited me about this particular song was that even to this to day I have no idea who the band were or what they looked like, chiefly because they were dressed as spacemen on ‘Top of The Pops’ and also in the extremely groovy video that accompanies this number. The video is particularly intriguing as despite the fact these guys are well ahead of their time with ‘strap on synths’ and groovy space suits the drummer still has a traditional drum kit and we get a groovy dancer in gold to add to that seventies feel!

This song reminds me of being nine years old, living in a small but warm house with my parents and my brother and playing this record with the headphones on so as not to disturb anyone. It reminds me of watching ‘Top Of The Pops’ on a Thursday and the excitement of the ‘Silver Jubilee’. Hope you enjoy it too…

Listen to the song and watch the video…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_ukfGAd8T4