191. Wishful Thinking – China Crisis (1983)

I remember ‘China Crisis’ being the support band when I went to see ‘Simple Minds’ at the DeMonfort Hall in Leicester back in the 1980s when their first hit ‘Christian’ was starting to enter the charts, but it was not until much later that this song came along and I watched them perform on ‘Top Of The Pops’.

This is a delightfully wistful song with a nice melody and pleasant demeanour as well as lovely tune so I naturally drawn to it as were many other back in the 1980s.

‘China Crisis’ are yet another band from Liverpool and yet another 80s act that had a huge impact on the direction of popular music at that time. I loved them, I love this song too.

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj20LKdg8-8

190. Mad World – Gary Jules (2001)

This item started off when I began searching for the original version of ‘Mad World’ by Tears For Fears, which was released back in 1982. I was going to say how I first heard that version when my friend Melanie played it to me in the music room as soon as it was released and we both agreed it had an amazing sound and was destined to be a big hit. I was going to say that I was a very big fan of ‘Tears For Fears’ and loved Roland’s songs, however whilst searching I found this version by Gary Jules which was a massive hit back in 2003.

This version of the song is so far away from the original that it’s virtually something else, but it has a delicacy and intensity that takes the meaning of the song and its message and makes it all the more relevant and so for that it deserves to be applauded.

I love this song and I love this version of it.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4

189. Livin’ Thing – ELO (1976)

As I’m sure I’ve said before by now I just love this kind of music. Roy Wood,

Phil Spector, The Move and ELO all with their BIG orchestral sound, heavy drum beats and strings and loads and loads of drama so you won’t be surprised to know that I love this particular song for all those reasons.

My introduction to the Electric Light Orchestra was when I saw them perform ‘Mr Blue Sky’ on ‘Top Of The Pops’ in 1978 and it was not until many years later that I found this song (along with some others of their earlier works) on a ‘Best Of ELO’ album but this song remains one of my favourites and even Mrs G likes this one so we often play it in the car…

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SfaVIVSwxE&feature=related

188. Just Dance – Lady Ga Ga (2008)

I heard this song on Capital FM and at the time had no idea who ‘Lady Ga Ga’ was.

I loved the song however and so I sought it out and downloaded it to my ipod.

I like the way this song is about ‘over indulgence’ and the lyrics tell the story of someone who has had ‘a little bit too much’ and ‘lost her keys and phone’ but when dancing in a drunken stupor everything will be alright, which I suspect is something we can ALL identify with! Of course the reality is a stiff head, the inability to open one’s front door and missing vital calls and texts from friends and family but when you’ve had a good time the night before that is a small price to pay.

As you may know I am the kind of person who never loses control and however much I have had to drink (on those rare occasions when I do indulge) I am always aware of who I am where I am and holding a taxi receipt in my right hand, but the idea of being out of it completely just once is something I aspire to, but in the meantime I have Lady Ga Ga to tell me what it’s like..

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Abk1jAONjw

187. Betty Davies Eyes – Kim Carnes (1981)

I remember Dave Lee Travis playing this on Radio 1 on his ‘Hairy Cornflake’ Breakfast show, which we used to listen to on the way to school, and thinking that it was a really great song.

I have subsequently discovered that it was originally written in the 1970s and this version by Kim Carnes was a cover, but it is this version with its synthesizer sounds and Kim Carnes husky voice that was the massive hit and the one that we all know and love.

I seem to recall that Betty Davies herself was keen on this song, however with a Hollywood ego and there being ‘no such thing as bad publicity’ I can’t say I’m surprised…

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPOIS5taqA8

186. Miss You – The Rolling Stones (1977)

I remember seeing this on ‘Top Of The Pops’ in 1977 and my poor mother commenting about what she called the very ‘debauched’ way that Mick Jagger conducted himself! Needless to say I scurried away to the dictionary and having looked up debauchery was introduced to one of my all time favourite words!

Along with ‘dipsomania’ and ‘Sybarite’ this was another truly wonderful concept!

I could, however see what my mother was getting at…

With its wonderful rhythm, aggressive manner and all round ‘rock’ feel to it this was the my first encounter with ‘The Stones’ and I must admit even though my mother seemed very disapproving of them I loved it.

This is a great song…

Now listen to ‘The Stones’……

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNMxHGheWH0

185. The Logical Song – Supertramp (1979)

I remember the Supertramp album ‘Breakfast In America’ on which this song was to be found and what a totally wonderful album that was. ‘Breakfast In America’ itself was a great song as was ‘Goodbye Stranger’ but the ‘Logical Song’ stands out as a true classic.

Allegedly written by Roger Hodgson while still at school, I recall seeing this on ‘Top Of The Pops’ back in 1979 and even as an eleven year old realised that the world really does want to mould and shape us and make us conform which is not necessarily a good thing.

I remember when I was at east 15 and Maggie Walker (the principal and founder) telling us that a baby (one of which I have at home now) makes the most phenomenally loud noise when crying even though its tiny and has tiny lungs and yet we could never hope to make such a noise! The reason being that as we grow up we are taught to reign in our natural urge to scream and cry and even though are lungs are much larger we can’t ever seem to get back there… For me ‘The Logical Song’ sums this all up….

Enjoy the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQfjIw3mivc

184. You Might Think – The Cars (1984)

This is the second song that I ever downloaded when I got my first ipod back at Christmas in 2006!

I had just started a new job after a long (but pleasant spell) of unemployment where I had been lucky enough to be able to take my son Oliver to ‘Messy Play’ and await the arrival of our third son Felix.  Having been back at work for a few months I was feeling a little tired and run down and as I was due a staggering twelve days off over Christmas I finished work on 20^th December with a smile on my face.  The next day I was feeling quite dreadful and to cut a long story short I then managed to get a nasty chest infection which required me to stay in bed for ten of the twelve days I was having off returning to full health just in time to go back to work.

I missed the whole of Christmas, never had a single glass of champagne and lay in bed the whole time. The only saving feature was that Kerry had bought me my first ipod so I downloaded some songs as I lay in my bed as a test. I started with ‘No Regrets’ by The Walker Brothers (Song No. 24) and downloaded this song second! I have always liked this song but didn’t have a ‘Cars’ album and had no access to it until itunes came along.

Whilst I was mastering itunes, I also made my first CD to pay in the car, which had this song on it. My son ‘Ollie’ loves it too and it is known as ‘The Crazy Song’ whenever he wants me to put it on in the car…

It is a bit crazy…

Enjoy….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yf2WP6K1gQ

183. Chasing Sheep Is Best Left To Shepherds – Michael Nyman (1982)

I first came across this piece of music by Michel Nyman when my friends Rachel and Julia used it for a dance at east 15. I am sure that I had heard it before (possibly on the television) but it was not until then that I knew it to be the work of English Composer Michael Nyman. In buying the music, which was used in Peter Greenaway’s film ‘The Draughtsman’s Contract’ I had my first Michael Nyman CD and began a lifelong love of his minimalist and highly repetitive music.

One of things that I like so much about Michael Nyman’s music is that he seems to be constantly updating and changing it. There seem to be so many versions of ‘Chasing Sheep Is Best Left To Shepherds’ some short, some longer; some played by the band, others by the Wingates Brass band, some quick – some even quicker but each one brimming with excitement and enthusiasm which is such a feature of his music.

You may recognise this…

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfP0u_zf3EE

182. Blue Monday – New Order (1983)

I had loved ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ by Joy Division and so was therefore very excited when ‘New Order’ came along following up on Joy Division’s legacy.

I remember ‘Blue Monday’ (which you could only get on a 12’ single due to its length) being packaged to look like a computer floppy disc and paying it on the turntable and letting the needle touch the record from whence that very distinctive machine driven drum rhythm started. It seemed at the time that ‘New Order’ were loathe to promote the single and I can only recall them coming onto ‘Top Of The Pops’ once where they played it live, however it became a massive hit and is one of the songs that truly sums up the early eighties.

At that time the ‘Emulator’, which was a synthesiser that ‘sampled’ real sounds allowing them to be played back on a keyboard at various pitches, was brand new (and extremely expensive) and being used by bands like OMD and Depeche Mode and New Order to create new and exciting music. This is the result…

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V44Pubi2DWs&feature=related

181. Just What I Always Wanted – Mari Wilson (1982)

Back in 1982 when I was a fourteen year old my friend Melanie played this for me on her stereo. She lived five houses down the street from me but, as she was an only child and lived in a huge house, the front bedroom was a dedicated music room where she had (amongst other things) a Roland SH-09 synthesiser, a Roland RS-09 string synth, a stage organ, Roland Rhythm 77 drum machine, a stereo, microphone and amplifier as well as the guest bed. Needless to say we spent a lot of time in that room with her other friends playing our music and making music too sometimes.

It was during one of these sessions that Melanie introduced me to the ‘Neasden Queen of Soul – Mari Wilson’ and this song in particular. Mari Wilson looked amazing with her retro Beehive hairstyle on the cover and her voice and style coupled with the kettle drums and synth sounds made this a truly awesome song..

The comment attached to this video sums this song and artist up:

‘Strange how just one record has kept her in our consciousness in a way that all today's wannabes & chancers will never be capable of. ...’

Now listen to the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWFPqGLbVa0

180. Girls and Boys – Prince (1986)

I remember seeing this on ‘Top Of The Pops’ and being one of the few people who went to see Prince’s film ‘Under The Cherry Moon’ at the cinema. In these enlightened and modern times this film would have gone ‘straight to video’ but when it was made back in 1986 video was still in its infancy and third rate movies still managed to get a shorter cinema run - however this movie did end up at the budget Canon cinema, but I went with a bunch of pals and had a great time!

Despite the fact the ‘purple one’ is not the greatest actor in the world he is one of the greatest musicians and over the years he has produced some truly great records. I was lucky enough to go and see him at the O2 in London when he did his 21 nights in London shows back in 2007. Rumour has it that he rehearsed some 130 or so of his songs with the band but decided what to do each night giving longer performances when in a good mood and feeling a greater rapport with the audience and less when the rapport was less dynamic. Whether that is true or not I don’t know but it was amazing to go and see and hear him in person and the acoustics of the O2 arena being a modern building are truly amazing.

This is one of my favourite songs however Prince is a spoil sport who won’t let his music be downloaded onto ‘You Tube’ so for today unless you have this in your collection your snookered!!

179. Dancing In The City – Marshall and Hain (1978)

When I was a young boy we used to go on holiday to Mablethorpe, which is a seaside town in Lincolnshire. In Leicester (where I was born and lived until I was 21 years old) the city, which at the time was largely industrial and famed for its shoe making and light engineering, had a two week holiday usually called the ‘Leicester Fortnight’ when the factories were closed and pretty much the whole city went on holiday. As Mablethrope and Skegness were the closet seaside towns to Leicester a large number of holidaymakers went there.

Once there, Mablethorpe was awash with Leicestrians and the local paper ‘The Leicester Mercury’ was sold in the Mablethorpe newsagents. Over the years I holidayed there many times and had fun with my Uncles and Cousins and other family members as we were always there at the same time.

This song reminds me of my holidays and the summer of 1978 as I bought my copy of the single from a record shop on Mablethorpe High Street. I had heard the song on the radio and liked it and bought mine with the holiday spending money I had been provided with.

This song was a huge hit and managed to get to number 3 in the charts and remained a best seller for a number of weeks but it will always be a black record with a yellow green label in a yellow and green ‘Harvest’  records sleeve for me and one of my favourite songs in the first year I joined the music buying public.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Lmfpnv_eLY

178. Wherever I Lay My Hat – Paul Young (1983)

I was listening to this on the tube on the way in to work yesterday. I remember first hearing this song on the radio back in 1983 when I was fifteen and being amazed by Paul Young’s voice, the fretless bass and the rhythm track which sounded like it had been made using the Roland Rhythm 77 drum machine - a piece of technology that I was very familiar with as my friend Melanie had one!

‘Wherever I Lay My Hat’ was number one for a few weeks that year and it seemed to be everywhere. I recall watching Paul Young sing the song as part of a New Years Eve show on BBC2 in 1983 when he also sang ‘Auld Lang Syne’ against the same rhythm track which I thought was extremely innovatory!

Paul Young has an amazing voice and is an amazing performer. This song is an all time classic and deservedly so…

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju_a2-Pve4g

177. West End Songs - Kit and The Widow (1991)

I first heard Kit and The Widow perform this song (along with a number of their others) at the Vaudeville Theatre back in 1993. At that time I was an unemployed actor living in Hackney and was part of a group of actors who met at the Holborn Actors Centre on a Thursday under the direction of casting director Richard Evans.

Richard was (and is) a very enterprising man and full of good ideas, one of which was to offer the group as an audience for shows that were not quite sold out. No performer ever wants to play to a half empty theatre so we agreed to fill any left over seats for free and as a result got to see some top West End Shows of which Kit and The Widow’s was one. The idea that we were getting free seats for West End Shows while ‘doing them a favour’ was a stroke of genius.

You really need to listen to this song to really appreciate it and when you do I am sure you will recognise a lot of the music…

I am often reminded of ‘Lobachevsky’ by Tom Lehrer when I hear this which has the wonderful line ‘Plagiarize, Plagiarize – let no one else’s work evade your eyes…’

Enjoy….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz1IDmmcetQ&feature=related

176. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen (1978)

I remember watching this on ‘Top Of The Pops’ and thinking (as a ten year old) that ‘Queen’ were truly amazing! I loved the ‘Jazz’ album with its bicycle and fat bottomed girls songs and loved ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ just as much.

It’s odd that I only really got to learn about Freddie Mercury after his death, by which time Queen were truly massive, but I remember seeing him on ‘The Kenny Everett Show’ quite often and watching the videos to various Queen songs on ‘Top Of The Pops’.

I recently bought ‘Queen’s Greatest Hits’ and downloaded the songs to my ipod however in playing them in the kitchen while doing the washing up two of my sons, Oliver and Felix asked for me to play this one again and then find the video on ‘You Tube’. Queen’s Greatest Hits has now been transferred to the car where Ollie has it on whenever his mother will allow.

This is a great song and we all love Queen in our house….

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

175. Any Other World – Mika (2008)

This is another example of a song that I first heard in a US TV series and loved instantly. As I am sure I’ve said before the Americans are so much better at utilising mainstream music in their dramas and they usually find songs which are often subconsciously being used in the background without the viewer even noticing. Often I don’t notice background music so much but I did hear the song

‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ being gently played in the background of a scene in the Ridley Brothers ‘The Good Wife’ on Channel 4 where the lead characters (who have been struggling with wanting to rekindle a university relationship many years later) were getting close to making something happen.

This song was in ‘Brothers and Sisters’ this week and is now on my ipod and has been played many times already.

Mika reminds me of Donovan (in some ways) but this song is wonderfully performed and recorded. I particularly like the use of the strings and the lyrics

‘Say Goodbye to the world you thought you lived in….’

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2By5i3eeUc

174. Teardrops – Womack and Womack (1988)

This song reminds me of ‘Prime Time’ a play by Nigel Moffatt which was performed at the Haymarket Theatre in 1989 alongside ‘I Put A Spell On You’ in which I had a part.

As I mentioned (Song 17 - I Put A Spell On You) back in 1989, I was a member of the Haymarket Youth Theatre in Leicester. During the course of the year Nigel Moffatt came to work with the group as we tried to devise and write a new play with the ‘Highfields Action Theatre’ who had recently come from presenting their show ‘King’ which was about Martin Luther King and his fight against racism in the US, however as usual thing didn’t go to plan and in the end some of the group presented their devised piece ‘I Put A Spell On You’ and the other half did ‘Prime Time’ by Nigel Moffatt as part of a double bill.

As we were on the same bill I came in after the interval to watch ‘Prime Time’ and see my friends perform. The show opened with this song and I distinctly remember Steve and Ayesha disco dancing in the spotlights as it played. Whenever I hear this song it reminds me of 1989 and this show…

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC3y9llDXuM

173. Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus (2000)

I absolutely love this song.

Everyone loves the concept of the loser who gets the girl because they share a common interest in Iron Maiden and so this song is deservedly a winner! Its tongue-in-cheek delivery accompanied by its use of differing musical styles all add up to a truly great song which you will find yourself humming as you go to work.

This is a song that has been around for 11 years now and yet I still see it in the Top 50 downloads which is a testament to its longevity and appeal. I suppose it taps into the School boy crush concept (and we’ve all been there – right?) but with the appeal of an actual ‘result’ versus the all to familiar story of the crush fancying the most handsome boy in the school or other similar object of your loathing. All in all it is a great song.

Now listen to it….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC3y9llDXuM

172. Adele – Someone Like You (2011)

One of my friends calls Adele’s songs ‘Suicide Music’ and ends up feeling depressed and traumatised whenever she hears her music. It does seem to be true that the best songs seem to get written about misery and suffering and longing and loss and that songs about being jolly and happy and contented with life are not usually massive hits but then I suppose that’s what being human is all about…

I must admit that I love a bit of misery and suffering in my music and my own songs (Did I mention I’ve been working on my debut album for 20 years and have now got seven songs so it could be finished by 2018?) all tend to be about similar things too. I remember Eleanor Kate Jackson (La Roux) saying in a recent interview that she only tends to write songs when feeling down or needing to exercise some daemons and I am certain that like many artistes she is not alone in that.

Adele has a great voice and the simplicity of this song (just a standard piano backing) accompanied by her amazing voice and depth of emotion in her performance (which is how a song should be delivered) is truly amazing.

Her success is well deserved, even if listening to her songs makes some people feel suicidal…. 

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

171. Infected – The The (1986)

I first came across Matt Johnson (the driving force behind ‘The The’) when he made a meaningful contribution to Marc Almond’s album ‘Untitled’ back in 1982 but it was not until the mid eighties that ‘The The’ began to make a real impact on popular music with the release of the ‘Infected’ album.

This song reminds me of ‘The Fan Club’ (formerly ‘Leah’s Discotheque’) in Leicester, which was behind the bus station and opposite the Cinecentre and Penthouse Cinema club, which showed dirty movies on the big screen in the days before video! Although I wasn’t there all the time (as I was not a big ‘clubber’) it was the only place I went to with any regularity and always had a fun time there dancing to ‘The The’ and ‘Danielle Dax’ while drinking pints of Stella in the dark and dismal surroundings.

There is something quite dark about ‘Infected’ and the notion that one can be utterly entranced and ‘infected’ by love is very appealing. The line ‘When desire becomes an illness instead of a joy’ stands out….

Not to everyone’s taste, but a great song none the less….

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey0eS-Nx6Ks

170. After Hours – The Velvet Underground (1967)

This song reminds me of my friend and fellow actor Adam. I saw Adam on the telly last week and he doesn’t seem to have changed much but I remember meeting him on my first day at east 15 (some 22 years ago) and thinking that he was one of the funniest people I had ever met. He is still remarkably amusing!

I may be a mediocre actor but one thing that is certainly true is that I most definitely am a truly dreadful dancer. I have no ability for dancing what so ever however (like most drama schools) I had to have endless dancing lessons, which I loathed.

Over the summer holidays one year our dancing teacher Norman asked us to go home and create a ‘dance’ to music of our choice, which would be shown to the group in the first couple of classes of the new term. I did a (very poor) tap dance to ‘Pennies From Heaven’, Rachel and Julia chose music from ‘The Draughtsman’s Contract’ by Michael Nyman and Adam did a dance to a song by the Ink Spots!

I remember discussing music with Adam and we got onto the subject of the Velvet Underground. I had their first album and we both agreed that they were a truly inspirational band. I remember this being one of Adam’s favourite songs and so for that reason it always reminds me of him.

Maureen Tucker (the group’s drummer) takes the microphone…

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE8KBWgUZxw

169. Where The Heart Is – Soft Cell (1982)

As usual Barry (of Barry’s Coaches) had picked me up at 7.30 am at the top of the street and the bus was making its way to Kirby Muxloe to pick up the next group of passengers when this song came on. I wasn’t concentrating and had missed the introduction but as a Soft Cell devotee I could tell it was definitely Marc Almond singing but wondered if this was a ‘Marc And The Mambas’ single or a solo song as it was much farther away from Soft Cell’s first album and the likes of ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ and ‘Torch’ which had been the last two singles.

This song was also much darker and the kind of song parents didn’t like. I was 14 so I loved it!

On Saturday I got the bus to town and bought the 12’ version, which was longer and played it again and again very loudly. I remember my Dad complaining!

‘Where The Heart Is’ is one of my favourite songs from the ‘Art Of Falling Apart’ album and one that I still play regularly. It reminds me of the first time I heard it and the fun times that I had on the school bus…

Travelling to school and work for long periods has always been a feature of my life, commuting to school and now on the tube and music has always been there on these journeys. I don’t know what I would do without it…

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCZvwQP9niQ

168. This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both of Us – Sparks (1974)

I first came across ‘Sparks’ when they were working with Giorgio Moroder in the late 70s and the song ‘No.1 Song In Heaven’ was in the charts and on ‘Top Of The Pops’ but as with most things, discovering the late 70s Sparks sound led me to seek out their earlier works of which song is my favourite!

Despite the fact that Sparks come from my favourite place (Los Angeles) they have a distinctly European sound and style and the combination of Ron Mael

on keyboards accompanied by the crazy high pitched delivery of Russell Mael made them stand out from the crowd as a musical force to be reckoned with!

I have a number of Sparks records in my collection and particularly enjoyed the 1994 revival and song ‘When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’’ but ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us’ is Sparks at their best!

My son Oliver is also a fan and loves this song too.

Enjoy….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAzESJ62irI&feature=related

167. Tell Me On A Sunday – Sarah Brightman (1979)

‘Tell Me On A Sunday’ is a wonderful song from a wonderful show.

I first heard it when my wife Kerry who had it in a book of actresses audition songs sang it for me (as a practice) before using it as an audition song during various open auditions. The song reminds me of that time when we were young actors and sometimes got asked to do a song and some of the wonderful songs out there which as an actor you can really give your all to. This is one such song.

Although familiar with ‘Take That Look Off Your Face’ which is another song from ‘Tell Me On A Sunday’ which was a huge hit for Marti Webb,  this is the song that sums up what the show is all about. If you’re going to leave me – let me down gently……take me somewhere nice and tell me on a Sunday…please….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvyBSFWqJLE&NR=1

166. The Little Church – Donovan (1972)

‘The Little Church’ is a song by Donovan who wrote the music for the film ‘Brother Sun, Sister Moon’ by Franco Zeffirelli which is about St. Francis of Assisi.

I had seen a video of ‘Black Beauty’ in a shop called ‘Past Times’ in Loughton and having bought it I was reminded of Judi Bowker who was the original girl in the series. I had forgotten how much I loved ‘Black Beauty’ from the sweeping music and opening shots and that as a child we had watched the show on a Sunday afternoon when we were round at my Granny’s. While reading about the series I discovered that Judi had left the series to go and make a film with Italian director Franco Zeferelli, which was described (in the article) as an greatly inspiring movie as well as a visual masterpiece and so I knew I had to see it.

I watched the film on video and I must admit that it is beautifully shot and a truly inspirational story about Francis who ‘dropped’ out of the main steam church to lead a simple life and do his own thing. I liked Donovan from the days of ‘Mellow Yellow’ as well and so bought some of the songs and have them on my ipod.

This is my favourite song from the film and has a simple message…`Take your time, go slowly, lay the foundations properly and your building will be strong’

For the Lord said ‘In Strength will I establish this my house!’

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XaiRVWbMDI

165. Let It Be – The Beatles (1970)

When I was a young boy my parents had very few records but my mother was a Beatles fan and had the ‘Beatles 1962-1966’ album which was the ‘red’ one which had two pictures of the Beatles on each of the two album covers - one taken in 1962 and used as the cover for ‘Please, Please Me’ and a similar one taken on the balcony of the same building at the end of the 60s.

I loved this record and we played it time and time again and came to love the early Beatles songs from ‘Love Me Do’ to ‘Eleanor Rigby’, however it was not until I was much older that I discovered the ‘1967 -1970’ album when I discovered a totally new side to the group and a new direction in their music.

In 1977 Robert Stigwood made a rather bizarre film called ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ which starred (among others The BeeGees, George Burns and Frankie Howerd) and predominantly featured the songs from the ‘Sgt Pepper’ and ‘Abbey Road’ albums which awakened (for me) an interest in listening to the originals. That Christmas Santa bought me ‘Abbey Road’ and the BBC decided to show the Beatles films…

‘Let It Be’ is one of my favourite Beatles songs which I discovered for the first time when I saw the film and got hold of that 1967-1970 album.

Now listen to the song….

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

164. Naughty Miranda – Indians In Moscow (1983)

I first heard this song on ‘The Tube’ in December 1983 when Adele and the ‘Indians In Moscow’ were featured on the programme. Until that time I had never heard of them but I loved this song so much I rushed out and bought the twelve inch single.

Unfortunately I think I may have been one of only a few people who did as the ‘Indians In Moscow’ never really achieved the fame that I think they rightly deserved. The opening line of the song is ‘I just killed my father!’ but on the B side was a sanitised version which started with ‘I just kissed my father!’ and was altogether much more sugary sweet, however I much prefer the original. Maybe the subject of committing patricide using ‘blunt edged play scissors’ was too much for mainstream pop back in 1983 and that is why this was never a number one, but I am certain that if there were released today where almost ‘anything goes’ with regard to the subject matter of a song then I am certain this would have been massive!

I have just found this on itunes and am downloading this as I write!!

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ossXLmRehg&feature=related

The original Tube feature is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqcvuJ3LhNg

163. Perfect Day – Lou Reed (1972)

I remember seeing Lou Reed’s ‘Transformer’ album many times as I flicked through the albums in Ainley’s record shop by the clock tower in Leicester but never dared to buy or play it until I was in my 30s.

One day I  heard ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ on the radio and went out to buy the album on CD, played it and discovered a wonderful album made up of so many wonderful songs. I love ‘New York Telephone Conversation’, ‘Goodnight Ladies’ (which features Herbie Flowers on the Tuba – a feature of one of my other all time favourite songs ‘The Bannerman’ by Blue Mink (song 5)) and ‘Make Up’ but above all I love ‘Perfect Day’. Like ‘Unchained Melody’ the song has suffered from a bit of over exposure having been covered by various artistes and Susan Boyle among others but the original is best and should be enjoyed.

Lou Reed’s wonderfully detached New York style delivery is sheer genius on this track and the album, which was collaboration with David Bowie and Mick Ronson, has to be one of my favourite albums of all time. Despite the fact that it is nearly 40 years old it still sounds as fresh and original today as it always has been.

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYEC4TZsy-Y

162. Slipping Through My Fingers – Abba (1982)

Despite the fact that I have always been a massive Abba fan I had never come across this song until I heard Meryl Streep sing it in the film of ‘Mamma Mia’ which we only bought as it was on special offer at Sainbury’s a couple of Christmases ago! Having heard Meryl’s version I found it on itunes and downloaded it.

Like many of Abba’s later songs this song has a real depth of emotion and anyone who has children will be able to identify with how quickly the time passes and how so many things pass you by as you go about your day to day lives. For me it only seems five minutes since my ten year old was born but ten years have passed and by the time our newest babe is her age she will be nineteen.

Another great thing about Abba’s writing is that, as English is not their first language, they sometimes tend to use expressions and phrasing which is not entirely natural but somehow manages to capture exactly the essence of a feeling or emotion. My favourite lines of this song are  ‘What Happened to those wonderful adventures? The places I had planned for us to go? Well, some of that we did, but most we didn’t and why I just don’t know’. The actual lyric, while talking about a genuine sense of loss, is a little but ridiculous but as ever Abba manage to pull it off as only they can and manage to convey the genuine emotion and feeling of having missed out on something important in this song.

Agnetha Falkstog has a truly exceptional voice and is a truly wonderful singer. Despite the fact she hardly speaks English anymore and lives as a virtual recluse in Sweden she manages to communicate with the audience in this video in a way which lets us in to see her pain, emotion and sense of loss.

This is a truly great Abba song and one of my all time favourites…

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