222. Living On The Ceiling – Blancmange (1982)

I remember seeing Blancmange play this on ‘Top Of The Pops’ and rushing out to buy a 12’ single of this fine song!

As with some of the other songs in my collection ‘Living On The Ceiling’ was a record that I played numerous times and nearly wore it out however I remember swapping my copy as well as another record that I had for a copy of Marc Almond’s ‘Untitled’ album with a friend who lived next door. Looking back I can’t remember why other than that I wanted Marc’s album and it had been deleted and I suppose the 12’’ of ‘Living On The Ceiling’ was probably deleted too.

As soon as I got my ipod however and discovered that it was possible to download pretty much anything I found this and made it one of the first few songs I added to my playlist.

It’s hard to quantify what it is about this song and why I like it but I suspect it is the fusion of the Indian influence along with what was (at the time) the latest synthesiser and drum sounds which all come together to make a great song.

Enjoy some Blancmange….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L03PJeB38dI

221. Big Big World – Emilia (1998)

I was recently reminded of this song when I was having dinner in The King Neptune Restaurant in Newcastle. Among the other piped music that was playing in the background, which included some real drivel, this wonderful song captured my attention and I was reminded of how much I loved it. Needless to say I downloaded it to my ipod and played in on the train back to London.

In the course of my work I am often sent to Edinburgh, Newcastle, Glasgow and so on as the company I am working with at the moment has over 40 different locations. Over the last five years I have visited most of them from as far afield as Inverness to Lymington and I have been away from home for a good deal of time.

When I used to read stories about rock stars on tour getting bored with hotels and eating out daily I used to feel shocked and say ‘I would never tire of such a thing’ but the reality is (having done it for long) that I miss my family very much each time I go away and now every city centre and every hotel pretty much looks like each other! I will often turn a corner looking for a shop or a restaurant only to realise it’s in a completely different town.

It is, however, comforting to sometime hear a song being played that reminds me of home or some fun time in that past that only music can remind you of. This is one such song. I hope you enjoy it…..

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUKq7DLo6Ko

220. Bring Him Home – Les Miserables – Alfie Boe (1985)

I remember when ‘Les Miserables’ was born and the chronic reviews it suffered. Friends in the business called it ‘The Glums’ and there was a general belief that it was a flawed and depressing piece of no real value, but with many things the public loved it and it is still playing to full house some twenty five years later!

When I was at east 15 acting school and ‘Les Miserables’ was relatively new we used to sing some of the songs and I remember this one and ‘Stars’ being performed in the Foyer. East 15 had this practice of asking every student to sing a song (these were to be challenging and designed to test the singer’s range) in the Foyer in front of the whole school at regular intervals. As with most things those who found singing difficult were nervous and apprehensive as were those who were good at singing who were often given songs outside of their range which they acquitted with various degrees of success.

Some years later before we had children of our own we were looking after the children of Kerry’s brother’s then partner and took the kids to see ‘Les Miserables’ when it was on at the Shaftesbury Theatre. We had good seats in the balcony and it was wonderful to see the whole show and hear the songs performed live by the actors in their full context. This song is my favourite one from the show and each time I hear it I am reminded of east 15, the foyer songs and that weekend when we entertained Christopher and Kelsey and gave them their first experience of the West End Theatre.

Now enjoy the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt5YRexag1o

219. You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra (1967)

I have always enjoyed John Barry’s music and the wonderful way in which he collaborated with artists as diverse as A-Ha, Duran Duran, Shirley Bassey, Lulu, Louis Armstrong and many others when providing music for various James Bond films. His wonderful music can also be heard in other films most notably ‘Out Of Africa’ where ‘You are Karen’ is one of my all time favourite pieces of cinematic music.

As with a number of songs in my collection of my favourite 500 songs this one was also in my Auntie Sheila’s record collection and she had it as a single. The single version by Nancy Sinatra was a good deal more dramatic than the actual version used in the opening of the film and it is this version that Sheila had and this version that I remember on ‘Reprise’ records with its pink label and sleeve.

‘You Only Live Twice’ is a great song with great music and great lyrics and a great vocal by the daughter of a living legend.

Now enjoy the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDitUVMMzE0

218. All That You Have Is Your Soul – Tracey Chapman (1989)

Tracy Chapman’s first album was a masterpiece and I loved it whole-heartedly but her second album ‘Crossroads’ while being less commercially successful is still a very fine album indeed. This is my favourite song from that album.

For some reason this song reminds me of another student at my drama school. His name was Andy (and sometimes Drew) and like me he came from Leicester and started east 15 in 1989. I had seen him around Leicester before we went and we had some mutual friends in common but it was not until we were living in the school’s Jacobean Mansion in York that we got to know each other a little better.

Andy was a very talented actor but unfortunately he had a tendency to be unreliable in so far as he would turn up late for rehearsals or not at all and was sometimes ill prepared but when he was there and applied himself he gave tremendous performances.

One Sunday he cooked us a roast dinner in the basement kitchen. He had somehow managed to get hold of a Joint of Lamb and slow cooked it in the oven whilst the residents of the house sat in the old Jacobean kitchen in front of the real fire drinking wine and discussing changing the world. Andy played the guitar and he was playing the opening bars of this song and because I knew it I recognised it instantly.

The words of the song are very powerful. It is true that in the end all that we have is our soul….

Now listen to this song. Dedicated to Andy R wherever he may be…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4hbQj8NK1g

217. Hey Jude – The Beatles (1967)

I remember reading somewhere the Paul McCartney used John’s son Julian as the inspiration for this song and that it was originally called ‘Hey Jules’ changing it to ‘Hey Jude’ later as the song developed.

It is one of my favourite Beatles songs and I can never play it or listen to it without being reminded of my mother who died from a very aggressive cancer some twelve years ago now. I still think about her and wish she were still here so that she might have seen my four children and gotten to know them as she loved babies and was constantly on at me and Kerry to get started with the family but they only started to come along some two years after her death. Sometimes in life however we can’t get what we want and perhaps in this case we can’t get what we need either.

This is a great song and no list of 500 great songs would be complete without something by the fab four and so I give you ‘Hey Jude’

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEKgYKpEJ3o

216. The Legend of Xanadu – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich (1968)

This is another record that my Auntie Shelia had in her collection and that we used to play on her Fidelity Record player round at her maisonette on the

St. Matthew’s estate in Leicester back in the early seventies.

It’s odd to look back on this song which is now over 43 years old but when I was five (having been born in 1968 too) it was a fairly recent hit having only been in the charts some five years earlier.

As a child I could appreciate the drama of this song and loved the ‘whipping’ sound as well as the Spanish influence and the spoken section which all add up to a pretty great single! I remember Sheila’s record was on Fontana Records and had a dark blue sleeve and label with silver writing on it and as well as the music when remembering her records I can quite clearly visualise them.

This is a great clip (introduced by Jimmy Savillle) which just has to be enjoyed…

Now listen to this song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuJ4GIXB5Uc

215. In My Room – Marc and The Mambas (1981)

This has pretty much got to be the most dramatic song ever and that is why I love it so much! I first saw Marc Almond sing this on a show called ‘The Switch’ (the very performance is shown here) back in the 1980s and knew, almost immediately, that I had to go and but the album ‘Torment and Torreros’ – the new album from whence it came.

Although ‘Torment and Toreros’ is a bizarre album with some wonderful songs like ‘Catch A Falling Star’ which I love for its truly amazing orchestral accompaniment and loads of swearing the whole thing is massively dramatic and a true masterpiece.

I was introduced to ‘Soft Cell’ by Melanie’s friend Lucy but another friend Louise (from New Parks) was a Marc Almond devotee who played me the ‘Untitled’ album and introduced me to Marc’s other work which he seemed to do in the summer holidays when he and Dave were separated!

‘In My Room’ is actually a cover of a Walker Brothers song, which I was also listening to the other day and is equally dramatic. Even though Marc Almond does not have the same deep and luscious tones of Scott Walker he makes this song his own and gives a truly great performance here.

For Lucy and Louise wherever you are….

Enjoy Marc again….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSojFr5NULc

214. Baby I Love You – The Ramones (1980)

The most bizarre thing about this song (apart from the fact that The Ramones were doing a version of it in the first place) is that Phil Spector produced this version as well as the original, which was by the Ronettes!

I remember this version of the song being used on a ‘Yellow Pages’ advert on the tv and having been familiar with the original was reminded of it and so went out to buy my copy. It is intriguing how a tv ad campaign can generate sales of a long forgotten classic reintroducing it to a new audience and bringing it to life once again.

As you know by now (if you’ve been reading my blogette since Day 1) I love this type of song and this type of music and I love this Phil Spector produced version of it massively. Once again The Ramones were a bit of light relief from Gary Numan and The Human League and are a truly great band. Although not their greatest song this is my favourite Ramones number and so I commend it to you…

Enjoy…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4H9yZBjgSI

213. Wonderful Land – The Shadows (1962)

I first heard a section of ‘Wonderful Land’ by the Shadows when an album of their greatest hits was advertised on TV back in the 1970s. It was the usual thing - a nice LP on EMI records with a gold cover and the picture of some shadows cast by a light against three guitar necks! The voice over said ‘With all the hits including ‘Apache’ and ‘Wonderful Land!’. I made my mother buy me that album.

In 1978 when I was 10 years old I also got my mother to take me to see ‘The Shadows’ when they played the De Monfort Hall in Leicester. As my mother was a very big fan of Cliff Richard and her annual treat was to go and see him (with me and my brother in tow) play the same venue she didn’t mind seeing the band as they were always to be associated with the great Cliff R in her mind.

I remember them playing a song called ‘Love Deluxe’ which was their entry to the Eurovison Song Contest that year and we bought a copy in the foyer but for me the highlight of the night was hearing Hank and Bruce play ‘Wonderful Land’ which is a truly great piece of music.

I also remember Mike Oldfield doing an equally exciting version but this is the original and best and brings back happy memories of seeing ‘The Shadows’ on a summer night in 1978.

Now listen to the boys play guitar….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF9AS0zte5U

212. Going Underground – The Jam (1980)

The 1980s was not all ‘New Romantic’ synthesiser pop songs and boys wearing make up we also had ‘The Jam!!’

I remember this song being Number 1 and watching ‘The Jam’ on ‘Top Of The Pops’ when it was and I was immediately taken with the raw energy of the performance and the amazing sound that ‘The Jam’ made between them being only three skinny blokes!

Along with ‘A Town Called Malice’ this has to be one of my favourite ‘Jam’ numbers and it reminds me of ‘Smash Hits’, ‘Top Of The Pops’ and listening to this on the bus to school.

Enjoy the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE1ct5yEuVY

211. Dreams – Gabrielle (1993)

I remember hearing ‘Dreams’ by Gabrielle a while before it became a hit and I recall it had a sample of Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ woven into it. By the time it had hit the charts however the sample had been removed but whenever I hear it I can still subconsciously hear the opening bars of that song which is another of my personal favourites.

‘Dreams’ reminds me of working at ‘The West Yorkshire Playhouse’ back in 1993 and living in Hyde Park with June a social worker who occasionally put actors up when they were working in Leeds. June was a lovely woman and an absolute pleasure to have as a landlady. I remember that she was out during the day and as an actor appearing at the theatre in the evenings I was out then so we didn’t see too much of each other apart from on Sundays.

During my stay I redecorated her living room for her, stripping the walls, hanging new paper and painting it a lovely magnolia and a deep burgundy matt on the woodwork. Whist I worked I had the stereo on (covered by an old sheet) and this song was one of the ones I played as I decorated. I love decorating, especially wallpapering as it is one of the few things that I can actually ‘do’ in relation to DIY skills and there is nothing I like more than doing the decorating while listening to my music. This song invokes another happy memory as a result of that.

Now listen to the song (as it was originally intended…)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0X4OMFPho0

210. World Without Love – Peter and Gordon (1964)

I remember seeing the film (which accompanies this blog song) on a documentary about the British Artistes who were massive in America in the sixties. The narrator of the show said that this song was written by Paul McCartney but had been offered to Peter Asher who was Jane Asher’s brother at the time when Paul and Jane were an item. Having seen the clip I went out to Ainley’s Record Shop to buy the single. I remember it was on the ‘Old Gold’ label .

The song itself also reminds me of ‘Ally McBeal’ the US TV series as a new version of the song (recorded by Vonda Shepherd) was featured in the show and Kerry and I were regular viewers. ‘Ally McBeal’ was a great series and really very very funny but poignant at the same time and the choice of music in the show from Dr. Tracey’s Theme Song for Ally ‘Tell Him’ coupled with ‘Crying’ and ‘A World Without Love’ were all good choices that helped to underpin the narrative.

It was very much of its time but I loved it and it is a shame that like most great things it got a little crazy in the end…

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVbLNPwi_r0

209. When All Is Said and Done – Abba (1981)

I have to admit that I was listening to this song on the tube the other day as I travelled to work. I don’t know what it is about Abba but they have something that draws you to their music and this song is one of my favourite Abba songs.

The combination of Benny and Bjorn’s writing talents as well as the wonderful dynamic range of the girls’ voices have produced some truly great songs over the years some of which have been true pop classics whereas some are works of true

genius like ‘The Winner Takes It All’ and ‘The Day Before You Came’ which were written during the closing period of the groups existence. Another such song is this one, which is a song about moving on, and trying not to attribute any personal blame for what has happened. This is a truly moving song and one that touches so many emotions.

Personally I prefer the Spanish Version which is called ‘No Hay a Quien Culpar’ which seems to have an extra dramatic dimension and both are presented here.

Enjoy Abba! It’s the law….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUh4u-lYEhM

http://www.youtube.com/user/AbbaVEVO#p/a/u/0/6qmzmD4POMk

208. David Guetta and Rihanna – Who’s That Chick? (2010)

I must admit to being a bit of a fan of French DJ David Guetta since he was involved in remixing OMD’s ‘Enola Gay’, which is already one of my favourite songs, and I have also come across more of his work in the past and more recently this song.

I am also a fan of Rihanna as well so collaboration between the two is the starting point for a great dance track like this one is. I love the line ‘I just wanna dance, I don’t really care’ and I love Rihanna’s voice coupled with the fantastic machine generated sounds on this song as well as the pounding rhythm and its overall style.

I first heard it on Capital in the car with my daughter, I downloaded it and we both have it on our ipods!

Enjoy…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAc4zHEDd7o

207. Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes – Edison Lighthouse (1970)

I don’t know why I love this song so much only that I do. I first heard it on a ‘Best of the 70s’ album I bought on a CD and because the CD had so many other songs that I loved from the 70s on it in buying it I had this too! Having played it I was conscious that I had heard it sometime before but from the moment it was on my ipod I found myself adding it to my 70s playlist and enjoying it in the tube.

I love the lines ‘She ain’t got no money, her clothes are kinda funny, her hair is kind of wild and free…Love Grows where my Rosemary goes and nobody knows like me’ as well as ‘people say she’s crazy and her life’s a mystery!’

Maybe it’s because all of us know a ‘Rosemary’ (or someone like her) and we can all identify with this song and its message – the idea that some people live in their own world but we can’t help but love them..

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7UMZulD94s

206. Nightporter – Japan (1980)

‘Nightporter’ by Japan is one of my all time favourite songs and also one that both myself and my friend Tracey Brown can play on the piano!

I was already a Japan fan having been hooked when ‘Tin Drum’ was released at the end of 1981 and ‘Cantonese Boy’ and ‘Ghosts’ finally managed to have some impact on the charts for the band back in 1982. I had been exposed to Japan and Soft Cell and Gary Numan thanks to my friends Melanie, Mark , Adele and Lucy but it was Adele who was the real Japan devotee and through her enthusiasm I was introduced to Japan’s earlier works which included ‘European Son’ and the album ‘Gentlemen Take Polaroids’ from which ‘Nightporter’ is taken.

I love the simple piano accompaniment (inspired by Eric Satie I suspect as David Sylvian was keen on his music as was Gary Numan) the glorious oboe played by the late Mick Kahn and the non intrusive synthesiser sounds which all come together with two piano tracks to make this a truly excellent song. I remember a remixed 12’ version of ‘Nightporter’ being released in the early eighties which was a more simple and marginally less ‘produced’ version which is the one I had but the original (from ‘Gentlemen Take Polaroids’) is still a classic.

This song reminds me of the early eighties, Tracey Brown, wearing my burgundy tank top and ultra slim bowtie, eyeliner and Adele Smith….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNhO5mX1fPQ&feature=fvst

205. The Fear – Lily Allen (2009)

I don’t know what it is about Lily Allen but I find myself drawn to her and her music. This song in particular is one that I find myself singing and listening to on the tube on the way to work.

I love the video and the song’s pre-financial crisis analysis of materialism is one of the reasons why I love it so much. There are a number of strong (but worrying) lines and concepts such as ‘Everything’s cool as long as I’m getting thinner’, ‘I want to be rich and have lots of money, I don’t care about clever, I don’t care about funny!’ and the whole songs seems to perfectly capture the way

in which access to readily available funds unchecked by any boundaries leads to ‘massive consumption’ on a massive scale.

I love Lily and I love this song…

Enjoy…

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

204. One Man In My Heart – The Human League (1995)

I bought this song by The Human League when I heard it on the radio and I remember it being one of the first CD singles that I bought back in 1995.

At the time this was released back in 1995 I was surprised to discover that the Human League were still going and still making music! It seems that rather than split up and fade away like so many of the other bands from the 1980s they had returned to Sheffield where they continued to make music.

I also remember my mother commenting that the line ‘one man in my bed’ in this song was further evidence that everyone was becoming more and more sex obsessed and that it would end horribly some time in the future. Personally I really quite like the sentiment in this song and I think that (as a performer) Susan has come a long way since ‘Don’t You Want Me’ (Song 51) and does a rather fine job of this one.

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L960Cr06iZs

203. We Take Mystery (To Bed) – Gary Numan (1982)

This song by Gary Numan was a definite move into the world of the dance track and (as with a lot of Gary Numan’s work) shows his constant desire to adopt and change his music as it develops.

I had long been a fan of Gary Numan from his ‘Tubeway Army’ days and had loved ‘Cars’ and ‘Complex’ both of which I had on singles but when I heard this song I ran out and bought the 12’ single and have had it in my collection ever since. I still play this song regularly and I love the overall sound of it as it marries fretless bass, synthesiser sounds, Gary’s very unusual voice and dance rhythm to create a truly amazing song.

Now listen to the song….

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

202. Crossroads Theme – Tony Hatch (1964)

It may seem bizarre but I have the ‘Crossroads Theme’ on my ipod and now and again on the way home I listen to it.

This tune composed by Tony Hatch in the 1960s was one that I heard nearly every weeknight as my mother (like a good deal of the nation) was a devoted ‘Crossroads’ fan and always watched the programme. She loved Noelle Gordon and in those days before the creation of the domestic video recorder if you liked a programme you had to actually sit down and watch it when it was on!

I remember ‘Crossroads’ having an early evening slot and the opening bars of the theme tune are as familiar as a nice cup of tea.

The ‘Crossroads’ theme tune reminds me of living on Glenfield Road, watching the show on our first colour tv in the early 70s, the controversy when Paul MaCartney re-recorded the theme and it was replaced only to revert back to the original after massive viewer complaints and feeling comfortable in the knowledge that as long as Benny and Miss Diane were okay all would be well.

Listening to the ‘Crossroads’ theme on the way home reminds me of all these things….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2zSWQfEsjY

201. Anarchy In The UK – The Sex Pistols (1976)

The Sex Pistols were considered ‘shocking’ back in the mid 70s with their use of crude language and anti establishment sentiment as well as radical image but (like with all such things) were a massive hit with ‘the kids on the street’, which included me. I remember hearing about the group when I was a nine year old at school and some of the more switched on kids were talking about them in the playground however it was not until 1979 when I went to Loughborough Grammar School that I actually got to hear their ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ album

and develop a real taste for punk rock!

This song (as well as ‘The Pistols’ themselves) also remind me of filming in Soho back in 1992 for ‘The Buddha Of Suburbia’. In Hanif’s novel ‘Charlie Hero’ (who reminded me of Billy Idol!) starts a punk band and his friend ‘The Fish’ arranges a concert in Soho club engineering some violent scenes to grab some publicity.

In the TV series I was playing ‘The Fish’ and we filmed those scenes on a Sunday using Soho Square as a base and filming in a club on Dean Street. The BBC had managed to get a large group of real punk rockers to work as extras, some of who actually remembered seeing ‘The Sex Pistols’ in Soho in the 1970s. I had a great time filming that day, however Naveen Andrews borrowed £5 from me that day which has still to return!

Now listen to the song….

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

200. Mozart – Magic Flute – Papageno’s Song (1791)

I had always enjoyed listening to Mozart ever since I was little (Did you know he composed the melody for ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?’) but it was not until

I read the play ‘Amadeus’ and then saw the film version back in the mid 1980s that I was alerted to his true genius.

The product of a bizarre musical upbringing coupled with traveling and performing across Europe, Mozart was indeed a troubled individual and his untimely death was a genuine loss as I am certain his music could only ever have improved with age.

‘The Magic Flute’, which is work containing many mystical symbols and ‘veiled in allegory’ is one of my personal favourites from Mozart’s Operas and I have found myself listening to it again on the tube in recent days on my to work! This song sung by Papageno the Bird Catcher is one of the highlights of the opera and if you are unfamiliar with the work provides a suitable introduction…

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igI_2ekFg4M&feature=related

199. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – The Smiths (1984)

199. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – The Smiths (1984)

I remember watching Morrisey on ‘Top Of The Pops’ and watching the very performance which you can see in the video here. I will always remember my mother saying that he looked like a prat with a bush sticking out of the back of his trousers and what a ridiculous song this really was, however for me she was the physical embodiment of someone who didn’t really ‘understand’ The Smiths and what they were trying to say.

This song takes me back to the recessionary times of the 1980s when UB40 were singing songs like ‘1 in 10’ and The Smiths were writing songs about the difficulties of ‘getting a job’ and ‘panic on the streets’ and the generally difficult times people were facing in a similar way to the way we are now and will be soon.

I’m not a massive Smiths fan but I do love this song and it is one of the ones I own and play. Looking back it had an important historical significance and like flares will no doubt be coming back into fashion sometime soon…

Now listen to the song and enjoy the video….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRi8MYrtKYk

198. I Just Called To Say I Love You – Stevie Wonder (1984)

This song reminds me of being in the Christmas Pantomime ‘Mother Goose’ back in 1985 at the town hall in Loughborough.

At the time I was still doing amateur productions in Leicester but was invited to play a part in the show for which I would be paid! The show was put on Leicester Dancing Teacher Janet DuPont (a.k.a Janet Wilson) and I had a good comedy role and a few songs to sing!

The girl playing the princess – Rita Proctor (who went on to become a choreographer in later life) and the principal boy had a duet in the show but the actual song chosen wasn’t quite right so Mick Lowe suggested we use this one. Mick was the Musical Director on the show as well as the man that ran the Western Park Youth Theatre, where I was a member, and there wasn’t anything he couldn’t play on the piano. He just sat down and played it straight off! The girls sang it and it fitted into the show brilliantly!

I had a wonderful time doing that show every night for six weeks and matinees on Saturdays. Some of my friends like Cathy Bell and Louise were in the show and I made lots of new friends among the dancers and singers. The sets were marvellous and the costumes supplied by Bermans and Nathans. Whenever I hear this song it reminds me of the show and the happy times I spent on it…

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwOU3bnuU0k

197. Messages – OMD (1980)

I remember the first time I heard this song, which was on the school bus home back in 1980. Sat on the back seat on the last stretch going to the last stop on Letchworth Road where I lived, I heard this on Radio One and I knew I had to find out what it was and get my copy.

Back in 1980 ‘Messages’ was unlike anything I had ever heard before. I loved Gary Numan and Tubeway Army and had some of their records but this was something new. The same synthesiser sounds but warm and rich and altogether less clinical. Some time later my friend Melanie acquired the 10inch version of the song, which was marginally longer and I also remember the lyrics of the song being published in ‘Smash Hits’ magazine (to which I subscribed back in the early eighties) accompanied by a picture of the band and their tape recorder ‘Winston’.

I still love this song today and play it regularly.

I recently went to see OMD at the Lyric Hammersmith when they revived ‘Architecture and Morality’ and they still sound as wonderful today as they did over thirty years ago….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXvlzUCB74o

196. Pop Musik – M (Robin Scott) – 1979

I remember hearing this in 1979 and loving it. The bizarre ‘Pop Music’ chorus coupled with the extremely distinctive rhythm and Robin Scott’s dynamic vocal made this deservedly a massive hit back in 1979 when I bought my copy.

I also particularly loved the video that accompanied the song, which can be seen here, and the concept of boogieing with a suitcase, which is simply absurd.

Although M managed to scrape another hit (which was called something like ‘Moonlight and Music’ I think) they always seemed to be a one hit wonder to me but what a hit! If you’ve never heard it before prepare for a winner and if you have remember it and enjoy again….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HaAOCGb3bw

195. The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel (1968)

This song reminds me of two periods in my life. Firstly when Kerry and I were students and living in Loughton and also when I was working in Leeds a few years later in 1993.

Sony Records released a ‘definitive’ collection of Simon and Garfunkel hits in the latter part of the 1980s and I had a copy which Kerry and I played regularly in our little flat in Loughton. Kerry’s friend Liz (who lived next door) was also a massive fan and between us we had this disk on the CD player pretty much all of the time. The flat where we lived was mind numbingly cold and during the winter we lived in one room, sleeping on a futon in the lounge and keeping warm using only the duvet and a portable gas fire. This song reminds me of those times when we played this almost daily.

It also reminds me of living in Leeds in 1993 when I was working at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. I remember I was singing this song one day and one of the fellow actors in the company telling me that the chorus of the song was ‘lie, lie, lie’ and that Paul Simon had written it about Bob Dylan. He alleged that Paul Simon (who had had a poor and impoverished background) had written this song which tells a ‘made up’ story of living a hard life where ‘a man hears what he wants to hear’ and the whole thing is a ‘lie’ which he believed Bob Dylan had exploited in his work. I don’t know if this is true but the words of the chorus are certainly ‘lie, lie, lie!’

Listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky57Jo3-BaU&feature=related

194. Denis – Blondie (1978)

I remember seeing ‘Blondie’ on ‘Top Of The Pops’ where they played this video and I remember my mother and my auntie Anne commenting that the reason they believed they were so popular was down to Debbie Harry wearing her swimwear in this video!

Personally I disagree and think that their success in the 1970s was down to some truly great pop songs but then I am a man. It is true that Blondie had struggled before ‘Denis’ came along and considering that it is a cover of a pop standard originally called ‘Denise’ and sung by ‘Randy and the Rainbows’ it is an odd choice when compared to other Blondie classics like ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ and ‘Heart Of Glass’ but it did the job and brought them to the public’s attention when the song reached number two in 1978.

This is a great fun pop song and reminds me of being ten, buying my copy , which was on Chrysalis records and came in a blue sleeve from Lewis’ department store and playing it loudly on my record player as well as watching Debbie in her swimwear on tv….

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahGxiSV_LH0

193. Enjoy The Silence – Depeche Mode (1990)

This song reminds me of my friend Sara and the ballroom of Sheriff Hutton Hall in York back in 1990. At the time I was a student at east 15 acting school and during final term of that year was living in a house in a village called Thornton Le Clay rather than in the Hall itself.

As I may have mentioned I hated dancing but I did very much enjoy spending time in the Victorian Ballroom, which was added as an extension to the already large house (originally a Jacobean Hunting Lodge) in the Victorian era. The Ballroom was enormous, had wonderful and massive sash windows and an elegant wooden floor. We had all of our dancing lessons in there, rehearsals and at Christmas we built a set and used it as an auditorium! There was always a tape deck and amplifier in the room which was used to provide music for the dance classes but when passing time in the evenings or doing our own morning warm ups we brought our own music on cassettes and played them on that stereo.

At the time I had a copy of ‘Violator’, which was Depeche Mode’s latest album at the time. Both Sara and I were Depeche Mode devotees (as were a number of the other students) so I brought my cassette of the album down and we had it on a lot of the time. As a result whenever I hear ‘Halo’, ‘Personal Jesus’ or ‘Enjoy The Silence’ I am transported back to those happy days when I was training to be an actor and reminded of Sara (who like me now) has a big family and lives nearby!

Now listen to the song…

http://www.youtube.com/v/aGSKrC7dGcY

192. The Carnival Is Over – The Seekers (1965)

My mother had an album by ‘The Seekers’. It was called ‘Come The Day’ and was on Columbia records. There were some great songs on that album including a Seeker’s Version of ‘California Dreaming’ and Peter Andre’s favourite ‘Island Of Dreams’. Needless to say this was my first introduction to popular music as a child and I loved it.

Whatever kind of music you like I think it’s virtually impossible not to appreciate the amazing voice of Judith Durham, which is magnificent as well as crystal clear. The simplicity of the guitars, double bass and close harmonies of the group work so well together that I don’t think I know a bad or even mediocre Seekers number.

“The Carnival Is Over’ however is my favourite one. Ironically this song was not on that album but my auntie Sheila did have it on a single. I remember playing it round at her flat on the St. Matthew’s estate and having played it putting the black Columbia record back into its red sleeve (I distinctly remember it being red because some of the others were green but this one was definitely red!).

There is a rumour that Tom Springsteen (who wrote it) borrowed the tune from a Russian folk song however it has become one of Australia’s most famous songs and is one that I still love to listen to on the tube in between Lady Ga Ga and New Order.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3klk6_the-seekers-the-carnival-is-over_music