254. September – David Sylvian (1987)

This song is the opening song on ‘The Secrets Of The Beehive’ by David Sylvian, which is (without question) my favourite album of all time. As mentioned before on ‘The Boy With The Gun’ – Song 135, the whole album is a complete work of various songs that make a truly amazing whole and ‘September’ starts us off.

I often find myself playing the song on the 1^st September (like today) and it reminds me of starting ‘September’ in so many different places. I remember September coming along when we lived in Hackney in 1993, in Loughton for a number of years, in Debden and Theydon Bois and soon in Kent as we move there next week.

The song captures the spirit of September, when the summer draws to a close and the sun hides away and the days become a little colder on their way to winter. The lyrics which talk of the ‘sun shining high above’, ‘the sounds of laughter’ and the ‘the birds swooping down upon the crosses of old grey churches’ sum up this time of year beautifully and though the song is only short it makes a wonderful start to the album which is a ‘must listen’ if you like David Sylvian or Japan.

September is here again….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8RxNeHKgNU

253. Beat Dis – Bomb The Bass (1988)

From the opening seconds of this record, which includes a sample of the opening credits from ‘Thunderbirds’ I was hooked on this track. At the time this was released this type of dance music with a heavy drumbeat and samples from all manner of unusual sources (such as an alarm clock going off and the famous ‘This is a journey into sound’’ segment from the 1958 Decca special effects album, as well as a segment from ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’) was ground breaking and sat well in the charts beside ‘Pump Up The Volume’ and ‘S Express!’

The idea of using so many different sources for samples within a song and such diversity (as more than one ‘special effects’ album was used) was a real draw for me as I love unusual things and unusual sounds in my music. I love it when artists record unusual things and use them as loops or sounds in their records!

It is odd that this song cannot be downloaded on itunes at the present time but the version on You Tube reminds me of what a great dance track this is…

Enjoy…

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

252. Feels Like Heaven – Fiction Factory (1983)

I remember this song being in the charts for ‘Fiction Factory’ back in 1983. I saw them perform on ‘Top Of The Pops’ and immediately thought that this was a great song.

It is such a shame that this band had been going for years and this was their ‘first’ and last hit and that they were more or less relegated to the list of ‘one hit wonders’ immediately following its success but I think that this is a great song and deserves to be in my top 500 list. I remember finding it on a compilation album that had the hits of 1983 on it and having been reminded of it I downloaded my copy onto my iphone.

As the song was released at the end of 1983 it also reminds me of Christmas as it was in the charts over the period.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6m_8yOprGc

251. Beasts – Slow Moving Millie (2009)

This song reminds me of the Church Nativity Play that Kerry produced at

St. Mary’s in Theydon Bois back in 2009. The church had always had a very traditional nativity play up until that time and when Kerry was given the job she wanted to do something new and different. In Kerry’s Nativity we looked at the story from the perspective of the angels looking forward to the big day and how the shepherds and wise men reacted to it.

Kerry wrote a great script, the rehearsals were well run and organised and we used my apple computer and the garage band software to record and edit the music and sounds which when played through the church PA system gave the show an extra dimension.

This song was in the charts at the time having been played on television on a sky tv ad and we used a little bit of it, along with ‘The Arrival Of the Queen Of Sheba’, Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’ and ‘Sheep May Safely Graze’ to enhance the story. Whenever I hear it now it reminds me of Christmas, my daughter Ophelia playing the lead role, Ollie as a shepherd, Stanley as the king in that nativity play and what a wonderful Christmas that was.

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojkzyfjuL0s

250. Last Chance – Soft Cell (2002)

When Soft Cell released their album ‘Cruelty Without Beauty’ and did a series of concerts in 2002 I was lucky enough to go and see them in a lovely new venue in Hackney in London.

For those of us who remembered ‘Soft Cell’ from the first time around and were devastated when we had missed the final concert at the Hammersmith Odeon back in 1984 this was a chance to come back and have a second bite of the cherry as a 34 year old.

I have to admit that I was feeling a little too old to be at such a concert but when I realised that the whole place was pretty much full of 30 year old men (some were dressed as ladies as well which was a trifle ‘strange’ when using the loos!) and similarly aged women we all settled down to a fantastic show.

It was amazing to see and hear Marc Almond and as Marc’s voice and style have become stronger and more polished over the years we were not disappointed by the set which was accompanied by some wonderful original and new music by Dave Ball too. For me it was the first time to hear ‘Bedsitter’, ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ and ‘Youth’ live as well as listen to their new songs which included this one.

I had to admit that before the concert and the release of the new album I had already heard this song as one of my friend’s brothers worked for their record label and we were lucky enough to have heard a demo, so I liked this song already and when Marc announced it was a follow up to ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ I stood in the crowd excited to hear it. Although there had been some slight changes from the demo the song was still a great one and one that I have on my ipod today along with all the original Soft Cell numbers in my collection.

Enjoy….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v-BHClOSo8

249. Stayin’ Alive – Beegees (1977)

The buzz of excitement that surrounded Saturday Night Fever was started when I saw the video for ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ by the Beegees shown on ‘Swap Shop’ and when ‘Stayin’ Alive’ and ‘Night Fever’ followed shortly afterwards disco was here and if you didn’t have flashing lights on your dance floor or a white suit you were out of the equation!

You can (therefore) imagine my horror when ‘Saturday Night Fever’ was given an ‘X’ certificate which meant you couldn’t go to see it until you were over 18!

I remember my Auntie Anne going to see it and such was its popularity that an ‘abridged’ version was produced editing out the parts that made it an ‘X’ certificate and a rerated ‘A’ version (equivalent to today’s ‘PG’ certificate) was released and I went to the cinema to see it and hear the music in glorious stereo in the cinema.

I remember the opening shot of the film which is of John Travolta’s legs walking down a New York Street carrying a can of paint, admiring some shoes in a shop window etc all to the sound of this great song. The Beegees have written and produced some of the greatest songs of all time but ‘Stayin’ Alive’ is most certainly the best one they produced during the ‘disco’ era and is a true classic.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3b9gOtQoq4

248. I am King – Buxton – Dougal And The Blue Cat (1972)

My Uncle Pete was a huge fan of the ‘Magic Roundabout’ and my mother managed to track down a copy of the soundtrack from the film ‘Dougal And The Blue Cat’ which was a ‘Magic Roundabout’ feature film voiced by Eric Thompson and released in 1972. She bought a copy for Pete and one for us at the same time and we played it over and over again on our stereo as children.

At the time there was no video and no video cassettes and so the only thing we had was an LP of the songs and no idea of what the actual film was like, but we loved the songs and this one was my favourite song from the film.

Buxton the evil blue cat, who has taken over the magic garden, imprisoned Florence and Dougal as well as Zebedee and Mr. Rusty sings this song as he finally becomes king! With such classic lines about being ruler of all the world including Bognor and Crewe as well as thumping and clouting anyone who gets in his way he ‘crowns’ his glory with a truly awesome piano solo which just goes to show that sometimes even evil villains have talent!

This is a great song and a great clip…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4yStSP6B7I

247. Hard To Say I’m Sorry – Chicago (1982)

Although the 1980s was a time of great change in the English Music scene (as well as in the country) there was still plenty of room for more traditional types of music and this song (and others like it by American Rock Bands) were very popular.

I remember hearing this song on Radio 1 as I travelled to school in the morning sandwiched between the likes of ‘Yazoo’,’OMD’ and ‘The Human League’ and thinking that it was a great song. I have this song on my ipod at the moment and I listen to it often.

There is a simplicity and simple message to this song, which makes it stand out, and the melody and delivery are exceptional. If there is one thing that the Americans do really well it is produce big power ballads like this one and this is one of the best examples…

Listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB_AzQG0Mjs

246. The Smurf Song – Father Abraham (1978)

At the moment ‘The Smurfs’ are enjoying a bit of a revival and my kids are taking an interest in them and asking me if I had heard of them. They are (of course) surprised to hear about ‘The Smurf Song’ and my original introduction to the blue trolls back in 1978!

I remember the video for this song being shown on ‘Swap Shop’ and Noel Edmunds introducing the Smurfs as the next big thing, which they certainly were. At the same time as ‘The Smurf Song’ was released ‘You’re The One That I Want (Song 244) was number one and as mentioned before was pretty much number one for the whole of the summer and beyond which kept the poor little smurfs off the number one but did give them the record for the most consecutive weeks at number two.

I was 10 at the time this song was in the charts and I bought a copy on Decca Records and we played it often! It’s not one that I have on my ipod as I can’t sem to get it as a download but it is great to see Papa Smurf playing the flute and the other smurfs smurfing out of key! This song brings back memories of a more innocent time when such things could be number 1 (or No.2) in the charts and when we all sat and watched them together as a family on ‘Top Of The Pops’.

Long live the smurfs….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWbMikrZ91U

245. Heart Of Glass – Blondie (1979)

As a young lad I loved ‘Blondie’ and this song is my all time favourite song of theirs. I bought my copy from Ainley’s record shop by the clock tower in Leicester but was really disappointed when the record jumped and wouldn’t play properly on my Fidelity stereo at home. I distinctly remember taking the record back to the shop and waiting while the man went into a back room and played it coming back saying that it was fine and I should go home. Back at home I had to weight the stereo pick up arm with a couple of two pence pieces secured with blu tack to get it to work but work it did.

A couple of months later my parents bought me ‘Parallel Lines’ from ‘Revolver’ (another record shop in Leicester) and as the song was on that album the single hit the shelves and I played the album version instead.

I also remember this song being ‘Number One’ and watching the video on ‘Top Of The Pops’. The sophistication of New York, Jimmi Destri ‘twanging’ the output lead of his keyboard, Chris Stein’s dead pan expression and Debbie looking as gorgeous as ever in that dress. A great song and a great video that I still love to play and watch today. The video is one of the very few music videos I have on my ipod.

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU

244. You’re The One That I Want – John Travolta and Olivia Newton John (1978)

This record reminds me of the summer of 1978 when this single was at Number One for eight weeks, which at the time was unprecedented. The success of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ the year before had catapulted John Travolta into superstar status and a suitable vehicle for him was found in ‘Grease’, which was released later in the year.

I remember buying my copy of this number one classic while on holiday in Mablethorpe during the summer and watching the video (which was taken from the film and acted as trailer for it) on ‘Top Of The Pops’ week after week.

By the time this song, ‘Summer Nights’, ‘Greased Lightening’ and ‘Sandy’ had been released as singles we were all desperate to get to the cinema to see the film and I remember going to see it with my brother and was not disappointed.

Now listen to the song….

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

243. Silence Is Golden – The Tremeloes (1967)

This record reminds me of playing our 45rpm singles on the record player as a child at 78rpm!

I remember my parents had a ‘stereogram’ which was a big box designed to look like a piece of furniture which had the speakers to the left and right and a turntable in the centre, space to store singles and LP records, and a lid which closed hiding the working parts from view. I seem to recall this device was given to us by someone else who was getting a new ‘Fidelity’ record player and it moved into our house in the dining room in the early 1970s. I also remember that we were also given a few records as well with it one of which was this single.

As a child we had enormous fun playing the records that we had at basically double the normal speed which made normal records sound like ‘Pinky and Perky’ were singing and ‘Pinky and Perky’ records something else completelty!!!

As an adult I heard this song (played at the proper speed) and was not only reminded of this but what a great song this was as well. I remember the single was on CBS records and had a yellow sleeve!

Now listen to this classic….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyj2qL-bQ4E

242. Blue Dress – Depeche Mode (1990)

This has got to be one of my favourite songs from Depeche Mode’s ‘Violator’ album and I was listening to it for the first time in a long while as I rode home on the tube last night.

As I have mentioned in the past I am a great fan of Depeche Mode and I love the way that Martin Gore expresses himself through his music often in new and unconventional ways. This song is about the effect that having a wife or lover put on a favourite ‘Blue Dress’ has on a man and how something that might mean nothing to you can mean so much to someone else. The concept that ‘Clothes don’t maketh the man’ is an old one but sometimes ‘Clothes do maketh a woman’ and I can understand the concept of this song so well.

I also love the wonderful pulsating synthesiser sounds that accompany Martin’s voice and the whole ‘feel’ of this song.

Enjoy….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mh6hK8mEIw

241. Rupert The Bear – Jackie Lee (1970)

The ‘Rupert Song’ is a classic example of how ‘Nostalgia burns in the hearts of the strongest’ (borrowing a line from the ‘Ink In The Well’ by David Sylvian (song 235)) and I can’t hear it without being reminded of coming home from school for lunch as a child in the 1970s.

In those far off days of youth and innocence when children went home over the lunch hour to see their mothers and have their lunch at home the television stations of the time ran a couple of kids’ shows like ‘Rupert’ or ‘A Handful of Songs’ along with ‘Rainbow’ or ‘Pipkins’ before the ‘News at One’ and ‘Crown Court’ and it was during these lunchtimes that those lucky enough to be at home would see these shows. Later on ‘Rupert’ got an after school slot and as such was therefore very much a feature of my childhood.

I loved the opening theme song performed by Jackie Lee (who also sang the song to ‘White Horses’ another children’s favourite of the time) and remember all the words to this very day. Having just had a third son who we have called ‘Rupert’ (though not as a tribute to this fine bear I hasten to add) I sometimes find myself singing the song to him as he sits on my knee while Mrs G is busy making supper. He loves the song and always smiles as I sing it.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY1aJ35sw98

240. Willow’s Song – Paul Giovanni (1973)

I remember the ‘Wicker Man’ being on the television when I was a child and my mother not letting me watch it saying it was too scary. It was only when I bought a copy in an airport departure lounge within the last few years that I watched the film for the first time (whilst I was working away from home) and read about its extraordinary history.

Personally the idea of being burned alive as a human sacrifice within a giant Wicker Man is too horrible to imagine and Edward Woodward puts in a truly magnificent performance as the Scottish Policeman from the mainland enticed into the trap like a small lamb to the slaughter. I also love the music of the film and this song in particular which despite being ‘performed’ in this clip by Britt Eckland was actually written by Paul Giovanni and allegedly sang by Scottish Folk singer Annie Ross.

If you’ve never seen the ‘Wicker Man’ it is definitely worth a watch if only for the wonderfully colourful texture and rich pagan symbolism as well as the wonderful music.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrviUetDs_4&NR=1

239. Weird – Hanson (1997)

Back in 1997 Kerry and I were living in our little flat in Loughton still trying hard to get work as actors. I had done a couple of episodes of ‘Bugs’ and had a part as a doctor in ‘The Bill’ in 1996 and Kerry had appeared in ‘The Knock’ for LWT but by the summer of 1997 we were having to consider other things. It was at that time I got a temporary job at Lloyds Bank Stockbrokers which sent me back into London on the tube daily and led to a whole host of other things…

Looking back the music of 1997 was uneventful as far as I was concerned but times were changing as we all looked forward to the new start that Teflon Tony had promised with the election of ‘New Labour’ that same year. There were a couple of songs that I liked at that time (and I loved ‘The Spice Girls’) but I liked this song by Hanson. I had heard ‘MMMMBop’ and knew they were a bunch of kids but there is a maturity and style to this song that makes it stand out and on a recent revisit to it I was reminded of what a good song this actually is. I have it on my ipod (along with ‘MMMMBop’) and I play it often.

Now listen to the song……

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32nlxQOe3tw

238. Push It – Salt ‘N’ Pepa (1987)

This song reminds me of roller-skating on a Saturday afternoon at the Grandby Halls in Leicester.

When I was a boy roller-skating involved wearing boots which had four wheels, one on each corner of the foot, rather than along the middle in the style of ice skates. I bought my first pair of skates from Zodiac Toys in the town when I was fourteen and used to go on a Saturday with my friends Mark Vickers and Stuart Monteith! Over the years I became quite good at it and moved up to some lovely leather boots with superfast wheels and when the technology developed some stiff plastic boots with amazing high speed wheels by Bauer which were the ‘dog’s bollocks’ of skating equipment.

Roller-skating (and I could go backwards and do jumps and so on) was something that I continued to do well into my twenties until I went to drama school and sometimes when I was home from there I went along to see what was happening. The Grandby Halls was a former drill hall and very large and an ideal venue for skating and they always played the latest music very loud! Sometimes when I would hear a song we would all jump up from our seats and skate as fast as we could to it and this was one of the songs. I can remember loving skating to this and smoothly gliding along impressing the ladies with my skills…

Every time I hear this song I am reminded of the fun I had roller-skating and wish I still had my boots…

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCadcBR95oU

237. Since You’ve Been Gone – Rainbow (1979)

This song reminds me of going to Loughborough Grammar School in 1979 when it was a massive hit. As I lived in Leicester and Loughborough was some 15miles away I started my commuting life early (aged 11) and before the start of a dedicated school bus I had to walk round the corner and get a lift with Michael Walker (a bank manager who worked in Nottingham) and his son and two 0f his friends.

I can’t say that I enjoyed my time at Loughborough Grammar School and luckily for me it was my outside interests (namely the local youth theatre group of which I was a member) and the quality of my local friends with whom I did not share my schooldays that kept me from going mad there.

I did, however have a number of friends at Loughborough, and bound together by a common desire to survive the experience as best as we could we loved and shared our music. A number of the boys were heavy metal fans and had I not gone to LGS (as it was known) I would never have discovered Rainbow, Deep Purple, Free, Cream and Motorhead so it did me some good at least.

This is a classic rock number that will always remind me of LGS!

Rock on Mr. Bonnet and the lads….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mSkZU8IkjE

236. True Faith – New Order (1987)

Although ‘True Faith’ by New Order was recorded in 1987 I somehow managed to miss it and didn’t discover it until much later when I heard it on a tape that a friend made for me of some of his favourite songs. Although we shared similar tastes and I already knew many of the songs on the tape I loved this one even though I didn’t know it was by New Order.

Bizarrely I seem to remember seeing the video at the cinema when it was shown as a short alongside a main feature, which seemed bizarre as the Film Censor’s classification for the video was shown before it was run. The video for this song is a very odd one indeed but it is very much part of the whole thing and so on this entry I commend you this song and this pop video.

Enjoy it…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og1HAkjOuL0

235. The Ink In The Well – David Sylvian (1984)

I remember buying David Sylvian’s first solo album (after Japan had split up and gone their separate ways) with a great anticipation of what he would do next and I was not disappointed.

Along with ‘Red Guitar’ which was released as a single and ‘Nostalgia’ the album had some great songs and music of which ‘The Ink In The Well’ is my favourite track. I love the double bass and the twanging of the string instruments as well as the images that are conjured up including ‘Picasso painting the ships in the harbour’ and that ‘Nostalgia burns (even) in the hearts of the strongest.’

Looking back on this album some 25 years after I first heard it it still seems as fresh and exciting as it was the day I bought it and pointed the way to what would be coming which was ‘The Secrets Of The Beehive’ which is my all time favourite album.

When CDs were introduced some time later I rushed out to buy this album on CD so I could hear it in greater clarity. In the early days the difference between the vinyl record and the CD played on the same stereo system seemed enormous and these days we no longer hear the differences but at that time it was bizarre to hear a singer take a breath before starting to sing or play a wind instrument on a CD which couldn’t usually be heard when playing the same track on a record.

‘The Ink In the Well’ also reminds me of being in the sixth form at Leicester Grammar School. This was one of the happiest times of my life as we had so much time off between lessons we could regularly be found having a coffee in Asquith’s, or tea at Blossoms or having lunch in Quentin Wong’s Chinese restaurant ‘Cathay Cantonese’ all against a backdrop of David Sylvian and ‘Brilliant Trees’….

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QnCtcL-Pe8

234. Silver Lady – David Soul (1978)

‘Silver Lady’ by David Soul reminds me of 1970s, living on Glenfield Road in Leicester and the wonderful ‘Disco Fever’ LP, which was advertised on television and available on K-Tel records!

It’s hard to imagine the impact that one compilation album has had on me but it was a truly great album and featured some truly amazing songs of the day including ‘Magic Fly’ by Space (song 12), ‘Yes Sir I Can Boogie’ by Bacarra ‘Telephone Man’ by Meri Wilson, ‘You Win Again’ by Hot Chocolate, songs by The Dooleys and The Boomtown Rats as well as this song which was the first song on side 2 of the album sung by David Soul from ‘Starksy and Hutch’. I pretty much wore the record out playing it!!

Back in the 1970s the concept of actors making pop records was a bit of a joke but David Soul (helped by some great writing and production) managed to have quite a few hits of which this was perhaps his biggest. Although not a truly great singer he has a good voice and had a kind of charm which made him popular with the ladies and which came over so well in ‘Starsky and Hutch’ which really was a massive hit in the 1970s and compulsory Saturday night viewing for us as well as millions of others.

Whenever I hear this song I am reminded of the show, the 1970s and the number of spins ‘Disco Fever’ got!

Enjoy….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVgjZCIRf4I

233. Go West – Pet Shop Boys (1993)

‘Go West’ by the Pet Shop Boys has the privilege of being the only song that I ever purchased as a ‘cassette single’ and I did that because I had no access to my CD player when I was working away from home back in 1993.

This song is a cover of a song originally by ‘The Village People’ who were perhaps more famous for giving us ‘Y.M.C.A’ and ‘In The Navy’ but as someone who quite enjoyed ‘Y.M.C.A’ in the innocent and less enlightened times of the late 70s I love the songs of ‘The Village People’ and like this one very much. I remember the group made a film called ‘You Can’t Stop The Music’ in 1980, which I went to the cinema to see and all of the hits ended up in it! I can’t say I’ve ever seen it on TV but it is a great film.

I have always enjoyed the music of the Pet Shop Boys too as I love the way that they manage to produce so many wonderful sounds from their totally electronic music. Neil Tennant has a strange and bizarre voice as well, which adds to the style and in this song the use of a male voice choir as well as a collection of wonderful synthesized patches creates a truly wonderful version of an already great song.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNBjMRvOB5M&ob=av2e

232. At The River – Groove Armada (1997)

This song reminds me of the summer of 1999 a few short months before the ‘Millennium’ when we listened to the radio and heard this playing as we got up for work in the city on those lovely summer mornings. At that time Kerry and I were both working in London for different firms of stockbrokers so we got up at the same time, had our breakfast and listened to the radio before heading out to stand at the bus stop for ages waiting for the No.20 or 167 to take us to Loughton station.

At that time we were yet to start a family and we were starting to plan our wedding, which was to be in Manchester. My mother had only recently died (back in February of that year) and so we needed cheering up and something to look forward to. This song reminds me of that time. It conjures up images of the seaside (and there’s something wrong with you if you aren’t excited by the seaside!) and lazy afternoons spent eating ice creams and strolling along the beach at sunset.

Although it was originally released in 1997 it wasn’t until 1999 that it became a hit just in case you’re wondering why it was recorded in 1997 and I’m reminiscing about 1999!

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-uztVX6QFQ&ob=av3n

231. Where Do You Go To My Lovely – Peter Sarstedt (1969)

I remember hearing this song on the radio sometime in the 1970s and asking my Dad if he knew who it was by. He seemed to think that it was Bob Dylan and as my Dad wasn’t keen on Bob Dylan he then went on to tell me that he thought he was over rated and his music was cobblers. It is funny how one’s parents influence you however isn’t it? As a result of this I have never been much of a Dylan fan and on coming to his work later in life I find myself thinking that whilst some of his work is good that perhaps he is not the genius some people believe him to be.

As a further result of this mis-information I didn’t manage to find out that ‘Where Do You Go To My Lovely’ was written and performed by Peter Sarstedt until well into the late 1980s when I found it on a CD collection entitled ‘No. 1s of the 1960s’ issued by EMI records! Having discovered it, it then became one of my favourite songs from that era.

For me the song has an enormous appeal in that it refers to ‘a secret kept for a number of years’ as well as the almost universal desire to improve one’s life and overcome adversity and that essentially no one ever really knows precisely what is going on in the mind or thoughts of any of us, which makes for a fascinating composition. At the time when this was written the idea of skiing in St.Moritz and sunbathing in foreign climes as well as fancy apartments in Paris were alien to the majority of us and so the added glamour of such things also helps to underpin the concept of the song and just how far Marie- Claire has travelled on her journey.

I love this song and it was nice to find some footage of Peter S performing it in colour too.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqC-677R-xU

230. Love Is Strange – Everything But The Girl (1992)

This song, which is originally a song from the 1950s, was featured on a special CD single issued by ‘Everything But The Girl’ called ‘Covers’ which I bought from ‘Trumps’ record shop in Loughton back in 1992.

The CD also featured acoustic versions of ‘Time After Time’ the Cyndi Lauper song (song 70) and ‘Alison’ originally by Elvis Costello, but it is this wonderful version of ‘Love Is Strange’ is what attracted me to the disc as I had heard it on the radio and loved this version with its simple musical arrangement and close harmony.

There isn’t really too much to say about this song other than it is wonderful and I hope you like it.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qyBTjgQ-5Y&ob=av2e

229. Thorn In My Side - Eurythmics (1986)

This song reminds me of a Peugeot 309, a leg of lamb and rehearsals for ‘Grease’

- a show where I appeared as an eighteen year old with my friends Nick Lowe and Ed.

Back in 1986 when Ed and I were appearing in a dancing school production of ‘Grease’ at Countesthopre College in Leicestershire, Ed used to pick me up from my house and we would make the journey in his mother’s car until the time he bought his own car during the run – a blue VW Beetle. One day when his mother’s car was at the garage for a service the garage lent her a Peugeot 309 and Ed came and picked me up in it. Bizarrely someone had left a leg of lamb on the back seat and I can’t recall whether or not the tape in the stereo was already there or one that Ed had brought with him but this song was on the tape and we played it a number of times as we sped along to the rehearsal!

I’ve always enjoyed the Eurythmics since the demise of ‘The Tourists’ and their renaissance as a new musical force as my friend Melanie was a real devotee and had their first album ‘In The Garden’ which was out a while before ‘Sweet Dreams’ brought them to the attention of the masses. I love this song in particular because it reminds me of the fun we had doing ‘Grease’ and listening to it in the car…

Now listen to the song…..

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

228. Mickey – Toni Basil (1982)

I remember Noel Edmonds introducing the video to this song on a Saturday morning episode of ‘Swap Shop’ in what was to be the last series before we got ‘Saturday Superstore’.

I can’t quite remember what Noel was saying but the idea was that this was going to be a ‘Smash Hit’ and that this was a great video. I remember watching it and thinking how right Noel was and so rushed out to get my copy which had a nice picture of Toni Basis dressed as a cheerleader on the sleeve!

The song is a cover version and the original song (by Racey) called ‘Kitty’ was changed by Toni Basil to ‘Mickey’ and with the addition of Toni’s chant ‘Oh Mickey you’re so fine……you blow my mind’ and was a massive hit for her back in 1982 at a time when the charts were full of new romantic synthesiser music made by the likes of The Human League and Duran Duran.

This a fun song with a fun video and deserved to be as massive as it was. It was kept off the number one spot in the UK by ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ by Tight Fit which while equally fun was not quite as good as this song….

Now listen to the song and watch the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvQex1RQ5G4

227. Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix (1967)

When I was at Loughborough Grammar school between 1979 and 1984 I had a number of friends who were seriously into Heavy Metal and Rock Music. Friends who bought ‘Kerrang’ magazine and went to Donnington (which was close by) to listen to Motorhead and make their ears bleed!

As a result of this I was exposed to Eric Clapton and Cream, Rainbow and Motorhead and the wonderful James Marshall Hendrix. A man so talented he could play the guitar with his teeth!!!

Unfortunately due to his untimely death Jimi Hendix didn’t leave us with much but songs like ‘Hey Joe’, ‘All Along The Watchtower’ and ‘Purple Haze’ are works of true genius and I am fully behind the opinion that Jimi Hendrix was probably the greatest electric guitar player in the world.

I love ‘Purple Haze’ as a song because it is just so strange and obviously inspired by some serious sixties spliff smoking or acid taking and as such is very much belongs to its era whilst at the same time having the qualities of a timeless classic despite being over 40 years old at this time.

Now listen to the music…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnFSaqFzSO8

226. Agadoo – Black Lace (1984)

No list of 500 songs would be complete without one or two super cheesy classics of which this masterpiece is Number One!

I heard 'Agadoo' by Black Lace for the first time in the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool.  Phil Kerslake had just finished playing the mighty Wurlitzer organ and as he descended into the vaults two girls came out in grass skirts and wearing flower garlands accompanied by a bloke who told us ‘we were gonna dance to a new song which was gonna be massive!’

I was there with my younger brother who was nine(tries to justify the next bit!!) and before long we were pushing pineapples and shaking the tree. I was sixteen at this time!

I must admit that I do have this song on my iPod and as I write this (on the tube this morning) I am listening to it!!!

Despite it's obvious holiday song quality at the time when it was released back in 1984 the idea of the annual 'interactive holiday  song' was relatively new and had yet to be tarnished by some of the truly dreadful ones that followed!

I also love the irony of this song as well! Imagine if you were an actual Hula dancer in Waikiki -  Would you really want to meet either of the blokes from 'Black Lace' down in the bay and 'teach them much more than how to dance?'

- I think NOT!

Although this is truly dreadful I love it!

Enjoy.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POv-3yIPSWc

225. Time To Say Goodbye – Katherine Jenkins (2004)

This song by Katherine Jenkins reminds me of my Uncle Dave who died

in 2004.

When I was a boy my Uncle Dave lived up the road on Aikmen Avenue in Leicester and we would often visit him and his wife Pam and daughter Collette.

Dave worked for the Gas Board reading meters (amongst other things) and was one of the nicest men that you could ever have hoped to meet. When we had our first baby Ophelia back in 2001 and again when we had Oliver in 2003 we took them to Leicester to see Dave and Pam who had moved to Coalville by that time.

2004 was a bad year for the family as my Auntie Sheila died quite suddenly and unexpectedly. I remember going round to see Dave on the day of Sheila’s funeral (Dave was too poorly to attend) and as I sat in his living room with my other Uncles John, Paul and Pete and couldn’t help but think that this would probably be the last time that these four brothers would be together as Dave was so ill.

I noticed that Dave had a CD of Katherine Jenkins music on a side table where he was sitting and I remember him telling me that he was a great fan of her singing. Dave died shortly afterwards.

This song was played at his funeral service and knowing that Dave was a great fan of Katherine Jenkins and had a CD of her album ‘La Diva’ (as had I) it seemed very apt. It was ‘Time To Say Goodbye’ that day and whenever I hear this song I am reminded of Dave and what a great man he truly was.

Now listen to the song…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR7EaHbPe54

224. Army Dreamers – Kate Bush (1980)

I don’t think I know anyone who either doesn’t like Kate Bush or can’t appreciate that fact that musically she really is something quite special.

For those who have been following from the beginning of the blog you may recall that Kate’s single ‘Wuthering Heights’ was the first record I ever bought (Song 21) but I have been a lifelong fan of her work and one of my favourite songs from the her ‘Never For Ever’ album is ‘Army Dreamers’. I love the way that she uses the clicking of the rifle and the Russian Balalaika and a waltz tempo to create a truly meaningful song about the futility of war and the misery and pain that it causes for those left behind.  The song is particularly brilliant in that it use the concept of a mother’s pain in losing a child at a time when Kate Bush herself was yet to start a family.

I love the way that Kate Bush uses her incredibly powerful imagination in her work and like a method actor almost ‘becomes’ the character singing the song and imparting the message. She is a truly amazing talent and this is a truly amazing song.

The accompanying video (which is one that Kate herself is very proud of allegedly) also manages to capture the essence of the song.

Now listen to the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWdHOm256N4

223. Let The River Run – Carly Simon (1989)

Back in 1989 I went to see the film ‘Working Girl’ which starred Melanie Griffiths and Harrison Ford. This song was the opening theme song of the film performed by Carly Simon and I was immediately struck by what a great song it was and was reminded of what a wonderful talent Carly Simon really is.

I had first come across Carly Simon when she sang the theme song to the James Bond movie ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ back in 1977 which has to be my all time favourite James Bond movie. I just loved Roger Moore in the role with Ringo Starr’s wife Barbara Bach as agent ‘triple x’ as well as the Lotus Esprit and the wonderful underwater scenes and the very modern music but Marvin Hamlish.

I had also heard ‘You’re So Vain’ which is another great song but I really loved ‘Let The River Run’ so much that I went out and bought a copy on 3’ CD single which I still have. I really enjoyed ‘Working Girl’ although looking back now it seems a little dated and what was that eighties hair about? If you’ve never seen ‘Working Girl’ or heard ‘Let The River Run’ then now is the time to listen to it and see what you think….

Enjoy the song….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv-0mmVnxPA