Wednesday 27 January 2016

Forty Songs

To celebrate turning 40 I have selected 40 of my favourite songs pretty much off the top of my head.

I could easily do another 40 featuring the likes of Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, The Doors, Bowie, Velvet Underground, The Lemonheads, Orange Juice..... Deelite's Groove Is In The Heart and Van Halen's Jump....but for now.....

I hope you enjoy them. You can get them all in a handy playlist HERE or select them individually below if you want to check out a specific song.

Going Back To My Roots - Ritchie Havens
I always play it whenever I DJ, it always gets a positive reaction.


Temptation - New Order
Does it get any better? This is the original raw version - sublime.



Come Together - Primal Scream
I love the Weatherall mix, I especially love the Farley mix but this version from the Screamadelica tour is the best. Euphoric!


You Set The Scene - Love
I was lucky enough to see Arthur Lee live half a dozen times. The first time I saw him at King Tut's you could have heard a pin drop when he played this.



Don't Let Me Down - The Beatles
Lennon is so in love that he shouts 4 words rather than whisper 3.


Getting Away With It - Electronic
Sumner, Tennant and Marr combine to create something glorious. I love the line 'I've been walking in the rain just to get wet on purpose'


One To Another - The Charlatans
One of my all-time faves from one of my favourite bands. Raw, soulful and powerful.


Everything Flows - Teenage Fanclub
Difficult to choose just one from Teenage Fanclub but as the blog is named after it! This still gets me pogo-ing when they play it live, the guitars are glorious.


She Bangs The Drums - Stone Roses
Pop perfection, just sublime.


Don't Leave Me This Way - Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes
Another one I tend to always play when I DJ - builds and builds and is just sensational from start to finish.




Silent Sigh - Badly Drawn Boy
This guy could pluck a beautiful melody from a rubber band. Beautiful.


Since I Left You - The Avalanches
Incredible feel-good pop from the album of the same name.


La Femme D'Argent - Air
Blissful opening track from their classic Moon Safari album. This was a huge post-club album back in the days when I went clubbing.



Looking for You - Garnett Mimms
One of my favourite soul songs since discovering it on a compilation back in 2001. Yearning heartfelt vocals.


It's A Motherf**ker - Eels
Heartbreakingly beautiful, E says it all about the loss of his Mum in just over 2-minutes.


Waitin' For A Superman - Flaming Lips
Love this band, their whole fun psychedelic punk attitude is so refreshing and when they hit these kind of heights it leaves me with a huge smile on my face.


Thinkin' Of You - Sister Sledge
Nile Rogers at his very best. Sublime, uplifting, such a groove.


Together In Electric Dreams - Human League
What a tune! The ambition, craft and performance in this song is mind blowing. I caught the Human League live back in 2009 and this lifted me to somewhere out of this world.


Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield
Do I need to say anything here? Music doesn't get much better than this.


And I Was A Boy From School - Hot Chip
Stumbled across Hot Chip in a tent in Benicassim back in 2005 and fell in love with them. Bought this on 7-inch and played it when I dj's at Edinburgh School of Art for my sister and loads of people came up to ask who it was - always a good sign.


All My Friends - LCD Soundsystem
Possibly my favourite band since the turn of the century. This is just amazing. Another song I tend to play when I DJ.


Sit Down - James
This song means a lot to me, reminds me of one of my best friends and also of United lifting the Treble in Camp Nou back in 1999 when I was fortunate enough to get a ticket.


Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
I think I could listen to Hope Sandoval all night. What a voice. And I used to fancy her like mad!



Sometimes Always - The Jesus and Mary Chain
Hope Sandoval with the Mary Chain - brilliant guitar pop duet that flows from the off.


Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve
One of the first times I went to a gig on my own was when I bagged a last minute ticket for The Verve at the Barrowlands just after this was released. Mind blowing.


Stop The Clocks - Miaoux Miaoux
Julian Corrie is a very talented guy and this remains my favourite song of his. Takes it to another level when he and his band play it live. Gorgeous at the start before taking you off on an uplifting trip.


Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross (Marvin and Tammi version isn't on YouTube)
Sublime, stunning vocals and arrangement.


All Our Dreams Are Coming True - Gene Page
I asked Lynn to walk down the aisle with her Dad to this superb instrumental when we got married. She was under strict instructions to stay at the door and let everyone look at her until the beat came in!


Stoned Love - The Supremes
Bad Weather and Love Child are pipped by this, largely because it reminds me of the Stone Roses, but also because it is a belter.


You Got The Love - Candi Staton
This has featured in many a crazy night out over the years - well not so much these days. A real hands in the air, hug your mates anthem.



I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
Pure raw pop at its very best. Listen to Michael's voice!


Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
Experimental pop at its very best. Clever, playful, interesting and a song that I still find something new in - always grabs me whenever it is played.


Golden Path - The Chemical Brothers
Man, I wish Wayne Coyne and The Chemical Brothers had recorded more songs together. This is psychedelic electro brilliance that always leaves me wanting more. Genius!


If Everybody Looked The Same - Groove Armada
I was working behind the bar at O'Henry's in Glasgow (now the Yes bar) when a fellow member of the bar team put this on. I immediately had to find out who it was and then I must have played it 6 times in a row. Groove Armada have an exceptional back catalogue but this remains my favourite although a special mention must go to the gorgeous At The River which closed many a club night back in the day.


You - Spanky Wilson
Outrageous, uplifting and euphoric soul. I love buying compilation albums and when I heard this on Living In The Streets I feel for it immediately. I was lucky enough to catch Spanky Wilson live at The Arches.


California Soul - Marlena Shaw
Aw this playlist isn't in any real order, otherwise this would be up near the top. Just pure brilliance on vinyl - the song, performance and vocals are class. I have seen Marlena Shaw live a few times, the first time was when the Renfrew Ferry was over the other side of the Clyde and after she played this there was an ovation and cheering for what felt like 10-minutes - it probably was.


Nowhere To Run - Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
Raw Detroit soul from Motown. I once danced on stage with Martha at Oran Mor!


(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher - Frankie Wilson
Ooooft - when a DJ played this at Barraloadasoul back in May last year everyone ran to the dance floor to dance, sing and punch the air in delight. Special.


Slide Away - Oasis
Between 1994-1996 Oasis meant the world to me. They backed up my love and faith with an incredible run of songs and shows culminating in Knebworth. Slide Away remains my favourite Oasis song; Noel's words, Liam's voice....brilliant.


Dry The Rain - Beta Band
My sister and I went to the last ever Beta Band show at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh. The crowd just kept on singing the refrain to this song for long after the band had finished playing it. Original and brilliant.

For the time being I can't think of a better song to finish this mix.

If there's something inside that you wanna say
Say it out loud, it'll be OK
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light

I need love
I need love


And then the one more tune....well there would be two, two that used to close a few post club nights back in the day.

Rez - Underworld
Just incredible - powerful and soothing.


Belfast - Orbital
Beautiful, soundtracked the end to quite a few nights back in the noughties. Sublime, pure, uplifting...gorgeous.



2 comments:

fixxxer said...

Brilliant stuff in there!! M@*therf*@ker had a lump in my throat!! Great 40 tracks - great bloke (despite being a Manc!!)

Unknown said...

Tremendous playlist