The soundtrack to my life: side 1

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As music plays such an important part in my life I thought I'd try and see what the soundtrack would be if/when my life becomes a smash Wellywood film.

The early days are not exactly music filled so we'd probably have to put in 'music of the time' to set the movie era. Probably have some sort of late sixties music and early seventies stuff over the top of generic British film clips of the day - Beatles waving as they get their OBEs, various Prime Ministers entering/leaving No. 10, FA Cup winners of the moment, Beatles returning their OBEs you know the sort of stuff..

I'm thinking Kinks (I absolutely, totally and adoringly love their music), later Beatles, a bit of Rolling Stones and possibly some West Coast hippy stuff.

Also the heavy rock period should be probably be primed with Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and maybe a touch of Led Zeppelin.

As for actually kiddie-winkle music I have no idea - can't really recall anything, "There was no Wiggles in my day young man!"

Back in the UK I'm starting to get a taste of music and my first recollection of music as a distinct entity is a Beatles song as played by the Flintstones. It's a defining moment. This is music that talks to me.

So, I now know about music but I am not actually getting any of my own and it's my parents record collection (that's vinyl to you sonny) I listen to. ABBA's Waterloo is played a lot as is Nat King Cole's A Nightingale Sang. There's Mum's Adam Faith single and something by Kenny Ball. Sounds awful doesn't it but now it's all "nest music" to me.

My first real album of my own was a Tiswas LP on tape. I still have and still play it. Bucket Of Water Song is a classic. But it's not really ''music'.

And then it happens. I have money. I wander in Woolworths (a 'sell everything and anything store' in Britain) and decide to buy my own music. I have 50p maximum. It's gonna have to be a single. I spend hours looking ... and choose, Rainbow's Can't Happen Here.

I choose it because it had a shiny laminated cover which the others didn't.

After that I can't stop and buy quite a few naff singles that even at the time I know aren't really me such as Star by Kiki Dee, Rabbit by Chas 'n' Dave and Joan Of Arc by OMD. Hey, I was only starting out.

BTW: I still have all these singles ... why?

My first bought album though was Zenyatta Mondatta: The Police. Classic.

Rainbow had made the biggest influence and for Christmas I asked Mum and Dad for The Very Best Of Rainbow ... it was amazing. Gatefold, laminated, big (well bigger than a single) and mine. I played it allll the time. For years. I can sing you the Ritchie Blackmore solo for any song of Rainbow's. I was hooked.

Whilst I bought other albums (still vinyl sonny) such as Number of The Beast by Iron Maiden, something awful with Dio in Black Sabbath, Dio's Holy Diver and, of course, the playgrounds favourite, Bat Out Of Hell from Meat Loaf.

AC/DC's Highway To Hell was, and is, a classic belt-out-at-top-volume as well.

I was also mixing this 'metal' stage with others by The Police as my mate was really into them. I think it's probably around this time I discover that I could tape albums and not have to pay. The huge collection started.

Punk, at this stage, had probably passed me by. Which was unusual considering most of my town was into it. I also happily and purposefully missed The Smiths.

At college I had a brief fling with glam rock from the USA: Aerosmith, Motely Crue and the like. I also filled the tape collection with as much Beatles as possible and a few classic Pink Floyd might have fallen in.

I also had a penchant for Beethoven and the classics. Never bought, always taped. But always there.

But then it happened ... Madchester! Beats AND guitars. I was totally hooked .. but that's side two.

Side 1
1: Help - The Beatles (1965)
2: Stardust - Nat King Cole (1957)
3: Super Trouper - ABBA (1980)
4: Can't Happen Here - Rainbow (1981)
5: Joan Of Arc - OMD (1981)
6: Don't Stand So Close To Me - The Police (1983)
7: Stargazer - Rainbow (1976)
8: Kill The King - Rainbow (1976)
9: Holy Diver - Dio (1983)
10: Touch Too Much - AC/DC (1979)
11: Bat Out Of Hell - Meat Loaf (1977)
12: Girls, Girls, Girls - Motley Crue (1987)

If you want the raw data then check out the lists: tapes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 , vinyl, tapes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, comedy and drama

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