FEATURE:
Inspired by Emilia Clarke’s My Life in a Mixtape…
IN THIS PHOTO: Emilia Clarke/PHOTO CREDIT: Sophia Spring
Songs That Hold a Special Place
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I was just going to put out a mixtape/playlist…
of songs from 1990-1993 (inclusive) as, to be fair, that is my favourite period in terms of Pop hits and songs that were really formative. To be honest, one or two might still make their way into this feature but, having heard actor Emilia Clarke talk about the songs that are dearest to her in My Life in a Mixtape, it really struck me! Not only are the songs awesome - The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Brandy & Monica’s The Boy Is Mine, Althea & Donna’s Uptown Top Ranking, Dionne Warwick’s Walk on By, Kings of Leon’s The Bucket, LCD Soundsystem’s Daft Punk Is Playing at My House, Billie Holiday’s Them There Eyes, and Bob Dylan’s Don't Think Twice, It's All Right were all in the mix; included also was Little Simz’s 101 FM and Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise -, but her authority and passion was clear. The actual broadcast is only available until the middle of September, so I would urge people to check it out as soon as you can! Although Emilia Clarke is only a few years younger than me, her knowledge and breadth of musical treats is more impressive than mine! I hope that a station like BBC Radio 2 or BBC Radio 6 Music snaps Clarke up, as she would put together an awesome show! I have heard similar shows on radio where well-known faces discuss their favourite music – from Ken Bruce’s Tracks of My Years on BBC Radio 2, to BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. I think we all dream of being on shows where we can talk about the music that matters most to us. Rather than include the same number of songs as Emilia Clarke had on her My Life in a Mixtape, I am going to include eight songs, and categorise each of them. I am imagining a single-sided mixtape, where we can flow between the eight tracks, yet each of them represents a different period of my life. I am going to crib a few categories from BBC Radio 2/Emilia Clarke, but I have been dipping back into songs that have made a big impact on me. At the bottom, I will include all eight tracks in a Spotify playlist but, here, are the songs that would be on my personal mixtape….
An album that I can listen to the whole way through without boredom
Paul Simon – Graceland
“This might sound odd, but I think almost every album has a track on it that I am not overly-keen on. Even my favourite albums have that one song that is not quite as great as the rest. I have a load of vinyl, but the one I grab and gravitate towards if I need to immerse myself in music is Paul Simon’s Graceland. Released in 1986, I first heard the album not long after it came out. I am a massive fan of Paul Simon, but surely nothing he recorded solo or part of Simon & Garfunkel ranks alongside Graceland?! It is a sensational piece of work and, with songs like Graceland, and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes included, it is a masterpiece! Even the less-well-known songs, such as African Skies, are ones I spin incessantly. I love this album and, during this tough time, its importance is evident. The first track on my mixtape would be a gem from this album”
An oldskool disco choice
Snap! - Rhythm Is a Dancer
“I think any school disco required a combination of the cheesier hits from the day, and one or two classics thrown in there. Back through middle and high school, there were a few discos and dances, and I also got invited to birthday parties and, inevitably, there would be music there. I am dipping early into my 1990-1993 pool, as Snap!’s Rythmn Is a Dancer is from 1992. This track reached number-one in the U.K., and it was one of those songs I fell for straight away; one that was ubiquitous when it came to discos and dances. I don’t think it has aged that badly, and it is definitely a product of the 1990s – they do not make songs like this anymore!”
PHOTO CREDIT: Mick Hutson/Redferns/Getty
The song that reminds me of school
Beastie Boys – Intergalactic
“Following on the heels of the previous song, and it is hard to distil the experience of school into a single song! In fact, the image I get when I think of mixtapes is school – one would often see them passed around by friends and couples. I could have gone with other songs that soundtracked important memories: Red Alert by Basement Jaxx was played at my high school leavers’ ball, whilst Blur and Oasis were very important, as I was in high school when the two bands were at their peak. Beastie Boys’ Intergalactic, again, is a high school track, and one that reminds me of friendship and good times. I have written about this before, but this song was played a lot after school where I would play football with friends; the stereo speakers close to the windows, as we ran around. Intergalactic is from Beastie Boys’ 1998 album, Hello Nasty, and I was a big fan of the Hip-Hop trio before that point. I think this song stands out most (from their albums) because it, well…it kicks ass harder than anything!”
My newest music discovery
Another Sky – The Cracks
“Another Sky are a band I am new to, and they just released their debut album, I Slept on the Floor. I have recommended and spotlighted a lot of artists this year, but I particular love the London four-piece, as there is something dreamy about their music that takes you away. The voice of Catrin Vincent is a big reason why Another Sky are so revered, and you can hear her really bloom and strike on songs such as The Cracks. The band have a long future ahead of them and, if you can, go and investigate their debut album”.
One of my favourite songs
Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares for Me
“Whilst my favourite song ever is Steely Dan’s Deacon Blues, I have included that before, and I wanted to look beyond that. I grew up listening to all kinds of music, and Nina Simone’s My Baby Just Cares for Me was one of the earlier songs that came into my life. I love the simplicity of the piano and the power of Simone’s voice. It is not only nostalgia that keeps bringing me back to this song. I think, were it released today, it would strike me just as hard as there is something remarkable about Nina Simone that sends you into a shiver. My Baby Just Cares for Me might not be her most-famous song, but it is my favourite of hers”
A song from my favourite album
Kate Bush – Moving (from The Kick Inside)
“I haven’t exactly kept it a secret that Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside is my favourite album ever! It is one that I holds very dear and, like so many of my most-loved records, I have been revisiting it a lot lately. My favourite song from The Kick Inside is Wuthering Heights, but most people know it very well. The opening song on the album, Moving, is one that fewer have heard, and it begins with beautiful whale song. Maybe it sounds a bit jarring on a mixtape, but I think that it slows behind Nina Simone pretty nicely! I think Kate Bush’s more minor songs are not played enough, so I would encourage people to check out her albums and really dig into them”
A song that I purchased as a single
Manic Street Preachers – You Stole the Sun from My Heart
“I am a big fan of the Manic Street Preachers, and I bought the album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, when it came out in 1998. Not ones to keep titles too short, the incredible single, You Stole the Sun from My Heart, arrived in March 1999 – the album came out in September 1998. It is strange to buy a single after you have the album, but I loved the song so much, I wanted to get the single and check out its B-side. I think the single I bought had Socialist Serenade as its B-side, and I was more than happy to have a Manics single alongside the album it came from! My peak single-buying years was during high school (1994-1999), and I think the fact that we could buy singles rather than download them made me more attached and engrossed in music; I would take a bus to buy a single because I wanted to own something and keep it! Manic Street Preachers’ You Stole the Sun from My Heart was one of my favourite singles from the ‘90s”
PHOTO CREDIT: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty
One of my earliest musical memories
The Bangles – Eternal Flame
“To end, I want to return to the (near the) very beginning: one of my earliest musical memories as a child. Music television played a big role in my childhood, and I discovered so many great artists from watching MTV and VH1. The latter was instrumental when it came to The Bangles’ Eternal Flame. I think a lot of people overlook this track when we think about the best of The Bangles, but it is a gorgeous song that stuck in my mind when I first heard it in the late-1980s. Released as a single on 17th February, 1989, I recall catching a glimpse of the video through the banisters of my family home; seeing the band on the beach singing Eternal Flame might seem a little cliché and forgettable now but, as a child, I was definitely hooked! It is rare that a video affects you as much a song, but that is definitely the case with Eternal Flame! I think it is a good way to end the mixtape and, as I look at all the songs above, it has tempted me to expand the thought and, adding a fair few other songs to the mix, I might have made a double-sided tape of my favourite tracks”