… asked daughter Juliet, who since her Dad bought some noise cancelling headphones has been glued to the family iPod. Well, where to start? I couldn’t possibly choose just one song, so in time-honoured Desert Island Discs fashion will try to limit it to eight! Here they are, in no particular order:
Everybody knows by Leonard Cohen from I’m your man which features some incredible poetry along with the ‘Angel Chorus’:
Everybody knows you’ve been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes
And everybody knows
Dance the Night Away by The Mavericks from Trampoline. This is my ultimate good-time get up and dance track.
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Andy Williams. Perhaps my ultimate sing-along track.
Raindogs, the title track from the album by Tom Waits. My favourite artist ever.
Rain Song from Houses of the Holy by Led Zep which is quiet and lovely and features the most amazing jazzy chord sequence (A flat 9 on the fifth fret slides into G9 – I bought the sheet music book so I could play it).
Afterglow by Genesis from Wind and Wuthering. I know it’s from the Phil Collins era, and I know it’s one of their most soppy songs, but it means a lot OK!
Vincent Black Lightning 1952 by Richard Thompson from Rumor and Sigh. I was a biker chick for a few years (with red leathers) and this narrative song about a man, his bike and his girl is magnificent, especially live!
But, I couldn’t do it in eight because there’s some classical bits I just had to have …
Rhapsody in Blue by George Gerschwin – This Andre Previn version used to be my favourite – lush and romantic. Then I found the Bournemouth Symphony Orch version with Andrew Litton (appears to be unavailable now) which follows the original orchestration closely.
The Tallis Fantasia by Vaughan Williams. This version by the Academy of St.Martin in the Fields with Neville Marriner is superb – the Academy’s strings are always beautiful, and suit this lovely, lovely music so well.
And lastly for some sheer romantic indulgence (as if the two above aren’t enough) – Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2. I couldn’t pick just one movement, I have to have it all! You can’t go far wrong with Ashkenazy playing Rach.
