I have seen a lot of the ‘7 Song Challenge’ going around Facebook at the moment, and I’ve not paid much to attention to it to be honest. I have no idea what it is meant to raise awareness for or anything but it did cast my memory back to reading Nick Hornby’s ’31 Songs’.
I decided I was going to write about some songs I associated with some events and times of my life. These are by no way shape or form necessarily my favourite songs or artists but given I am not a huge band follower (and certainly not a gig goer) I tend to love individual songs and not whole artists’work.
I also suspect I will be leaving some out after the first go at this, so the list will probably grow!
I should probably say I am not really one who thinks much about the lyrics, so these songs are not related to the memories/events based on their lyrics at all!
1. A Different Beat – Boyzone
Granted, you’re probably tempted to close the window right now but it’s a good time to remind you that this does not necessarily mean they’re my favourite songs/bands. Still, this song I absolutely love because I associated it with one of the best days of my life.
Christmas of 1994, we woke up stupidly early as normal and had our stockings and went downstairs to open our presents. One we had finished, I heard a bell ringing and the letterbox go (I later found out my Uncle had done this deed). When I looked what had gone through the letterbox there was a package addressed to me (from Santa of course). When I opened the package and saw 2 tickets to Highbury for Arsenal Vs Everton I was overjoyed. I actually can remember the feeling so well even now, a whole 21 years on.
That Christmas, I also had a Sony Walkman and I had an album on cassette was Boyzone ‘A Different Beat’. I remember both the day and sitting on the train to London listening to this particular song on my new Sony Walkman. I will never take going to The Arsenal for granted because I remember that Christmas and the Christmases after where I got to see my team at Highbury. Despite me now going regularly all over the UK and Europe, I will always sing loud and proud because there are people out there who want to go and support their team but either can’t or can’t go that often.
Anyway, my first song is ‘A Different Beat – Boyzone’ here it is and here are the goals from my first ever Arsenal game live on the 14th January 1995 (sitting in Row 5 in the West Stand).
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/KQ1ZHfY1dXU”]
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/CfdpNo8e_pc”]
2. Sunshine on Leith – The Proclaimers
I had an excellent relationship with my Gran and she only lived up the street from me. Despite her passing away when I was young, I have very good memories and would have loved to had her around for many more years because I am certain we’d have continued to be very close even into my adult years.
When she died, I don’t really remember feeling much emotion or anything, I was probably too young to really understand but I have always associated this track with this time. My father used to record all sorts onto cassettes and some of them bring back memories of the best holidays (coming later) but this song for some reason always reminds me of sad time of my life. It still does me in when I hear it now so I cannot pretend to listen to it much.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/PmMwH1mUqBs”]
3. Coming Around Again (Itsy Bitsy Spider Version) – Carly Simon
As I mentioned above, I was always listening to music my father listened to and he was forever recording random stuff onto cassettes. When we were younger the four of us (Mother, Father and my Sister) used to go on holidays to Pendine. I always say people are too quick to take kids on foreign holidays these days, the British holidays were by far the best holidays and such good memories.
One of the songs that reminds me of these holidays is my next choice, because it was on the cassette we always whipped out for the trip to Pendine. It was a close call between this and ‘The River of Dreams’ – Billy Joel.
I remember Kim and I being excited for a holiday to Pendine weeks and weeks before we went and planning what we were going to do when we got there. I loved the pre-holiday, the trip itself and the holidays were always excellent. Kim and Jason took Dougie there recently and I would love to go back one day.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/q9cidpLcPgA”]
4. I Swear – All 4 One
I used to look forward to the summer holidays when we were in Primary school because we had a play scheme in the local sports centre where basically we rocked up at the beginning of the day and went home at the end of it. There was football, roller skating, discos, bouncy castles, tennis, basketball, whatever you can think of, it was at play scheme! Of course not just the activities but it was where everybody was so it was always absolutely class.
I cannot imagine kids having to cope with a summer sitting in playing crappy consoles these days. If there wasn’t play scheme we would have at least been playing football but the play scheme summers were amazing. I loved primary school in general, and the latter years of it especially but the countdown to play scheme summers was always on towards the end of term.
The song that always reminds me of these class summers at play scheme is my 4th choice.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/2XKMPCJfq_k”]
5. Komodo – Mauro Picotto
This was a close one to be honest. One of my favourite songs of all time is Adagio For Strings – Tiesto version but I was wrestling with which song would remind me of the multiple holidays to Ibiza and the countless nights in Swansea/Cardiff more? Not just that but I started to absolutely love this type of music and the infamous Rowe’s Enterprises Car CD’s started in circulation at Treorchy Comprehensive School (hence the grammatically incorrect company name of mine).
I landed on the side of Picotto in the end because it is an absolutely amazing song and it does remind me of a load of great times spanning across many years and people. Another song which run it close was 1998 – Binary Finary which is also a classic, I’m comfortable with my choice of Picotto though, enjoy.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/AW1nK9qHBvQ”]
6. My Sacrifice – Creed
Another football one now I am afraid. I am not superstitious at all really apart from I have developed one around The Arsenal and big clashes (Top Four or Big Champions League Nights). I was watching Arsenal Vs Man Utd with my Father and my Uncle Phil at his, who was a United fan, and we went 1-0 with super Nic Anelka. Me and my Dad remained pretty quiet at that time but that all changed when we went 2-0 up with an absolutely gorgeous goal from Paddy V (still one of my favourite Arsenal goals).
However, we expected some grief when United brought it back to 2-2 after Teddy Sheringham banged two goals in to level it up. Phil was dancing around the room and there was silence coming from the Arsenal sofa.
It was not all over though and late on, Super David Platt pops up with an absolutely beautiful header to win the game 3-2 and we went absolutely mental. It was one of the best games I’d seen and I remember it so clearly. Not only do I remember the game so clearly but I remember the montage after the game, and the song that was playing as the background track.
Despite remembering it for years and years, I never knew the track name. I was in Swansea University when I randomly heard the track somewhere and used shazzam (when it was a number you dialled rather than an app) and got the title from that. Since then, I have always listened to this song before big games and I may play it on blast when I get back from a drunken away game now and again.
Top song, love it and WHAT A HEADER!
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/pvmoe9Y43MQ”]
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/O-fyNgHdmLI”]
7. Love Story Vs Finally – Layo & Bushwacka (Vocal)
Speaking of Swansea University and my brief stay there. There is a song that reminds me of my time there and of my super cool Sony ‘The Dream Machine’ alarm clock where I listened to Sara Cox on Radio 1 and Late Night Love or something which was local radio, because it was absolutely hilarious.
Despite my stay being pretty short (a year), there were some amazing nights out and they were pretty frequent. The reason for moving was simply to meet new people and experience new things, nothing to do with the people who were there or the quality of the Uni/City, that was all amazing.
I love this song still, should be played at all clubs, every night.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/1i–VwY0AGM”]
8. Delilah – Tom Jones
There had to be a bit of Wales in here. After moving away to England in 2003, I adopted Delilah as my go to Karaoke song and pretty much have sang it everywhere I’ve been. I am a terrible singer, and I don’t care but this is my song definitely.
The only problem with this song, is that Stoke City tarnish it by adopting it as their own anthem which makes me sick to my stomach to be honest. Despite that, Tom Jones is an absolute legend and even though I prefer songs like ‘Green Green Grass of Home’ this song brings back some good memories of holidays and trips where I have stumbled on stage and whipped out some horrific renditions of this number!
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/oMMUve9nd4E”]
9. Everybody – Martin Solveig
After moving to University of East Anglia (the best decision of my life) I had an amazing few years. In the latter years of my degree I got into local football and made friends with more local people so edged away from the Uni a bit. This is probably why I fell in love with the city rather than just the University and I consider it a home from home and Norfolk will no doubt be where I end up once I remove the wheels and settle down in once place.
This song reminds me of the best social times of my life, when I was absolutely buzzing about nights out and the times where I remember being genuinely excited about nights out both during the week and on the weekends. The Norwich lot were a great bunch to go out with and Lee and I had some absolute class weekends where the itinerary was always, football, pub for a drink afterwards with team, to Lee’s parents, ready, pre-drink and out. A lot of the nights out for some reason or other used to start with a meal in Zak’s (I think for birthdays) but in and around that time where all nights out were pure class (even the ones which ended in fall outs). This is the song that reminds me of those class times and such a good mate which I didn’t think was possible because all my other best mates I’d known for years and years.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/4P9xDT9kzuQ”]
10. Gold Forever – The Wanted
I had never really wanted to travel much in my life, I was always focussed on starting to earn, build a career and have nice things. That all changed when I was in a permanent role with May Gurney on the IT Leadership Team as a Business Relationship Manager. The IT Director was kind enough to allow me to take a month off which I had pre-booked with my mate from North Wales.
The trip was inspiring and I absolutely loved it. It gave me the taste for more travel and it is what inspired me to go solo and contracting so I could explore the world more which it’s safe to say I have certainly done since!
One of the highlights of the trip was doing my PADI Open Water on the idyllic island of Koh Tao. At the end of the amazing 3 days they produced a video which had this as the backing track, YouTube have removed the track from my video but you can see it below and the song that both reminds me of the diving, the whole trip and opening my eyes that there is a big wide world out there to see!
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/XvGHtcjQZec”]
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/wkEIi8cFs7Y”]
11. Live It Up – Airbourne
Anybody that puts up with me on Social Media will know I have developed a love for Ice Hockey since I visited New York for the first time in 2014. I visited the Nassau Coliseum to see the New York Islanders not expecting much and certainly not expecting to fall in love with the team and the sport. My seats were amazing right by the glass and I was instantly hooked, so much so I ended up seeing 2 more hockey games that trip.
I have seen NFL, NBA, MLB but none got me interested as much as NHL (despite me previously having a liking for NBA and basketball). Since that trip I have watched most Islanders games on my paid for subscription (NHL Game Center) at the stupid hours of 00:00 – 03:00 am and later. I have also been back to NYC for some serious Hockey action, choosing the weeks where there are a run of home games in a week. I am due to go there in under a month for my latest pilgrimage and I cannot wait.
Anyway, safe to say I am hooked, and the one song that reminds me of these good times, the Coliseum and my team, the New York Islanders is ‘Live It Up’ which was played on the big screens prior to the players coming out onto the ice. I also have another which is more recent ‘The Phoenix – Fallout Boy’ which equally reminds me of the epic sport, team and stadium.
Let’s go Islanders!
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/Pn0w7vciQCE”]
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/5QErxTbv24g”]
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/5hDZbroaQDc”]
