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As I rapidly approach five decades of clinging to this crazy, spinning planet, it seemed like a good time to start a blog. This isn't my first attempt - more on that another time - but here I'll mostly be sharing my love of music, my eclectic and frequently questionable taste and hopefully some treasures along the way.
In the spirit of The Vinyl Villain's Imaginary Compilation Album series, I'm starting off with an imaginary vinyl box set compilation of songs from the last 50 years that have meant something to me. This isn't a personal Top 50: I've ignored and left out many of my favourite artists and songs. The 'albums' are sequenced in chronological order, though I won't pretend that I discovered them in that order, cool though it would be to imagine being inspired by Curtis Mayfield before my 2nd birthday. However, all of the selections here have been important to me in different ways over the years. Enjoy...
Side One (22:19)
1) Double Barrel: Dave & Ansel Collins (1970)
2) Move On Up (Full Length Version): Curtis Mayfield (1971)
3) Satellite Of Love (Album Version): Lou Reed (1972)
4) Dance With The Devil: Cozy Powell (1973)
5) Emma: Hot Chocolate (1974)
Side Two (22:50)
6) Fight The Power (Part 1 & 2) (Album Version): The Isley Brothers (1975)
7) Disco Inferno (Edit By Khayem): Trammps (1976)
8) I Feel Love (12" Version): Donna Summer (1977)
9) Shot By Both Sides (Single Version): Magazine (1978)
10) Twat (Live): John Cooper Clarke (1979)
My parents' record collection was mostly made up of K-Tel compilations purchased from the local Cash & Carry but on reflection, what an introduction to music they proved to be. The cheap 'n' cheerful, high volume, low quality pressings, cramming 10 songs per side of vinyl proved to be invaluable. The Story Of Pop, 40 Super Greats, Black Explosion, Dynamite, Disco Fever... they - and I - loved them. As a kid, looking at the cover of Dynamite, I always imagined that Kiki Dee and Cozy Powell were happily married. I coveted Keith Moon's purple trousers as displayed on the cover of 40 Super Greats. I marveled at the beauteous illustrations of Elvis Presley and David Bowie on the cover of the Radio One Story Of Pop supplement, whilst wondering why neither of them actually featured on the album of the same name. But my folks weren't K-Tel purists. Amongst the James Last and Music For Pleasure compilations, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack shone brightly, especially the near-11 minute version of Disco Inferno that closed the album. Likewise, I was captivated by the original version of I Feel Love on the radio, but I was forever changed by the 15m 45s remix by Patrick Cowley in 1982. I loved it so much that I bought the 12" as a present for my brother so that I could tape both sides on my parents' hi-tech turntable/cassette deck combo. Magazine came to me slightly belatedly with their posthumous After The Fact compilation in the early 80s, and admittedly John Cooper Clarke most likely made a first impression via his Sugar Puffs ads rather than his poetry, but by this time I was hopelessly addicted to words and music with a capacity to love the camp, the crap, the poetic, the pretentious and the out-and-out pop. It's a love affair that's never ended.
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