My Greatest “Greatest Hits” Songs Of All Time 💿

Who doesn’t love a “Greatest Hits” collection? An album of the biggest and best songs of one of your favourite artists is a great way to listen back to your favourite tracks or it can be a great introduction to a particular artist. Many adorn my own collection of CDs.

But, what some people might not realise is that artists often record a song or two that is especially for that compilation. Sometimes, rather than just being a throwaway record, they actually tend to be quite good! So, I’ve brought together my favourite tracks released only on a “Greatest Hits” album. Sometimes, they end up being one of the act’s biggest tunes, which is all the better. My rule for this is simple, the song has to be previously unreleased, so standalone singles that were later included on a compilation don’t count. But songs that were recorded previously but not released are ok, as you will see.

Inner Smile – Texas

In my opinion, this is one of Texas’ best songs. It was released on their Greatest Hits album in 2000. Written by Gregg Alexander, who is famous for being the lead singer of the New Radicals who had a hit with You Get What You Give, plus wrote Murder On The Dancefloor for Sophie Ellis-Bextor and most of Ronan Keating’s solo hits, including Life Is A Rollercoaster to name but a few. The video is also famous for seeing Sharleen Spiteri dress up as Elvis.

Wheels – Foo Fighters

One of two tracks that were released on Foo Fighters Greatest Hits in 2009, which are my favourite band. Wheels is the better of the two if you ask me, with the other song Word Forward being a more straightforward rock hit. However, Wheels is a bit slower. I’ve also been lucky to see it live a few times, which when they don’t play a song regularly is always a treat. I think this is a great song and is therefore a worthy inclusion on my list.

Shot at the Night – The Killers

Produced by Anthony Gonzalez of electronic group M83, who is probably best known for their track Midnight City, which you might not know is the theme of Made in Chelsea. This is a great track and makes a welcome addition to The Killers’ first greatest hits, which was titled Direct Hits and released in 2013. To me, it’s a great track and one of the best that The Killers have made, making it a welcome addition alongside their other hits on that album, including of course Mr Brightside and my favourite Killers song, When You Were Young.

Outside – George Michael

I love this song. Written in 1998 for George’s excellent double album “Ladies & Gentlemen”, the track reached number two on the UK charts. But the story behind the track is rather brilliant. George was arrested six months before the release of the album for being caught in a toilet with another man by an undercover police officer and was given 80 hours of community service. This incident outed him but rather than shy away from this, he brilliantly responded with this excellent song which includes the lyric “I’d service the community, but I already have, you see” as well as direct radio reports of his arrest. Plus in the video, there are several references to the incident, including him dressing up as a police officer and disco urinals. Superb!

As– George Michael & Mary J. Blige

George Michael’s Ladies & Gentleman is such a good album, it actually gets two songs on my list, as I imagine most households in the UK have had a copy of this at some point. The cover of “As” which was originally released by Stevie Wonder in 1977 is one of those rare occasions where I believe the cover is better than the original.

You Know You’re Right – Nirvana

You Know You’re Right was the last song that Nirvana recorded before lead singer Kurt Cobain tragically committed suicide in 1994. The song remained unreleased, meaning the interest in this track grew as the years went by. It was finally released in 2002 on the “Nirvana” greatest hits album. However, this was after a high-profile leak of the song, which accelerated its release. Unsurprisingly given the hype, the song topped the rock charts in the US until it was knocked off the top spot by none other than the Foo Fighters with All My Life, which in turn was knocked off by No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age, which featured Dave Grohl on drums. This meant that Dave Grohl replaced himself on the chart twice with three different groups. Some feat!

Now And Then – The Beatles

I think I’ve saved the best for last on my list. Who would have thought that we’d have a new Beatles song in 2023? I certainly didn’t think so. Now & Then reached the top of the UK Singles Chart and was included on the re-issue of the 1967-1970 compilation also known as The Blue Album. The story behind this is really remarkable. Originally recorded as a solo demo in 1977 by John Lennon before his murder in 1980, it was hidden away until the 1990s when Yoko Ono gave the demo to the remaining Beatles. They tried to record it as part of their Anthology album series which was released in the mid-1990s and included two other demos which were recorded by John, Free As A Bird and Real Love. However, the technology wasn’t available to separate the piano from John’s vocals on the cassette, meaning the band decided to lock it back away, but not before George recorded his guitar parts. He passed away in 2002, leaving only Paul and Ringo. Then in 2021, as part of the Get Back documentary series by director Peter Jackson, his company developed a new AI which could finally separate the tracks. This prompted Paul and Ringo to re-record new bass and drums, add in George’s parts from the 1990s, plus a new string arrangement by Giles Martin (son of the Beatles producer George Martin) and you have The Beatles final song. Incredible! The full story of this amazing tale is told here in this short documentary.

So there you have it, my favourite “Greatest Hits” songs. What are yours? Let me know in the comments!

JP

Why I Still Buy And Collect CDs 💿

It recently emerged that Billie Eilish admitted to NME that she had never brought a CD. Call me old fashioned, but I think that’s a real shame. I strongly believe there’s something special about buying music. In contrast, the modern method of streaming music and the idea of infinite choice with curated playlists to me seems a bit too artificial for me.

So how do I do consume music? Well until early 2020, I still had my old 120gb iPod Classic which I got for Christmas in 2009. It went everywhere with me and had thousands of songs that I have spent over a decade collecting.

So when it sadly gave up the ghost, I couldn’t just get rid of all of the music I had meticulously collected. Therefore, I kept my iTunes going and transferred around a third my music library (mainly the songs I’d top rated, so most of the album tracks are sadly left behind) to my phone. Acquiring new music is done through the occasional purchase of singles on iTunes but primarily I still deal in CDs. Why would I still do this when I could literally access the entirety of music by paying a fee quid a month? Well my friends there are several good reasons as to why I still buy CDs…

Firstly, they’re far cheaper than vinyl, which are around triple the price for a new album. Now, I know vinyl is cool again but it is costly for what it is. I suspect you vinyl collectors out there will only have you favourite albums on that format, meaning you’re less likely to take a risk in buying music that is brand new to you. Which again, I think is a shame. There is something about being drawn into the album’s artwork and taking a chance on it, which I suspect people do less if they have to fork our £30 for it. I recently did it with Sports Team’s second album which I saw on sale in Fopp and do you know what? I don’t regret it for one second, it’s a cracking album. So I guess if anything collecting CD is countering the counter culture that is collecting vinyl.

Plus I would argue that buying old CDs in moderation can be cheaper than paying for a streaming service. I enjoy popping into HMV or Fopp to buy music like its still the 2000s, which is why I’m delighted HMV are reopening their flagship store on Oxford Street. I miss going there after work when I had time to spare to browse and I’m glad it’s on its way back. In the meantime the Fopp near Seven Dials is a worthy substitute and I love popping in on a Saturday amongst my usual shopping.

Then there’s the thrill of the chase. Whenever I go shopping in charity shops, I look for two things, the books and the CDs. I enjoy the sifting through the usual mix of terrible old CDs, either from the 1990s when CD sales were at their peak, or from the mid-2000s when the “Indie Landfill” meant a lot of albums were purchased but not loved. Amongst these there is a small chance of finding treasure. The only annoying thing is having done this for a few years now, I own most of the stuff that I would want the usually appears in the charity shops of north London and beyond. However, this persistency pays off as one time I found a signed copy of Two Door Cinema Club’s third album for £1.50.

When I go home to the Midlands and I bring my laptop with me, I always make time to go back through my parent’s CD collections which largely sit there unused. I always find hidden gems and songs I recognise. My knowledge is always growing so every time I go back, I always add more to my collection. It also gives me a wider breadth of pop knowledge which always comes in handy in a pub quiz!

Plus, I enjoy the task of collecting the discography of an artist I love, whether that’s the Foo Fighters or Taylor Swift. Building up the collections looks great. I have two CD towers in my room which are taller than me and are slowly filling up with my favourite artists. I hope to keep this going and hopefully I have the space for more towers which I can use to grow my collection further.

I’m also a fan of enjoying the whole album as a piece of art. I often put a CD on in the background when I’m working or relaxing on a Sunday morning. Listening to it as it was intended to and appreciating the album as a whole is great and again, something that is underestimated in the age of streaming. I caveat this with the fact that vinyl fans also listen to the album in full, so fair play on that point.

But the main reason why I still buy CDs is the joy you get from buying a new album from one of your favourite artists. I suspect this joyous feeling is too rarely experienced in the streaming age and one that Billie Eilish sounds as if she hasn’t experienced. Opening up the packaging on the tube and reading the lyrics and the thank yous in the album notes is something of a lost art these days. Getting home and putting it on my CD player in my room and learning the lyrics from the notes is something I reckon very few people do these days, which I think is a bit of a shame.

How do I find out about new music? Well that’s a good question and is usually something I am asked when I talk about buying CDs. The primary way is through the radio or word of mouth, which is how I discovered Public Service Broadcasting. Plus, I often discover bands at festivals. I found two of my favourite bands of the past couple of years that way, The Magic Gang and Easy Life. Seeing a new band and then buying their music afterwards is also such a great way to support the artist rather than listening on a streaming service where they receive a ridiculous $0.003 per stream. Buying their music and attending their concerts is worth so much more and helps to support the artists. Without them, there would be no music industry.

I will admit that I’m often a bit slower at discovering bands as a result, I’ve only just gotten into Wolf Alice in the past few months, despite my friends loving them for years (entirely my fault!). And I’m often an album or two behind with a number of artists. But I’d rather do things this way round rather than be overwhelmed with millions of tracks which you are likely to listen to a handful a few times.

But that’s just me. I know it’s a tad unorthodox but I enjoy the way I listen to music. Maybe one day I’ll move into the 2010s or maybe everyone will ditch vinyl and go back to buying CDs! But for now I’m enjoying growing my CD collection, which is why I still buy them!

JP

An Ode to Steve Wright in the Afternoon 📻

He’s been gone a few weeks now and I can’t still get my head around it. A constant companion on afternoons through the past two and a half years, his departure has left a gaping hole when I’m working from home. The radio just isn’t the same without him… I am of course speaking about Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2.

Now, I’ve previously written about my love for Radio 2 during the lockdowns. When I wrote that piece in October 2020, I highlighted how it had become a firm fixture when I worked from home. At that point, I had no idea just how important Radio 2 would become when the second and third lockdowns came just days later. Those couple of months were some of the toughest of my life, with the dark, long and cold nights, the fact I couldn’t see anyone besides my housemates plus the Pandemic looming large over everything, they were dark times indeed.

But there was one small comfort, my radio kept me company while I worked. I’d tune in to catch the last bit of Zoe Ball, then it was Ken Bruce, Jeremy Vine and then Steve Wright to see me through my working day. I even got into Pick of the Pops with Paul Gambaccini on a Saturday afternoon while I did my weekly food shop. The countdowns of the Top 20 in different years has really boosted my music knowledge.

The regular Radio 2 line up from 2003-2022 (nearly 2/3rds of my life!)

This constant of a radio line-up that was the same for nearly 20 years on Radio 2 and it kept me going in those dark times. Steve’s show was just excellent. A perfect mix of music, humour and chat which made the lockdowns just a bit easier. From the impressions and rather terrible but funny jokes, the Factoids and of course Serious Jockin’, it made me smile no end while I worked. His voice becomes part of the background and I always felt a tiny bit disappointed when I had to turn him off as I had a Teams or Zoom meeting to attend.

This is why I was a bit gutted when they announced that he was to leave his show, I’d become so used to having his show on that I couldn’t imagine my afternoons without him. But now that time has come. I actually took TOIL on the day of his final show as I was exhausted from my friends’ wedding in Poland followed directly by Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. But I was always going to listen in regardless. His last show was pure class, a tribute to everyone, not just at Radio 2 or the BBC but also in radio broadcasting more generally, a true professional.

As he played Radio Ga Ga by Queen, which then was followed by tributes from his co-hosts, he ended with him saying “this has been Steve Wright in the Afternoon… remember the old closer?” As the music faded out the regular beeps for the 5 o’clock news were the only noise being broadcast. I felt rather sad at this point, know that this was the end of something I was hugely appreciative of. His show had gotten myself and probably a lot of you reading this through the tough days of the pandemic and probably a lot of other times before that. He truly is a giant of broadcasting and I still can’t believe he’s gone from the afternoons.

Now of course, he will still be doing his Sunday Love Songs show (which has actually been going for even longer than the afternoon show, dating from 1996) and he’ll be doing other specials and a podcast of Serious Jockin’ which I’m very excited for. In the meantime I’m relying on a playlist of all the songs I’ve heard during the jockin’ which isn’t quite the same but I’ll cope! I also will be listening to Scott Mills when he takes over, I always thought he’s an excellent DJ and I’m hoping his show is just as good, he had big shoes to fill after all!

But I’ll still miss Steve, his show was excellent and was there for me during a very difficult time. I’m just hoping Ken Bruce is sticking around for a long while yet!

JP

My Favourite Obscure FIFA Songs

So for this blog, I’m going back to my teenage years to dig out my favourite obscure songs which featured in a FIFA soundtrack, which I think is pretty obscure in itself!

The soundtrack is often what makes a FIFA game so great, a carefully curated mix of genres, new and established artists plus some classics (Town Called Malice by The Jam and Fools Gold by The Stone Roses on FIFA 2004 being good examples). It can often be a great platform for artists to get their music out there. But there are also songs by artists which sadly didn’t go on to success and this blog aims to celebrate and remember them a little.

My list is mainly from the era in which I played FIFA the most, the mid to late 00s. Plus there are so many other great songs on these soundtracks, many of which also take me back to those days, which I’ve sadly had to leave out as they’re by artists who did have more success (such as Foals who had Olympic Airways feature in FIFA 09 and Kings of Leon whose song Red Morning Light was a staple of FIFA 2004).

Most of these I’ve picked because the bands who performed them didn’t really go on to have much mainstream success, which is a shame, but they will be immortalised by getting a song onto one of these soundtracks.

This is purely subjective and I still sometimes listen to these songs as I’d downloaded them at the time and I still have them on playlists now. But I’d be curious to know which songs you remember? Let me know which ones you’d recommend!

But in the meantime, here are my picks which I’ve linked to their music videos on YouTube:

Discotheque – Young Love (FIFA 07)

A song very much trapped in its time, mainly by the use of the phrase “me and my crew” Discotheque speaks of nights out and would feature on FIFA 07, before young James had much idea of what that was like! Young Love would be a band for only four years, so much like many other young loves, they burn out all too quickly. However, the memory of this song remains.

Kaleidoscope – The Prototypes (FIFA 07)

This French band are so obscure there isn’t even a Wikipedia page for them. However, Kaleidoscope made it onto FIFA 07 and it’s an indie banger. They, like so many acts on this list, would break up a little while after the song came out but I’m still unsure as to how “love’s like a kaleidoscope”. I guess we’ll never find out!

Jerk It Out – Caesars (FIFA 2004)

Also to feature on LMA Manager 2005, which young James would enjoy playing, not to manage a football team but to rebuild the stadium (which you couldn’t do on Champ Man, ok?) this song’s lyrics are somewhat questionable when you listen to them. But given it was on two of the biggest footballing games of the mid-00s and an iPod commercial, this song will probably be remembered a bit more than some other songs on this list! These guys have been on hiatus since 2012, so that means they’re getting back together soon, right?

New York Minute – Mobile (FIFA 07)

Never even released as a single, New York Minute featured on Mobile’s first album. Their second would end up on the Indie Landfill and this Canadian band would break up in 2011. However, this song has a great chorus and it will live on by featuring on FIFA 07.

Gone Up In Flames – Morning Runner (FIFA 07)

This song is also famous for being the soundtrack to The Inbetweeners, which young James can relate to a lot! But it appeared on FIFA 07 beforehand. Despite supporting Coldplay in 2005, they split up in 2007 after only releasing one album. I just hope the band still get a few quid in royalties!

Monster – The Automatic (FIFA 08)

What a classic this is. The Automatic had a couple more top 40s (including Raoul if anyone remembers that?) but this song has also been used on adverts and a number of TV shows and given its title is also likely to feature on every Halloween playlist forevermore. That doesn’t stop it from being a great tune though!

You Are The One – Shiny Toy Guns (FIFA 07)

A one-time support act for Fall Out Boy in 2006, Shiny Toy Guns made it onto FIFA 07 with You Are The One. Using synths to add to their emo sound, it’s quite a nice duet but only charted at number 94 on the UK charts. This band also became popular because they uploaded their music to Myspace when that was at the peak of its power. Can you feel the nostalgia?

Black & Gold – Sam Sparro (FIFA 09)

Sadly a one-hit wonder, Sam Sparro’s Black & Gold is a fantastic song which shows off his excellent voice. It featured on FIFA 09 and I think it stands the test of time as a solid dance record. It was even nominated for a Grammy, losing out to Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk.

Pogo – Digitalism (FIFA 08)

I only recently rediscovered this song in the summer at a friend’s party and is the inspiration behind this blog post. Pogo’s use of synth and the line “there’s something in the air” gives this song a spooky feeling. It also featured on Need For Speed: ProStreet. This German dance group are still performing to this day.

Civil Sin – Boy Kill Boy (FIFA 07)

Saving the best till last, in my opinion! Boy Kill Boy was sadly to end up on the Indie Landfill with their second album and split up before young James had the chance to see them. However, their first self-titled album is an underrated indie classic. Pretty much every song is a banger, including Suzie which would also make the Top 40. Civil Sin is a darker song but no less of a tune. I was also lucky to see Boy Kill Boy in 2016 as they reformed briefly to play a tiny number of shows to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the album’s release. I was front row for the gig in Hackney and sang every word, something I never thought I’d do! (photo below!)

Boy Kill Boy, Hackney 2016

Until next time…

JP

Radio! Radio! 📻

One of the biggest features of my 2020 has been a shift to listening to the radio to keep me company during my days working from home. I always listen to Radio 2, which to me has a good mix from across the decades and the music spectrum. I know I’m not quite their target demographic, but to me it’s great.

Radio 2’s daytime line up in the week hasn’t changed for the best part of twenty years. Ken Bruce’s show runs from 9:30 to midday, where Jeremy Vine takes over for a more “talk show” couple of hours before Steve Wright takes over at 2pm to see you through until 5pm when the working day usually ends for me. I also listen to the last hour of the Breakfast Show which was taken over by Zoe Ball a couple of years ago and is a great start to the day.

To me, their voices keep me company while I work and in a strange way after listening to them almost daily during the past few months, I think of them as being like extended family who you only see at Christmas. Zoe Ball is the fun auntie who always makes you smile. Ken Bruce is like the trusting uncle, you could go to him with your problems. Jeremy Vine is the slightly strange uncle who is always up for discussing politics (which I think will be me in years to come!) and Steve Wright is the fun uncle who tries to be down with the kids.

Their shows make my day go much quicker, with Popmaster at 10:30 being a highlight everyday. My Dad got me into it when I was a teenager and given my music knowledge from the 90s onwards, I do ok most days. I’ve also got my Mom into it since Lockdown. Both of them tend to do better on the 80s stuff, but that’s hardly a surprise! Serious Jockin’ at 4:30 on Fridays is another highlight, providing a great way to start the weekend and is great to go with my after-work walk.

Discovering new music is also a big reason why I listen to the radio. My favourite way of getting new music is shazamming it before digging it out on an old compilation album in my parent’s CD collection when I go back home or looking for it in the charity shops. I’ve got a long list of stuff I need to get after several months of listening to the radio! I just hope I get chance to do it this Christmas…

Now, I know what you’re thinking, why don’t you just get Spotify like everyone else and have access to everything there? It’s a good point and since my iPod Classic broke at the start of the year, there’s a good case for it. But to me, it’s great to discover these vintage tunes and add them to my music library on my laptop, which I’ve spent over a decade building up, is great. For the new stuff, I tend to YouTube it until I buy it myself, often I still buy the CD when one of my favourite bands releases a new record. Call me old fashioned, but I love reading the album notes and to me an album is art in itself, not just the music but the cover and the notes all make it a complete package.

The final thing I want to touch on is the fact that Radio 2 has songs on its playlist which are currently in the charts and are played heavily on Radio 1. This is fine but I’ve been wondering why this isn’t a two way street for some of the music on Radio 2? I know the demographics are different but there’s some music which I’ve heard on Radio 2 and I’ve been surprised it hasn’t been picked up on Radio 1.

I think because people don’t buy music in the way they used to (younger people tend to stream it, older people tend just to stick with their stuff and while they listen to the new tracks on the radio, they don’t go and buy it like they would have done when they were younger). This to me is a shame as there’s some great stuff which sadly charts at number 78 whereas years ago it might have been in the Top 10. At the minute, the charts are often full of the same type of pop and dance music and the occasional charity single but if people brought music again they’d bring back more diversity the charts like there was years ago. All I can say is they should bring back Top of the Pops, which helped promote artists and tracks would mean people would go and buy the record if they liked it. Anyway, I digress…

I’m not alone though in having the radio for company, the weekly listening figures for Radio 2 shows over 14 million people listen in, whether they’re on the road, in the office or at home, the voices and music keep us company through the day and I think daily life would sound a lot different if it wasn’t for our beloved radio.

JP

My Desert Island Discs

I’ve decided to do something fun this month, so check out my choice if I was to ever go on Desert Island Discs. I’ll confess I don’t really listen to the show but I’ve just picked eight songs, a book and a luxury item. Hope you enjoy reading!

Song One: Some Might Say by Oasis

My favourite song of all time. To me this song oozes the optimism of the 1990s, the summery guitars, the semi-nonsensical lyrics, right down to the harmonies in the final chorus, it’s just joyous to listen to. I remember getting into Oasis just as they broke up in 2009 (typical!) and I bought their “Stop the Clocks” greatest hits as a starting point and this song and Slide Away stood out to me as being excellent songs.

The single cover is shot at Cromford railway station in Derbyshire and I was fortunate enough to go and visit there a couple of years ago and did my best to recreate the cover!

Song Two: Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters

Again, one of my favourite songs. The Foo Fighters are my favourite band and I’ve seen them live five times to date. This song in particular though stands out. Like Some Might Say it has that hope and optimism which I really enjoy in music. I can’t help but feel happy whenever I hear it.

The music video to this is also the best, where the band play pretty much every character (and themselves) on a flight where they have to land the plane after Tenacious D (Jack Black and Kyle Gass) place drugs into the coffee of the flight.

Song Three: When You Were Young by The Killers

This song takes me straight back to being a teenager, living in my Mom’s old house and having to share a bedroom with my brother. There’s a particular line where Brandon Flowers sings: “and sometimes you close your eyes and see the place where you used to live, when you were young” and nearly every time I hear this song I picture that house. I’m transported back to playing tracker with my mates in that old brown jumper I naively thought would provide me camouflage! But also deciding with my brother who’d go on the PC or who’d play the PS2 that night. It’s the nostalgia of this song which makes it so special, as well as being a huge tune. The Killers basically tried to write a Springsteen song and they did it in style.

Song Four: Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

To me, this is the greatest song ever written. Over seven minutes of just the most amazing story telling and music which builds to this incredible crescendo. I’m guessing it appears fairly frequently on Desert Islands Discs and its easy to see why, Robert Plant’s lyrics, Jimmy Page’s awesome guitar solo towards the end, it is all pure perfection.

I got into Zeppelin years ago when I was a teenager. I frequently raided by parents CD collection, digging out compilation albums and using them as a starting point for a particular artist. When I first listen to Led Zeppelin’s, I was blown away by how many songs I’d already come across, like Communication Breakdown, Immigrant Song and When The Levee Breaks to name a few, but Stairway just blew me away. I used to listen to it just before an exam at school and it struck the right balance between calming me down, before getting me pumped up and motivated for the task ahead. I also have no shame in admitting I still raid my parents CDs every Christmas!

Song Five: Chasing Pavements by Adele

Chasing Pavements is easily Adele’s best song in my opinion. Sadly I feel it’s been overshadowed by her bigger hits which followed. There’s something so universal about the meaning. The main thrust is of chasing something which you can never reach and questioning whether you should carry on. We’ve all been at this point in our lives and this song speaks to that, more often than not it’s worth following a certain path if it’s not going to go anywhere. It’s a lesson which once you learn you never forget it.

I was a bit disappointed she didn’t play it at Glastonbury in 2018, when me and my mates sat watching her from up the hill, swigging cans around the campfire to the rest of her hits.

Song Six: Kids by Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue

This one has two meanings. First it was on the first ever album that I bought, that Robbie Williams one where he’s a footballer on the cover. It also had Rock DJ and Supreme on it which are also great songs. I actually still buy CDs and have a decent collection of them, of which this album is still part of, even if the case is cracked!

Plus that chorus is absolutely cracking, which rung true when I saw Kylie at Glastonbury in 2019.

Song Seven: Go! by Public Service Broadcasting

Those who know me well know how much I love space travel and in particular the Apollo missions. PSB are a phenomenal band and are hugely underrated. They ingeniously use spoken word from archive recording and put them to music in clever ways. For their second album, they focused it entirely on the space race. This song is all about Apollo 11 and the first moon landing, in particular the calls from Mission Control to the flight controllers who were responsible for a different part of the craft as to whether they should “Go or No Go”. Live, this song is great with the crowd punching the air with each “Go” in the chorus.

I listen to this album when flying, listening to The Other Side (their song about Apollo 8 and the first humans in lunar orbit) while I taxi onto the runway, before playing Go! as I take off. Honestly, it makes the experience of flying that bit more exhilarating.

Song Eight: Blank Space by Taylor Swift

So a huge guilty pleasure of mine is Taylor Swift. I’ve picked Blank Space in particular as it reminds me of when I was working my first job in Parliament working as an MPs assistant. I liked Taylor Swift before I got the job, but it was during this time in Westminster that I really got to know her music thanks to a colleague and good friend. This song reminds me of being new in London after wanting to move here for years. The city was everything I could have hoped for and I’m really happy down here several years later. Taylor’s 1989 album in particular reminds me of this feeling of London being this big city and that is why this song is special.

Book: A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin

Quite possibly the best book I’ve ever read, it was recommended to me on my favourite podcast, Hello Internet. One of the hosts, Brady Haran, spoke about how much he enjoyed the book and I bought and read it just after the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. However it details all of the Apollo programme, from the lows of the Apollo 1 disaster all the way to 17 where Gene Cernan left the lunar surface for the last time to date. Chaikin also interviewed all the astronauts over several years and the book was published in the mid-90s. It’s an outstanding account of what, to me, is humanity’s greatest achievement. Plus it would be good to look up at the moon at night on a desert island having read about humanity’s voyages there in the day.

Luxury Item: A crate of hoppy IPA

The luxury item has to be booze, doesn’t it? For me, the best thing is any hoppy IPA. I love the slight bitterness you get when you drink it and when you find me in the pub, more often than not I’ll be drinking an IPA.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed my Desert Island Discs and I’d recommend giving them a listen!

JP