Ruth

First record I ever bought:

Frog Chorus – Paul McCartney. I was very young and liked the video. I thought that it would encourage singing frogs into my garden. Like I said I was very young!


The song that led to my first pop star crush:

Especially for you – Kylie and Jason. I was very much in love with Jason and remember adorning my bedroom with his posters and carving his name into my desk at school with a compass.


The song that reminds me of my first true love:

Jo the Waiter – Gary Numan. The guy was called Rick and he had long hair and we would spend all afternoon ‘playing records’ in his bedroom.


The song that's guaranteed to make me dance:

Spitfire – Prodigy. I love this song. It always makes me smile and want to jump up and down a lot!


My favourite holiday track:

Mr Blue Sky – ELO. Reminds me of driving around in cars with boys with t windows down. Playing drums on the dashboard and singing. This song can’t help but make you smile and dream of sunny days!


The song I'd most like to sing on stage:

My Baby Cares – Nina Simone. 1950’s style big band crammed into a smoky Jazz café.


The most embarrassing record I ever bought:

5, 6, 7, 8 – Steps. This was a hard one. Not because I can’t think of an embarrassing record that I have bought, but the fact is that I still own a lot of very embarrassing ones! I bought this because…actually I can’t remember why I bought this but it is still sat on my shelf at home. I feel quite dirty and ashamed now.


The song I wish I'd written:

The Promise – Tracey Chapman. Possibly one of the saddest and beautifully written songs I have ever heard.


The song I wish I could play:

Duelling Banjos. Hey it’s a fab song and I have a massive amount of respect for anyone that can play it properly. Plus the banjo is a very cool instrument.


The best guitar riff ever:

Nothing Else Matters – Metallica. The opening Spanish guitar is just amazing


My favourite love song:

Kiss from a Rose – Seal. ‘You remain my power, my pleasure, my pain’ That is how love feels. Seal has an amazing voice. Although the original video was crap! Not the Batman video but the first one. It was bad, very bad!


The track that reminds me of my best mates:

Mr Jones – Counting Crows. This reminds me of Space or Spitfire – Prodigy reminds me of Angelina Ballerina, jump up and dance girl!


My favourite Beatles song:

Let it Be. It reminds me of my Dad


The song that reminds me of childhood:

All around my Hat – Steeleye Span. My parents were huge folkies! I was brought up on real ale and respect for men with beards!


Song to make love to:

Closer – Nine Inch Nails. If you know the song then you will be smiling. If not go on YouTube and look it up.


Song to play at your funeral:

Good Riddance – Green Day. ‘It’s something unpredictable but in the end it’s right. I hope you had the time of your life’. Enough said.


‘Our Tune’:

Feelin’ Good – Nina Simone. I walked down the aisle to this. It was the start of my new life with my best friend. ‘It’s a new dawn, It’s a new day, It’s a new life for me. And I’m feelin’ good’


Song to break up to:

Need a Little Time – Beautiful South. The perfect song for when he says ‘it’s not you it’s me’ and you then say, ‘you know what mate, screw you!’

Thom

Thom, the workshy fop's choices

First record I ever bought:

Rocket From the Crypt/Scream Dracula Scream - Ash – 1977. Bought on tape, at the same time. I'll stand by both of these.


The song that led to my first pop star crush:

They were mainly on skanky girls from metal bands. The music didn't have much to do with it...


The song that reminds me of my first true love:

Heroine - Suede.


The song that's guaranteed to make me dance:

Start Wearing Purple - Gogol Bordello. A crazed gypsy punk dance.


My favourite holiday track:

Anything off the first Wildhearts album works for me. Great summer pop-rock music.


The song I'd most like to sing on stage:

Jackie by Jacques Brel/Scott Walker on Pop Idol. But only if I could sing it like Scott Walker.


The most embarrassing record I ever bought:

I'm not embarrassed by any of them. Some people may mock Daphne & Celeste, but that record stands the test of time.


The song I wish I'd written:

Spanish Bombs - The Clash. Also this verse, from Lucky Like St Sebastian - Momus: 'Oh Dante though I'm anti such romantic speculation I'm your hypocrite reader in the same situation, I'm your double, oh me, I'm your brother in pain / It's comic but not divine, the tragedy is no-one's died.'


The best guitar riff ever:

Stay Beautiful - Manic Street Preachers.


My favourite love song:

Whole Wide World - Wreckless Eric, or Zombie Crush - The Groovie Ghoulies. Its not every love song where the singer asks the recipient to sew their mouth shut and shoot them.


The track that reminds me of my best mates:

Dancing to First of the Gang to Die at the Star


My favourite Beatles song:

I don't have one. I quite like 'My Sweet Lord', at a push.


The song that reminds me of childhood:

Babies - Pulp.


Song to make love to:

Nick Cave's darker moments normally work. Or Rachel Stamp, of course.


Song to play at your funeral:

The Final Taxi, - Wreckless Eric. Not a dry eye in the house. 'There's only one destination in your final taxi…'


Our Tune:

The Boy Done Good - Billy Bragg. 'I feel like I've won the cup every time that we make love / 45 minutes each way, at half time I hear a brass band play'


Song to break up to:

Prayer to God - Shellac. Probably the most bitter and vengeful song ever recorded. 'To the one true god above/ Here is my prayer / I've got two people here, and I want you to kill them… Him just f*cking kill him, I don't care if it hurts/ Yes I do, I want it to'

DJ Samba

DJ Samba - drummer with The 100 Club


First record I ever bought:

Smurfs Go Pop at the age of 6. Still have the album to this day, rather depressingly. First proper album will have been Whatever You Want - Status Quo (tour double CD). Love it.


The song that led to my first pop star crush:

I can honestly say I've never had one. Sorry!


The song that reminds me of my first true love:

Graffiti - Maximo Park. Although I'm honestly not sure. It gets complicated as to what you really view as true love. I'm going to say my current missus, as I do truly love her and forever will.


The song that's guaranteed to make me dance:

Used for Glue - Rival Schools. Such an uplifting and energetic song, whenever I hear it out (which isn't often) I just go crazy - and I'm not usually a person for crazy! The main riff just makes you feel alive.


My favourite holiday track:

Bang Bang - Nancy Sinatra. Whenever I go on holiday, it's usually with my parents and their best friends. In the 2 weeks away, I become fully immersed in 60's and 70's classics. So I'd say this, or Tell Laura I Love Her - Ricky Valance.


The song I'd most like to sing on stage:

I Will Always Love You, by Whitney Houston. I can't sing, but it's one thing I really wish I could do. And if I could, I'd sing this. Sometimes I even do in soundchecks. Everyone bursts out laughing!


The most embarrassing record I ever bought:

On The 6 - Jennifer Lopez. I was young, I didn't know what real music was back then. If I'm honest, it's not *that* bad an album...


The song I wish I'd written:

I'm Impressed - Yourcodenameis:milo. It's my favourite track at the moment, and I wish it was mine! But there are so many. Fiscally, I'd say the theme tune from Friends - The Rembrandts, as they must be rich as anything by now.


The best guitar riff ever:

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana. I hate the band, but that riff changed the face of modern music forever, and for the better. Also, it's one of those riffs that EVERYONE can play.


My favourite love song:

Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Andy Williams. 'I love you baby, and if it's quite alright I need you baby....'


The track that reminds me of my best mates:

57 - Biffy Clyro. Reminds me of Rowan
Anything by Placebo. Makes me think of Dave
Anything by All That Remains. Makes me think of Ad.
Graffiti - Maximo Park. Makes me think of Laura.
Head - The Cooper Temple Clause. Makes me think of Eli.
Trojan Horse - Billy Ruffian. Makes me think of Thom.

My favourite Beatles song:

Yellow Submarine. If I must.


The song that reminds me of childhood:

Power rangers theme tune. Anything by ABBA (I was brought up on ABBA. How am I still straight?)


Song/Album to make love to:

A Certain Trigger - Maximo Park. It's so very dynamic, and beautiful in places.


Song to play at your funeral:

The Lake - The Cooper Temple Clause - Very depressing and thoughtful and deep. It's a song I can get lost in completely.


Our Tune:

I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic! At The Disco - Or the aforementioned Grafitti


Song to break up to:

7% - Sunna. I used to have a mix tape of quiet songs for when reflective times were needed. Such as a break up!

Amazing Dave

First record I ever bought:

Offspring - Original Prankster. Not really sure, but this was early on so I'll go with it. Got me into punk.


The song that led to my first pop star crush:

Absolutely anything by Shania Twain. Think I still love that woman.


The song that reminds me of my first true love:

Everything I Do (I Do It For You) - Bryan Adams. Don't want to go into details.


The song that's guaranteed to make me dance:

A Town Called Malice - The Jam. Awesome song. Can't help but dance like a dickhead.


My favourite holiday track:

Penny Lane/Let It Be - The Beatles. Me and my cousin spent hours listening to these songs when I went visiting.


The song I'd most like to sing on stage:

Common People - Pulp. Fucking classic song, plus I know all the lyrics off by heart.


The most embarrassing record I ever bought:

I own two, yes two! Britney Spears albums - plus I've seen her live.


The song I wish I'd written:

Still In Love With You - Thin Lizzy. 'Think I'll just fall to pieces, If I don't find something else to do, This sadness never ceases. Woman, I'm still in love with you.' Pure poetry.


The best guitar riff ever:

Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple. (Or Layla - Eric Clapton. Such a difficult choice. Aaarrrggghhh. Head hurts)


My favourite love song:

Love - John Lennon. So simple but amazingly definitive. Genius.


The track that reminds me of my best mates:

Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden (High school mates)
Shock Me - Kiss (college mates)
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd (now)


My favourite Beatles song:

I Want You (She's So Heavy). Off the fabulous Abbey Road album.


The song that reminds me of childhood:

Transformers theme tune. Not sure if it counts. Robots in disguise indeed.


Song to make love to:

Let Me Put My Love Into You - AC/DC. Pretty self-explanatory


Song to play at your funeral:

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division (Or Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham as a joke!)


Our Tune:



Song to break up to:

She Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd

Duck

First record I ever bought:

Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet ( I know I owned earlier records - I definitely had Sugar Sugar - The Archies, Lily The Pink - Scaffold and a Pinky and Perky single among others, but I remember buying this one myself)

The song that led to my first pop star crush:

Shang-A-Lang - Bay City Rollers. Guitarist Eric Faulkner (pictured). Dark hair and blue eyes has ALWAYS done it for me, and yes, I did dress like that as well.


The song that reminds me of my first true love:

She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult. A Ford Capri, a packet of Marlboro and a favourite quiet spot by the canal for skinny dipping. Happy days....


The song that's guaranteed to make me dance:

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division. New Order performed LWTUA at the Manchester for Cancer concert. The first time I've heard it performed live. I danced in the aisle and could have died happy at that moment.


My favourite holiday track:

59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) - Simon and Garfunkel


The song I'd most like to sing on stage:

Laid - James. 'This bed is on fire with passionate love' has to be the best opening line to a song ever.


The most embarrassing record I ever bought:

Nine To Five - Sheena Easton


The song I wish I'd written:

A Rainy Night in Soho - The Pogues. Lyrics by Shane McGowan


The song I wish I could play:

A Midnight Summer Dream - The Stranglers. Haunting and hypnotic with fabulous keyboards - on daily play, super-loud in my car.

The best guitar riff ever:

The Last Time - The Rolling Stones. Really it's She Sells Sanctuary again - one of the most recognised intros ever, but I didn't want to repeat myself.


My favourite love song:

In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel. From the movie Say Anything with John Cusack - (no. 3 on my Shag Without Consequneces List) - 'In your eyes, the light the heat, in your eyes, I am complete'. The scene where he stands vigil outside her window, silent and still, playing the song at full blast and just waiting gives me shivers. Irresistible.


The track that reminds me of my best mates:

Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd. For Bli Guinness and Amazing Dave - true mates and perfect Paddy's Day Companions.


My favourite Beatles song:

Hey Jude


The song that reminds me of childhood:

White Horses - Jackie. From the school holiday TV series of the same name. Carefree, trouble-free times.



Double Click to go to You Tube to watch and remember.


Song to make love to:

You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC. In fact, I'll cheat here and say the whole album Back In Black.


Song to play at your funeral:

One of Us - Joan Osborne. I love the idea of people sitting at the crematorium listening to God being called a slob and not quite knowing what to think. Just before they scatter my ashes at Old Trafford.

Our Tune:

Things Can Only Get Better - D-Ream. This was mine and Mr Duck's song, unfortunately hijacked by New Labour for the general election in 1997. It was somewhat spoiled by the sight of John Prescott trying to clap and sing along at the victory celebrations at party headquarters.


Song to break up to:

If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Aside from being the closing credits to the movie Pretty In Pink, 'Don't Look Back' is sound advice.