Russell Davies

Day 24 - Song To Play At Your Funeral - Slow Train

Well, let's assume we want to get people blubbing. That'd be a fitting tribute to a man of my greatness. But let's also assume they might need a nudge given I'm a grumpy git.

This'll do it. The most poignant song ever. Laden with nostalgia when it was written 50 years ago. Sung, simply and clearly by unaccompanied voices redolent with the atmosphere of cathedrals and cloisters, many names from the Midlands of my youth, and a bit of vinyl crackle thrown-in.

Oh the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Millers Dale for Tideswell. Kirby Muxloe. Beautiful.

Day 23 - Song You Want To Play At Your Wedding - Hero Theme

This decision has already gone, many blissful years ago. Nothing at the registry office, Enola Gay for the first dance, Love Train at midnight.

But, if this was a different question - what piece of music would you like to enter to, like you were a bride, or a darts professional? This would be it. Fanfare and march in one. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you...

Day 22 - Song You Listen To When You're Sad - I Can See Clearly Now

I grew up in the first age of associative TV branding. Ad agencies had learned to create densely packed affinity-bombs and were still able to stick them in front of you - whatever screen you looked at. And because these were new, fresh techniques we hadn't developed appropriate anti-viral remedies.

Thus BBH were able to take all the freshly-minted American cues of early 80s movies, of James Dean, of American Grafitti, of Motown and pack them into the a brown-star cliche package like Launderette. It looks so thin and obvious now. Then it was like a youth culture cluster weapon. Agencies had a new power, they could take a whole cultural landscape boil it down to 55 seconds and associate it with something you could buy.

You can't really do that any more. We're all onto it, we don't much care and every culture's already been strip-mined.

The one that hit me most was this Nescafe ad. Hook, line and sinker. It's even got the shipping forecast.

I've never drunk Nescafe, but I've got one of those water-boiling element things in the car and if I ever want to do being sad in a well-lit way, this is the soundtrack.

Day 21 - Song I Listen To When I'm Happy - Well Did You Evah!

I keep trying to get Arthur to watch High Society but he consistently refuses. I don't really mind about most of it, I just want him to watch this scene and know this song - but he needs all the context about why it's so good.  The rivalry between Frank and Bing, Frank being a boozer, Bing being all laid-back, the jokes about singing styles ("you must be one of the newer fellas"), all married to Cole Porter cleverness, properly classy, over-the-top Hollywood glamour and sweeping genius arrangements. This makes me happy.

Have you heard? it's in the stars, next July we collide with Mars. 

Day 20 - Song You Listen To When You're Angry - 747 (Strangers In The Night)

I'm not sure I pick music to listen to when I'm angry. But, should I never need to be flailing and cross I'd pick Saxon's immortal 747 (Strangers In The Night) - the best ever heavy metal song about a potential (or narrowly averted, it's not clear) plane disaster.

Day 19 - Song From Your Favourite Album - Absurd

1995. I was 'Head of Interactive Marketing' at Leo Burnett. That meant I was head of me and a smart chap called Phil. Back then the future was BT's interactive television trial in Southampton and we made a video to suggest the future might be more internety than that.

Phil had this piece of music he wanted to put on it - Innercity Life by Goldie - he was younger than me. I'd never heard anything like it before, it was utterly enthralling and strange and beautiful.

It was the last time I was excited about a new musical sound.  But then, a year later, I buggered off to Portland, Oregon where the closest thing they had to a new musical sound was The Grateful Dead at Autzen Stadium. This double CD was how I took the future with me. I listened to it all the time. I could have picked any track on it. Let's go with this:

Day 18 - Song That You Wish You Heard On The Radio - Dettwork South East

I guess I'd just like to live in a world where they'd play this on the Today programme to introduce a feature on, say, crossrail.

Day 17 - Song That You Often Hear On The Radio

I don't actually hear this on the radio. I don't really listen to music radio. But every time the continuity announcer on Radio 4 says "it's 5pm and it's time for PM" I hear this in my head. Not in the world, but in my head. Just as every time I hear the pips I hear a little flute tune they used to play on Today.

Courtesy of Random Radio Jottings.

Day 16 - Song That You Used To Love But Now Hate - Don't Kill The Whale

Thinking back, I probably never actually loved this. But I really wanted to.

I was 12, I was trying to be into music - specifically progressive rock, because I was clever and in the school ochestra. It was really hard to hear things before you bought them, they weren't on the radio, you had to have a friend with an older brother or sister who would tape things for you, I didn't. I didn't have much money for music. The shop around the back of the arcade sold records that were like the good records you saw in Woolworths but for cheaper. They were, I realise now, remaindered. I bought some good things there, on the strength of the covers - Into Battle With The Art of Noise, I remember, because it had clever writing on it. This album was there, Tormato, this was by Yes, one of those bands.

It was very hard to like, but I tried very hard. Don't Kill The Whale was the closest to being accessible. It had something like a tune and lyrics I think I understood. I listened to it a lot.

Listening now I feel so sorry for 12-year-old me. Trying to learn to drum playing along to this, bashing two paperbacks with drum sticks. Only War Is Stupid would overtake it for combining good sense and stupidity in such a maddening way. The music is awful, that endless guitar solo! and the sound is so flat and awakward it gets mentioned in the wikipedia entry. 

Day 15 - Song That Describes You - I Can't Go For That

We had this conversation at work today:

Q: Who would it be easiest to replace with a robot?

A: Russell

Q: What would it need to do?

A: Just say three things - "Make it shorter", "Do I have to do that now?", "No"

And I wondered what the soundtrack in that robot's head would be. The answer, I think, is I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) by Hall & Oates. I think it sums me up pretty well - midtempo, unthreatening and, ultimately, negative.