9.29°C Each week, Keep Colchester Cool invites local faces to share their top ten tracks of all time. There are no rules – some will explain why they’ve chosen particular tracks; others won’t. Either way, it offers an insight into what has influenced some of our local heroes over the years.
This week, it’s the turn of Grahame Andrew, who you’ll know from his current bands The Fabs, The 45 Men and The Significant Others. Back in the 80s, you could have found Grahame in a couple of New Romantic bands: Swimming In The Sea and Native Tongue. In the 70s, he was in two power-pop bands, The Smartees and Regatta. He was also in a cowboy band called The Hillwilliams.
Here are Grahame Andrew’s top ten tracks of all time, presented in chart countdown format. Enjoy!
10. The Swinging Blue Jeans – The Hippy Hippy Shake
The most exciting 1 minute 42 seconds of music you will ever hear! I was about five when I first heard this, and I love it as much now as I did then, despite the fact that in the intervening years I must have sung it about 500 times in my band The Fabs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7uFXdYLgn4
9. Radiohead – There There
This starts simply and builds and builds. Even now, every time I hear it at 3m 16s, the hairs on the back of my neck start to rise. From 3m 57s till the end, I want to grab hold of any passing drum kit and bash the hell out of it! The best band of the last 25 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u8lglJ5h1I
8. The Blue Nile – Tinseltown In The Rain
You have to be patient if you’re a Blue Nile fan, as they don’t make albums very often. This was from the first and highlights Paul Buchanan’s stunning voice. The single made it all the way to No.87 in the charts… which is a travesty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTMyr9x6ZPU
7. John Martyn – Solid Air
When I was about 15, I went to see John Martyn at the university. The gig had a very ‘relaxed’ atmosphere, I seem to remember. John was smoking very large cigarettes, which seemed to add to the strange aroma in the room. My parka smelt funny for weeks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4BYgCOQv_0
6. The Beach Boys – All Summer Long
It was nearly Disney Girls, which I also love, but this glorious two-minute evocation of summer just pips it. It’s also featured over the end credits of one of the best films ever made – American Graffiti.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tytTebj8ic
5. Nilsson – Everybody’s Talkin’
Just beautiful!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AzEY6ZqkuE
4. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
In 1971, I bought this album from Freeman’s Club Book at 10p a week for 20 weeks, paid for from my paper-round money. It was a very wise investment, as it turned out to be possibly the most beautiful album I’d ever heard. Just listen to the title track. If you don’t love it, you should have your ears confiscated!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-kA3UtBj4M
3. The Beatles – Penny Lane
The greatest band of all time by a distance (don’t bother arguing – I’m not interested). Extraordinarily, after eleven consecutive No.1s, this – coupled with Strawberry Fields Forever – was kept off the top spot by Engelbert Humperdinck’s Release Me. I still get cross about that sometimes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd-oLhJQne0
2. Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven
I never get tired of hearing this, even if its popularity has made it a bit of a cliché. The best rock band ever, although they could never pull this off live very convincingly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovFSEHH_yJw
1. The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset
Quite simply, the most perfect single ever made. Everything about the arrangement – from the subtle electric lead guitar to the stunning backing vocals – makes you yearn to be there in that 60s paradise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J3gX47rHGg
The picture used of Grahame Andrew was taken by Paul Douglas.
