The Box
So the idea was simple: 50 songs from 50 friends/family to mark 50 years. All in a box decorated by the Enfants Terribles. In short, Now That’s What I Call a Birthday Present 50.
Various people asked me what was in The Box so I’ve finally gotten round to listing the gifts, all 7″ vinyl singles. There turned out to be 65 songs in the box as some people decided to give one song per decade, some very naturally hedged their bets as choosing just one is tough as we all know from Desert Island Discs and the like. (There’s no special significance about the first nine, that’s just how WordPress decided to cut&paste and the wisdom of five decades dictates that life’s too short to tidy up such things.)
- She Loves You – The Beatles [Jonathan & Julie] (No. 1 the weekend after I was born)
- Righteous Man – Little Roy [Nigel]
- One by One – Ruefrex (Good Vibrations) [Conor & Aoife] (given to him by Terry Hooley)
- Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys [Meabh & Orla] (I gave them Pet Sounds – the first CD they ever owned)
- Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan [Sean]
- I Want That Man – Deborah Harry [Maura]
- Carmen – Malcolm McLaren [Maura]
- Higher & Higher – Jackie Wilson [Patsy]
- From Me to You – The Beatles [Anthony & Ruth]
10. Send Another Moses – The Willows (CoxSone) [Neil]
11. Run Run – Delroy Wilson (Studio One) [Neil]
12. Door Peeper – Burning Spear [Neil]
13. There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards – Ian Dury [Neil]
14. Telegram Sam – T-Rex [Neil]
15. Something – The Beatles [Neil]
16. Double Barrel – Dave & Ansil Collins [Neil]
17. The Ayatollah Song – Not the 9 O’Clock News [Dave & Nicole]
18. Murphy’s Law – Cheri [Elizabeth & Des]
19. Close to Me – The Cure [Eileen] (we saw them live together in Wembley Arena)
20. Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd [Matthew]
21. LA Woman – The Doors [Jon]
22. Cat People – David Bowie [Jon]
23. Changing of the Guards – Bob Dylan [Jon]
24. Wet Dream – Max Romeo [Peter]
25. Go Wild in the Country – Bow Wow Wow [Judyth]
26. Modern Love – David Bowie [Mike] (we saw him together live in Grenoble on the Serious Moonlight tour)
27. A Paris – The Style Council [Mike] (we once bumped into each other totally by chance in the Louvre)
28. Speak Like A Child – The Style Council [Mike] (Mick Talbot shares the same birthday)
29. Universal Soldier – Donovan
30. Young Parisians – Adam & The Ants [Noah]
31. Pictures of Lily – The Who [Dylan] (he wanted My Generation but couldn’t find it – I taught him how to spell WH question words using a photo of Keith Moon’s drumkit)
32. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott-Heron [Dan & Steff] (we saw him together at Somerset House shortly before he died)
33. Denis – Blondie [Paul] (we went to see them as his first and my second gig)
34. Thank You Very Much, Mr Eastwood – Dermot Morgan [Elizabeth-Ann]
35. Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra [Cecelia] (we both adore Frank)
36. Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye [Stuart]
37. Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin [Stuart]
38. The Celtic Soul Brothers – Dexy’s Midnight Runners [Stuart] (he mispronounced ‘Celtic’ in his best-man’s speech at our wedding)
39. Baby I Love You – The Ronettes [Seth]
40. Live at Hollywood High – Elvis Costello [Joan]
41. The Next Day – David Bowie [Ela]
42. Shady Lane – Pavement [Alfie]
43. Congratulations – Cliff Richard [Annie]
44. Blanket on the Ground – Billie Jo Spears [Annie]
45. Ernie – Benny Hill [Dan]
46. Tears of a Clown – The Beat [Dan]
47. Ball of Fire – The Orb & Lee Scratch Perry [Sarah]
48. Nelson Mandela – Amy Winehouse [Farrah]
49. It’s a Sin – Pet Shop Boys [Anita & Don]
50. Nothing Compares 2U – Sinead O’Connor [Maud] (my favourite female voice)
51. Irish Heartbeat (Billy Connolly) [Maud]
52. A Dreams A Dream – Soul II Soul [Maud]
53. Take It Easy – The Wilf Brothers [Maud]
54. Dedication – Thin Lizzy [Maud]
55. Round About Midnight – Miles Davis [Una] (Debbie Gould sang this magnificently at my party)
56. Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright – Bob Dylan [Una] (we named a son after him)
57. Breakfast in Bed – Lorna Bennett [Sue]
58. Wildwood – Paul Weller [Sue]
59. Streets of London – Ralph McTell [Katherine]
60. September – Earth Wind & Fire [Ja]
61. Life’s What You Make It – Talk Talk [Ja]
62. Reasons to Be Cheerful – Ian Dury [Ja] (source of Simple Pleasures blogs)
63. Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush [Ja]
64. 2-4-6-8 Motorway – Tom Robinson Band [Ja] (my first gig)
65. Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division [Ja]
Late Additions:
66. The Boys Are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy [Eddie]
Simple Pleasures part 4 
I shall be adding a 66th when we next meet.
Wow! What a fabulous selection. Envy abounds. Mind you it rather fills me with hope as my next significant birthday is no 65, and with a little bit of luck ……………….. (cc everyone I know!)
Catalan B – at some point you will have to add your 100 greatest albums to Aarkangel’s posting from back in 2008. Mine need to be updated.
I will do this but, having looked again at my list have concluded that it is still a work in progress that needs finishing; some artists are particularly difficult as I cannot decide on the one album to include. My target is to finish the final 2013 version by the end of the year. But then comes the dilemma. What album to drop in the event of a groundbreaker in January 2014? Oh dear I just wish I had less time.
@TLH I very much look forward to seeing your choice
@CB Hope your hope is fulfilled
@Both we should have a go at a 100 list in the run up to Christmas as a parlour game
A. I will revise my timescale in the light of your posting. Almond harvesting will have to be put on the back burner.
My list will now have to include a recent 1970’s Czech prog discovery. And some limbo dancing music. Plus Ulrich Schnauss and Panda Bear. Target date of Xmas Eve for definitive list. And then a further two weeks for ensuing arguments.
Presumably a short commentary detailing why it is on the list is required?
I’m in. And happy to host here from some continuity to aid your respective biographers in due course.
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