The Actor's Honest Playlist: From Early Favorites to Peculiar Dislikes
The initial track I was captivated by
My first memory is walking into a space at nursery school where they were playing Yellow Submarine by the Fab Four. I was mesmerized by the audio textures, and Lennon yelling: āFull speed ahead!ā When it reached the hook, I distinctly thought: āThis must be music!ā
The first 45 I bought
When I was eight years old, I won a contest at school to select a brand new record to play at the mini disco we had on Friday afternoons. My teacher took me to a local store, and I picked out Come Back My Love by Darts. The first single I purchased with my own pocket money was Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney's Wings from a record shop in Lancashire. It was topping the charts at the time, and I chose it when my dad noted that it was by a former member of the Beatles.
The song I perform at sing-along
I honestly actively avoid karaoke and avoid it at all costs. But if I had to, Iād go with Summer Wind by Ol' Blue Eyes.
The song I oddly remember each line to
I just discovered that I know pretty much the entire lyrical content to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and every song on Graceland by the legendary songwriter.
The best tune to blast at a party
It hinges on the point of the event you are at. Early doors it would likely be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye. As the evening progresses, Iād transition into the Artist, the Rolling Stones and Bowie, and when it really kicks off, Phat Planet by Leftfield, Born Slippy .NUXX by the techno pioneers, and Ascension by Gorillaz, which is an massive track.
The track I can never hear
I for some reason detest Mr Brightside by the Killers.
The ideal piece to get intimate to
Come Together by John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
The record that altered my perspective
When I was 12 and beginning to learn the guitar, Iād only listen to 1950s rock ānāroll, and was consumed by Elvis, the rock pioneer, Jerry Lee Lewis, the New Orleans legend, Buddy Holly and the rockabilly star. Then my childminder introduced me to Let There Be Rock by AC/DC. It was still guitar music, but it was high voltage rock music. The moment he dropped the record on the turntable, I was a fan for life.
The track that motivates me in the morning
Whatād I Say parts 1 & 2 by Ray Charles.
The track that makes me cry
All music makes me emotional. The Queen of Soul, The Chairman of the Board, Presley and the Fab Four all stir my emotions because of the harmony and pure beauty of the voices. But The Ocean by Richard Hawley strikes a chord consistently.
The track Iād like played at my funeral
The King. If Iām cremated, Iāll have Burning Love. If Iām buried, Iāll have Way Down.