Goodness me, I have not posted a blog in about 6 weeks! So I am hopping back to it here and now! In addition, to all things beauty and fashion, I love music.
It picks me up when down
It motivates me when working out
It reminds me of certain eras and people
It sends me to sleep at night
Without music I am nothing.
Wherever I am in the house I have my radio and/or TV on. Often both! I like noise and atmos!
I suppose I have my Mum & Dad to thank for getting me into music. We still talk now how Billy Joel kept us going during those long car journeys to Torquay when we were young (my 2 sisters and I).
52nd Street is a such a sentimental album to me as we were pretty much raised on Billy Joel. Big Shot. Stiletto. Rosalinda's Eyes. All Billy classics.
Also, Elton John's
Yellow Brick Road and Barry Manilow's
Greatest Hits album featured heavily in my childhood. My Mum also loved Dionne Warwick and Elkie Brookes. Ms. Warwick's dulcet tones of
Heartbreaker and Elkie's raspy soul voice singing
Pearl's A Singer were often blaring throughout the house.
My own music tastes are pretty varied. Billy Joel will always hold a special place in my heart as this is the singer that resonates with me the most. I do though adore all things soul and lots of happy handbag vocal piano house music.
The world became a better place when the gifted Luther Vandross blessed us with his silky smooth honey dipped voice. What. A. Singer. I was 1st introduced to Luther by my friend's boyfriend. He used to come around to our house with his vinyl records and play them, filling the air with this beautiful & flawless soul sounds. The 1st Luther album I listened to was
Give Me The Reason. An absolute classic to this day.
I was lucky enough to see Luther in concert several times, and he did not disappoint live where so many artists do. I remember one story he told of pinching an ashtray from Roberta Flack's house as a momento as he was so in awe of her! He sang to a recently married couple. He was quite the entertaining gentleman.
My Luther Faves include:
Stevie Wonder is pretty much in the same league as Luther for me. I took my sister to his concert at the MEN in Manchester a few years ago. It. Was. Spectacular. "
Do I Do" is my all time Stevie fave. Absolutely love this track!
Like most people my age, I really got into the clubbing scene from the age of 16. I had many friends at school who were heavily into their music and a friend of mine even made a
career out of it ( in addition to his 80 hour/week city lawyer job!). I used to love DJs including Jeremy Healy, Alastair Whitehead, Graeme Park and Masters at Work.
We all used to go to the Music Factory in Sheffield most weekends. We would also travel around to big clubs when superstar DJs were playing including MAW. You would always hear Matt & Lee discussing "back to back" in the day of the Technics 1210s! Of course we have gone digital since then!
There was nothing more euphoric than an awesome lyric heavy tune filling a club with a banging bass line and the place would just go mental. Absolutely brilliant.
I loved Jeremy Healy's Smooth Criminal as his opening track. I went crazy for Graeme Park's remix of
Back to Love. I danced my pants off when Lisa Lisa
Let The Beat 'Em came on. The same goes for Inner City's
Pennies from Heaven.
In fact, one of the best gigs I have EVER been to was when the Brand New Heavies played at
Ronnie Scotts last year. Small and intimate with the acid house vibe reverberating around the dimly lit room. We all started off refined and sitting down. We all finished up on our feet, dancing around like mentalists. Unbelievable. It was amazing!
There is no better dance track for me than Sounds of Blackness Foundation Mix of
Everything's Gonna Be Alright. A sure fire winner anytime!
I have found 2 Soul Sisters on twitter in Sarah & Selina (@saraharah and @mrs_monkeycat). We always share music tastes and @ each other when we hear fabulous choonage at the gym, on the radio or generally out and about!
Music is a real bonding mechanism and common ground finder!
What really prompted me to write this blog post was my scouring on Amazon yesterday for Hed Kandi's original
Back to Love with ALL my favourite club tracks on. Ever. Amen. So I bought it - 2nd hand as new is £50.
Check out this track list!
| 1. Saturday Night Sunday Morning (T-Empo Mix)-T-Empo |
| 2. Shine On (Original 12 Inch)-Degrees Of Motion |
| 3. Got A Love For You (Hurley's House Mix)-Jomanda |
| 4. Space Cowboy (Morales Classic Club Mix)-Jamiroquai |
| 5. Where Love Lives (Come On In)-Alison Limerick |
| 6. Reachin' (Latin Workout Mix)-Phase 2 |
| 7. Tears (Classic Vocal)-Frankie Knuckles |
| 8. That's The Way Love Is (Deep House Mix)-Ten City |
| 9. Right Before My Eyes (House Vocal Mix)-Patti Day |
| 10. Promised Land (Original Mix)-Joe Smooth |
| 11. Back To Love (Graeme Park Remix)-The Brand New |
| 12. Sunshine On A Rainy Day (Original 12 Inch |
| 13. Ghetto Heaven-The Family Stand |
| 14. The Masterplan (Extende Version)-Diana Brown And |
| 15. Apparently Nothin' (Original 12 Inch Mix)-Young |
| 16. Got To Have Your Love (12 Inch Club)-Mantronix |
| 17. Let The Beat Hit'Em-Lisa Lisa And The Cult Jam |
| 18. Musical Freedom (12 Inch Mix)-Paul Simpson |
| 19. Ain't Nobody (Original Version)-Rufus & Chaka |
| 20. Going Back To My Roots (Original)-Richie Havens |
| 21. All This Love That I'm Giving (Original |
| 22. Optimistic (Album Version)-Sounds Of Blackness |
So there you have it, an insight into my musical tastes and favourite tracks.
What are your fave tunes? Do you find music motivates you? Transforms your mood?
Would love to hear your thoughts!
Kate xxx
