John Simm's Candid Playlist: Starting with Childhood Favorites to Unexplained Aversions
The initial tune I was captivated by
My most primal memory is stepping into a room at nursery school where they were blasting Yellow Submarine by the Fab Four. I was captivated by the sound effects, and Lennon yelling: “Full speed ahead!” When it arrived at the hook, I remember thinking: “This must be music!”
The inaugural single I purchased
When I was eight years old, I won a contest at school to pick a new vinyl to play at the small dance we had on Fridays. My instructor took me to Woolworths, and I opted for Come Back My Love by the group Darts. The first record I purchased with my own pocket money was Mull of Kintyre by Wings from a music store in Lancashire. It was topping the charts at the time, and I chose it when my dad mentioned that it was by a former member of the Beatles.
The track I perform at karaoke
I candidly do not enjoy karaoke and steer clear at all costs. But if forced, I’d select Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra.
The song I strangely know every lyric to
I just realised that I can recall virtually every word to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and each track on Graceland by the legendary songwriter.
The perfect tune to blast at a soirée
It hinges on which phase of the evening you are at. At the start it would probably be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by the soul legend. As the evening progresses, I’d move on to Prince, the Rolling Stones and Bowie, and when it really kicks off, Phat Planet by the electronic act, Born Slippy .NUXX by the techno pioneers, and Ascension by Gorillaz, which is an undeniable hit.
The song I can no longer hear
I strangely loathe Mr Brightside by the Las Vegas band.
The ideal song to have sex to
Come Together by the Beatles.
The record that changed my life
When I was twelve and just learning to learn the guitar, I’d only listen to early rock and roll, and was fixated on Elvis, the rock pioneer, Jerry Lee Lewis, the New Orleans legend, the glasses-wearing icon and Eddie Cochran. Then my babysitter played Let There Be Rock by AC/DC. It was still rock’n’roll, but it was electrifying rock music. Instantly after he dropped the record on the turntable, I was captivated.
The track that wakes me in the morning
What’d I Say in its full glory by The Genius.
The track that brings me to tears
Most music makes me touched. Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Elvis and the Beatles all make me cry because of the tune and sheer beauty of the voices. But The Ocean by the Sheffield crooner strikes a chord consistently.
The music I’d like performed at my final send-off
The King. If I’m given a cremation, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m laid to rest in the ground, I’ll have Way Down.
