30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 23 – A Song That You Want Played at Your Wedding (Or Had Played At Your Wedding)

Day 23 and we reach my all time favourite artist. Like Madonna, I could have put a Bryan Adams track on here almost every day.
I had all sorts of random tracks sneakily added to my wedding, which I themed Goodfellars so technically it would have been sixties music, not my favourite era. I booked the band, my ex-husband’s best mate’s based on the promised they would play Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’.
And then there was this
Bryan Adams – There Will Never Be Another Tonight

Music Monday – C is for Chic

If I have musical heroes, they are Chic.

Their records are just the half of it, they, Nile Rodgers or Bernard Edwards or both, have produced a stack load of my favourite artists including Duran Duran and Madonna but also ‘supergroup’ The Power Station (2 members of Duran Duran, Tony Thompson – Chic’s drummer and the brilliant Robert Palmer). Sad to note that Tony Thompson, Robert Palmer and Bernard Edwards (just 43) all passed away but left not only a huge musical legacy but a big influence on me.

They’ve also produced (revived) Diana Ross and Sister Sledge and so many more.
What I have learnt is that Bob Clearmountain, known to me as Bryan Adams’ main producer but also works with Springsteen, Bon Jovi and hundreds of others, engineered their first album. So in fact they link up a vast majority of my favourite artists.

Let’s go for a top 5 of these genius artists:
Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)
Le Freak – known for being a gigantic influence on a huge variety of bassists, the bass line in this is the most amazing. Apparently this track was the biggest seller for Warner Bros until Madonna’s Vogue came along
My Forbidden Lover
He’s the Greatest Dancer (Sister Sledge but heck, it’s their track. “One night at a disco on the outskirts of Frisco, I was cruising with my favourite gang”. That line made me go to the only place on the west coast of America I ever wanted to go, San Francisco.
Good Times – in my top 10 of all time and possibly the most sampled track of all time although possibly Rodgers & Edwards are the most sampled producers of all time?

My childhood, indeed my life is deeply enriched for hearing Chic.
Nile Rodgers

All time top 10 tunes

In no particular order

1. Bryan Adams – Run To You (1984)

From the opening brilliant riff, this made me realise I can like all types of music, however uncool and if had to choose just one best track, this is it

1. Duran Duran – Planet Earth (1981)

This track blew me away and got me committed to music. Finally a band I could call my own

1. Abba – Dancing Queen (1976)

The first record I danced to in public, at the school disco. I’d taken it in. This is to be played at my funeral as the coffin disappears.

1. Billy Idol – Rebel Yell (1984)

Raw energy in this; the cross over record between punk and rock – and you can dance to it.

1. The Cult – Sanctuary (1985)

Raw energy for longer. I always love a track that starts in gear 4 but still manages go higher as many do on this list do.

1. The Undertones – Teenage Kicks (1978)

Everything we need to know and remember about being a teenager. It makes the heart tick faster just as it would have done all those years ago when the object of our desire so much as walked past us.

1.  Modjo – Lady (2000)

The newest addition and now ten years old. Seriously, I had to kick ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ out of the top 10 for this. Disco 21^st century style.

1. Chic – Good Times (1979)

Turned me onto disco and then to New York. Bernard Edwards & Nile Rogers are my musical ‘heroes’. Everything they touch turned to gold. RIP Mr Edwards, you made me listen, you made my smile, you made me dance and you make it worth-while.

1. Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel –Make Me Smile (Come & Up & See Me) (1975)

I got into this through Duran Duran’s cover version. Timeless.

      1.  Candy Station – Young Hearts Run Free (1976)

From a childhood memory song to a grown-up theme tune

Whereas the ultimate all time Top Ten is unchanging, until something comes out that is worthy of it’s presence at the top the following can change from time to time but they are more or less solid. I do believe a track has to be around a good 5-10 years before it can be categorised as an all time favourite.

NB I’ve included the release dates but that doesn’t mean I knew the song when it came out. Additionally, at least three of my all time faves are missing here, Springsteen, Madonna and Gun but they’ll feature in the lists coming up each week.

What’s your all time top 10?