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Charting the tracks of their years

Feb 22 2008by Karen Price, Western Mail

Most songs evoke strong feelings in us all – whether they transport us back to our school days, remind us of a loved one or make us want to switch off the radio. Karen Price asks a number of familiar faces about the tracks which mean something to them

Peter Florence is director of the Hay Literary Festival

I sing along in the shower/bath to…Nina Simone Feeling Good or Wishing She Knew How To Be Free – or anything that’ll take my mind off being heavy and hurried

I always want to switch off… People doing crossover stuff (from either direction) and Lesley Garrett doing anything.

I like driving along to… Whatever my sons are into. Isaac, 10, DJs the school run with a Beach Boys, Elvis, Gorillaz playlist, while seven-year-old Ru brings us home to Hot Chip’s Over And Over and a heady mix of Fatboy Slim and the Beatles.

I’m transported back to my youth when I hear… The Beatles, Bowie and Led Zeppelin seemed to be most of what I remember from school, and the songs remain the same.

I am embarrassed to admit liking… Meatloaf – so uncool he’s cool all over again, or will be one day.

I’m always guaranteed to be cheered up by…

Paul Simon’s Graceland, which came out one summer in the ‘80s when my father, who’d been raised in Cape Town, and I were driving around Britain. We township-jived all summer and I think I know all his songs by heart and soul. He’s the great poet of divorce and separation and his love songs are all written to his children.

I like chilling out to… A great Tunisian musician called Anouar Brahem who fuses jazz with Arabic classical oud playing. I walked past Tom’s Records in Hay one day last year and heard this beautiful sound and fell in love with it. Try his album Le Pas du Chat Noir.

The track that sums me up…I wish I could say it was kd lang singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. The version on her covers album, 49th Parallel, is good but the live recording from the Juno Awards ceremony is stupendous – the single most played track on my iPod and gifted to all my mates in itunes.

Matthew Rhys, 33, is the Cardiff-born actor who stars in Hollywood drama Brothers & Sisters

I sing along in the shower/bath to…American Trilogy by Elvis – for some reason the acoustics in there always make everything sound better, especially when you’re belting out the chorus. It’s also about five minutes long which is just right.

I always want to switch off… Anything hardcore like trance, jungle or any heavy house music. It reminds me of bad nights in sweaty clubs where you find yourself saying things like, “I just want something with a tune.”

I like driving along to…The soundtrack of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid by Bob Dylan. It chills you out on long car journeys. It works especially well on the A470 between Cardiff and mid Wales as the music and the scenery seem to go together.

I’m transported back to my youth when I hear… Any Adam Ant song as Prince Charming was the first single I bought. Although I never dressed up or wore make-up like he did, I did try to replicate his “chandelier swing” from my settee.

I am embarrassed to admit liking… Kylie – not just Kylie herself but her music. It’s fine to say to your mates that you like Kylie but I realised I over-stepped the mark at Christmas when I said “Isn’t 2 Hearts great?” Deathly silence.

I’m always guaranteed to be cheered up by… Brimful of Asha by Cornershop for all the obvious reasons – it’s so up-beat and toe-tapping. It also reminds me of my time in New Zealand. It was playing everywhere and the sun was always shining so I associate both.

I like chilling out to… Heim by Sigur Ros. They’re really mellow. My mother hates it – she thinks it’s depressing. She came into my room once and said, “They didn’t even change key in that last one.”

The track that sums me up…I think it’s impossible to sum yourself up with one piece of music. I would say my last seven answers are a fair indication of who I am.

Soprano Elin Manahan Thomas, 30, is from Gorseinon and has signed a record deal with Universal. She will be performing at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod this year

I sing along in the shower/bath to…Whatever I’m learning. I have an irritating inability to switch off tunes and I’m often woken in the middle of the night by a snippet of Handel, Mozart or Britten. I’ve just done a concert of really tricky 20th Century music – I wasn’t humming along to that in the mornings.

I always want to switch off…Country and western of any type. I once spent six hours on a wooden seat on a Czechoslovakian bus behind a driver with a penchant for country and western. When the travel sickness and the country and western music kicked in together there was only ever one inevitable outcome.

I like driving along to…The Foo Fighters. I saw them at the O2 Arena in November and was blown away. I’m definitely a rock chick at heart and there’s nothing like the blast of rock guitar.

I’m transported back to my youth when I hear… Anything by Queen, especially Friends Will Be Friends as it reminds me of my school days and of annoying my dad in the car with endless Freddie Mercury.

I am embarrassed to admit liking…Take That. The stuff on their comeback album took me by surprise and I found myself belting some of their songs along with the radio.

I’m always guaranteed to be cheered up by… The Feeling. I’m training for the London Marathon at the moment, for the Parkinson’s Disease Society, and I smile whenever one of their songs comes on my iPod – and run a little faster.

I like chilling out to… Mika – what a brilliant guy, and a genius of a singer. He makes me laugh in his songs and I can always lie back and listen to him. And sing along, of course.

The track that sums me up…Anything by The Divine Comedy. I discovered them while I was at the Royal College of Music and instantly felt they had written all their songs for me.

Jonathan Owen, 36, is from Merthyr Tydfil. He is an actor and also presents and produces Soccer Sunday for ITV Wales

I sing along in the shower/bath to…The Stone Roses. The first album is still one of the great albums of all time and I Am The Resurrection is perfect to get you ready for the day ahead.

I always want to switch off… Anything by the Spice Girls. Whoever asked them to come out of retirement deserves to be punished for crimes against humanity.

I like driving along to… There’s A Light by the wonderful Smiths. It’s all about driving away from your problems with someone you love. Appeals to the dreamer in all of us I suppose.

I’m transported back to my youth when I hear… Going Underground by The Jam. They were the first proper band I got into seriously. I had every album and single, right up to Beat Surrender when Paul Weller famously broke them up. Just the opening riff makes me feel 12 again, hanging around street corners in Merthyr with my mates.

I am embarrassed to admit liking… Young Hearts by Candy Stanton. It’s a great disco anthem, but just about one of the campest songs in musical history.

I’m always guaranteed to be cheered up by… Tighten Up by Archie Bell and Drells is always guaranteed to cheer me up. It’s got this great soul guitar and ‘60s backbeat that just automatically makes you smile and want to get up and dance.

I like chilling out to… Stalafur by Sigur Ros. It’s the atmosphere they have managed to create in the song, the sense of intimacy, it’s extraordinary. I’ve used them on programmes I’ve made and I’ve had so many emails asking who they were and saying how much they loved the music.

The track that sums me up…You’re So Vain by Carly Simon. Enough said! But my mates might say Shaddup Your Face.

Grammy Award-winning soprano Rebecca Evans, 44, lives in Penarth and is currently touring in Welsh National Opera’s The Magic Flute

I sing along in the shower/bath to… Usually arias I am learning or about to perform. I’m currently learning Liszt for recording in London so the shower has been used for a rehearsal.

I always want to switch off… Most traditional Christmas carols as personally I find them so sad and depressing. Away In A Manger is top of my list.

I like driving along to… Mika singing Grace Kelly. My son William and I met Mika at a wedding in France last September and he was so nice to William. We then bought his album and we play Grace Kelly at full volume while singing along in the car.

I’m transported back to my youth when I hear… Dancing Queen by Abba. My best friend Jayne Daniels and I would go to Harpers in Swansea each Wednesday night and we would look forward to Dancing Queen so much and dance the night away, of course.

I am embarrassed to admit liking… Puppy Love by Donny Osmond. I loved it but I didn’t think I would be seen as cool when it came out in 1975 – so I never did admit liking it. Now I love everything by Donny and am proud to say so. Also he is a newly discovered Welshman!

I’m always guaranteed to be cheered up by… Defo Notte by Handel from the opera Ariodante.This just totally brightens my spirits each time I listen to it. It gives me real sparkle – it is just genius composing.

I like chilling out to… Fix You by Coldplay. I just love the lyrics and the mellow rock music and Chris Martin’s voice is so wonderful and relaxing. I often chill out with my iPod in my music room with Coldplay.

The track that sums me up…Thank You For The Music by Abba. I’ll leave it to you to decide if I’m “nothing special” and perhaps a “bit of a bore” but on the whole this wonderful song pretty well sums me up.

BBC Wales presenter Claire Summers, 32, is from Cowbridge

I sing along in the shower/bath to… I usually like peace and quiet, and love to read in the bath.

I always want to switch off…Garage and hip-hop – they are not really my thing.

I like driving along to…Songs that I can sing to – I love the Killers’ Sam’s Town album, although it does make me feel like I can drive really fast, or any Counting Crows or a bit of Blondie.

I’m transported back to my youth when I hear… So many songs – music was always playing really loud at home. Every time I hear Rod Stewart it reminds me of being young and my dad singing really loud! I knew every word to Pipes of Peace by Paul McCartney. I also loved The Bangles hit Manic Monday, Bon Jovi’s Living On A Prayer and lots of Madonna – I had a whole netball routine worked out to La Isla Bonita!

I’m embarrassed to admit liking…. A few Abba tunes and a bit of Dolly Parton. Here You Come Again is on my iPod along with a bit of Neil Diamond.

I’m always guaranteed to be cheered up by… Midnight Train To Georgia by Gladys Knight or Michael Buble singing Everything.

I like chilling out to…On my iPod I have a real mix of old and new tunes – I go from very sad to very cool in a matter of seconds!

The track that sums me up… Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life by Eric Idle, simply because I’m an eternal optimist.