My Festive 50 favourite songs: From “Suzanne” to “Bra Timing”

As 2015 comes to an end, it’s time to get personal again.

Let’s talk about… music.

My 2014 blog, “Festive 50: From “Every Little Bit Hurts” to “Stay with Me” told how a friend said “you like music – why don’t you tweet about that?”

So I did* (*a quote from one of my favourite Rolling Stones numbers – who can tell me how the lyrics continue without googling?).  In December 2013, I began to tweet out “my 100 favourite songs”, often late at night, with the hashtag #LTfaves.

By the Christmas 2014 I’d reached No. 51, “Stay with me” by Lorraine Ellison.  You can see the list from 100 to 51 at the link above.

During 2015 I’ve continued to tweet favourite songs.  It’s been an enjoyable and evocative trip.  I continue to feel sheepish that most are infinitely more predictable than the magnificent John Peel Festive 50s of my youth.

But I hope the list, and the tweets, will help perform a function of blogging by showing that a British diplomat is not necessarily, whatever conspiracy theorists might think, a shape-shifting reptile but can appear a comparatively normal human being.

Although a conspiracy theorist would say: “That’s what the shape-shifting reptiles want you to think”.

A fine way to enjoy the list is to go to Twitter, search #LTfaves, and browse.  But for some reason it’s a bit patchy.  So here’s a list of my 2015 “Festive 50”:

50           Suzanne – Leonard Cohen

49           The Lemon Song – Led Zeppelin

48           Loving and Free – Kiki Dee

47           Woodstock – Joni Mitchell

46           Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles

45           You Learn – Alanis Morissette

44           Radio Head – Talking Heads

43           I’m a Believer – The Monkees

42           Nine Million Bicycles – Katie Melua

41           Shrimp Boats – Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim

40           Highway Patrolman – Bruce Springsteen

39           Wish You were Here – Pink Floyd

38           I Will – The Beatles

37           God is a DJ – Pink

36           Hot Hot Hot – Arrow (from one of my favourite British Overseas Territories, Montserrat)

35           I’m in Love with a German Film Star – The Passions

34           Down to Zero – Joan Armatrading

33           African Sun – Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim

32           Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – Bob Dylan

31           Way Back ‘50s – African Jazz Pioneers

30           Everyday is a Winding Road – Sheryl Crow

29           Good Day Sunshine – The Beatles

28           Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding

27           Help Yourself – Tom Jones

26           One Vision – Queen

25           Walk on the Wild Side – Lou Reed

24           Smells like Teen Spirit – Nirvana

23           Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – Nina Simone

22           Perfect Day – Lou Reed

21           Just a Song – Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim

20           Hand in my Pocket – Alanis Morissette

19           Pata Pata – Miriam Makeba

18           Peaceful Easy Feeling – The Eagles

17           Mean Old World – Chuck Berry (The 1972 London Sessions version)

16           Moondance – Van Morrison

15           How do you Feel – Jefferson Airplane

14           Amoreuse – Kiki Dee

13           I’ll Follow the Sun – The Beatles

12           Leaving on a Jet Plane – Peter, Paul and Mary

11           Walla Mokoko – Mpharanyana (can anyone find this on-line?)

10           Into the Mystic – Van Morrison

9             Thank You – Led Zeppelin

8             Solid Air – John Martyn

7              South City Midnight Lady – The Doobie Brothers

6             And I Love Her – The Beatles

5              It’s a Long Way to the Top – AC/DC

4             Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye – Leonard Cohen

3             Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon

2             Love and Affection – Joan Armatrading

1             Bra Timing from Phomolong – Dollar Brand

Special mentions go to:

– Abdullah Ibrahim, formerly Dollar Brand, who occupies the No.1 with the wonderful “Bra timing from Phomolong”.  Picture a train rumbling through the townships;

– Sentez College in Sakarya, #Mastersofsocialmedia, for playing “Get it On” by T Rex when I arrived there earlier this month.  Excellent song;

– LM Radio, broadcasting from what is today Maputo, for providing the sound-track to the key 1964-70 period.  For current music and lots of other good stuff, check out BBC iPlayer.

Thanks for listening.

Follow Leigh Turner on Twitter  @LeighTurnerFCO