This episode of Blood on the Tracks featured two returning guests, Levi Roots and Laura Whitmore, as well as comedian Al Murray and dancer Karen Clifton.
A song that sums you up – Well I like to think myself as the optimist, so generally I’d pick something in that theme. I’ve used Captain Sensible’s “Happy Talk” in the past, and Ken Dodd’s “Happiness” is too kitsch, so I’ll pick a slightly offbeat one, “Optimistic” by Radiohead. “Try the best you can, the best you can is good enough.”
Old fashioned jukebox, what putting in as first song – Taking the option of an A and B Side, and a classic debut too, Suede’s “The Drowners” and “To The Birds“. I love The Drowners, and would put it among my top five Suede songs, while I’ve come across the B side over the years, and I love the moodiness of this song.
Shuffle – One of those songs that you loved at the time, forgot about and when you hear it again you love it all over again. “Novocaine for the Soul” by Eels. I love this version from TFI Friday.
Best Break up song – There were some great choices in the episode, but I was very surprised that “Dry Your Eyes” by The Streets was not selected, as very few songs are done from the point of the victim so effectively. Also a special mention for Marilyn Manson’s “User Friendly” for “I’m not in love, but I’m gonna fuck you until someone better comes along'”
5 track playlist, theme of smoking weed – What came to mind first was most of “Black Sunday” by Cypress Hill, but I also really like “Sweet Leaf” by Black Sabbath, but I secretly really like the cover by Ugly Kid Joe more, so that’s my choice.
Final: song that brings back the most embarrassing memory – As I was finishing school in the sixth form, we were in the early days of bands touring schools as a promotional effort, and one who visited in my time were forgettable 1990s boyband Let Loose. Among their collection was a song called “Cardboard City” which had the lyric “She walks alone in cardboard city” and the singer, encouraged a sing-a-long, where he sang the first part, and the audience did the second half of the line. This begins, and being ever attentive and supportive, decide to join in, and it turns out that I was the only one who did. Quite how this happened baffled me then and now, maybe I was the only one listening to the lyrics, but there I was being praised by the lead singer of Let Loose in front of the school for a solo sing-a-long. Here’s their best known song “Crazy for You“.
Everybody Loves Raywood 