Dazed and Confused (November '03)
AGONY & ECSTASY
Mixtape: SIOUXSIE SIOUX
How many of today's punk pretenders would throw their Westwood replicas on the pyre for just half of Siouxsie Sioux's credentials? Her passage through punk, new wave and new romance with The Banshees and The Creatures alongside her drummer and hubbie, Budgie, has seen her work with members of The Pistols, The Cure, The Ants, PiL and Magazine. Sioux did it all first. She swore at Bill Grundy before Sid Vicious, wore a peek-a-boob bra before Madge and dabbled in Nazi imagery long before Mr. Manson. But it's not time to revel in the past yet, Sioux has rocking left to do. As well as lending some welcome sex and swagger to the forthcoming Basement Jaxx album (her Banshee wail graces standout track "Cish Cash"), a superbly firey new Creatures album, Hai!, will be with us before October is out. CM
John Leyton /Johnny Remember Me / Top Rank (1961)
Yes. I'm a Heinz 57 variety! I was mesmerised, nay obsessed, by this ode to a dead girlfriend, whose ghostly voice was carried on the wind and through the trees, reminding dear ol' Johnny not to forget her. Johnny stole my heart.
Sam and Dave / Hold On! I'm Comin'/ Atlantic (1966)
Growing up with a sister and brother, I was spoilt on a diet of Motown, Atlantic, Blue Beat and the rest. My happiest memories were when my house positively shook with laughter, music and dancing.
The Troggs / Wild Thing / Fontana (1972)
The end of romance? Brash, primal and irreverent. I instantly recognised that this was different to the usual pop fare performance you could see on the weekly airing of Ready Steady Go on TV. The song made me feel I was taking a sneak at something X-rated.
David Bowie / John, I'm Only Dancing (Again) / RCA (1975)
I was 15 and seemingly out of step with everything around me, until this little ditty came along. After hearing this track I snapped up all his previous LPs.
Alice Cooper / School's Out / Warner Brothers (1972)
If discovering Bowie was a way of being able to affirm that conforming was not going to be my personal path to happiness, then this song was a catalyst for all my pent-up angst at society. I really loathed school. I think if anyone were to profess the opposite, I would avoid them like the plague. Perverts.
Mick Ronson / Mick Ronson / RCA (1974)
Electric buzzing, prowling growlings and sexy percussion are just a few of the ingredients of this tantalising hors d'ouevre. Mick replaced the pin-up I never had of David Cassidy. Hell, I even remember complaining to RCA in a letter, that they were doing a lousy job of promoting this single. Miserable swines.
Diana Ross and Marvin Gave / Love Hangover / RCA (1976)
If there's a cure for this I don't want it. My clubbing days were in full swing and this song somehow got caught up in all that high feeling for me. There was a gay disco in London called Bangs which we used to shimmy down to once a week. "Love Hangover" was the backdrop to our wild exploits.
Sylvester / You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) / Fantasy (1977)
A diva voice and a whirling euphoric delivery. "Mighty Real" was my obsessive feel good factor, a cure for the blues every time.
Christina / Is That All There Is? / (1980)
We use this as the outro for our shows, because it's a classic. This fiendishly successful cover version was met by the legal camp of the original writers Lieber & Stroller, with outrage and disgust. Damned party poopers.
The Associates / Party Fears Two / Associates/WEA (1982)
The alcohol loves you while turning you blue. This used to be my own personal wake-up call. Guaranteed to put into focus all that is hazy round the edges. Manic and highly infectious rhythms coupled with Billy's soaring voice make this track sizzle off the vinyl like a giant Catherine wheel.
Contributed by Bonnie Bryant.