John Simm's Revealing Musical Selections: Starting with Childhood Favorites to Unexplained Aversions
The initial tune I was captivated by
My earliest memory is walking into a room at kindergarten where they were spinning Yellow Submarine by the Fab Four. I was mesmerized by the audio textures, and Lennon shouting: “Full speed ahead!” When it arrived at the hook, I distinctly thought: “This must be music!”
The very first record I acquired
When I was eight years old, I won a contest at school to pick a brand new vinyl to play at the mini disco we had on Fridays. My instructor took me to Woolworths, and I picked out Come Back My Love by the group Darts. The first single I bought with my own pocket money was Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney's Wings from a music store in Colne. It was topping the charts at the time, and I chose it when my dad noted that it was by a former member of the Beatles.
The song I sing at sing-along
I candidly do not enjoy karaoke and steer clear at all costs. But if forced, I’d go with Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra.
The track I inexplicably know all the words to
I recently realised that I can recall pretty much every word to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and the entire album on Graceland by the legendary songwriter.
The perfect track to play at a soirée
It relies on the point of the party you are at. For the beginning it would most likely be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by the soul legend. As the evening progresses, I’d transition into Prince, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, and when it hits its peak, Phat Planet by Leftfield, Born Slippy .NUXX by the techno pioneers, and Ascension by Gorillaz, which is an absolute banger.
The song I can not listen to
I strangely loathe Mr Brightside by the Killers.
The best song to have sex to
Come Together by the Beatles.
The album that transformed me
When I was 12 and just learning to study the guitar, I’d only listen to 1950s rock ’n’roll, and was fixated on The King, the rock pioneer, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly and the rockabilly star. Then my babysitter brought round Let There Be Rock by the Australian rockers. It was still rock’n’roll, but it was high voltage rock music. The moment he dropped the record on the record player, I was captivated.
The song that gets me up in the morning
What’d I Say in its full glory by The Genius.
The track that brings me to tears
Virtually any music makes me touched. The Queen of Soul, Frank Sinatra, Elvis and the Beatles all stir my emotions because of the harmony and sheer beauty of the vocals. But The Ocean by Richard Hawley hits me hard every time.
The music I’d like performed at my funeral
The King. If I’m cremated, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m buried, I’ll have Way Down.