Ultravox! Founder / Electronic Pioneer / Artist / Graphic Designer
https://www.facebook.com/johnfoxxmetamatic/
For me all these tracks trigger very specific memories of time, places and people.
Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
Nine years old. Trampled by wild girls in the Plaza Cinema, Chorley. Next time that happened was the Rolling Stones- live at Wigan ABC, 1964 .
Bob Dylan – Tambourine Man
Describes how it feels to be young – glimpse of all those great mysteries ahead.
The Velvet Underground – Sweet Jane
An evolution of what the wired New York Dylan laid down.
Beatles – A Day in the Life
Second song I learnt to play on guitar – First was ‘That’s no Way to Say Goodbye’- Leonard Cohen.
Erik Satie – Gymnopedies
Art School in Excelsis.
Neu! – Isi
Serene Velocity. Driving to the future.
Bo Diddley – Hey Bo Diddley
Totally Exciting. One of my earliest intros to proper, original rogue rock.
Elgar – Nimrod from The Enigma Variations
An entire, joyously melancholic and mysterious landscape. A truly great British composer
Roxy Music – Remake / Remodel
Live Royal College of Art 1972
Art and Rock began to get gloriously mixed up. Time I got sorted.
Missa Luba – from the film ‘If’
When I realised that my past could also be my future.
Sugar Pie De Santo – Soulful Dress
Twisted Wheel Club, Manchester 1964. Climb out of the bedroom window, catch the last bus. Straight to Brazenose Street. All-nighter with Yardbirds, or John Lee Hooker, or Little Walter etc. Blinding music and great records. Total excitement. Out at dawn. Cornflakes and hot milk at Dirty Dicks on Oxford Road. Catch the first bus back home, climb back into my bedroom – just in time to get up and do the paper round.
Where Do you Go to (My lovely) – Peter Sarstedt
Hitch-hiking to Spain with Anne, my girlfriend from Manchester College of Art 1969. On the Jukeboxes in France and Spain. Still have an affection for the story in the song.
Spoken Roses – Harold Budd
When he played this, I checked the recording machine was on and stood absolutely still. Superb.
The Rolling Stones – Jumpin Jack Flash
When they got right back down to business after psychedelia — their best track
Neon Lights – Kraftwerk
Their only ballad and one of the best things they’ve ever done.
Pink Floyd – Interstellar Overdrive
14 Hour Technicolour Dream, Alexander Palace. Everything truly went Technicolour. Walking back to Highgate tube, lost in a glorious Spring morning in 1967.
The Boxer – Paul Simon
Instant transport to Brown Street boxing club, vanished dreams and old friends and family.
All The Young Dudes – Mott The Hoople
Bowie takes the Beatles on. I wore shades for six months after hearing this.
Nico and The Velvet Underground – I’ll Be Your Mirror
She was incredibly beautiful. A perfect piece of flickering film – a lost time and place.
Perfect Day – Lou Reed
Lou being happy. Lovely.
All Day and All of the Night – The Kinks
Bad lads and true originals. I used to glimpse them in that pub in Muswell Hill.
Burial – In Mcdonalds
Modern London. A wet night everyone must know.
The Who – I Can’t Explain
True revolt into style.
Peggy Lee – Bye Bye Blackbird
My dad used to sing this song. Covered in coal dust, coming back home from the pit.