Meaningful songs - INDEX OF SONGS

Ostensibly a list of songs that remain meaningful to me, because of memories or emotions that were expected to fade with age (when in fact they do not); this is my personal time machine, for I play these songs and I'm off to another time. I don't know why music does this, but I'm glad it does for me and perhaps you also. 

For those born into the golden age of vinyl (you know if you were), "vinyl" was readily available, relatively cheap and almost defined who you and friends where, providing sanctuary from the real world, emotional support and true happiness; who does not remember girlfriend/boyfriend tapes of selected vinyl tracks recorded and swapped to express all sorts of feelings way beyond our own expression?

Anyway, getting to my point, "vinyl" was destined for the bin of history but oldies, zealots, fashionistas, musicologists, old-tech geeks and newbies (to the joy of this music delivery format) have made its resurgence economically viable and thus readily available for collection and permanent ownership, as opposed to renting your download until it is no longer yours. 

In my formative years I would get back to my freezing bedroom, put on my latest vinyl and avidly pore over its sleeve art and notes as it played, so in a similar vein you may like to read through these articles as you listen.

These are the songs in the "Meaningful songs" series.

 Click on each to hear it.

#1 BLUE MINK - Melting Pot                                                     Read article

#2 NORMAN GREENBAUM - Spirit In The Sky                    Read article

#3 MUNGO JERRY - In The Summertime                              Read article

#4 THE KINKS - Lola                                                                   Read article

#5 LOU REED - Walk On The Wild Side                                  Read article

#6 RALPH McTELL - Streets Of London                                 Read article

#7 ELVIS COSTELLO - Alison                                                    Read article

#8 DORY PREVIN - Lemon Haired Ladies                              Read article

# 9 BILLY PAUL - Me And Mrs Jones                                       Read article

#10 CHARLES AZNAVOUR - She                                              Read article

#11 THE ROLLING STONES - Angie                                         Read article

#12 HELEN REDDY - Angie Baby                                              Read article

#13 INSTANT AUTOMATONS - Harriot's Nurse                    Read article

#14 SINEAD O'CONNOR - Nothing Compares To You          Read article

#15 CARLY SIMON - You're So Vain                                          Read article

#16 PETULA CLARK - Downtown                                              Read article

#17 CHARLES AZNAVOUR - Yesterday when I was young  Read article

#18 THE BEATLES - She's Leaving Home                                Read article

#19 DAVID BOWIE - Letter To Hermione                                Read article

#20 THE SPECIALS - Ghost Town                                             Read article

#21 THE STRANGLERS - Golden Brown                                 Read article

#22 GARBAGE - Stupid Girl                                                        Read article

       With Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go To My Lovely

        And The Monkeys - I'm Not Your Stepping Stone

#23 STAN RIDGEWAY - Camouflage                                        Read article

#24 BLACK SABBATH - War Pigs                                              Read article

#25 ARGENT - Hold Your Head Up                                           Read article

#26 TRACEY THORN - Too Happy.                                         Read article

#27 GEORGE MICHAEL - A Different Corner                        Read Article

#28 THE CHI-LITES - Have You Seen Her?                            Read Article

#29 THE ROLLING STONES - Sympathy For The Devil      Read article

#30 BADFINGER - Baby Blue                          Read Article and backstory

#31 TIR NA NOG - Our Love Will Not Decay                          Read Article

# GLEN CAMPBELL - Wichita Lineman

# THE ARCHIES - Sugar Sugar

# GLEN CAMPBELL - By The Time I Get To Phoenix

# THE CARPENTERS - Rainy Days And Mondays

# GARRY PUCKETT & THE UNION GAP

# FUN BOY THREE - Our Lips Sealed

# TOM TOM CLUB - Wordy Rappinghood

# GORDEN LIGHTFOOT - If You Could Read My Mind

Four-on-the-floor American rarities - Northern Soul hits

FRANK WILSON - Do I Love you (Indeed I Do)

THE TAMS - Be Young Be Foolish Be Happy

CURTIS MAYFIELD's - Move On Up (cover by The Northers Souls)

AL WILSON - The Snake

FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS -The Night-

GLORIA JONES - Tainted Love 1964 and 80s smash hit by SOFT CELL

CHARLIE RICH - Don't Tear Me Down

DUKE BROWNER - Crying Over You

OTIS CLAY - The Only Way Is Up  Joyous steps and later YAZZ version

JUDY STREET - What

THE VIBRATIONS - 'Cause You're Mine

THE 5 ROYALES - Catch That Teardrop

KELLY GARRETT - Love's The Only Answer

JASON KNIGHT - Our Love Is Getting Stronger

TURLEY RICHARDS - I Feel Alright

DEAN PARRISH - Tell Her and 1974 pop hit by Hello

GENE CHANDLER - There Was A Time

BRENDA HOLLOWAY - Look What You've Done What You

SANDI SHELDON - Your Gonna Make Me Love You

YOUNGHEARTS - A Little Togetherness

LAURA MICHELE - You Always Hurt The One You Love

SAM DEES - Lonely For You Baby

HERB JOHNSON AND THE IMPACTS - I'm So Glad

TERRIBLE TOM - We Were Made For Each Other

THE SHIRELLES - Last Minute Mira

THE VEL-VETS - I Got To Find Me Somebody

DON GARDNER - Cheatin' Kind

JAMES CARR - That's What I Want To Know

JIMMY RUFFIN - What Becomes Of The Broken-hearted

Dancing in the spirit if Norther Soul -  ROLY PLATT AND JUSTIN FORESLY - Shuffle The Deck (great video) and these girls also deserve a mention.

SKA from Jamaica, was multi-ethnic in the UK

PRINCE BUSTER - They Call It Madness

THE SPECIALS - Gangsters (cover of Al Capone?)

DANDY LIVINGSTONE - Rudy A Message To You (orig)

THE SPECIALS - Rudy A Message To You (copy)

BAD MANNERS - Wooly Bully

THE SELECTER - On My Radio

THE SPECIALS - Too Much Too Young

DESMOND DEKKER AND THE ACES - The Isrealites

THE SPECIALS - Nelson Mandela

PRINCE BUSTER - Enjoy Yourself

BAD MANNERS - My Girl Lollipop

THE SPECIALS - Ghost Town

THE BEAT - Hands Off She's Mine

BAD MANNERS -Lip Up Fatty

SYMARIP - Skinhead Moonstomp

SYMARIP -Teenage Girl

DAVE AND ANSELL COLLINS - Double Barrel

THE BEAT - Mirror In The Bathroom

THE SPECIALS - Do Nothing

BAD MANNERS - Inner London

DENNIS BROWN - Money In My Pocket

THE HARRY JAY ALL STARS - Liquidator (no vocal)

THE UPSETTERS - Return Of Django (no vocal)

UPTOWN TOP RANKING - Althea And Donna

THE BEAT - Rough Rider

DESMOND DEKKER - Baby Come Back

LORD CREATOR - Hurry Up

MUSICAL YOUTH - Pass The Dutchie

MADNESS - One Step Beyond

PRINCE BUSTER - Al Capone

THE PIONEERS - Long Shot Kick De Bucket

JUNIOR REID - Banana Boat Man

THE BEAT - Rankin Full Stop

Copy Cats (song covers)

Other music on this site