A Playlist Of Places

Introduction

I was wondering if I could create a playlist of songs I love about places, because I love the place or have a great friend who lives there or it is just a beautiful song that makes me want to go there. We all love something that gives us a feeling of warmth, comfort and longing.

I also try and keep these playlists to around ten songs and that probably comes from me being born in the fifties and being brought up listening to vinyl, which usually limits you to around a dozen three minute songs.

1: London - Thea Gilmore

We tragically lost Sandy Denny but Thea Gilmore took her words and created this beautiful love song and this for a great friend of mine in another London. The song pulls at my heart strings every time I listen to it.

2: Fog On The Tyne - Lindisfarne

This is almost THE Geordie anthem superseding The Blaydon Races. It is fun, easy to sing , catchy and so easy to play that I can play it. If this does not bring a smile to your face you must be made of stone. It was composed by the sadly missed genius of Alan Hull.

3: New York Groove - Hello

This is a Russ Ballard (Zombies / Argent) song performed by the glam boy band Hello. It was later covered by Ace Frehley of Kiss but this is a far superior version.

4: For What Is Chatteris - Half Man Half Biscuit

This is both funny and a beautiful love song from Nigel Blackwell and his wonderful crew. One to melt your heart and make you smile.

Chatteris is a market town and civil parish in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England, situated in The Fens between Huntingdon, March and Ely.

5: London Calling - Clash

An aggressive anthemic opener to the Clash’s seminal album from Joe Strummer and Co, I remember staying in the Hilton in Paddington when working down there for EE, looking down on The Westway and this song streaming into my head every time I did that. I know this is the second song to feature the place, and London UK is not my favourite place at all.

6: Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks

And I am still in London with this absolute beauty referring to Waterloo and its bridge across the Thames from Ray Davies. This was Ray’s first attempt at record production.

7: Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel

This was Peter Gabriels’ debut solo single produced by Bob Ezrin, who had worked with Alice Cooper and later on Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”. He wrote this after having a spiritual experience at the summit of Solsbury Hill, the site of an Iron Age fort in the village of Batheaston.

8: Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty

This was not about Sherlock Holmes, but Gerry's frustration at the fallout after the breakup of his band Stealers Wheel. The Scottish singer stayed at a pal's flat on London's Baker Street while the lawyers sorted everything out. Originally there wasn’t going to be a saxophone break but that is what everyone remembers about the song and why people remember it. The solo was played by Raphael Ravenscroft.

9: Mozambique - Bob Dylan

At the time of the song's release, the titular country of Mozambique had just emerged from a ten-year insurgency war against Portugal but this is just using the country as a place for a romantic interlude and it does make you want to be there. A wonderful feelgood love song from the album “Desire”. I had always assumed this was a beachside town in the Amercan South but what do I know?

10: Galway Girl - Steve Earle

I love Steve Earle and there are a few places I could go with him. I remember seeing him in the Gods at The Sage in Gateshead and had to come down stairs as I got so dizzy. So we have an American in love with an Irish Girl.

Conclusion

There are so many places and yours probably is not on here, but I hope you have enjoyed the places I have chosen to share with you on this playlist.