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Wildblood tries to narrow it down

Top Ten troubles

Kate Wildblood

Saturday, 4 October 2008

When negotiating a new job the perks are often discussed. Company car, health insurance, insane bonuses, that kind of thing. Me, I have the kind of employment where the job itself is the perk, pinching myself as I do each time I realise I get to do the thing I love most in the world. Play tunes. Loudly. To lovelies, most weekends.

I can’t think of anything finer. Until last week when a journalist came calling from the gay press and asked me to submit my top ten tunes of all time – complete with description and the reasons for my undying love, admiration or addiction. I said yes, chuffed to bits at the coverage, happy to share my favourite tunes. Talk of deadlines and the last minuteness of it all verged on the apologetic and yet as I sat there with the missus last night and started to make a tentative list it seemed anything but a chore.

Only now I’m stuck. Hence me knocking out a column for you guys rather than compiling my top ten corkers. There are simply too many. Do I go uber-cool, do go I obvious? Do I reflect the gigs I play at or the people, places and events so emotionally linked to my must-play tunes? There’s the endless list of influences to deal with – can I mention my intro to music courtesy of my mother’s Gerrard deck, Wharfdale speakers and her strange but wonderful brew of Kraftwerk, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Pink Floyd as it "welcomed me to the machine”.

What about the minimal shit that so often accompanies my home life or the diva lead gospel-tinged proper House of my early clubbing days? Can I drop Acid in there? How do I reflect the disco strings that pull at my heart and whose sampling is essential for this girl to get off? Is there space for a little chill? How to reflect the daft and dirty bleeps and basslines of my favourite round the world tripping punk? What about my Radiohead days or the kick inside I get from Kate Bush? And how about my guilty pleasure? Dare I go public on my love of…….…(like I’m telling you!) Just how do I reflect my love of Barbra without offending Madonna and yet how do I write about Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’ without mentioning a waterlogged, umbrella covered pair of decks in the Candy Bar Brighton Pride Dance Tent and DJ Slamma declaring “what is this shit!????”

I just can’t decide. Is it indecision? I don’t know. All I do know – sort of – is that I can’t decide. That if I ever did get marooned on Radio 4’s Desert Island (oh lord, The Theme from The Archers. I should mention that one?) I would need a boat following on behind to carry my much expanded ‘Top Ten’.

And so here I sit wading through tunes and memories and the happiness, grins and sorrow those 3 to 8 minute, 7 to 12 inches bring. And I still can’t decide. Still I’m clear on one thing. As the rain pours down on my garden outside and the prospect of winter curtailing my opportunities to escape into it looms on the horizon, the play list I’m compiling; my top ten, top twenty, top one hundred is good for one thing. Escaping.

Escaping, enjoying and banishing any possibilities of the winter blues. I may not have my top ten cracked just yet – sorry Mr Hakim – but I’m gonna have a fine time getting there. All I have to do now – as the punter said to Norm on the beach this weekend – is turn it up!

Read Wildblood’s Top Ten (hopefully) in Attitude soon.

www.katewildblood.com