John Simm's Honest Playlist: Starting with Childhood Loves to Peculiar Aversions

The initial song I was captivated by
My earliest memory is walking into a room at kindergarten where they were blasting Yellow Submarine by the Fab Four. I was enthralled by the sound effects, and Lennon yelling: ā€œFull speed ahead!ā€ When it reached the hook, I recall believing: ā€œThis must be music!ā€

The first 45 I purchased
When I was eight, I won a contest at school to choose a new vinyl to play at the weekly dance party we had on Fridays. My instructor took me to a local store, and I opted for Come Back My Love by Darts. The first single I bought with my own savings was Mull of Kintyre by Wings from a music store in Lancashire. It was No 1 at the time, and I selected it when my father pointed out that it was by a former member of the Beatles.

The track I do at sing-along
I frankly actively avoid public singing and dodge it at all costs. But if forced, I’d select Summer Wind by Ol' Blue Eyes.

The piece I inexplicably know all the words to
I recently realised that I have memorized pretty much the entire lyrical content to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and the entire album on Graceland by the legendary songwriter.

The ideal song to play at a soirƩe
It hinges on which phase of the event you are at. At the start it would probably be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by the soul legend. As the evening progresses, I’d work through the Artist, the Stones and David Bowie, and when it hits its peak, Phat Planet by Leftfield, Born Slippy .NUXX by Underworld, and Ascension by the virtual band, which is an absolute banger.

The number I can not hear
I strangely detest Mr Brightside by the Las Vegas band.

The ideal piece to make love to
Come Together by John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

The record that transformed me
When I was twelve and starting to learn the guitar, I’d only listen to 1950s rock ’n’roll, and was consumed by Elvis, the rock pioneer, the killer, the New Orleans legend, Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran. Then my childminder played Let There Be Rock by AC/DC. It was still guitar music, but it was high voltage rock ’n’roll. Instantly after he put the vinyl on the turntable, I was captivated.

The track that motivates me in the AM
What’d I Say parts 1 & 2 by Ray Charles.

The song that gets me emotional
Most music leaves me moved. Aretha Franklin, The Chairman of the Board, Elvis and the Beatles all make me cry because of the harmony and pure beauty of the vocals. But The Ocean by the Sheffield crooner gets me going every time.

The track I’d like performed at my funeral
Elvis. If I’m given a cremation, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m buried, I’ll have Way Down.

Brandon Fisher
Brandon Fisher

A seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in online casinos and betting strategies.