Actor, Trainspotter and star of The Legend Of Barney Thomson – on DVD and Blu-Ray now – reveals the songs why he loves The Eagles and The Chemical Brothers but hates Kenny Rogers’ ‘Lucille’.
The First Song I Remember Hearing
Engelbert Humperdinck – ‘The Last Waltz’
“I remember my dad wandering round the house singing this song when I was young. I used it in my film The Legend Of Barney Thomson because there’s a scene set at Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom, which is where my dad used to hang out.”
The First Album I Bought
The Eagles – ‘Hotel California’
“There’s a nice story behind this, actually. Years ago there was a Radio 1 DJ called David Hamilton and he used to do this competition called ‘Mystery Voice’. One day the answer was Peter Gabriel, and I remember thinking that not many people would know it, so I sent in my answer and – f**k me – I won the competition! The prize was a record token and I went straight to the shops and bought ‘Hotel California’. What a great album.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrfhf1Gv4Tw
The First Song I Fell In Love With
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – ‘Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)’
“This is the first single I ever went out and bought. I remember loving the guitar break in it and just thinking it was the most amazing song I’d ever heard at that point. It’s not a bad choice for a young boy, is it? But the second single I bought was ‘The Bump’ by Kenny, which is a truly terrible f***ing song, so I can’t pretend I knew everything about music straight away.”
The Song That Makes Me Want To Dance
Recommended
The Chemical Brothers – ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’
“For dancing I suppose I have to go back to ’90s stuff and this is one of the best dance records ever made. It’s always going to get everyone up on their feet – even people who don’t like to dance.”
The Song I Can’t Get Out My Head
Pharrell Williams – ‘Happy’
“I wish I could delete every single copy of this song; it drives me crazy. What the f**k does ‘room without a roof’ mean anyway? Fuck off.”
The Song I Can No Listen To
Kenny Rogers – ‘Lucille’
“When I was a teenager I got a night job stacking shelves in a supermarket and they’d play the same dozen songs over and over again. It was like a f***ing jail sentence, but this was the song that used to kill me the most. If I ever f***ing hear this song again, I think it might send me crazy. It’s a horrendous dirge of a song, man.”
The Song That Reminds Me Of My Home
Frankie Miller – ‘Caledonia’
“He’s a Scottish singer with a wonderful rock’n’roll voice: kind of a combination of Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart. This is a beautiful song about going home to Scotland and it gives me a lump in my throat every time I hear it.”
The Song I Want Played At My Funeral
Rod Stewart – Maggie May
“Do you want to make people cry or laugh, that’s the question? I actually played Nick Drake’s song ‘Which Will’ at my dad’s funeral and it f***ing killed me, man. So I don’t want anything like that. I suppose I’d go for ‘Maggie May’ because it’s one of my all-time favourite Rod songs. I love the life in the song: it’s got the ‘f**k you!’ attitude of a young man.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T5hYlUsQ0s
The Legend Of Barney Thomson is out on DVD