John Simm's Honest Playlist: From Early Favorites to Peculiar Aversions
The first track I fell in love with
My earliest recollection is walking into a space at preschool where they were playing Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. I was enthralled by the audio textures, and John Lennon shouting: āFull speed ahead!ā When it got to the refrain, I recall believing: āThis must be music!ā
The first single I purchased
When I was eight, I won a competition at school to pick a brand new vinyl to play at the mini disco we had on Friday afternoons. My instructor took me to Woolworths, and I opted for Come Back My Love by the group Darts. The first single I bought with my own pocket money was Mull of Kintyre by Wings from a record shop in Lancashire. It was No 1 at the time, and I chose it when my father mentioned that it was by one of the Beatles.
The track I sing at sing-along
I candidly actively avoid public singing and avoid it at all costs. But if forced, Iād choose Summer Wind by Ol' Blue Eyes.
The piece I oddly recite all the words to
I just realised that I know almost every word to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and each track on Graceland by Paul Simon.
The ideal track to blast at a party
It hinges on which phase of the evening you are at. For the beginning it would probably be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye. As the night wears on, Iād work through the Artist, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, and when it hits its peak, Phat Planet by the electronic act, Born Slippy .NUXX by the techno pioneers, and Ascension by Gorillaz, which is an undeniable hit.
The song I can not hear
I strangely detest Mr Brightside by the Las Vegas band.
The ideal track to have sex to
Come Together by John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
The record that transformed me
When I was 12 and starting to study the guitar, Iād only listen to classic rock ānāroll, and was consumed by Elvis, Chuck Berry, the killer, Fats Domino, the glasses-wearing icon and the rockabilly star. Then my babysitter played Let There Be Rock by AC/DC. It was still guitar music, but it was powerful rock ānāroll. As soon as he placed the vinyl on the record player, I was a fan for life.
The tune that motivates me in the AM
Whatād I Say parts 1 & 2 by Ray Charles.
The track that brings me to tears
Most music makes me emotional. Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Presley and the Beatles all bring a tear to my eye because of the tune and utter beauty of the vocals. But The Ocean by Richard Hawley strikes a chord without fail.
The song Iād like played at my final send-off
The King. If Iām cremated, Iāll have Burning Love. If Iām laid to rest in the ground, Iāll have Way Down.