Hi I'm Rod Argent.
I'm Colin Blunstone and we're from The Zombies.
The guy that absolutely blew my mind and
turned my head around and turned me on to rock and roll
was Elvis, when I heard him sing 'Hound Dog' in 1956.
Because I only liked classical music up to that time, then suddenly Elvis...
This record that I've chosen, there were many I could have chosen actually
because I think for the first three years of his life his voice was transcendent.
It still gives me shivers actually, when I hear those first three years.
He thought he sounded like a chicken later on. He said 'I sound like a chicken on those early records.'
But man, it was this really
wonderful, high, cutting voice that was totally natural.
He never over-sang, but it had all the energy and soul in the world.
At that time it was so revolutionary.
Well I chose a Jacqueline Du Pre album I'm not familiar with this. She's playing Brahms.
She was a magnetic personality, a wonderful performer.
It's Jacqueline Du Pre & Daniel Barenboim playing Brahms.
Did you know Jacqueline Du Pre was married to Barenboim?
I did indeed, yes.
Of course it was, you know, a very strange relationship at times, because she became very ill very young
and it is a wonderful and a tragic story.
One of my other heroes from an earlier age was Duke Ellington.
This album with Duke Ellington and John Coltrane playing together
is fabulous. It includes a wonderful version of 'In A Sentimental Mood'
if my memory serves me correctly, because it hasn't got the titles on the front here.
Y'know, two real masters, and John Coltrane has the huge st respect for Ellington.
And I seem to remember that Ellington plays with Coltrane's style in mind
which is very interesting, because when Duke used to form his orchestras
he always wrote for specific people, right from the early days.
Right from when he was in the Washingtonians, and they were
a group of school friends, almost, together in the way that we started.
Fantastic stuff, so that's Duke Ellington.
This was the first time I ever heard the Miles Davis band, around... I think it's around 1958.
But anyway it's the one with Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones.
This knocked my socks off as well.
I could only afford... I didn't have the album. I bought an EP.
In fact, the first album I ever bought, very soon after that
which I had to save up for for weeks was the 'Miles Ahead'
the thing that Miles did with Gil Evans, the big band
which, again, is a fabulous album. Very different to the small band but still absolutely wonderful.
And so, y'know, that was pretty seminal in my life as well.
Ok I'm going to go on to this Sting album.
In particular, there's a track on here called 'Fragile' which is my favorite all-time song.
It seems to really, I don't know, sort of explain life to me
and it's a beautiful song
and I'd recommend anyone to have a listen to that.
And also there's a great live version by Stevie Wonder.
Yes, it was a birthday celebration for Sting
and he brought on some wonderful artists in this live concert
and Stevie Wonder came on and sang this song 'Fragile.'
I've got very fond memories of Stevie Wonder's records. This is 'Songs in the Key of Life.'
I was on Rocket Records for a time in the mid-70s and
Elton suggested I come to Los Angeles and record an album.
And I used to listen to this CD, and there's a particular track called 'Sir Duke' on this
which has an instrumental break in the middle.
and while I was driving I hastened on the wrong side of the road
I would be trying to sing this break. And I know people that can sing it perfectly
but I've never got through.... whatever. I never got to the end of it.
And I just thought, I mean Stevie Wonder is just a master.
He is one of my all-time favorite vocalists and writers
and I thought that this would bring back a lot of memories.
I found an album which I haven't got, and again it's on vinyl
which is Ray Charles at Newport.
He does 'The Right Time,' which is what he did on 'Ray Charles In Person'
with Margie Hendrix singing.
Always a little bit sharp when she sang, but nevertheless sounded great anyway.
Whatever he did, he had so much soul in his playing, in his piano playing.
Some of these great soul singers were wonderful instrumentalists as well.
People never talk about Aretha's piano playing, but it's brilliant and it's so soulful.
When we first came to the States, Christmas 1964.
8 o'clock in the morning.
8 o'clock in the morning on Christmas Day.
We played at Murray the Kay's show at the Brooklyn Fox
and Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells were on the show
and in fact, they were absolutely breathtakingly wonderful, and we had to follow them.
So it was kind of good news/bad news. They were fantastic.
And then these little 18 year old boys from London had to come on and follow her
and she was just sensational. It was a great camaraderie backstage
at the Brooklyn Fox because we were doing five and six shows a day.
So you got to know people pretty well. So, 'The Essential Patti LaBelle.'
She was pretty much a practical joker as well. Do you remember that time when she pretended to have a fit?
And was foaming at the mouth on the floor
Yes, and we all fell for it.
We all fell for it and we were racing out, trying to get her medical attention.
Then she got up and started laughing.
I'm very hot on music that gives me tingles up the back of my spine, actually.
Y'know, whether it's Elvis, whether it's Aretha
or or whether it was on the bus on the Dick Clark tour in 1965 when we used to travel overnight.
About three o'clock in the morning someone would just sing a note
and then they'd build up a chord and they'd sing
some really, really old spirituals from their childhood.
And that used to make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
Another thing was on this Michael Tippett 'A Child Of Our Time.'
Wonderful piece of music. Michael Tippet used spirituals
and he's one of those rare classical composers that didn't make
the orchestration and arranging of spirituals sung by classical people sound embarrassing.
It's absolutely wonderful.
The first thing I ever heard of Stravinsky's, really, was 'Petrouchka' and 'The Rite of Spring' and 'The Firebird.'
And I know that they are the most popular things, but his mastery of orchestration
was just unbelievable, and it came from nowhere.
Because I've heard one or two things he did before that that were very ho-hum
and then suddenly this wonderful talent.
And then, of course, The Rite of Spring everyone knows was hugely revolutionary.
You know, it started riots in Paris when it was first performed.
I'm not very good at keeping up on current bands but
my daughter is very into music.
And this is one of the bands she wants me to check out, London Grammar.
Oh they're cool, I've heard them.
Yeah they're really... I can only go by what I've been told
and as I said, I have to put in a full report when I get home so
I'll be listening to that very closely.
And this last one is just a little... it's a memento really.
Rod and I have just played with this great band, Hollis Brown
who opened for us on our last tour.
They're really lovely guys and a fantastic band.
So when I saw it out there, I thought, this would be somethi ng
just a memento of our last tour in America, where we played a lot of concerts with Hollis Brown.
They're a great band. I really recommend them.
Ok, well thank you.
Yeah, thanks.