The first song I fell in love with
The Beatles – ‘Eleanor Rigby’
“Mum had a really, really good vinyl collection and the crazy woman let me just rifle through it and scratch it to bits. When I heard ‘Eleanor Rigby’, it was the first time I listened to a song and it just kind of made my imagination run wild. The lyric is so sad and I used to think ‘Who is she?’”
The first concert I went to
Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons
“This is such a random one. We were on holiday in Canada and it was Frankie Valli was playing in a theme park, so we ended up going. I was maybe 10 and wasn’t aware of him before that.”
The band I can no longer listen to
ABBA
“Weirdly, I have an inversion to ABBA. I shouldn’t even admit it. If I’m at at wedding and an ABBA song comes on I have to leave. I don’t know why. Maybe there’s something that happened that I’ve blocked out.”
The song I do at karaoke
Neneh Cherry – ‘Buffalo Stance’
“I’ve always fancied myself as more of an urban artist. I totally cannot do it, but you know, in the safety of the drunken haze…”
The song I wish I’d written
Sia – ‘Breathe Me’
“I recently was on Jools Holland’s Radio 2 show and I did it with him and a few other guys from his band. It’s so beautiful lyrically. It’s about being broken and being small. She is such a great lyricist. Most of her songs I wish I had written.”
The song I want played at my funeral
Spice Girls – ‘Spice Up Your Life’
“The song that springs to mind that always fills me with sadness, if I really want to pull on the heartstrings is ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ by Queen. But I think I’ll probably go for ‘Spice Up Your Life’ so everyone can have a little jiggle.”
The song that reminds me of joining Spice Girls
The Pointer Sisters – ‘I’m So Excited’
“It’s what I sang in my audition. I was trying out for West End shows and I got this flyer for a girl band and it was just another audition to me. But I rocked up and said to my friend, ‘That’s it, that is what I’m going to do’ – and I did.”
Melanie C’s new solo album ‘Version Of Me’ is out now.