In partnership with Searchlight Pictures
The first song I remember hearing
‘The Bare Necessities’ from The Jungle Book
“I saw The Jungle Book with my grandmother and I was given the album of the movie. This was my favourite song. But I loved all those songs, from when Mowgli meets Baloo to ‘I Want To Be Like You’ with Louis Prima. That whole sequence is incredible.”
The first album I bought
Boston – ‘Boston’
“I was 13 years old. I loved the big guitar sound, the huge production. It just seemed like it was going to make my little boom box explode – it wasn’t really about the songs. The best song is ‘More Than A Feeling’, obviously. The album immediately goes downhill after that.”
The song I wish I’d written
Randy Newman – ‘Texas Girl At The Funeral Of Her Father’
“It’s just a beautiful and moving song. In all honesty, I never really listen to a song and wish I’d written it. I’m not envious of people writing great songs. I’m incredibly astounded by songwriters like Randy Newman, Springsteen or Bob Dylan. Writing songs is not what I do and I’m in awe, but not jealous.”
The first gig I went to
Bruce Springsteen in 1980
“It was a few days after John Lennon died, I remember that. I could only afford nosebleed seats but I was so thrilled to be seeing Springsteen, who was a hero of mine. Still is. Honestly, the music sounded like shit from where I was in the rafters, but just seeing him in real life, existing, standing there on the edge of the stage, it was thrilling. Springsteen is a touchstone for me. There’s incredible economy of storytelling in his songwriting.”
The song that makes me want to dance
Graham Parker – ‘You Hit The Spot’
“I don’t know if it makes me dance, but if this comes on, if I’m in my car or wherever, it makes me bop. It’s kind of a reggae track and almost kind of aggressive.”
The song I can’t get out of my head
R.E.M. – ‘It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’
“I don’t know why this has been going round my head. It’s just a dazzling display of dexterity – lyrically, sonically, every which way. R.E.M. are one of the great bands. I’ve been having a real R.E.M. moment lately.”
The song I do at karaoke
Johnny Cash – ‘A Boy Named Sue’
“I’m a baritone. Most songs I couldn’t possibly sing. They’re much too high. I have to take them way, way down until I’m singing them low and sort of weird. But anything by Johnny Cash – ‘A Boy Named Sue’, ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ – that’s in my range.”
The song I’d like played at my funeral
Glen Campbell – ‘Wichita Lineman’
“I love ‘Wichita Lineman’. The theme of it. The guy who won’t quit. The guy who is just out doing his job. Jimmy Webb wrote it, but the Glen Campbell version, which has this amazing string arrangement underneath it, is just unbeatable. It’s sweet and noble and romantic. I think it would be just fine for me to go out on that song. I’d like to be in my casket hearing that.”