Norman Jay's Valentine's Day tunes
Timeless love songs from Norman's record collection
Photographer:Anna Hyams
Stuck for musical inspiration for Valentine’s Day? Still reeling from last year when you dared to bring that Buble
CD into the house? Don’t despair – ahead of his appearance at Winter Sessions 2012 next month,
we asked pioneering DJ Norman Jay (MBE, no less) to rifle through his vast record collection, and talk us
through his favourite love songs of all time. Give these a listen and even those novelty socks/wilting flowers you bought
from the petrol station will be forgiven:
The Night I Fell In Love - Luther Vandross
I love the Luther Vandross tune 'The Night I Fell In Love' - have a quick listen and you’ll understand
why!
100 Ways - Quincy Jones
It’s a song I’ve always loved. It’s the
lyrical content and the sentiment behind it. Unlike a lot of DJs, I’ve never been frightened of playing love songs.
In clubs you don’t hear them. You can have all the technology you want but when it all boils down to it, the biggest
and most endearing songs in the world are always about relationships.
She’s Always A Woman - Billy Joel
I have a huge collection of love songs
and ballads – I love Billy Joel’s 'She’s Always A Woman'. It’s a simple one, and there are
some great other versions of that.
Just The Way You Are - Barry White
I’ve liked all his stuff. It’s
classic soul with a lot of meaning. You can’t go wrong!
The Man I Love - Etta James
In tribute to her, there’s a version of
'The Man I Love' by the late, great Etta James that is absolutely amazing. Not the early fifties version, the late
seventies version. I love both, but the fifties version might be a bit 'old' for some of the people likely to check it out,
and this one’s got the emotion.
These songs are timeless, it doesn’t matter what arrangement you put on them, even a crap artist can’t do
them an injustice. You can strangle them or murder them, but the quality of the song shines through. Normally even if people
are trying to put their own spin on them, they still end up making a creditable version. The song itself is the most important
part.
Handbags And Gladrags - Chris Farlowe
I really like Chris Farlowe’s
version of ‘Handbags And Gladrags’. It’s slightly bitter and melancholy, and maybe we should keep
it cheerful, but not everyone has perfect relationships!
And I Love Him - Esther Phillips
Another great one is Esther Phillips’
version of ‘And I Love Him’, the Beatles song. Lennon and McCartney wrote amazing love songs, but it’s
the way she sings it and delivers the lyrics. It’s a very sixties song! I’m not a huge fan of The Beatles per
se, but I am a fan of the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership. It just shows that a great song can be interpreted by
lots of different kinds of artists.
Tainted Love - Gloria Jones
Whether it’s boy meets girl or boy
meets boy, the sentiment is what’s important. I’m a big fan of ‘Tainted Love’. The
Soft Cell cover is a good version, but you need to hear the original Gloria Jones version, it’s an upbeat one for feisty
women, telling him where to go!
Oh Girl - The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites have done some superb love songs like ’Have
You Seen Her?’, but I think ‘Oh Girl’ is the one for me – it’s a slow, haunting
ballad. I could give you a whole album’s worth of songs I love like that – just very deep, moving descriptions
of unrequited love and love lost. Tunes you can kick back to with a glass of wine, if you’re that way inclined!
When I’m in the mood and I dig out those tunes and they’ll sound great. The first step for me is always a Chi-Lites
song. Ok they’re quite sad, and blokes don’t always get the depth and meaning to those songs, but girls
do, trust me!
Norman Jay MBE plays Winter Sessions Festival
2012 from 30 - 31 March 2012.
He will be joined by Zero 7 (DJ set),
Trojan Sound System, MR Thing, DK (ninja tunes) and Soundcrash
DJs at the festival in the French alps.
Click here for more
information.
Related Artists
Related Events
Related Articles
Hide Search Results
