Jeremy Vine, the presenter and journalist, has shared an honest playlist, revealing the songs that have defined his life, from teenage heartbreak to the track he wants played at his funeral.
Early Musical Memories
Vine's first musical love was tied to an unrequited school romance. He recalls, "I loved a fellow sixth-former, Sarah, at school. It was unrequited. She kissed me once at the end-of-term party. I came home at 5am and played Love My Way by the Psychedelic Furs 18 times in my bedroom as the sun came up and my adult life began."
His karaoke choice has had mixed results. "I once cleared a bar in the US by singing Losing My Religion by REM," he admits, adding that he is looking for another chance to perform it, though he considers Stan by Eminem a better fit for his vocal range.
Hidden Guilty Pleasures
Vine confesses to a secret love for a cheesy 70s ballad. "Mandy by Barry Manilow is soppy, melodramatic, silly, and I absolutely love it," he says, noting that the key change towards the end is "a car crash," but he doesn't care.
He also reveals an inexplicable knowledge of every lyric to Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town by Kenny Rogers, praising its vivid imagery and the story of a Vietnam war veteran.
Songs That Define Him
A David Bowie track marked a turning point. "I first heard Sound and Vision by David Bowie when I was 12," Vine recalls. "I thought it was so weird and brilliant that he doesn't even start singing until halfway through."
Diamonds & Rust by Joan Baez brings him to tears, while Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell, which he has played thousands of times, has become hard to listen to because its message resonates too closely with human behaviour.
For his funeral, Vine has chosen Heaven Is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle, though he jokes, "She would have to sing it live for my friends and family. And tone it down a bit. Perhaps I'll try to book her."
Vine appears at BBC Radio 2 in the Park at City Park, Stirling, on 11 and 13 September.
