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The earliest tune I was captivated by
My first memory is entering a room at kindergarten where they were playing Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. I was enthralled by the sonic landscape, and John Lennon shouting: “Full speed ahead!” When it reached the chorus, I recall believing: “This must be music!”

The inaugural 45 I acquired
When I was eight years old, I won a competition at school to pick a new vinyl to play at the small dance we had on Fridays. My instructor took me to Woolworths, and I picked out Come Back My Love by the group Darts. The first single I purchased with my own allowance was Mull of Kintyre by Wings from a record shop in Colne. It was number one at the time, and I chose it when my father noted that it was by one of the Beatles.

The track I perform at sing-along
I candidly cannot stand public singing and steer clear at all costs. But if I had to, I’d go with Summer Wind by Ol' Blue Eyes.

The song I inexplicably recite every lyric to
I not long ago discovered that I have memorized virtually every word to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and the entire album on Graceland by Paul Simon.

The best song to blast at a gathering
It relies on the point of the event you are at. Early doors it would most likely be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by the soul legend. As the night wears on, I’d work through the Artist, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, and when it hits its peak, Phat Planet by Leftfield, Born Slippy .NUXX by Underworld, and Ascension by the virtual band, which is an undeniable hit.

The song I can no longer listen to
I for some reason loathe Mr Brightside by the Las Vegas band.

The best song to get intimate to
Come Together by the Beatles.

The record that transformed me
When I was 12 and starting to study the six-string, I’d only listen to early rock ’n’roll, and was fixated on The King, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, the New Orleans legend, the glasses-wearing icon and the rockabilly star. Then my babysitter introduced me to Let There Be Rock by the Australian rockers. It was still rock’n’roll, but it was powerful rock ’n’roll. As soon as he dropped the vinyl on the record player, I was a fan for life.

The track that gets me up in the morning
What’d I Say parts 1 & 2 by Ray Charles.

The track that makes me cry
Most music leaves me touched. Aretha Franklin, The Chairman of the Board, Elvis and the Fab Four all stir my emotions because of the harmony and utter beauty of the voices. But The Ocean by Richard Hawley strikes a chord every time.

The track I’d like played at my final send-off
The King. If I’m given a cremation, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m laid to rest in the ground, I’ll have Way Down.