There’s nothing like a song to ignite a memory – especially of the romantic kind. Some of those memories can make us smile and go, ‘Ahhh’, some can make us grin and go, ‘Oohh’ and some can make us grimace and go, ‘Eeek!’
So here are the Romaniacs’ Ahhh, Oohh, Eeek songs and the stories behind them.
Would love to know what yours are …
Debbie – My first love was when I was 15 – Madness ‘It Must Be Love’. As an adult it has to be Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ for me … It was an ex and mine’s main tune and even now, I know it’s the case for both of us. However, on a lighter note, one of my more recent men – I’ll keep him anonymous but Celia knows about him 😉 dedicated One Direction’s ‘That’s What Makes You Beautiful’ and said it reminds him of me …
Madness : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmezIIrFQmY
Celia – I had the longest and probably the most spectacular kiss of my life to Andy Kim’s ‘Rock Me Gently’ at a school disco in the seventies – it still makes my knees go weak! My sad one is the one we had at my husband David’s funeral – he bought it for me for the message in it, and he wasn’t one for the romantic gesture usually – Nickel Creek, ‘When You Come Back Down’, and my upbeat one for now that’s for me and Ray is Mamas & Papas ‘It’s Getting Better’.
Andy Kim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ym3RlvVR9M
Vanessa – 1990. A small indie nightclub resembling a cave, with damp walls and flooded toilets. Me, an art student – hennaed hair, pierced nose, DM’s. My boyfriend had just confessed to having a long-term girlfriend back home before passing out in a corner. My favourite song at the time – the ever romantic Sheriff Fatman by Carter USM – came on and a boy from my art college wandered over and shouted over the music in my ear,
‘You shouldn’t be with that idiot – you should be with me.’
I looked at the idiot passed out in the corner with the girlfriend back home and back at the boy from the college with bright blue eyes and gorgeous smile. He was right. When he leaned in for a kiss, I kissed him back and we walked away together. Ten years later I married him.
Carter USM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JZSFW6oM58
Catherine – My song is ‘Save The Last Dance’ by The Drifters. We chose it as our first dance when we got married! It’s all because of the phrase ‘I love you oh so much.’ In my accent (Thanet/East London/Southampton) my OH thought I said, ‘I love you all so much!’ So now we always say this and in the song, it sounds like they’re singing my version!
The Drifters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpCr4JTDiOs
Jan – My song would be ‘You’re The Best Thing’ by The Style Council, for three reasons. 1) It happened to be the song Mr B and I danced to at a mutual friend’s birthday party, having not seen each other since we were teenagers. 2) Unbeknown to me at the time, Mr B was, and still is, a HUGE fan of all things Paul Weller, as am I, having now been converted. 3) We danced to this song at our wedding – an immense relief to me, given that a cheeky Mr B, complete with deadpan expression, had been winding me up that he had secretly requested Chas n Dave’s ‘Gertcha’.
The Style Council http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HMAVU1k7kg
Lucie – My song is Adele ‘Make You Feel My Love’ – that was the first dance for me and my husband on our wedding day. Another song I love is Luther Vandross, ‘Never too Much’ – again this makes me think of my lovely husband.
Adele http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0put0_a–Ng
Laura – Mine and Gajitman’s is ‘Love Is All Around’, Wet, Wet, Wet – it’s strange because I’m not the biggest fan of the song and it had already had its time in the charts when we latched onto it, but there was something about it that appealed to us. Partly, it was down to Garry’s humour – in the song, (at 3:03) Marty sings ‘Hey!’, but Garry, not known for his natural singing voice, replaced this with what I can only describe as a grunt. It was one of those ‘you had to be there moments’, but it made me laugh and that will be how I forever hear the song. We had it as our first dance at our wedding bash, grunt et al. Now, if that’s not romantic …
Wet, Wet, Wet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP0JpmquU0A
I’ve just watched it and confess, I had a little smile and a tiny tear of happiness.
When I was 21, I went to a fancy-dress party with my then boyfriend. The theme was The London Underground. I went as Russell Square (I had lots of rustling sweet wrappers stuck to a large square piece of card) and my chap went as Cockfosters, in costume, carrying a can of that Australian amber nectar. When Simply Red’s ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’ came on, he couldn’t get out of his chicken suit fast enough. He hopped around for a while, one leg in and one leg out of his chicken suit. I think we managed to dance to the last half of the song.
Simply Red http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTcu7MCtuTs
Sue – I’m going back to my teens and discos, dancing with a lad named Leslie who looked like Midge Ure from Ultravox and although I don’t think it was Vienna we danced to, it is this song that reminds me of him, his long green parker, sta press trousers and scooter.
The Romaniacs 
Ooooh, I love all these choices. My first ever romantic dance occurred at a party with school friends age… 12? 13? Can’t quite remember. Anyway, I wasn’t really into music then but this song came on and captivated me. And then this boy whom I’d had a crush on asked me to dance with him! I was fairly sure that he’d been put up to it for a laugh by his mates, but I didn’t care. The next day, I was off to the record shop to get the song… it turned out to be Russians by Sting! OH and I don’t really have a special special song as that, but out first dance was “Blood and gasoline” by FM. Sounds gory, but the lyrics are actually beautiful: “When I hold you in my arms, it’s the best I’ve ever been…” Great post ladies!
Hi Nicky
There’s something about school discos and first dances that stick in the mind.
I’m off to check out the oh so romantic sounding song ‘Blood & Gasolie’ – it’s the lyrics that often win me over.
Sue
x
This post certainly had a resonance for me today because I learned that Scott Mckenzie had died. For the youngsters out there, he’s the guy who sang IF YOU’RE GOING TO SAN FRANSICO -be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. I only have to hear the opening cords and I’m transported back to the Summer of Love which even made it as far as Leicester. My friend Gill and me wove garlands of clematis and roses and went into town wearing them in our hair, carrying the bells we’d knicked from her budgie’s cage. We thought we were quite cool and almost imagined that Leicester’s clock tower was the corner of Haight/Ashbury where all the hippies hung out. Then the bus driveer wouldn’t let us back on the bus because we were covered in greenfly. Story of my life, really. Sigh. RIP, Scott – you defined a generation. Lizzie Lamb
I remember that song Lizzie. I grew up on a whole load of 45″ vinyls that my mum had collected over the years and I remember the San Franscio song, it had an orange label. I used to play it often.
I love the mental image of clematis and bells pinched form the budgie!
Sue
x
wowoh oh owo oh, I don’t want to go to the party with you, I just wanna go to the dance.Turns both our hearts over. 🙂 After 47 years. Old romantics we are. And Uptown girl, as it reminds us of when our kids were 16 and 17 ish. And lots more.
Music is brilliant for bringing back/creating memories isn’t it.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sue
x
Oooh, I love this! Music and memory… Ultravox’s Vienna takes me back to college days, and I named my eldest daughter after the song. Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars..just beautiful, and my husband and I had our first dance to it – of course, now he’s left I want to set fire to the band’s entire oeuvre… The Stranglers No More Heroes – dancing with a lovely boy who subsequently dumped me for another lovely boy…Bill Withers Lovely Day, setting sail to nanny in France, with a streaming cold… Isn’t it funny how you only have to hear the opening chords and it’s like you’re back there!
Hi Jane
Music is great isn’t it – I think I could ramble on for ages about what songs bring back certain memories – some good some bad. Earlier in the month I went to Hyde Park to watch the Olympics and because Feeder were playing, I am a BIG fan of them. However, the song that reminds me of that sunny afternoon is Temper Trap’s ‘Sweet Disposition’ not a Feeder one at all.
Sue
x
Great post ladies – so many memories. Also loved Ultravox although my musical memories go back way earler (!) and so many to choose from! When I first got together with Mr B Carly Simon was all the rage and I still love all of hers esp No Secrets. Another one that brings back a bit of a frisson – called Afternoon Delight – came out around the time we were newly weds – say no more! Ali B
Ah, ah, afternoon delight. I know the one 😉 Thanks for dropping by Ali.
Laura.