The first song I remember hearing
Little Jimmy Osmond – ‘Long Haired Lover From Liverpool’
“It’s embarrassing in some ways but I was only six years old – I wasn’t quite a punk yet. He was probably the same age as me, or a bit older. I would still stand by that record as being a catchy ditty.”
The first album I bought
Sex Pistols – ‘The Great Rock ’N’ Roll Swindle’
“We would go on a family holiday, usually to Prestatyn in Wales, and my dad would give me some pocket money which I didn’t spend any of. I just lived off them for the whole two weeks, knowing that there was this record that I really wanted that was six quid, and it was in a record shop in Northwich [in Cheshire, where Burgess grew up]. The moment we got back, I jumped on my bike and rode there [to buy it] and it’s served me really well. I was about 11. It’s still the best record by the Pistols. It means more to me than any of the others.”
The first gig I went to
Crass, Winsford Scout Hut, 1980
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“I was 13 years old. By the time I was in secondary school, this kid walked up to me and said: ‘Sex Pistols, The Clash – they’re not important anymore. This is who you should be listening to…’ And he handed me ‘Reality Asylum’ by [anarcho-punk band] Crass which I took home and played on my record player and my mum and dad were completely flippin’ horrified… I went to Winsford, about four miles away, and Crass played at this scout hut… Afterwards, I had no problem walking up to the band. They were all packing away and Joy De Vivre and probably Gee Vaucher were drinking soup and they offered me some. They’d give away all the banners and stuff like that – and the girls [in the band] were offering soup to this community that had come to see them. It was an experience of wonder and an easy walk home.”
The record that reminds me of home
New Order – ‘Power, Corruption & Lies’
“The gift that keeps on giving. I didn’t have many records when I was a kid really but this was a real treasure. I would play side one, turn it over, play side two, turn it over again – and I just did that for about six months. Still, to this day, it’s the longest time I’ve ever had a record on my record player with nothing else in-between.”
The song I wish I’d written
Joy Division – ‘Atmosphere’
“Or ‘Mother Nature’ by MGMT, which is just something that’s [recently] come out that I really love. They’re just songs that I love. I have the opportunity to write stuff that I think could be the best song ever, so I don’t wish that I’d written other stuff. But they’re beautiful songs.”
The song I do at karaoke
Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel – ‘White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)’
“It’s such a great song to dance to. I certainly have some affection for the subject matter. But it’s really good to practice my rhyming and my hip-hop technique. It’s still slow. I tried it with [1997 Charlatans track] ‘How High’ but I think I need a smoother thing these days.”
The song I can’t get out of my head
Weyes Blood – ‘Everyday’
“It’s such a catchy one from [her 2019 album] ‘Titanic Rising’. I love the line: ‘True love is making a comeback’. I just think it’s fantastic. If you get a chance to watch the new video, it’s like watching Friday The 13th and the juxtaposition of that video with this really pretty song makes me happy.”
The song that makes me cry
Anything by Françoise Hardy
“There’s something incredible about her voice, something that is beyond language because I don’t really understand exactly what she’s saying – it’s often in French. But there’s a mood to it and chord arrangements that can really melt you. It can be any song, any of them can break you.”
The song that makes me want to dance
Dexys Midnight Runners – ‘Come On Eileen’
“I can play very serious DJ sets and then throw in that and everyone loses it. It’s beyond cool. It’s an incredible song and an incredibly played song. The first time I ever heard I didn’t know who it was and I danced my arse off. It was at some rugby club in Northwich. Everybody was dancing as if it was number one already. I did a set with [Dexys member] Helen O’Hara a couple of weeks ago at The Laugharne Weekend festival a couple of weeks ago and it’s amazing to be playing a set with someone who starts that very song and is a huge part of that sound. It goes really well after ‘Blue Monday’, bizarrely.”
The song I want played at my funeral
David Bowie – ‘Where Are We Now?’
“I want people to really cry. It’s the only thing I can think that would have that depth. [Charlatans guitarist] Mark Collins always wanted something Laurel and Hardy-esque, he likes the idea of something comedy, which I think is kinda fun. But ‘Where Are We Now?’ is weighty and I’m feeling like I need a bit of that at my funeral. I should definitely write my guest list out in a few years.”
‘Tim’s Listening Party’, the first official compilation album celebrating Tim Burgess’ legendary Listening Parties, is out now via Demon Music