Desert Island Discs #8 – Mrs O’Callaghan
Childhood: Bernard Cribbens – “Right Said Fred”
It is very important that I give context to my childhood song choice, I also think it is important that you try not to judge me too harshly on this. As an only child growing up with a single parent I was very influenced by my mum, grandparents and my slightly odd uncle (he was and is obsessed with Country and Western music, although I must also admit to liking some C&W, probably thanks to his influence). So I predominantly grew up listening to the likes of Al Bowly, Patsy Cline, Flanagan & Allen and Al Jolson. I also loved Saturday afternoon TV growing up in the ‘80s – those old black and white movies, beautiful dancing and the costumes in musicals. How wonderful the world would be if we burst into song when in a rain storm or walking through heather on a hill. It’s a difficult decision to choose one song, I could go for a Doris Day song that I still love to sing along to and remember being curled up on the sofa watching the film with mum, or Louis Armstrong’s rendition of ‘Hello Dolly’ which I used to perform at any opportunity to a family audience. But thinking seriously it really was a close call between a Don Estelle and Windsor Davies number (I met Windsor Davies when I was 8 when out with my grandad), a Norman Wisdom number (met him when I was 14 and he reminds me of my grandad) and my final choice – a fun song that reminds me of all the Ealing comedies I watched on Saturday afternoons and Bank Holidays, and again my grandad with his silly antics, and occasional DIY mishap, oh and my grandads name was Fred.
School: The Cory Band – “Wake Up Boo!” (cover of The Boo Radleys)
Primary school in the 80s and secondary school in the 90s…I immediately recall the pink room in the music video of Paul Simons “You can call me Al” (a great song), the first single LP I bought was The Four Tops “Loco in Acapulco”, I recall dancing around the living room to “Perfect” by Fairground Attraction. Then came the teenage years and Brit Pop. I was firmly in the Oasis camp. Although now, looking back I can appreciate some of Blurs hits. Suede were ok, I liked some of their songs. What I really liked was the more fun stuff like Supergrass, Pulp, The Lightening Seeds and The Boo Radleys. So, my choice is a little out there…some might say sacrilegious to Brit Pop. I’ve chosen the cover because it’s fun, Brit Pop took itself too seriously. I still really like the original but in recalling the music of my youth the album Brit Pop Brass (incidentally one of the best albums I’ve bought in 2018) is fun – nothing more, nothing less. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHG1gcxZx1k
Original – for comparison:
University: A-Ha – “Take on Me”
I carefully coordinated my university timetable around working part-time in Homebase (6-10pm weekdays and various at weekends) and being able to take an afternoon nap (a very important hobby). But after work on a Friday night we headed out every week to a cheesy disco in New
Cross, London. What was so great about this venue was that it catered for most music tastes. I, of course, went straight to the middle floor for 60s-80s music, some friends would head to the cellar for 90s, others the ground floor for current pop and then a few to the top floor for indie/grunge. I had one request, always the same. It’s a great 80s track, you can dance to it and the video continues to be iconic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914
Teaching: Loreen – “Euphoria”
I must admit now to liking music that I can have on in the background while marking – not too intrusive, I can pause to sing along, almost easy listening. Post Malone’s “Better Now” or Nick Mulvey “Unconditional” are good examples (when marking I often play a song on a loop). But my song choice has to be something more significant than background music. I recall watching The Eurovision Song Contest as a child, but its since being in teaching I have really embraced it (although I don’t exactly know why). In fact, every single tutor group (as my Year 10s and 11s will soon discover) I have ever had, have been forced to listen to the song entries in the run up to the competition in May. I like 2018s winner “Toy” by Netta (Israel), there was the travesty that Sennek’s “A Matter of Time” (Belgium) didn’t qualify for the final last year despite sounding like a fantastic Bond theme song, and who can forget the inspiration that is Conchita Wurst with “Rise Like a Phoenix” (Austria) in 2014. But my choice is the song that inspired me the year after it won to go to Malmo, Sweden in 2013 to see Eurovision, because I wanted to see this song performed.
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