Desert Island Discs: Mr Clare

Music has a unique way of connecting us from different moments in our lives and can instantly bring back memories from years gone by. Back by popular demand, the desert island discs feature from staff returns to uncover their stories behind the music. To begin, Mr Clare takes us through his selection of tracks that have been important at several stages of his life and explains why they hold the upmost significance to him.

Early Childhood – We go back to the 1990s with You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman, the iconic song from Toy Story. It’s one of the first films I remember watching on VHS, and my sister and I loved it so much we played the tape to death… literally. We ended up needing a replacement because we’d worn it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRBIMTK73wY&list=RDgRBIMTK73wY&start_radio=1

Teenage Years – There are so many bangers to choose from, it’s almost impossible to pick just one. But I do remember being 17 when Gangnam Style by Psy became the most watched video on YouTube at the time, a cultural moment you couldn’t escape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_iujvUAzQ&list=RDSW_iujvUAzQ&start_radio=1

University – Thinking back to my Nottingham days, a night out at Ocean was never complete without Mr Brightside by The Killers. As soon as it came on, that was my cue. It was time to call it a night and grab a McDonald’s on the way home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE&list=RDgGdGFtwCNBE&start_radio=1

Teaching Career – A deep dive into old Spotify Wrapped playlists was needed here! As a newly qualified teacher, I often had Little Mix on in the background while planning lessons, especially Reggaetón Lento. For those who remember, they shot to fame after winning The X Factor in 2011.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UONnRMuuDps&list=RDUONnRMuuDps&start_radio=1

Present Day – As tempting as it would have been to pick Down by Jay Sean, especially if Spurs had gone down this year, (thanks to West Ham they didn’t), I’ve recently been enjoying Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s firmly on repeat whenever I head out for a run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuFI5KSPAt4&list=RDyuFI5KSPAt4&start_radio=1