Tracks Of My Years – Little Pandas Photography
This week’s Tracks of My Years comes from the lovely Kelly who blogs over at Little Pandas Photography. Kelly and I have known each other for 9 and a bit years but we’ve never met – she lives way, way down south and I live way up north. We met online in the Bounty forums when we were both expecting baby’s in November 2007 and we’ve been friends ever since. She is a really lovely and genuine person, who is always happy to help anyone and she takes amazing photographs.
I’ve actually loved doing this! It was so much fun 🙂
Dean Martin – That’s Amore
My Dad is a huge Dean Martin fan. Growing up he listened to him and Doris Day all the time. He had one cassette tape that he loved to play in the car, and when this song came on he would sing along. My sister and I would cringe! But now, I look back on it in fondness and I actually quite like the song.
Bobby Vinton – Take Good Care of My Baby
When I was little, my Mum had a big silver radio cassette player. I once pulled it down on my head and split my scalp open trying to plug it in for her. One of the songs she used to play was this one, and it was my favourite song when I was little. Maybe because I was her “baby”, the youngest of 5, so I thought it was “my” song 🙂
The Bangles – Manic Monday
When I was in primary school we had a talent contest. It was a big deal to us kids, we all planned our acts with our friends and thought we were great. I sang a duet of this song with one of my best friends. I say sang, she sang, I did the “oh ohhhhhh” bits as the “backing singer”. Looking back, it is probably the single most cringe-worthy moment in my life. Needless to say, we didn’t win lol.
Malandra Burrows – Just This Side of Love
Near the end of my primary school years my sister and I each got a midi stacker stereo for Christmas. They were identical, red and shiny with a record player, radio and twin cassette slots. We thought we were so cool! So with my Christmas money I went to Woolworths with my Mum to buy my very first record. This is what I chose. To this day I don’t really know why. Swayed by the fact that she was that famous bird out of Emmerdale Farm I think. I think I still have it somewhere.
Take That – Everything Changes
My teenage years were dominated by one group. Take That. Robbie was God. I could have chosen any TT song here to be honest. But as Robbie was my favourite (we were meant to be you see, because he comes from Stoke and my Auntie lives in Stoke, at least to my teenage self haha) I chose one he had Lead vocals on.
Mr Big – To Be With You
Such an anthem to teenage summer days, laying in my mate Abby’s garden sunbathing, and listen to the Top 40 recorded off the radio. Those days when the most we had to worry about were boys and school. I miss those days!
Bon Jovi – Bed of Roses
My first love. We were 14, it was all very innocent. My friend had a murder mystery party and he was playing this song. We didn’t last very long. But my love affair with Jon and the gang was just beginning. This was the moment I fell in love with my all time favourite band.
Inner circle – Sweat
When I was almost 15 my (10 years older) sister made me an auntie, twice over! It was the first time I remember being around a pregnant lady, and she obviously got huge very quickly having two in there. It fascinated me when they moved. This song was their favourite, every time she played it they would dance around in her tummy, and she would get lumps and bumps sticking out all over the place. It still makes me smile and think of my nieces whenever I hear it.
Chaka Demus and Pliers – Tease Me
Army cadets annual camp 1993. this song was HUGE. It was on the jukebox every time I walked into the Naafi. Everyone was singing it. It became the camp theme song. Memories of an awesome two weeks filled with thrills, spills, sweat and tears flood back whenever I hear it.
Ricky Valance – Tell Laura I Love Her
An unlikely song to remind me of another fantastic cadet camp. The jukebox was old, people competed every night to see who could play the most random song. But for some reason this one stuck. By the end of the week, everyone was singing it. One way to get kids into old music! My best friend found the record somewhere after camp and gave it to me. It was a long time before I stopped playing it.
Alanis Morrisette – Ironic
At 17 I started going out clubbing with a friend I worked with. She had her own flat, and I would stay there as the taxi home cost too much. Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged little pill album was our go-to album when we got home from the club. Every song is iconic. But this was our favourite.
Richie Sambora – All That Really Matters
When I was 19 I, very unexpectedly, became a mother for the first time. My world was turned upside down. The only this I knew was that I loved this little person with all my heart. I would hold her tight and sing this song to her to soothe her when she was crying. Often I’d cry along with her. I still tear up when I hear it, it’s still “her” song to me.
Diana Ross and the Supremes – Baby Love
When my eldest was a toddler I used to play this song in the car a lot. I’d sing it to her because she was my baby. She still remembers it now (she’s 18). Those days of being a single Mum, us against the world, were such hard work. But she remembers them with love, so I must have done something right.
Britney Spears – Everytime
In 2003 I met my now-husband. This was the first (and almost only) song we slow danced to. We had an instrumental version playing when we signed the register at our wedding.
McFly – Obviously
My second child was born to this song. Fitting, as it was one of my eldest’s favourite songs. It helped them to bond, that he came into the world to one of her songs 🙂
Bon Jovi – Always
This is my all-time favourite song. Ever. Nothing will ever overtake it. I just love it. I swore I would never associate it with a man, too many of my favourite songs had been ruined for me forever by men. In 2006 I “gave” it to my husband as the first dance at our wedding. He knew how much it meant to me, and what a big deal it was. In 2008 it became even more special to us both, as our daughter was born to it. It will forever be the most special and symbolic song.
Snow patrol – Chasing Cars
At our wedding reception, we had the most wonderful DJ. He was a friend, and everyone talked about him and how great he was. But the greatest thing he did for us was “give” us this song. Neither of us had ever heard it before, we hadn’t planned a last dance. He chose this for us. It is now “our” song. In 2009 our daughter was born to the dying bars of it, the most perfect ending to the most perfect, magical home water birth.
Michael Buble – Everything
Another birth song. My youngest, my second son, my fifth and last child, was born to this song. Another beautiful home water birth. The song is perfect, because him (and my other children) really are everything to me.
Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling
So now we are back in the present 🙂 This song has been the song of this summer. From turning it up and the whole family singing along, to feeling like crying because it reminds me of my son’s leavers show as he prepares to start secondary school. We all love a bit of JT 🙂
I’m off to compile a memories CD for the car 😉
Kelly. xxx
Thank you, Kelly for sharing your Tracks, there are some truly awesome songs in there and I think in all honesty only one that I’ve never heard of. I love the “oldies” you mentioned they remind me of working on a funfair as a teenager as we always had 50’s and 60’s music playing during the day and then dance music in the early evening, they also remind me of my dad, he loves all the oldies you mentioned (and many others) and always said he was born 10 years too late so he didn’t get to enjoy the classic cars and music when they were at their best. JT is definitely the man of the moment and Can’t Stop The Feeling is definitely one of this years feel good summer hits – it is an awesome song.
Kelly’s website is www.littlepandasphotography.co.uk. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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