Iwas having a terrific day today - fell out of bed at the last possible moment, got to work in 40 minutes as the M25 was clear (unheard of), spent the morning doing what I love most, thinking about football while I composed a Fantasy League email for our client Fantasy League - I'm in 15th position after a good weekend! I went out at lunchtime to buy a prize for the runner-up from last season - he wanted Virgin vouchers - I told him we couldn't supply Virgins but he meant the music store!
Anyway, the upshot was I spent £40 on four CDs for me - The Thrills, The Beautiful South's Greatest Hits, Stevie Wonder's Greatest Hits and Marvin Gaye's greatest hits. I was so chuffed with myself thinking about the posting I would make tonight. La La La. I got home to have my thunder stolen though as David proudly announced as I got home that he'd quit Zeds Not Ded - the covers band he's been playing with for the last few years. All of a sudden a different complexion was put on my posting. Oh no, a 'hissy fit' from me about rehearsals on a Saturday night (MY time with David) and its ramifications has meant we have parted company with our hitherto 'best friends' and it's certain that I'm being blamed for his departure. So, instead of being able to post a happy, upbeat message, I find myself feeling very miserable at the stream of abuse that's bound to come my way again.
So, I think to myself, what can I do? Well, I think the best course of action is to say what I wanted anyway and the rest of the world 'be damned'. Music has been a defining influence in my life. I met almost all of my closest friends through music - I met Claire at a Q-Tips gig, then she introduced me to Sharon, then I met Colin and Paul at an Escape Club gig.
Music can evoke the most powerful emotions in a person. I can clearly remember listening to The Seahorses 'Blinded by the Sun' and recognising that the reason why I loved it so much was it described my marriage perfectly '....please don't ask me what went wrong, the list goes on and on....'. My relationship with David has certainly been defined by music - at a party (after his relationship with Cali had hit the rocks) I sat next to him at a party and we'd been asked by the hostess to take a song that we loved and everyone else had to guess who'd chosen it. I chose 'The Incidentals' by Alicia's Attic - a song about the thrill of the beginning of a relationship. I remember tingling as it was played even though there was nothing between us then.
Our first date makes me smile when I remember U2's Elevator and we spent a happy day buying new speakers after we'd blown up my ARs with Otis Redding at full blast!
Today, I know I should be most proud of the Thrills as I'm well into my 40s and I still buy and love new music but actually the first thing on the CD player is Marvin Gaye's greatest hits. I've got most of his catalogue on vinyl but nothing on CD. I put the CD on and I melted when I heard What's Going On, You are Everything and Abraham, Martin and John. I know for sure that this is what it's all about - you can feel happy or sad at the flick of a switch. In fact, my ex-husband used to say that if he wanted to put me in a good mood the best way to do it was put on The Beat's Greatest Hits then go out!
David, do you remember that evening at your house when we both discovered a mutual love of the Kevin Macdermot Orchestra? That was so wonderful - another thing we share.
