Ewan Pearson
wrote his bachelor thesis for his studies in philosophy about dance music. That’s maybe why his remixes, productions (for Tracey Thorn, The Rapture and Gwen Stefani) and his DJ sets sound quite academic but still are intended to make your feet move.
Me and Dean Morbey at the Franche Middle School disco fought, first figuratively and then literally, over who could get this played for and dedicated to the lovely Caroline Powell. Forgive us, we were 10 years old.
Heavy metal avant la lettre. Me and Joakim played in Tokyo last year and finished with this. I have a video of loads of Japanese kids pogo-ing and going absolutely crazy to it. One of my favourite ever DJ moments.
At Birmingham Town Hall 1990. Their first tour, they were absolutely terrified and quite wonderful. They had to play several songs again as encores. People just stood there with tears streaming down their faces. Finally Paul Buchanan had to be led gently off the stage. I’m not sure he could really absorb what had happened.
I don’t really have to explain this one, do I?
Too recent to tell you the story behind this one; I don't kiss and tell...
I grew up with music-mad parents and all my early memories are records of theirs of course. Lots of the things I love now hark back to that period – mostly folk stuff like Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny. My mum made me a tape with various old songs on a few years ago and it had this Linda Ronstadt ballad from 1975 called «I’m Blowing Away» that I probably hadn't heard since I was 3 years old. It was such a strange Proustian moment hearing it again I started to cry. The Sailor track I used to have on a cassette that I taped off BBC Radio 1 when I was very small; that's the first song I can remember choosing to listen to again and again all by myself.
«If that’s all there is, my friend, then let’s keep dancing.» Wise words.
The Mondays reminds me of the year I graduated from high school. And Junior Boys reminds me of last summer and hanging out with my friends at the Villa of Joy in Ibiza. Both supremely happy times.
Sometimes things don't turn out the way you hope they might.
It will make everyone dance, and everyone cry too. What a combination.
This is the first one I'm prepared to admit to, anyhow. This was the first 12" single I owned (at the age of 12 believe it or not) and it still sounds absolutely great.
I used to have a band at school; we played mostly cover versions. This was a particular favourite.
The best love song ever written. At least a Ewan wrote it. Performed by his wife Peggy Seeger.
