Neal’s Uplifting Anti-Viral Playlist

BY NEAL MARTIN | JANUARY 27, 2021

During the first lockdown, a friend/angel working on the National Health Service frontline asked me to recommend tunes to lift her spirits. I duly offered one song per day on my Facebook page so that everyone could marvel at my terrible taste in music. Given that we are back in lockdown and suffering the January blues, I decided to put my posts together for this article with just a little editing and updating. This list is not to be taken seriously. It’s just a bit of fun, a pick-me-up. You will have your own songs that lift the spirits – give them a listen whenever life gets you down. The playlist is available to stream on Spotify here. Enjoy, stay safe, keep your chin up. We’ll get through this and party like there is a tomorrow.  

Song #1 – “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)” by Van Morrison (1972)

The opening to Morrison’s sixth album, Saint Dominic’s Preview, was inspired by Wilson’s classic “Reet Petite.” It’s a one-take wonder with just the saxophone dubbed later. Morrison assiduously chose this first take as the final version. It has a magical joie-de-vivre. Dexys Midnight Runners’ cover version is splendid, but it is Morrison’s original that epitomizes how a song can lift the spirits.

Song #2 – “I Believe In Miracles” by The Jackson Sisters (1973)

This anthem incites mayhem and euphoria on the dance floor. The Jackson Sisters are unrelated to Michael and his siblings; they were in fact Lyn, Pat, Rae, Gennie and Jacqueline Jackson, Compton-born but based in Detroit. Bobby Taylor and Mark Capanni penned their signature tune (Capanni released a fine orchestral version in 1974). It packs so much energy and joy into its brief running time, and never lets up until its anthemic chorus, by which time you WILL believe in miracles. Alas, there was no miracle in terms of the pop charts. The song limped to number 72 and belatedly found recognition during the rare groove revival when it was re-released on the Urban label in 1987. If you know this song, you’ll be dancing around your kitchen or office singing at the top of your voice. 

Song #3 – “Coming Up” by Paul McCartney (1980)

I loved “Coming Up” from the moment my goggle-eyed nine-year-old self sat watching the multi-Macca video on Top of the Pops. The song was recorded when McCartney was noodling around in his studio in Scotland and tinkering with varispeed vocals, a technique subsequently used by Prince to great effect. In fact, listening to “Coming Up” again, it sounds like a precursor to “Kiss” in terms of the openness and guitar riff. Released in April 1980 as the first single from McCartney II, it’s catchy and funky, full of positive vibes. A reclusive John Lennon heard it with envy, and his competitive spirit compelled him back to the studio to record Double Fantasy. 

Song #4 – “Groove Is In The Heart” by Deee-lite (1990) 

It’s 1990 and there’s only one song you want to hear: “Groove Is In The Heart,” built around a Herbie Hancock sample and featuring additional vocals by Bootsy Collins and a rap courtesy of A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip. It’s impossible to listen to this guaranteed floor-filler without a stupid grin on your face. I had a thing for singer Lady Miss Kier, who basically gave Kylie her look once she had escaped Stock Aitken Waterman’s clutches. The most frightening thing about “Groove Is In The Heart” is that it was recorded over three decades ago. I wonder what Deee-lite are doing now. 

Song #5 – “Fight For Your Right (To Party)” by the Beastie Boys (1987)

If I wanted to be cool, I would have chosen something from Paul’s Boutique or Ill Communication, but this absolute banger from the late Adam “MCA” Yauch, Ad-Rock and Mike D conjures such fond memories. It is just as important as “Walk This Way” in terms of joining rap with rock, its influence overlooked by the surrounding controversy. How do you reconcile this puerile, misogynistic incarnation with the critically acclaimed, ultra-hip, erudite and campaigning artists they became? Looking at the video again, it is amazingly un-PC, but bloody hell, they had fun, plus I never noticed Thom Yorke emerging from the toilets at around 2m32s in the promo. Once we are through this crisis, I imagine celebrations will resemble this party – the only difference being we will all wash our hands afterward.