It's a terrible thing is this. I've wrestled meself over my "last eight" for decades. They are all classical, but I do have other loves. So here's a crack at my alternative last eight, setting classical aside:

The Beatles: No Reply. It was on the very first album I ever bought and it was the first track on the album. 1964 I reckon.

The Spinning Wheel, sung by Delia Murphy. Reminds me of my dear old gran who died in 1965. She loved this song, and so do I, and she and I were a right pair of oddballs who had a lovely nod-and-wink relationship....

Life On Mars by David Bowie. The girl with the mousey hair, bejaysus...

Alias Ron Kavana, Watch Out Willie. Nope, I really mean it. If you've never heard it, that's your severe bad luck. It ends with devastatingly-untraditional but totally superb versions of Trip To Durrow and Gravel Walk. For me, seminal.


Planxty, Raggle Taggle Gypsy/Tabhair Dom Do Lamh. Without this track, which I heard on a compilation double LP that cost me a quid in 1980, I would never have got into Irish music, or any folk music.

Anticipation by Carly Simon. Why would I explain.

Anthems In Eden, Shirley Collins and others. I could have picked any one of several tracks from No Roses but this'll do for my one Shirley Collins track. She's the love of my life.

And finally, it has to be a Nic Jones song. I'll go for Ten Thousand Miles from the Noah's Ark Trap album. I can't listen to it without a tear rolling down the cheek.

If I could have a "bonus ninth" it would be Rainy Night In Soho, the Pogues. Go on, let me have it...I've tried VERY hard...