1.

Ray Charles – Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Vols. 1 & 2

My stepfather died last year. He and I weren’t close or anything. He used to deride reggae but eventually got into it. He was into everything from Hendrix to big band music. My father died when I was very young, and my mother took in loads of lodgers, one of whom was my stepfather. We had loads of parties and this album was always played at them – everyone would become very happy and start dancing. I associate it with happy times. But I never realised what it was until many years later. I didn’t realise it was a soul man covering country & western. I didn’t clock that at eight years old, even though I knew the album really well. I know music means nothing to some people but for others it’s like Bill Shankly and football and life and death. It’s everything, it’s all consuming. That’s how growing up was for me. That was my upbringing.