Forever:Keele
Stay in touch with each other and with us
Alumni and Support Keele pages
Alumni
Explore this Section
The Soundtrack of our (Keele) Lives
Every generation – indeed, every year – has its own memorable soundtrack. In 2007 we invited alumni to send in the title of the “song that means Keele to you”. This formed the basis of our first "legendary" forever: keele disco at Homecoming and it's been growing ever since.....
With the help of Jayne Winstanley (2001) of Keele Ents we have collected suggestions from all Keele generations from the 1950s onwards, here is the Soundtrack of our (Keele) lives so far....
Photo Jayne Winstanley (2001) and "Fish" Martin Cook (1993) rock the decks at the Legendary "Forever: Keele" Homecoming Disco 2010.
Your songs range from iconic grooves, disco stomeprs, all-time classics and smash hits to tunes by live bands - and even a ditty penned by a Keele student in the 1950s... Is your song here yet - better still, how many can you hum? Live: Keele, Love: Keele, Forever: Keele!
You can now listen to the Keele Soundtrack via Spotify. Let us know if you want any tracks adding to the soundtrack that mean Keele to you!
The Never Forget Playlist
THE ALL TIME MSOT VOTED-FOR FAVOURITE:
Never Forget – Take That
and in no particular order....
(Oh, What a Night) - The Four Seasons
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher – Jackie Wilson
2468 Motorway – Tom Robinson
6 Feet Underground – Caravan
All along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
All I Want - Joni Mitchell
All Right Now – Free
Alright – Supergrass
America – David Bowie
American Pie - Don McLean
Angels - Robbie Williams
Aumgn - Can
Because the Night – Patti Smith
Bend Me, Shape Me - Amen Corner
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Boogie Woogie Waltz - Weather Report
Boomer's Story - Ry Cooder
Born Slippy - Underworld
Born to be Wild – Steppenwolf
Box of Rain - The Grateful Dead
Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits
Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
Build Me up Buttercup - The Foundations
Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
Can't Help Falling in Love with You – Elvis Presley
Can't Help Falling in Love with You – UB40
Caravanserai - Santana
Caroline's Fingers – The Cocteau Twins
Cat's in the Cradle - Ugly Kid Joe
Cigarettes and Alcohol - Oasis
C'mon - Man
Come on Eileen – Dexys Midnight Runners
Come Up And See Me (Make Me Smile) – Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel
Cumberland Gap - Lonnie Donegan
Dancing in the Moonlight – Toploader
Delilah – Tom Jones
Denis – Blondie
Different for Girls - Joe Jackson
Dino – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Distant Sun - Crowded House
Dizzy – Vic Reeves and the Wonder Stuff
Don’t be Cruel – Elvis Presley
Don’t Leave Me This Way – The Communards
Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
Don't Look Back In Anger – Oasis
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Don't you Forget about Me - Simple Minds
Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
Easy Lover - Phil Collins
Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins
Eighties – Killing Joke
Electricity – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues including Jem Finer (Keele 1977)
Fix You – Coldplay
Gimme Shelter – Rolling Stones
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
Glad it’s all over - Captain Sensible
Go Now – Moody Blues
Going Underground – The Jam
Gold - Spandau Ballet
Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis
Gris Gris - Dr John
Groove Is In The Heart – Deee-lite
Groovin - Young Rascals
Groovy Train – The Farm
Happy Hour - Housemartins
Hey Jude - Beatles
Hi Ho Silver Lining – Jeff Beck and The Attack
Hope Springs Eternal - The Sandkings
Hot Rats - Frank Zappa
Hotel California – The Eagles
House of the Rising Sun - Animals
Hymn of The Big Wheel – Massive Attack
Hymn of The Seventh Galaxy - Return to Forever
I am not in Love – Joan Armatrading
I Don’t Care – Transvision Vamp
I Don't Like Mondays - Boomtown Rats
I Get Knocked Down – Chumbawamba
I heard it through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
I see you baby (shakin' that ass) - Groove Armada
I Travel – Simple Minds
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
I wanna hold your hand – Beatles
I Will Follow – U2
I’ll Be Ready (Baywatch Theme) – David Hasselhoff
I’m Not in Love – 10CC
I’m Right Here - Samantha Mumba
I’ve had) The Time of My Life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
If a Merman I should turn to be - Jimi Hendrix
If You leave me Now – Chicago
I'm A Believer - Monkees
In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson
In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
Insomnia – Faithless
It Must Be Love – Madness
Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
Jean Genie - David Bowie
Jig–a-Jig – East of Eden
Johnny Come Home - Fine Young Cannibals
Jump Around - House of Pain
Jumping Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones
Lay Lady Lay – Bob Dylan
Layla – Derek and the Dominos
Let’s do the Time Warp – Rocky Horror Picture Show
Let’s Go to the Hop – Danny and the Juniors
Liberator – Spear of Destiny
Light as a Feather - Chick Corea
Live And Let Die - Guns 'n' Roses
Live and Let Die - Wings
Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
LK – DJ Marky feat Stamina
Loaded – Primal Scream
London Calling – The Clash
Losing my Religion – R.E.M.
Love Cats – The Cure
Love is the Drug - Roxy Music
Love plus One - Haircut 100
Love Shack – B52s
Lovin' You - Minnie Ripperton
Low Spark High Heeled Boys – Traffic
Lust for Life - Iggy Pop
Madam George - Van Morrison
Maggie May - Rod Stewart
Making your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz
Mary's Eyes - Jerry Rivers (Keele Student Musician)
Mega Mix – Five
Memo from Turner - Mick Jagger
Mmmbop – Hanson
Mocking Bird - Barclay James Harvest
Mr Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
Mr Brightside – The Killers
Mr Tambourine Man – The Byrds
Music – John Miles
Music Sounds Better with You - Stardust
My Friend the Sun – Family
My Generation - The Who
My Ship is Coming in - The Walker Brothers
My Way – Frank Sinatra
Naive – The Kooks
Need You Tonight - INXS
Need your Love so Bad – Fleetwood Mac
New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
Night Fever – Bee Gees
Nights in White Satin - Moody Blues
No Secrets - Carly Simon
No Woman No Cry – Bob Marley
November Rain - Guns 'n' Roses
Now that we’ve found Love – Third World
Nutbush City Limits – Ike & Tina Turner
Oblivious - Aztec Camera
Observations from a Hill - Family
One and One - Miles Davis
One More Time - Daft Punk
One Way - Levellers
Out Demons Out! – Edgar Broughton Band
Panic - The Smiths
Paperhouse - Can
Parklife - Blur
Passenger - Iggy Pop
Peggy Sue - Buddy Holly
Perfect - Fairground Attraction
Perfect Kiss - New Order
Perfect Kiss – New Order
Pinball Wizard - The Who
Place Your Hands – Reef
Praise You – Fat Boy Slim
Pretty Vacant – Sex Pistols
Prince Charming - Adam and the Ants
Public Image – Public Image Ltd
Pump up the Volume – MARRS
Rainbow Chaser - Nirvana
Rat in the Kitchen - UB40
Reach – S Club 7
Reach Out I'll be there - Four Tops
Rebellious Jukebox – The Fall
Relight my Fire - Take That
Rhythm Is A Dancer – Snap
Rock the Casbah – The Clash
Rock with You - Michael Jackson
Rocky Mountain Way – Joe Walsh
Roxanne - The Police
Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
Safety Dance - Men without Hats
Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
Saturday Night – Whigfield
Sebastien - Cockney Rebel
Set You Free – NTrance
Shakin’ All Over – The Who
She Bangs the Drums - Stone Roses
She Moves through the Fair - Fairport Convention
She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult
Show Me the Way – Peter Frampton
Sing It Back – Moloko
Sit Down – James
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
Size of a Cow - The Wonder Stuff
Smells like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
Solid Air - John Martyn
Some Enchanted Evening - Giorgio Tozzi
South Pacific Overture – South Pacific
Spirit in the Sky – Doctor and the Medics
Spiritwalker - The Cult
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
Star Trekkin' – The Firm
Stay with me till Dawn – Judy Tzuke
Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
Step On - Happy Mondays
Street Fighting Man - Rolling Stones
Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel
Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
Sunshine of your Love - Cream
Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics
Sympathy for the Devil- Rolling Stones
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Take On Me – a-ha
Take That – Could this be Magic
Tamborine Man – Bob Dylan
Tarantula - Pendulum
Teacher - Jethro Tull
Teenage Kicks – The Undertones
Thanks For The Memory – Slade
The “Dallas” theme tune
The Day We Caught The Train - Ocean Colour Scene
The Hustle – Van McCoy
The Inner Mounting Flame - Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Irish Rover – The Dubliners
The Irish Rover - The Pogues
The Lady In Red – Chris de Burgh
The Last Time - Rolling Stones
The Leader of the Pack –Shangri-Las
The Look of Love - ABC
The One And Only – Chesney Hawkes
The Rain - The Rain
The Whole of the Moon - Waterboys
Theme to Hawaii Five-O
There's is Nothing Like a Dame – South Pacific Ensemble
Things Can Only Get Better - D:REAM
Thinking of you - Colourfield
Three Lions - Lightning Seeds, Skinner & Baddiel
Three Steps to Heaven - Showaddywaddy
Til Deaf Us Do Part – Slade
Tin Soldier - Small Faces
Toast – Q-Tips
Trancedance - The Sandkings
Trout Mask Replica – Frank Zappa
True Faith – New Order
True Love - Bing Crosby
Turn the Page - The Streets
Unbelievable – EMF
Virginia Plain - Roxy Music
Wake Me Up before you Go Go – Wham!
Wake up Boo – Boo Radleys
We are the Champions – Queen
We don't need this Fascist groove thang - Heaven 17
When My Ship Comes In - Clive Gregson & Christine Collister
White Light, White Heat – Velvet Underground
White Room - Cream
Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum
Why does it always rain on me - Travis
Wide Eyed and Legless - Andy Fairweather Low
Without You - Harry Nilsson
Wonderwall – Oasis
World in Motion – England & New Order
Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush
You ain't seen notihin' yet - Bachman Turner Overdrive
And honourable mentions go to:
Nello's very brief rendition of “Smoke on the Water” plus The National Anthem of the Free Republic of Keele (FROK)
More suggestions invited!
This is how it works... it's a snapshot across the years!
"I remember that in the 80s they used to play "Oh Superman" at the end of the night to clear the Ballroom. The diehards (including myself) were not giving up easily and tried to dance to it." Dren Pyke (1987)
"My wife and I are both Keele graduates and the playlist sparked off a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Front left of the ballroom was something of a rite of passage moment for many of my friends. Indeed, we returned to the UK (we live in Australia now) in January to another Keele wedding and "Front Left!" was the common cry of the night." Adam Pengelly (200)
I was an international student (from Singapore), and was in Keele from 1979-1982 studying International Relations . I would like to give some suggestions:-
1. Don't Stop Till You Get Enough by Michael Jackson - When I came in 1979, one of the first hits that played over and over again on telly, over the radio, the student union's disco. Every time I hear this song, it takes me back to those times - it's definitely one of the 'trigger-the-memory' songs!
2. Rock with You by Michael Jackson - Likewise with this song- as it's mellower, I used to chill out with it alot back in Lindsay Hall (was in H block in the first year, then moved onto that curvy Lindsay block that just fronts the road.
3. Rat in the Kitchen by UB40 - It was the Thatcher years then, and a lot of student protests (including the infamous Keele UDI, and I did experience having the Newcastle bus slow down and stopped by the UDI 'checkpoint officers', one of whom was my classmate.) Rat in the Kitchen had a lot of political meaning, was played a lot in the radio, and it reminds me of UB40 in their early days, playing at Keele's students' union.
4. Love plus One by Haircut 100 - I think this was a hit in 1982, and every Sunday late afternoon/evening I would listen to the BBC that gave the top 20 rundown of the top singles. Again, one of those 'trigger' songs that make me think of Keele.
5. Making your mind up by Bucks Fizz - this group represented the UK in the Eurovision song contest in 1981. I wasn't one of those students who rented tellys in their rooms, so had to go down to one of the hall's main rec area to watch telly. I remember we all had a good time watching Bucks Fizz and lots of people laughed at them.
6. Tainted Love by Soft Cell - Watched this on Top of the Pops, which I never failed to watch each week at one of the rec rooms in Lindsay Hall. Whenever it came on, Marc Almond would inevitably get loads of students yelling comments across the room.
7. Prince Charming by Adam and the Ants - I always associate Adam Ant with Keele because he rose to fame during the time I was watching things like Top of the Pops at Keele, with other students in the hall's rec rooms... Prince Charming
Patsy Goh (1982)
"'The Last Time' by the Rolling Stones: Whenever I hear this song, I am immediately transported back to one Sunday afternoon in 1965 when I was returning to Keele on the M6 after a weekend away. Of course I was hitch-hiking (as we all did in those days) and had been picked up by the driver of a large truck, who put his foot down in the fast lane and we hurtled northwards to the sound of the aforementioned song at full volume. A journey I will never forget as it could easily have been The Last Time!" Roger James (1968)
"I have been paying some interest to the homecoming stuff and especially the Keele Soundtrack. I think I can safely say that as the main former Wednesday/Friday night DJ I am responsible for a large portion of those tunes. It does make me smile seeing that people remember them." Rob Holt (1993)
And we hope soon to add stories of Keele student bands... such as the Exits:
"Music was such a large part of Keele's entertainment! Incidentally a copy of the single we (The Exits) released in 1978 ("Yodelling" recorded at Keele) just sold for nearly £200 in March 2011 - but not by me! Rick Potter (1978)
Did you enjoy this?
Why not read more stories from the Keele Oral History Project?
Keele University