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.

homecoming-djs

Here is the Soundtrack of our (Keele) lives so far. Your songs range from iconic grooves, disco stompers, a bit of Classical, smash hits and tunes by Keele bands - even a ditty penned by a Keele student in the 1950s. Is your song here yet - and how many can you hum? The all-time most voted for favourite - Never Forget by Take That.

Photo right: Legendary Keele DJs Jayne Winstanley (2001) and "Fish" Martin Cook (1993) return to the decks for the "Never Forget" Homecoming Disco 2010.

2 4 6 8 Motorway – Tom Robinson
500 Miles – Proclaimers
6 Feet Underground – Caravan
All along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
All I Want - Joni Mitchell
All Right Now – Free
All Together Now - The Farm
Alright – Supergrass
America – David Bowie
American Pie - Don McLean
And You and I – yes
Angels - Robbie Williams
Aumgn - Can
Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty
Ball Room Blitz - The Sweet
Bangarang – Skrillex
Because the Night – Patti Smith
Behind Blue Eyes - The Who
Bend Me, Shape Me - Amen Corner
Big Mouth Strikes Again - The Smiths
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
Black Magic Woman- Santana
Bockbuster - The Sweet
Blue Monday - New Order
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
Brass in Pocket - The Pretenders
Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
Build Me up Buttercup - The Foundations
Café del Mar – Energy 52
Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
Can't Help Falling in Love with You – Elvis Presley
Can't Help Falling in Love with You – UB40
Can U Dig it - Mock Turtles
Caravanserai - Santana
Caroline's Fingers – The Cocteau Twins
Cat's in the Cradle - Ugly Kid Joe
Cemetery Gates - The Smiths
Children - Robert Miles
Cigarettes and Alcohol - Oasis
Cities in Dust - Siouxsie and the Banshees
Closing Time- Semisonic
C'mon - Man
Come on Eileen – Dexy's Midnight Runners
Come Together - Beatles
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
Disco 2000 - Pulp
Distant Sun - Crowded House
Dizzy – Vic Reeves and the Wonder Stuff
Do anything you wanna do - Eddie and the Hot Rods
Don’t be Cruel – Elvis Presley
Don’t Leave Me This Way – The Communards
Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
Don’t you want me baby – Human League
Don’t you worry Child – Swedish House Mafia
Don't Look Back In Anger – Oasis
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Don't you Forget about Me - Simple Minds
Down to earth – Curiosity Killed the Cat
Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
Easy Lover - Phil Collins
Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins
Eighties – Killing Joke
Electricity – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Encore Une Fois – Sash
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues including Jem Finer (Keele 1977)
Fergus Sings the Blues – Deacon Blue
Fix You – Coldplay
Four Seasons in One Day – Crowded House
Freebird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Geno – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Gimme Shelter – Rolling Stones
Girl from Mars - Ash
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
Glad it’s all over - Captain Sensible
Go Now – Moody Blues
Go West - The Cult
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
Gypsies Tramps and Thieves - Cher
Happy Birthday - Altered Images
Happy Hour - Housemartins
Head like a Hole- Nine Inch Nails
Hey Jude - Beatles
Hey Luciani - The Fall
Hi Ho Silver Lining – Jeff Beck and The Attack
Hips don't lie - Shakira (Shakira)
Hope Springs Eternal - The Sandkings
Hot Rats - Frank Zappa
Hotel California – The Eagles
House of the Rising Sun - Animals
How Can I Tell You - Cat Stevens
Hymn of The Big Wheel – Massive Attack
Hymn of The Seventh Galaxy - Return to Forever
I am not in Love – Joan Armatrading
I am the Resurrection – Stone Roses
I Don’t Care – Transvision Vamp
I don’t want a lover – Texas
I Don't Like Mondays - Boomtown Rats
I Get Knocked Down – Chumbawamba
I heard it through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
I know what I like (in your wardrobe) - Genesis
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 will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
I’ll Be Ready (Baywatch Theme) – David Hasselhoff
I’m Gonna Be – The Proclaimers
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
Ignore the Machine - Alien Sex Fiend
I'm A Believer - Monkees
Inbetween Days - The Cure
In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson
In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
Insanity – Oceanic
Insomnia – Faithless
It Must Be Love – Madness
It's My Party - Lesley Gore
Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
Jean Genie - David Bowie
Jig–a-Jig – East of Eden
John the Baptist – John Martyn
Johnny Come Home - Fine Young Cannibals
Johnny Reggae - The Piglets
Jump Around - House of Pain
Jumping Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones
Keep on Movin’ – 5ive
Kennedy – The Wedding Present
Lay Lady Lay – Bob Dylan
Layla – Derek and the Dominos
Let me Entertain You – Robbie Williams
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
Live Forever – oasis
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 – 5ive
Memo from Turner - Mick Jagger
Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade
Mmmbop – Hanson
Mocking Bird - Barclay James Harvest
Money – Pink Floyd
Move On - Fashion
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 Face is on fire - Felt
My Friend the Sun – Family
My Generation - The Who
My Ship is Coming in - The Walker Brothers
My Way – Frank Sinatra
N***as in Paris – Jay-Z
Naive – The Kooks
Nancy Boy – Placebo
National Express – The Divine Comedy
Need You Tonight - INXS
Need your Love so Bad – Fleetwood Mac
Never Forget - Take That
Never Understand - Jesus and Mary Chain
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
Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac
Oh, What a Night - The Four Seasons
One and One - Miles Davis
One More Time - Daft Punk
One Way - Levellers
One World - John Martyn
Out Demons Out! – Edgar Broughton Band
Overload- Sugarbabes
Panic - The Smiths
Paperhouse - Can
Parklife - Blur
Passenger - Iggy Pop
Pearley Dew Drop - Cocteau Twins
Peggy Sue - Buddy Holly
Perfect - Fairground Attraction
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
Radar Love - Goldren Earring
Rainbow Chaser - Nirvana
Rat in the Kitchen - UB40
Reach (for the Stars) – S Club 7
Reach Out I'll be there - Four Tops
Rebellious Jukebox – The Fall
Relax – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Relight my Fire - Take That
Remember Me – Blueboy
Rhythm Is A Dancer – Snap
Ride on Time - Black Box
Rock DJ – Robbie Williams
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
Samba Pa Ti - Santana
Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
Saturday Night – Whigfield
Say Hello Wave Goodbye - Soft Cell
Sebastien - Cockney Rebel
Serpents Kiss - The Mission
Set You Free – NTrance
Sex is on Fire – Kings of Leon
Shakin’ All Over – The Who
She Bangs the Drums - Stone Roses
She Moves through the Fair - Fairport Convention
She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult
Ship called Dignity – Deacon Blue
Show Me the Way – Peter Frampton
Silver Machine - Hawkwind
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
Space Oddity - David Bowie
Spirit in the Sky – Doctor and the Medics
Spiritwalker - The Cult
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
Star Trekkin' – The Firm
Starship Trooper - Yes
Stay with me till Dawn – Judy Tzuke
Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes
Step On - Happy Mondays
Stone Fox Chase - Area Code 615
Street Fighting Man - Rolling Stones
Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel
Suffragete City - David Bowie
Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
Summer Breeze – Seals and Croft
Sun is Shining - Bob marley and the Wailers
Sunshine of your Love - Cream
Superbass – Nikki Minaj
Superstar – Jamelia
Surf's Up - The Beach Boys
Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics
Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stones
Symphony No 5 - Prokofiev
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Take On Me – a-ha
Take That – Could this be Magic
Take That - Never Forget
Tamborine Man – Bob Dylan
Tarantula - Pendulum
Teacher - Jethro Tull
Teenage Kicks – The Undertones
Temple of Love - Sisters of Mercy
Thanks For The Memory – Slade
The “Dallas” theme tune
The Day We Caught The Train - Ocean Colour Scene
The Final Countdown – Europe
The Horizon – All the Young
The Hustle – Van McCoy
The Inner Mounting Flame - Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Irish Rover – The Dubliners
The Irish Rover - The Pogues
The King Will Come - Wishbone Ash
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 Man who Hated Mornings - Michael Chapman
The One And Only – Chesney Hawkes
The Rain - The Rain
The Whole of the Moon - Waterboys
Theme to Hawaii Five-O
There she Goes – The La’s
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
Tokyo Nights - Krokus
Touch Me – Rui da Silva
Tragedy - Steps
Trancedance - The Sandkings
Trout Mask Replica – Frank Zappa
True Faith – New Order
True Love - Bing Crosby
Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield
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 are Young – Fun
We don't need this Fascist groove thang - Heaven 17
We no speak American – Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup
Westworld - Theatre of Hate
When My Ship Comes In - Clive Gregson & Christine Collister
White Light, White Heat – Velvet Underground
White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane
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
World Shut your Moth – Julian Cope
Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush
You ain't seen nothin' yet - Bachman Turner Overdrive
Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher – Jackie Wilson
You think you're a man - Divine

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).

And the Legendary Keele Rag Records.

A musical 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 (2000)

"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 a lot 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."

Patsy Goh (1982)

"I spent six mad years at Keele (1981-7) - three years as an undergraduate, one year suspended(!), one year an incomplete post-graduate course and one year a Sabbatical Officer in the Student's Union. My time was sort of bookended by the post-punk period and the immediate aftermath of the death of John Lennon on the one end - and the rise of the house scene and the dance explosion at the other. The post-punk scene, though I don't suppose we ever thought of it as a 'scene' - in fact, the term 'post-punk" didn't really then exist - was a time of great creative energy. The dance thing several years later, despite my career in the club world since Keele - I never really adapted to. I suspect I left Keele at exactly the right time. For me whenever I hear certain tracks - I always think of Keele. Vaguely recall playing most of them in the Union 'disco' on a Friday night."

Mark Ellicott (1985)

"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)

"Some of us never went to the regular discos because they were rubbish! We put on our own reggae nights in the SU ballroom which were usually packed… We even brought the Fatman Hi Fi from Tottenham for a Legalise Cannabis Campaign benefit gig. Need to put a bit of reggae in your playlist for us! I first heard "Sun is Shining" on its release on a portable cassette player on a scorching summer afternoon on the lawn in front of Keele Hall. Sums up Keele for a whole crowd of us!"

Steve Razzetti (1981)

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)

Keele's ground-breaking moment in the history of music recording

"In 2015 we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of our groundbreaking Fairlight album 'Mirage' recorded by myself and music technician Cliff Bradbury at the Clockhouse, Keele. It was the first CD of the Worlds first music library released digitally and went on to be a major international success. In the UK, this album featured on numerous productions at the time but probably most significantly on some of the first adverts for ITV Oracle in 1985. This album was to set the scene for the future of music production for film and tv with the move away from analogue recording to digital, computer sequencing and sampling which now completely dominates the industry."

Andy Quin (1982)

See and hear an excerpt from Andy Quin's "Mirage" on ITV Oracle: