You Got Soul: Norman Jay's Favourite Singles | Page 8 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

I loved all the Motown records equally, especially the girl groups. One such act was Diana Ross and The Supremes. It’s hard to think of the lesser ones because the ones that charted were all classics! I still play ‘Bad Weather’ by the Supremes – it was produced by Stevie Wonder and one of the best songs he never recorded. I was lucky that I had such a happy childhood surrounded by good people with a stable family background and great music. When new music came into the house it was always a highlight or a family celebration whether it was R&B from America or reggae, rocksteady and ska from Jamaica. That for me was music from the homeland. The one style I didn’t really take to was soca and calypso. As for American music, most of my relatives all lived in New York from the late ’50s all the way through. I didn’t get to go there until 1979. All the latest dance crazes came from there like the twist, people shaking their tail feather, etc. I loved them because we learned to do them as well back over in the UK!

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