Canvey Island cds, tapes and vinyl: Valentine’s Special
United fan Cupid (What is Love? Robin van Persie!) was looking for love. The over-commercialization of Valentine’s Day was upsetting him – not in and of itself, it’s just that people were forgetting that it was simply a day of love and there was nothing wrong with celebrating that simple fact. He knows in his heart that you don’t have to buy into all that superficial stuff, but being over 1000 years old and only having communicated through the medium of sticking arrows in people, he was finding it hard to get this message across.
We invited him on the Bifurcated Train, so that some of our Canvey Island family could share some of their love and perhaps put a smile back on that cheeky little face.
The conductor blew Cupid a kiss, handed him a bunch of flowers from the garage forecourt down the road and helped him on board.
There, of course, was only one train waiting to depart, there was only one destination …
Canvey Island!
Cupid fluttered off the train and was ushered, like the others before him, towards the car park where he found the car-boot sale and the stall run this time by someone who looked suspiciously like ex-Manchester United player Norman Whiteside – The big man, with the even bigger heart?!
The look-a-like character, as usual, had a message (or more appropriately a love note): “Welcome to Canvey Island cds, tapes and vinyl Valentines special! We have every love song ever pressed or recorded in stock, and our Canvey Island family have picked their favourites for you to enjoy!”
… And this is what they picked and why (in their own words) …
Slide Away by Oasis
Picked by Angela Hallmark
“Needs no explanation #professionalmanc”
Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley
Picked by Jay Goolaup
“I struggled to find a love song on my ipod, but then I found around 50 by The King. This is probably the most soulful of the batch!”
This is the One by The Stone Roses
Picked by Liz Worsley
“If I was to compare my experience of Valentine’s Day to a United player, I’d say it’s Nani: some moments of absolute magic & showboating over the years but mostly disappointment / non-existent performances. But when I eventually meet ‘The One’ (if such a person exists), I hope they don’t just put on a show for the silly commercial occasions and are more like Scholes; constant, faithful & devoted.
This is my favourite United love song ever, all about ‘The One’ (be it a love affair with United or a special someone) and I adore the lyrics. It makes my hairs stand on end each time I hear it at Old Trafford as the players come out.
I’m still waiting to meet ‘The One’… but in the meantime I’ll happily make do with United (and Nani).”
Bring It on Home to Me by Sam Cooke
Picked by Paul Ansorge
“The greatest love song of all time is Bring it on Home to Me by Sam Cooke. Easy!”
Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler
Picked by Steph Doehler
“Probably the best power ballad ever. In my youth, ie: early 20s, I spent many evenings in Reflex nightclub wailing it out with friends. Thinking about it, I think we really ruined the song. Poor Bonnie!”
First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes
Picked by Tom Pattison
“Most love songs inhabit a fantasy world but the beauty of this song is its realism. Love changes you. It isn’t easy, it can feel like a struggle at times, but nothing else in the world can bring you true happiness. You put your heart on the line, risk pain, expose your vulnerabilities; yet as Conor sings ‘Id rather be working for a pay check, than waiting to win the lottery.’ Amen to that.”
I See You, You See Me by Magic Numbers
Picked by our very own Brett
“I wouldn’t say I’d class myself as a Magic Numbers fan as such, but through this song they’ve become a relatively big part of my life. Sometimes a song just seems to collide with what you’re feeling at a particular time. When I was trying to woo Jayne (my girlfriend) from the evil clutches of her then boyfriend (The Swine!), this song was on the radio. My friend Adam had managed to get a regular slot on a community radio station and had asked me if I’d like to help him out, and I’d said yes. I took the opportunity, during one of the shows, to dedicate this song to her, in the hope that she, upon hearing it, would burst through the studio doors and into my arms. The reality is that she was stuck in her car, with that ogre, and the radio in the car was bust anyway. The story does however have a happy ending. When we started dating I went round to her flat and discovered she’d bought The Magic Numbers album, so she could listen to “our song”. There is also an epilogue to this tale. Our first holiday together was a road trip taking us, first north to Blackpool, and then down into southern Spain. The reason we went to Blackpool first, was to see The Magic Numbers in the Empress Ball Room.”
That’s it. We then dropped Cupid off at his therapist.
Remember, to see the original musical picks from any of the members of the Canvey Island Family simply click on their names.
If you want to become a member of the Canvey Island Family in 2013, then please refer to the train timetable at selected stations, or easier still, drop us an email.
