Today's Memory Tape is from lovely listener Lindsey Bridge-Williams, who has given us an incredible tape based on the brilliant memories of her dad **expect Hunter S Thomson to be influence**
"I always look forward to your memory tapes section but have never thought about sending in....until now.
My dad, John Bridge-Williams aka 'John The Book' or 'Bookie' (he was always reading a book in the pub) died last week. He always loved music and bought me and my sister up on a healthy diet of Pink Floyd, The Cure, The Beatles then later on as a family we found Portishead, Radiohead and many more. He was found, having died very peacefully -and aptly- sat in his chair in his living room, listening to music. He was 68 and had a wild life (he lived in the 60's and 70's) that never would have suited sliding away into old age. I take great comfort in knowing that, seeing as though we have to go sometime, he went like that.
As a family we wouldn't watch much television at night, it was always more usual to be blaring out classic albums. As a teenager, it was my house that my friends would always come to because my dad was so easygoing and such a laugh (and let us smoke and drink, usually joining us and insisting on Pink Floyd)
Even after we had all moved on, he still had an insatiable appetite for music that most people seem to lose by his age. When he finally got the internet he went to town on downloading and amassed a huge mp3 collection. When we went to sort through his things, I got his hard- drive with all his music on and have been going through it. So it's not quite a mix tape, more a sort of Futuristic-Uber-Compilation-Hard-Drive.
Here are his favourite tunes and things we'd listen to as a family. I've tried not to let it be too depressing, as we are all in good spirits about his life, 聽but he always like darker stuff anyway. The last tune is especially apt as after the funeral we are firing his ashes in a model rocket (re: Hunter S Thompson) from his garden to explode above the valleys of Stroud. We will be blaring this tune out as we do it.聽He was always wild and went against the grain, so it's a fitting end going out like this and joining the Great Gig In The Sky.聽
For the funeral, people will enter to the first half of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, then leave to the second half (from when the vocals kick in)
Much love,
James, Charlotte and Lindsey Bridge-Williams
Our Great Dad in the Sky
Duran Duran - Save A Prayer
Simple Minds - Alive and Kicking
Supertramp -聽Bloody Well Right
The Beatles - Dear Prudence
The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Portishead - Glory Box
Peter Gabriel/Kate Bush - Don't Give Up
R.E.M - New Orleans Instrumental No. 1
Bat For Lashes - Moon and Moon
Paul Weller - You Do Something to Me
Everything But The Girl - Walking Wounded
Ian Brown - F.E.A.R
Radiohead - Pyramid Song
Massive Attack - Angel
Neil Young - Old Man
Atoms For Peace - Amok (last text message from him 'Listening to Atoms For Peace. Amok!) He was 68!!
Portishead - All Mine
The Cure - Lullaby
Nine Inch Nails -聽La Mer
Radiohead - There There
Anni Lennox - Why
Pink Floyd -聽Great Gig In The Sky