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Imelda May: Spotify Playlist

Click here to listen to Imelda May's Spotify playlist.

Hard Headed Woman - Wanda Jackson

This is a magnificent track, originally filmed by Elvis, I love that she took it and made it her own.

I was delighted to sing it with Wanda Jackson, it was a dream come true. She is classy, beautiful, charismatic and a fantastic singer. She is queen of rockabilly, original rock and roll ladies. She has been doing it way before we all caught up with her.

I went out with her the other night, we had some cocktails and I can't keep up with her! She is 73 or 74 now, and as looks glamorous as ever. She is still current producing new albums, still currently gigging and creating new albums. She still looks forward in her career. She's a very inspiring woman.

Billy Fury - Gonna Type A Letter
I am a fan of Billy Fury. I think he is a terrific rock'n'roller. I mean in England the most famous English rockabilly would have been Cliff Richard in his hay day, but Billy Fury was a fantastic Liverpudlian man. He is so so cool and I love his fantastic voice, and I love this act in particular.

I love the way he sings and the horns play a whack riff all the way through, its brilliant.
Every time that song comes on I have to replay it over and over, I love it, it makes me jump around.

Stray Cats - Stray Cats Strut
This is a classic, brilliant brilliant song, has a jazzy feel to it. The melody is lovely. Once they play it everyone starts singing like crazy, it's a great number. I love the lyrics of it too.
Darrell worked at Slim Jim for a while so he was singing and playing each night and I saw the crowd reaction to the music. We did a two day gig with the band, the New Yorker, all these fantastic people turned up from David Bowie to Meatloaf, Paul Shaffer and Brian Setzer was their both nights as a guest and it was heaven. Darrell had a great time.

Billie Holiday - I'm A Fool To Want You
I've been a fan of Billie Holiday since I was 15 years old, through Diana Ross it came on TVs Lady Kings Of Blues. I'd never heard this music before and I fell in love with it. I got a CD token and got my brother to go in there. It was the fourth record and it was a Billie Holiday track.

I remember when I heard Lady In Satin. It's a beautiful album and I just loved this song. It was on one of her last albums. I heard the song and her voice and the orchestra is beautiful. The song has gorgeous sentiment, she gave all the emotion over. She sounds a little worn and she is basically giving her self over. Brings a tear to the eye!

The Cure - The Love Cats
Brilliant song, I remember when this came out. I went crazy for it, I love the double bass at the beginning, just a fantastic song. Great performance another classic, as soon as it comes out you just go 'oh my god I love this one!'

Charlie Rich - Behind Closed Doors
A beautiful song, myself and my husband had it at our wedding, he's a great piano player, writer and singer. I love Easy Money. This song he did later on in his career, I tend to go for his earlier stuff but he just has a beautiful voice, and you believe everything he sings about. I think he did it in the 70s, I'm not sure, but I love it, a lovely sentiment to the song. That was our wedding song so I had to include it. Warm velvety chocolate voice.

Teddy Wilson - Blues In C Sharp Minor
Oh I love this track, I just came across this in one of those cheap racks that nobody wants for like £2.99. I remember there were some great songs, I bought it because Billie Holiday was on some of the tracks and I thought I would check it out, it sounds like a jam they recorded.

It's brilliant! It starts with double bass and that just leads it, then the rest of the band seek in and before you know it the whole band is playing. Bit by bit all the instruments leave until the double bass is left again at the end.

Train Kept A Rollin - Johnny Burnette
I do that at the gigs, it's another classic. Johnny Burnette is a brilliant singer.
I have the pleasure of knowing his son Rocky who sounds just like his dad, a great singer in his own right. But this is a terrific song it really slides along like a steam song.
It's definitely a man's song, but I've always wanted to sing it, so I did. It just slides along, almost runs on its own, take's it away. It's great and I love the guitar. I find it unusual when he plays, the notes in different octaves at the same time. People often do now, the guitar playing does it for me on this.

Blondie - Sunday Girl
I love Blondie, there's so many great songs they performed and great production and part into arrangement, which I have often found inspiring. Simple songs that move so much and they have you on the edge of your seat keeping so much interest. Ive seen them a few times in festivals and I have got to go backstage. I met Debby Harry, which was wonderful. I love that they are still a current band bringing out great albums and great songs as well as the classic hits. This is a great song. I love singing along to this.

To see how Imelda's influences shape her live show click here

6:57 AM | 27/09/2010