Tim Burgess' Top 10 tour bus tracks!

No. 1: Burt Bacharach – South American Getaway This song was from the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. If ya haven’t seen it, check it out & you can also see clips and hear tracks on You Tube.

I remember reading once that Robert Zimmerman (Bob Dylan) wanted to be The Lone Ranger when he grew up. I wanted to be The Sundance Kid!

This song for me can be played in any situation, and it’s all good at that moment.

The band at the moment is listening to it before we walk on stage (it puts a little spring in yer step!). This is also a perfect ‘road’ song and start to my ‘Top 10’, because it really encapsulates the feeling of travel. Basically where we are going & where we have come from…

Taking me to the next track, No.2: Aztec Camera – Walk Out To Winter. I think the title says it all, brave the cold, and the warmth will follow…

Falling into No. 3: Cat Power – Living Proof. This song is the greatest and it seems to give you a sense of empowerment. A soothing song suitable for any type of destination you are trying to reach. Especially with lyrics like,

“Yes I was jealous / Because you are sworn / How could you come undone to a word so strong / My beating heart the anchor to a ship so warm / You're supposed to have the answer / You're supposed to have living proof / Well I am your answer I am living…”

Thanks Cat!’

No. 4 is Lightspeed Champion - Tell Me What It’s Worth from his irresistible debut ‘Falling Off The Lavender Bridge’, is filled with great tracks, like ‘Let The Bitches Die’, but Tell Me What’s It’s Worth is a great flying/rolling down the path song, and the video is fun too!

No. 5 is Effi Briest (the ghost/spirit of Lizzy Mercier Descloux lives on through these ladies). They are a great girl band, and I recently had the chance to meet them all in a pub in East London on a rainy Sunday night? They were in town from Brooklyn playing a show. Their song Mirror Rim is a lovely twisted inspired debut single, sounding like a cat searching through the grass looking for a mouse to catch.

The No. 6 – singer Charlotte from the band Le Courbe Volume is French. So when I hear her voice singing the words ‘when I die Lord, bury me deep’ from the song ‘Freight Train’ in my ear buds while traveling just outside of Marseille on the way to Paris – I can’t stop smiling.

She actually sent me a text earlier to tell me she sold out her first show at a ukulele shop on Brick Lane. Nice One!

I actually love long journeys on the tour bus. My fav ever was from Seattle to Minneapolis. It was just me and The Charlatans’ crew (the rest of the band flew). It was a continuous 3-day trip of varied sunshine, snow, mountains, and Fargo, North Dakota… It was definitely one of the greatest journeys of my life, reading Kerouac, drinking cheap red wine, and literally watching the world go by.

Traveling gives ya inspiration, so my No. 7 pick is one of my own – The Charlatans – Complete Control, saying, “complete control, you don’t know what to do, if I had my way, I would get rid of you.”

I always listen to our music – it may seem weird, but I guess I wrote it, so why not enjoy it!

This song is a five-minute electronic anthem, basically aimed at the narrow minded, the ignorant and the deliberately violent! It definitely portrays a positive vibe… and is aimed at what the band are feeling – taking over!

No. 8: A Certain Ratio – Knife Slits Water. This song is so heavy, and it reminds me of growing up in Manchester, growing up listening to bands on Factory records, and how cool Tony Wilson was. The bass in this song is something to notice… my mate, our drum tech on this tour (also one time member of 52nd Street – a Factory band). Well he reckons he wrote the bass line of this song, his brother Donald is the drummer/producer of A Certain Ratio.

I was going to mention Love’s, Little Red book in my ‘Top 10’. It always comes on shuffle, and it reminds me of why I moved to California (that’s another story). Any way, it’s a genius song, leading us to

No. 9. Phantom Planet – California. This song kills me every time I hear it. Whether it was seeing Alex Greenwood crack his ribs crowd surfing at the Apollo in London, while everyone sung along in vain, or just listening to it at the K-West (K-Hole) Hotel (do NOT ever go there)… waiting for a ride to the airport, an interview, TV show, a gig, a tour… That’s the song that always takes me home.

Last, but not least No. 10: The Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring – what a song! More people should remember PSB! Neil Tenants lyrics and his voice are genius. With lyrics like, “And we were never holding back or worried that / Time would come to an end / We were always hoping that, looking back / You could always rely on a friend”

This song makes me feel at least someone/something is 100% behind me – it gives me strength and courage.

So now down stairs on the bus – members of the band and crew have taped two beer crates together and covered them with carpet that we found in Düsseldorf. We also found a little red velvet cloth in a dressing room in Marseille – so Wa La, there you have an instant black jack card table! I am told, I am the casino dj, so now you know what tunes will be blaring!

At this point in my life/journey – this tour bus is my friend and I am relying on it, as it will be my home for most of the summer. There will be many ups and downs and the bus is a bouncing bubble, and with so many on board you have to find your own space.

Looking out on the road tonight, it looks wide open, and so I am optimistic about the future, and the headlights look bright.

I guess I am pretty happy.

Now off to my bunk with the music in my head!

One piece of parting advice if/when you ever go on tour – take your own pillow. Tour bus pillows are crank!