Now I’m no fan of rock and roll by any stretch. But there are certain songs from the era I really like and their inclusion in this jukebox gives it more diversity for sure.

Like many, my musical education was through the radio and John Peel who played an eclectic plethora of genre and sound.

So I heard bits and pieces through the years and not always by the Dave Clark Five.

My exposure to rock and roll and rockabilly was via a lad called Anthony really. I was in a children’s home at the time and aged fourteen. When you first got there you were a newbie and shared a small dorm with other boys. I’d graduated to having my own single room.

It’s so long ago now that I can barely remember my room but I know that I had a Fidelty record player and Anthony in the room next door had a Dansette.

He would have been going on sixteen and was well into the rock and roll scene. He had a quiff and a selection of drapes and winklepickers.

That was 1982. The music charts were crammed with alternative styles and I was still playing my punk and ska singles as I recall.

Anyway, I listened through the wall to his music and learned about Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps, Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers AND it was where I first heard that Johnny Restivo record which appears on the Jukebox sometime soon.

Anthony played Blue Jean Bop a lot and I loved that one. That slow crooning start until that pause and… “I can’t keep still so baby let’s dance…”

I didn’t hear Lotta Lovin’ until many years later but when I did it became a firm favourite in my miniscule appreciation of rock and roll. Here it is.

Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta lovin’
Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta huggin’
So baby can’t you see that you were meant for me
I want your lovin’, yes-a-ree

Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta huggin’
Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta kissin’
So baby please proceed to get the love I need
I want your lovin’ yes indeed

Well, I want you, I love you, I need you so much
Why don’t you give out with that magic touch
You send me, you thrill me, baby you’re so fine
I want your lovin’ baby all the time

Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta lovin’
Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta kissin’
So baby don’t forget I gonna get you yet
I want your lovin’, aw you bet. (Rock)

Well, I want you, I love you, I need you so much
Why don’t you give out with that magic touch
You send me, you thrill me, baby you’re so fine
I want your lovin’ baby all the time

Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta lovin’
Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta huggin’
So baby don’t forget I gonna get you yet
I want your lovin’, aw you bet. (Rock)

Its opponent today is a song from the Cocteau Twins 1984 release Treasure and arguably it’s the best song although I like the album entirely albeit not as much as Garlands.

A lot of these ties are intriguing because there is often stark contrast between the songs.

Here you’ve got Lorelei which borders on an anthemic march but has its authenticity steeped in… well… that’s a dilemma. How do we pigeonhole their music? It’s not really shoegaze, it’s slightly goth perhaps it are Grangenouth’s finest filed under post-punk?

Anyway, decide for yourselves which song you like best over the weekend, in the meantime thanks for voting and taking part.