Lately, during my daily commutes, my head has been full of music.
My memories as well as my ears.
The trigger to the musical headwork has been a guy at work.
Mike, let’s call him that, has been seconded on to my project.
Mike likes his music.
So do I.
And lately we’ve been talking.
About music.
I can’t remember how it came up in the conversation (though I am sure he mentioned the name first), but we got on to the topic of Warren Zevon.
And that single name has triggered a series of memories – back to the time I heard my very first Warren Zevon track.
Shortly after my arrival No 4 Wing, RAF Bruggen, I discovered the wonderfully eclectic world of Dutch FM radio.
On Friday nights (or maybe it was Saturday nights) there was a late-night FM music station called VPRO.
The station had a show called Candlelight.
The DJ (I’m sorry, I can’t recall his name) seemed to have a free hand to play whatever music he wanted.
Some of his playlist was request based (my Dutch was good enough to tell me that), but most of what he played was down to his personal choices.
That’s where I heard my first Warren Zevon.
Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner
Over the weeks, months, and years, that show – Candlelight – introduced me to some awesome music.
Maybe it’s stretching things to say that I owe my wonderfully diverse taste in music to a late night show on a Dutch FM radio station.
Maybe it is.
But to me it’s pretty certain that without VPRO, and without Candlelight, I wouldn’t have the late Warren Zevon in my life.
And I wouldn’t have this almost never played (on radio) track from the awesome Ray Charles.
Game Number 9