Here’s a little bit of music history – the first punk single from Northern Ireland… the first official one, anyway. Big Time by Rudi was the first release on Belfast’s homegrown Good Vibrations label in April 1978.

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Randy Crawford joined The Crusaders to sing what became their biggest hit, Street Life in 1979. Or, as my old colleague used to call it, Street Light.

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The Undertones released one of the greatest debut singles of all time in Teenage Kicks – in fact one of the best ever singles, full stop.

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All I really remember about Téléphone is that they were French and that I have a single made of red vinyl in the shape of (you guessed) a telephone.

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Here’s some more French punk: Stinky Toys may have been the first, Métal Urbain were the crème de la crème.

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French punk… who knew?! Well, anyone who went to that seminal Punk Festival at the 100 Club back in 1976, where Stinky Toys played alongside the Pistols, Clash, Damned and Buzzcocks – and were attacked onstage by Sid Vicious.

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Today, at long last, the sun is out and as so often my thoughts – and ears – turn to reggae. Today they turn to Jacob ‘Killer’ Miller.

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Nick Lowe really ought to be a national treasure. A key figure in pub rock and punk rock in the Seventies, for some of us he already is.

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Magazine had a near-hit with Shot By Both Sides in January 1978. It’s arguably the first post-punk single – and certainly one of the best of that year.

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James Hines is one of the more fascinating figures of funk and soul – a six-foot-seven, 300-pound, legally blind albino guitarist, producer, composer who became a preacher after getting his sight back.

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