One of the few punk bands I never got to see, Swell Maps still left a mark with their Peel sessions and two excellent albums of DIY punk experimentalism.

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Released in October 1978, this was the song that showed The Jam had left their punk roots far behind. As did their third album, All Mod Cons, from which it was taken.

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I don’t know if psychedelic drugs were involved in the making of this song but I would be highly surprised if they weren’t. Then again, just listening to it is a mind-bending trip.

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Los Angeles soul trio Sly, Slick & Wicked are one of two obscure vocal groups to name themselves after a 1970 single by The Lost Generation.

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This is one of the first – maybe even the very first – songs I played for my children when they were very small.

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As eclectic as you can get, with quite a hefty dose of old-skool punk from Northern Ireland. But also some No Wave from early-80s New York, a bit of jazz, some classic reggae, a dash of hip-hop and more.

It’s 50 years since the release of that landmark album Dark Side Of The Moon. I think I first came across this in LA. It goes well with the sunshine and relaxed pace of life in SoCal.

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Old soul and New Wave, classic reggae and traditional folk, jazz-funk and French punk, boogie-woogie and a spot of lounge music. All of which should be enough to warm us up in February.

Kicking off with the peerless Nina Simone and moving forward several decades to the poitnant monologue of Dead (but not Ed) Sheeran, some vintage funk and soul, a bit of classic country and a tribute to the recently deceased guitar genius Tom Verlaine.

I have to confess I wasn’t swept away with the baggy revolution at the time but I did come around to The Stone Roses’ debut album.

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