Radio LBB: Jade Harley Wants to Take You Back – Way Back

If I were honouring my earlier musical influences, this playlist would kick off with 80s gold, consisting of George Michael (Wham!), Madonna, Prince, and Sinead O'Connor, but I think I'd lose you at hello.

Instead, I've started with classics from my Doc-wearing teen years, when the only thing that mattered was how smudged your eyeliner was and how much hairspray your 'do' could withstand. Enter Robert Smith (The Cure) with hypnotic, angst-filled deliciousness, and masters of melancholic layered synth-pop, Depeche Mode, who opened my ears to a rich soundscape best experienced in solitude.

My Northern English roots resulted in a deep appreciation for homegrown music. Lucky for me, the British music scene in the 90s delivered in spades. On any given sunny day (yes, there were some), we'd congregate around a ghetto blaster, pop the cassette tape in, and sing along to Oasis, The Farm, Inspiral Carpets, and The Verve. Songs reminiscent of hazy days with no particular place to go.

We're taking it to the pre-club girl gathering now when getting ready for a night out was just as important as the main event. Any money earned that week was spent on a new outfit and 7-inch goodies from HMV that we played on repeat as we pre-loaded for the club. We were always gearing up for a big one, perfectly captured by Primal Scream in Loaded. 

After dark, musical tastes were diverse and satiated by clubs with multiple rooms, something for everyone. You'd find us bouncing around to classics like Charly (The Prodigy) and throwing hands in the air for one of the biggest house tracks of all time, She's Homeless (Crystal Waters). Joe Smooth took us all to the Promised Land, and the night wasn't complete until Blue Boy had everyone chanting Remember Me.

In the UK in the 90s, clubs closed at 2am, so invariably, the party kicked on at someone's place.

Avoiding angry neighbours was essential for late-night shenanigans, so the stage was set for the wistful sounds of trip-hop. Massive Attack, Portishead, and Lamb were the backdrop for deep and meaningful chats with best friends and new-found friends (randoms that had somehow found their way home with us).

Music has a way of taking us back. Way back.