Everyone was surprised when it was announced that Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson was to feature on the latest series of The Voice, but the move has paid off handsomely, with good reviews and the Kaisers sitting proudly back at the top of the charts with their latest album Education, Education, Education & War. The band have also just announced arena dates in February 2015 in London and Leeds - for tickets, head here.
We caught up with Ricky to discover his Ultimate Playlist and the stories behind the selections. Read on for some American classics, a modern day pop classic and a track from a fellow judge...
Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify
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Favourite Song From a Movie Soundtrack
"Johnny B Goode from Back to the Future. Marti McFly playing guitar at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance. That was the moment I decided what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Time Travel. Unfortunately that was not possible. Neither could I play the guitar 'like I was ringing a bell' so I had to be just the singer."
Favourite Sad Song
"After Back to the Future I got really into all things 50's Rock & Roll. It's still at the heart of everything I do. I was still only 7 and finding out Buddy Holly had died (even though it was over 25 years earlier) really upset me. That doesn't make much sense now, but it was the first time I really thought about death. Every time I hear this song I remember that realisation."
Favourite Song from my childhood
"Johnny Cash - Boy Named Sue. At the age of 10 I could do an awesome Jonny Cash impression, dressed in black, strumming a tennis racket. It's still the song I would do on Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, but sadly it's no longer so cute. It was the start of my love of story songs. The 'radio edit' has killed the story song. I still haven't got a proper one onto a Kaisers record."
Favourite Club anthem
"Kylie Minogue - All the Lovers. I'd filmed the first part of The Voice and had become firm pals with Minogue by the time I flew out to Atlanta to record the album. We had a day off so attended a Pride rally in the park. I was casually leaning against a tree sipping a beer when this came booming through the PA and the crowd went absolutely wild for it. It had been a weird year leading up to recording the album, and now I was here it was even more bizarre. I was persuaded to dance by a ginormous queen with a mohawk on stilts."
Favourite song no one else has heard of
"Paris 1919. This is a tricky question, as hundreds of you will be SCREAMING that of course you've heard it before... All I can say was that I hadn't until last year and now I'm absolutely hooked on John Cale. I often have not a clue what he's singing about but always understand the way it's supposed to make you feel. Good travelling music."
Favourite Wedding Song
"Build me up Buttercup: there is no other Wedding Song for me. I was at a wedding at the weekend and it's the only time I 'really' dance nowadays. Dance like your friends are watching is a great motto."
Favourite Lyric from a song
"Did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?"
"It hardly needs explaining really. I find it moving and motivating. Recently I realised to get what I wanted I had to put my head above the parapet more than I would like. This means getting shot at a little, but the rewards can be incredible."
Favourite Current Song
"I honestly think if you don't like Happy, then you are simply obsessed with pretending to be cool."
Favourite One Hit Wonder
"Technically Al Wilson had another 'hit' (Show and Tell) but this is the one everybody knows. This was the song that could always get me out of my favourite booth at my favourite club and onto the dance floor and I'm sure it still could. It's got a little bit of everything else on this list. "
Favourite song from your own music
"Roses is the last song off our new record. Not just because I like the song but for what it represents. It was a moment when I realised how much we needed each other and began to truly trust in the new chemistry we have. If you took one of us away from this record it would fall apart. It's an incredible thing to build in under a year, but the threat of it being taken away made us very fast learners. It arrived just when we needed it and solidified our confidence in both ourselves and the gang."
(Images: Rex)
