Welcome to our regular feature in which we ask the great and good of the music industry - from independent record shop owners and staff to artists and more - for the five records that make their lives complete.
Five Records I Can't Live Without - David Hepworth
This June, we're thrilled to welcome author and journalist David Hepworth to the Record Tokens site to tell us which five records make his life complete. David has been writing, broadcasting and speaking about music and media since the seventies. He was involved in the launch and editing of magazines such as Smash Hits, Q, Mojo and The Word, among many others. His latest book, A Fabulous Creation: How the LP saved our lives, tells the life story of the beloved musical format, from Sgt Pepper to Thriller, and how it changed the course of popular music forever.
David says:
"I miss the days when I only had fifty records because back then I had no problem deciding what to play. When you have thousands it’s a lot harder. These are five records which I reach for regularly because they have that elusive ingredient, playability. They’re like the old friends whose voice you’re always happy to hear when you answer the phone."
Read all about David's choices below, and join in the conversation on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #5records - plus look out for David's books in a record or bookshop near you!
David's picks
Marcus Garvey by Burning Spear
"The records that last the longest are the ones with least apparent production. This is a classic example. Bone dry reggae with a lot of history to teach."
Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell
"She always had difficulty finding musicians who could stay with her. Here, with Tom Scott's band, she finally found the perfect light jazz sound that so many of her songs seemed to be hinting at. It's a record about what she would and would not give up for love. I feel sorry for anyone trying to emulate it."
Good Old Boys by Randy Newman
"Randy Newman's my favourite rock star because he's interested in subjects other than his own career. This is a record about the tension between the Southern states and the rest of the USA, which could be the most important issue in American history, as we've been reminded in the last three years.They wouldn't allow you to make it today."
Bobby Charles by Bobby Charles
"This record, which came out in the early 70s, didn't trouble the charts anywhere and probably sold in single figures. However, everywhere I go I meet people who have it and none of them would part with it."
The Belle Album by Al Green
"Artists like Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin made a career out of taking gospel ideas and transforming them into songs about physical love. With this record, which he wrote and produced himself, Al Green went the other way. Guaranteed to melt the hardest heart."
Previous features
