Soundtrack Of My Life: Carl Cox

The first song I remember hearing

Otis Redding – ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’

“My father had a great soul collection and I remember listening to Otis Redding‘s ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ over and over. My father passed away in Barbados last year and, being stuck in Melbourne, I wasn’t able to get to the funeral. I turned an episode of my weekly Cabin Fever – The Vinyl Sessions show into a tribute to him: I played his original record collection live and was joined by the Prime Minister of Barbados via video link. When I played this record, I had to hold back the emotions as the track transported me back to our front room.”

The first song I fell in love with

KC and the Sunshine Band – ‘(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty’

“I remember seeing KC and the Sunshine Band perform this on Top Of The Pops, which is where we all tuned in to every week to see and hear what was going on. I rushed out and bought it, and couldn’t stop playing it. I wouldn’t have believed that I’d be on TOTP a few years later with my own track, ‘I Want You (Forever)’.”

The first album I bought

Brass Construction – ‘Brass Construction’

“An album was a big investment for me, but when I heard the pure funk on ‘Movin’’ by Brass Construction I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.”

The first gig I went to

Hi-Tension – Tiffany’s Club in Croydon, 1978

“Me and some of my friends went to see Hi-Tension, a UK jazz funk outfit. I had a great time, danced like crazy, missed the last bus and ended up walking the nearly eight-mile journey back home.”

The song that makes me want to dance

The Prodigy – ‘Your Love’

“There are so many great tracks that have me dancing – like Layo & Bushwacka!’s classic ‘Love Story’ – but there is one track that I can never sit still to: The Prodigy‘s ‘Your Love’. This amazing, hand-in-the-air piano drop rave monster makes me feel so happy whenever I hear or get to play it.”

The song I wish I’d written

Stevie Wonder – ‘Another Star’

“When it comes to songwriting and musicality, Stevie Wonder is right up there. He has such an incredible catalogue that picking one out is not easy! If I was putting my name to a track, it would have to be Stevie’s ‘Another Star’: this timeless gem still sounds big and uplifting, and the musicality is perfection.”

The song I can’t get out of my head

Carl Cox – ‘Sand, Moon and Stars’

“Normally it’s something I’m working on in the studio. I’ve just finished writing the theme for a documentary series on DAZN called Club Ibiza: The Sessions about an Ibizan football team. The response was much more than I imagined, and just from the trailers people kept asking what the song was. It kept on going round and round in my head, and made me think about Ibiza and the energy on the island. I went back into the studio and developed it further, and we’re about to release it as a full length single, titled ‘Sand, Moon and Stars’, to coincide with the documentary, which is out next month.”

The song I can no longer listen to

Angie Stone – ‘Wish I Didn’t Miss You’

“This is not an easy question: even songs from sad times have a place and bring out an emotion linked to a memory. I find it hard to listen to Angie Stone’s ‘Wish I Didn’t Miss You’. It was the very first record I played at the final closing party at Space in Ibiza in 2016. I’d held my residency there for 16 years, returning every summer to share my sound with like-minded people on the island. As I played it, the tears rolled down – and even now listening to it is difficult.”

The song I want played at my funeral

David Bowie – ‘Golden Years’

“So now you want me to choose a record that I won’t get to hear! I think that if it had to be one track at my funeral it would be ‘Golden Years’ by David Bowie. It’s a classic that I can hear over and over again, and you never know – I might pop back for one last listen!”

Carl Cox’s latest track ‘Sand, Moon and Stars’, as featured in DAZN’s upcoming original documentary series ‘Club Ibiza: The Sessions’, is due to be released in February.

‘Club Ibiza: The Sessions’ with Carl Cox goes live on DAZN’s global platform in 200+ countries and territories, including the UK, on February 22.