Political Spin: Wendy Chamberlain

What was the first record that you ever bought?

It was Belinda Carlisle, Heaven is a Place on Earth. 

Do you still have it?

No, because it was a seven-inch single. I think I bought it in 1988, I was either primary six or seven. It was around Christmas time where I got Especially for You by Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue from my best friend. 

What record will always get you on the dance floor?

I probably have two. One is that wedding classic Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations, because it has just got to be done, hasn’t it? I think it goes across all of the generations, and makes people think that they can sing. 

And my other song, which our campaign organiser in north east Fife is going to hate because he just despairs of me, I am a big Hall and Oates fan, so it is probably You Make My Dreams Come True. It’s not my favourite of their songs, but it is definitely the one to get me on the dancefloor. 

What is your karaoke song?

My karaoke song is usually These Boots Are Made for Walkin’, Nancy Sinatra. The last time that I did karaoke was for my stepdaughter’s hen, and we ended up in Supercube in Edinburgh, but to be honest at that stage of the evening there was no singing, it was really just everybody shouting. 

What song was your first dance at your wedding and why?

We kind of ended up having three; my first song was Van Morrison, Have I Told You Lately. The song that we wanted was John Martin’s May You Never, but our wedding band didn’t know it, however a friend of my sister’s is a musician, Lynnie Carson, she has done a lot of stuff with the Rose Reilly musical. So, she played it for us when the band was taking a break. 

When the band came back, it was Paul Weller’s You Do Something to Me. 

What songs do you want played at your funeral?

I would probably want May You Never by John Martin again. 

What songs/music is guaranteed to make you cry?

I can definitely tear up at random moments. For a specific song, in 2005 when my daughter was born I was a typical sleep deprived mum and somebody bought us Classic FM Music For Babies and on it was A Gaelic Blessing by John Rutter. It is a lovely soothing piece of music, with beautiful sentiments and obviously that Scottish connection. 

What music would you always associate with your childhood?

My Saturday mornings as a child were basically my sister and I getting up watching Saturday Superstore and Going Live. I don’t really remember Swap Shop – I’m not that old. Then at 20 past 12 we would be shouted at when Grandstand started, and my sister and I would still be in our jammies. So in terms of my childhood, it is those big sort of 80s theme tunes that I remember. 

What record do you absolutely hate but can’t get out of your head?

In the dictionary sense of Catholic being all encompassing, I am up for any kind of music, I struggle to think of anything that I really hated. Probably the way that song Alice, Who the F… Is Alice has been destroyed, when it comes back it brings on a certain... And maybe it brings back Magaluf 1995 as well. Possibly I don’t want to recall that.   

I probably should say my husband is a big Genesis fan and I do not like or understand them. I got him tickets when they reformed. It got delayed because of the pandemic, but I told him, I am not going with you to this, find a friend.

What record would you be embarrassed to owning up to having in your collection?

In the late ‘80s, women of my age will remember, there was a band called Five Star, who were huge for a short period of time. Going back to my television watching days, they did appear on Going Live, and people got to phone in. Somebody phoned up and asked, ‘Five Star, why are you so s***?’, which is now a video I see every so often. 

They fell out of favour all of a sudden, and I have a vivid memory of my maths teacher trying to sell us a Five Star album at the school fayre, despite the fact literally all of us had handed ours in for the fayre. So, it’s safe to say we didn’t want to buy them back. 

And then about two years ago my team bought me a Five Star greatest hits album for a secret Santa.

What was the last band you went to see and who with?

I feel like this is the point where I regain my credibility. I went to see Paolo Nutini last year at the Hydro. We went with friends who had hospitality and it was fantastic. It was the first time that I have done that, the uninterrupted view plus someone asking if you would like a drink. Yeah, you could definitely get used to it.