Now taking requests – a collaborative playlist for CommsCamp14

Next week the second CommsCamp will be held in Birmingham to bring together communications professionals in an unconference format to discuss the issues and practices which are important to their work and skills.

It’s been organised by Dan Slee and Darren Caveney of Comms2point0 and Emma Rodgers. They’ve added other elements to the day to make it more of an event than purely unconference – the social baking element of the charity cake stand and looking for music for the downtimes during the day.

Music at an unconference works well – at least two of the LocalGovCamps over the years have been DJ’d by Stuart Harrison and as well as adding ambience as people chat it also reinforces the creative, informal atmosphere and helps further charge the energy generated by unconference empowerment.

When CommsCamp asked for volunteers to DJ I thought I better make myself useful (I’ll be at the event for LocalGov Digital) and bring together the music part of my life (remember, you can read my words about music on Louder Than War). But an unconference is about everyone being equal so it seemed sensible to make this a crowdsourced playlist, and it seemed fun to make it communications themed.

I’ve done something similar before – at LocalGovCamp Yorkshire and Humber in 2010 – although that was a wider LocalGov/Camp themed list. You might want to take a look at it here.

For the new playlist, there’s already been some suggestions on Twitter and I’ve added these to the start of the playlist below. But now you need to send me your suggestions for bands or songs that relate to communications in some way. I’ll pull them altogether and we’ll play them during registration at CommsCamp14. Leave me a comment here or tweet me using the hashtag #commssongs.

I’ll see you on the dancefloor / seated area in front of the presentation screen.

Talk to Me – CommsCamp14 Playlist

• Saint Etienne – He’s on the Phone (suggested by Albert Freeman)
• The Jam – Girl on the Phone (suggested by Albert Freeman)
• Talking Head – Radio Head (suggested by Martin Howitt)
• Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby (for the ‘stop, collaborate and listen’ line, suggested by Dan Slee)
• Elastica – Connection
• Soulwax – Conversation Intercom
• The Marvelettes  – Please Mr Postman (Albert Freeman)
• Elvis Costello – Everyday I Write the (face)Book (Eddie Coates-Madden)
• Electronic – Get the Message (Matt Clements and Albert Freeman)
• The Editors – Release (Eddie Coates-Madden)
• The Buggles – Video Killed the Radio Star (Dan Slee)
• No Doubt – Don’t Speak (Lorna Perry)
• Blondie – Hanging on the Telephone
• Lady Gaga – Telephone (Kelly Quigley-Hicks)
• Spandau Ballet – Communication (Dan Slee)
• Super Furry Animals – Wherever I Lay My Phone (That’s My Home) (Albert Freeman)
• Led Zeppelin – Communications Breakdown (Eddie Coates-Madden)
• Elvis Presley – A Little Less Conversation (Tim Morton)
• Captain Sensible – Happy Talk (Tim Morton)
• Pet Shop Boys – E-mail (Albert Freeman)
• Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (Jamie Whyte)
• T-Rex – Telegram Sam (Tim Morton and Simon Whitehouse)
• Fats Waller – I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (Tim Morton)
• Mojave 3 – Return to Sender
• Beatles – No Reply (Albert Freeman)
• The Clash – London Calling (Albert Freeman)
• Lou Reed – Satellite of Love (Albert Freeman)
• I Wanna Be Like You – Robbie Williams and Olly Murs (for the ‘learn to be human too’ line)
• Carly Rae-Jepson – Call Me Maybe
• Gil Scott-Heron – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
• Cardigans – Communication
• Pink Floyd – Is There Anybody Out There?
• Kings of Leon – On Call
• Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence (the anti-comms song?)
• Coldplay – Talk
• Deftones – When Girls Telephone Boys

Send me your suggestions by tweeting me using the hashtag #commssongs or leave a comment below!

~

This brings together several parts of my life but also links back to the Epic Mixtape collective that Dan Slee and I were a part of . If you’re looking for more themed mixtapes – including an Atlantic 252 list and a massive collaborative Rave mix – then check out Epic Mixtape.