Originally written by Luke Slater · 22 April 2010
It was recently confirmed that the legendary Optimo would end their residency at Glasgow's Sub Club, after a whole thirteen years of prosperity for JD Twitch and JG Wilkes. Sad news. There was also a poll, of sorts, undertaken by Optimo fans and today they've revealed the Top 250 tracks, via their blog.
Here's what they say:
“Here is a very, very long list of tracks that have been Optimo favourites over the years. It was 100% compiled by the people who have regularly come to the club and was mostly taken from posts made on the Optimo Facebook page with a few more taken from a couple of other forum threads about people's all time favourite Optimo tracks. Literally thousands of records have been played at Optimo but these are the ones that seem to have resonated the most. There are probably some notable absences from the list but we had to stop somewhere. I think this is a much more interesting list than the one that we would have put together from our own memories of the club. Firstly, we would never have remembered all of these and secondly, we might have concentrated on the more esoteric records that we loved to play. I think what is most striking about the list is that the vast majority of these tracks are SONGS. The majority of what we played at the club was actually techno, house, electro, disco, whatever etc. but that isn't really reflected in the list which shows that perhaps the thing that resonates with people is not the latest cutting edge electronic track but something that they can sing along to. Well, we knew that already to be honest, and Optimo was always really "Poptimo" with a big seam of mutant pop music at its core. When we started the club in 1997, it had taken a lifetime to accrue the records below. Now, you can probably access 99% of them with two clicks of a mouse. Enjoy and savour them; some of them changed lives.”
And here, believe it or not, is the complete list of tracks which made it into the Top 250. Anyone ready to make a Spotify playlist? Good luck to you, good luck indeed. Some wonderful person by the name of Alex Torrance has already made one! 168/250 is not bad at all, sir. Well done! Click here to listen to it.
Loose Joints - Is it All Over My Face? Loose Joints - Tell You (Today) Dinosaur - Kiss Me Again Dinosaur L - Go Bang! Arthur Russell - This Is How We Walk On The Moon Arthur Russell - Home Away From Home Bis - Shack Up Grace Jones - La Vie En Rose Divine - Shake It Up Divine - Native Love Roni Griffith - Desire The Normal - Warm Leatherette The Mekons - Where Were You? Q Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses The Slits - I Heard It Through The Grapevine Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Heard It Through The Grapevine Khan feat. Julee Cruise - Say Goodbye Madonna - Into The Groove Madonna - Hung Up Laidback - White Horse Marc Houle - Bay Of Figs Bumblebee Unlimited - Lady Bug Immortals - The Ultimate Warlord Aztec Mystic - Knights Of The Jaguar Ram Jam - Black Betty Chris and Cosey - October Love Song Chris and Cosey - Walking Through Heaven Chris and Cosey - Sweet Surprise The Joubert Singers - Stand On The Word (Larry Levan Mix) Basic Channel - Phylyps Trak 2 Aretha Franklin - Rocksteady Joakim - I Wish You Were Gone Zongamin - Bongo Song Modettes - White Mice Spanky Wilson - Sunshine Of Your Love Implog - Holland Tunnel Dive Tuxedomoon - In A Manner Of Speaking Midnite Mike - Boys Boys Boys KC Flight - Voices AC / DC - Highway To Hell AC / DC - The Jack League Unlimited Orchestra - Things That Dreams Are Made Of Lindstrom - I Feel Space Black Leotard Front - Casual Friday Ronettes - Baby I Love You Westbam - Old School Baby Karen Young - Hot Shot Roxy Music - Virginia Plain Prince - When Doves Cry Detroit Grand Pubahs - Sandwiches James White and The Blacks - Contort Yourself The Contortions - Contort Yourself Alter Ego - Why Not? Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom - Rise (DFA Mix) Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom - Relevee (Carl Craig Mix) Edwin Starr - War Ten Benson - Rock Cottage Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture (Finale) Spacemen 3 - Revolution The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet Faze Action - Good Lovin' The Specials - A Message To You Rudy Chris Issak - Wicked Games Ricardo Villalobos - Dexter Max Romeo - Chase The Devil Grauzone - Eisbaer Par-T-One - I'm So Crazy Suicide - Dream Baby Dream Crème De Menthe - Plastique Angelo Badalamenti - Twin Peaks Theme Angelo Badalamenti - The Pink Room Mariah - Shinzo No Tobira Argento - Milano Gospel Spirit - The Other Song Coil - Tainted Love Sun Ra - Space Is The Place Delta 5 - Mind Your Own Business Roland - Golden Brown Bush Tetras - Snakes Crawl ESG - Moody ESG - UFO ESG - Dance Cutty Ranks - Limb By Limb Shabba Ranks - Mr. Loverman (David Morales mix) Jacqueline Taieb - 7 heure Du Matin Farley Jackmaster Funk - Love Can't Turn Around Fever Ray - Triangle Walks (Rex The Dog Remix) Retro/Grade - Moda Shock Headed Peters - I, Bloodbrother Be Denis Naidanow Feat. Tyree Cooper - Wonderland The Rapture - House Of Jealous lovers Hercules - 7 Ways To Jack C Cat Trance - Shake The MInd Sons And Daughters - Dance Me In (JD Twitch and The Truffle Club mix) Richie Havens - Going Back To My Roots Deeon - The Freaks Faze Action - In The Trees (Carl Craig mix) Sean Paul - Like Glue Sean Paul - Temperature Joy Division - Transmission Mary Hill - Hallogallo I-F - Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass David Bowie - Station To Station Cristina - Is That All There Is? The Knife - Silent Shout Jonathan Richman - Egyptian Reggae Peaches - Fuck The Pain Away Hansepferd - BismarckE Quarks - I Walk (Superpitcher Shaffel mix) Hot Chocolate - Heaven Is In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac (The Revenge mix) Echopark - Suicide Commando The Velvet Underground - All Tomorrow's Parties Jamie Principle - Your Love Sexual Harassment - I Need A Freak TLC - No Scrubs Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 Material - Bustin' Out Funky Green Dogs From Outer Space - Reach For Me Herbert - Moving Like A Train (Smith N' Hack Remix) The Human League - You've Lost That Loving Feeling Johnny Wakelin - In Zaire Man 2 Man Meets Man Parrish - Male Stripper Mount Florida - Poptimo / Yo La Poptimo Whirlpool Productions - From Disco To Disco Console - 14 Zero Zero Silver Apples - Lovefingers Skatt Bros - Walk The Night Smog - Cold Blooded Old Times Paul Johnson - Playing With A Rubberband Vitalic - La Rock 01 Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song Throbbing Gristle - Hot On The Heels Of Love Den Haan - Release the Beast Midnight Starr - Midas Touch The Stooges - No Fun The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog The B-52's Planet Claire Beirut - Nantes (Fredo & Thang Disco Remix) Dakar & Grinser - I Wanna Be Your Dog Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You Baccara - Yes Sir I Can Boogie Ferenc - Yes Sir, I Can Hardcore (Michael Mayer Mix) Gloria Jones - Tainted Love Blondie - Atomic Blondie - Rip Her To Shreds Blondie - Shayla Blondie - Heart Of Glass Blondie - Hanging On The Telephone The Rolling Stones - Under My thumb Human Resource - Dominator Naum - Ari Silver Apples - Oscillations This Mortal Coil - Song To The Siren Troublefunk - Drop The Bomb Public Enemy - Rebel Without A Pause The Sweet - Ballroom Blitz Severed Heads - We Have Come To Bless This House Severed Heads - Dead Eyes Opened Bobby O - She Has A Way The Ramones - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker John Carpenter - Assault On Precinct 13 Shirley And Co. - Shame, Shame, Shame Aaliyah - Try Again Nitzer Ebb - Join In The Chant Nitzer Ebb - Murderous Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence Depeche Mode - Behind The Wheel (Shep Pettibone mix) Os Mutantes - A Minha Menina The Creepers - Baby's On Fire Fleetwood Mac - The Chain (Coda) Gang Of Four - Damaged Goods Gang of Four - At Home He's a Tourist 'Duelling Banjos' 'Zorba The Greek' Richard Strauss - The Blue Danube Tiefschwarz - Ghostrack (Black Strobe Remix) Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams Raffaella Carra - Black Cat The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Faith Healer Hot Butter - Popcorn Harry Thumann - Underwater The Flirts - Passion Liquid Liquid - Optimo Liquid Liquid - Cavern Love - Everybody's Got To Live Justus Kohncke - Old Man Chemise - She Can't Love You Liaisons Dangereuses - Los Ninos Del Parque Amnesia - Ibiza Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood Soft Cell - Sex Dwarf Boney M - Rasputin Green Velvet - La La Land Sylvester - Do You Wanna Funk Grafitti - What Is Your Problem Desire - Don't Call Colourbox - Baby I Love You So Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For You Nina Simone - Feelin' Good Tim Rose - Morning Dew Cajmere - Let Me Be Beyonce - Crazy In Love Amerie - One Thing Lady Saw - Bam Bam Wayne Smith - Under Me Sleng Teng Banbarra - Shack Up The Ramones - Baby I Love You The Flirtations - Nothing But A Heartache Sparks - Beat The Clock Sparks - No. 1 Song In Heaven Fourmost Poets - Moonraker Hot Chip - Over And Over (Naum Gabo mix) Shirley Ellis - The Clapping Song Motorhead - Ace Of Spades Black Sabbath - The Wizard Jesse Jackson - Wattstax Speech Sister Sledge - Lost In Music LB - Jealous Guy Adult - Nausea Talking Heads - Psycho Killer The Juan Maclean - Happy House The Meters - Just Kissed My Baby Gui Borratto - Beautiful Life Dr. Alimantado - Born For A Purpose Mount Rushmore - You Better Johnny Cash - Personal Jesus Audion - Mouth To Mouth Wookie - The Battle (Dub) House Master Boyz - House Nation Jeans Team - Keine Melodien CLS - Can You Feel It Liberty City - If You Really Love Someone Dead Kennedys - California Über Alles LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends The Birthday Party - Sonny's Burning Grinderman - No Pussy Blues KXP - 18 Hours Of Love (An Optimo (Espacio) Mix) Shit Robot - I Got A Feeling Fela Kuti - Zombie John Carpenter - The End Egyptian Empire - The Horn Track Ike And Tina Turner - Come Together Supermayer - The Two Of Us Cerrone - Supernature Giorgio Moroder - The Chase Donna Summer - I Feel Love (Patrick Cowley mix) Nathan Fake - The Sky Was Pink (James Holden Remix) The Sonics - Shot Down Chilly - For Your Love Man Friday - Love Honey, Love Heartache The Cramps - New Kind Of Kick The White Stripes - Truth Doesn't Make A Noise? And The Mysterians - 96 Tears Shellac - Prayer To God DAF - Der Mussolini
...and END.