MY SIX BEST ALBUMS

MARTINE MCCUTCHEON

MARTINE McCUTCHEON, 41, made her name as Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders. She had a No 1 hit with Perfect Moment and won an Olivier Award for My Fair Lady. Her new album Lost And Found is out on August 11. FLEETWOOD MAC: Rumours (Warner) My mum played this when I was growing up. I remember being aware of the emotion behind the music. I was fascinated by Stevie Nicks and fell a bit in love with Lindsey Buckingham. My hubby has curly hair and a beard so it was definitely an influence. BARBRA STREISAND: Love Songs (Columbia) Growing up, she was my hero along with Stevie Nicks. Strong, sassy women with amazing, distinctive voices. I was fascinated by the cover photo. She was mesmerising, not a typical beauty.

EAGLES: The Very Best Of The Eagles (Rhino) In Peaceful Easy Feeling the lyrics include: “I like the way your sparkling earrings lay”. It’s so descriptive. It reminds me of hot summer days, windows open and Mum cooking as we sang along. KENNY ROGERS: The Gambler (Originals) My mum had an old red Cortina and we’d drive to Clacton for caravan holidays with this on. It’s fantastic storytelling. I loved his voice and thought he looked like Father Christmas. KINGS OF LEON: Only By The Night (RCA/Sony) This broke the mould with its raw raunchiness but it’s also melodic. It reminds me of seeing them and of getting dressed up to go out. Me and the girls would sing along to Sex On Fire with our straighteners and rollers in. PRINCE: The Very Best Of Prince (Warner) When he sang Purple Rain, it was the first time I cried when I saw a performance on video. It moved me so much as a child. The guitar solo still gets me.

I found him intriguing because he was feminine and beautiful. I wanted to be Diamond or Pearl, his two girl singers, and we put stick-on diamonds on our bra tops but they kept pinging off.