Tony Banks

GENESIS KEYSMAN

“Do I party? I’ve never partied!” TONY BANKS

What music are you currently grooving to?

Not much, to be honest. I go onto YouTube and find old songs I like. Johnny Cash’s Hurt is great, it works really well with the video. I’m quite mainstream. Roy Orbison – In Dreams and It’s Over, a fantastic song, it’s very simple and it doesn’t repeat too much. And Sibelius too.

What, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite album? Pet Sounds? It’s fascinating in terms of composition, how it’s quite unusual but at the same time seems quite ordinary. The audience isn’t aware of it, which is a real talent.

What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it? I bought The Wanderer by Dion, from a record shop in Eastbourne or Brighton, I imagine. I was a very big pop fan, and I remember it being quite expensive, so very exciting.

Which musician, other than yourself, have you ever wanted to be?

I never really have. As an introvert in a rock group, there are ones I admire, like Burt Bacharach, who carved a trail – he was never a front man, but wouldn’t want to be anyone else.

What do you sing in the shower? Whatever is in my brain – it may never see the light of day otherwise. And awful songs that get stuck there. Adverts do that.

What is your favourite Saturday night record?

When you’re in a group, it’s a working day. And I went to public school, I boarded, and it didn’t mean much there either. But I’d say anything by The Beatles: I Wanna Be Your Man, Michelle, they defined my childhood. Do I party? I’ve never partied! I get nothing at all out of shouting at people across noisy rooms.

And your Sunday morning record? Crossword, feed the dog, take my wife a cup of tea… boring! Well it should be serene and beautiful, which covers a lot of ground, so I’ll say America by Simon And Garfunkel. A lovely song. Tony Banks’s Banks Vaults: The Albums 1979-1995 is out now on Cherry Red.