James Martin’s honest playlist: ‘I learned to play guitar so I could perform Don’t Stop Believin’ every night’

The first song I remember hearing
I grew up in a farmhouse in Welburn, a little village in North Yorkshire. My mother had an old record player, and I remember her playing Johnny Mathis and Barry Manilow.

The song I do at karaoke
Last tour, the guys at the promoters Live Nation said: “We need a strong ending to the show.” I remember Lee Evans playing the piano at Wembley Arena. So I learned to play the guitar so we could play Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey. Thousands of people stand up with their mobile phone torches on, which is very rock’n’roll. Now it’s our signature. We do it every night.

The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
I know the lyrics to plenty of Oasis songs including Wonderwall, from singing them too many times in the pub when I was in my 20s.

The song I can no longer listen to
Gravity by John Mayer got embedded into my brain because it was the song that was used to soundcheck every night on the last tour. Never again.

The song I wish I had written
Jumpin’ Jack Flash by the Rolling Stones. The lyrics are amazing. Obviously Keith Richards and Mick Jagger had their fallouts back in the day, so to come up with this is amazing.

The best song to play at a party
It depends on the age bracket. But these days, I’d say Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles.

The first single I bought
She Sells Sanctuary by the Cult, from Woolworths in York. I’d get pick’n’mix on a Saturday with my mum for a treat if I was good.

The song that changed my life
I used to listen to Money’s Too Tight (to Mention) by Simply Red when I was a head chef way back in my 20s, mainly because money was too tight to mention. I was living in a rented flat that cost £60 a week and was only earning about £100.

The song I want played at my funeral
All my mates know that I’m obsessed with tractors. So The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key) by the Wurzels. They’re about £750,000 these days, so I can’t afford one. But I could afford a tractor.

The song that gets me up in the morning
Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones has got what I call a proper guitar riff.

James Martin is touring 19 February to 15 March; tour starts Leicester.