By Greg
Setting Some Context
On 15 January 2021 a celebration of Trenna’s life was held. I wanted to hand out a postcard which had a picture of Trenna and a couple of links to a playlist I developed after Trenna passed away a few weeks earlier. I then put up a Facebook post to help people to click through to the playlist.
That Facebook post appears below and I have embedded the Youtube Playlist and the Spotify below.
I hope you will take the time to listen in, read the explanations, think about Trenna, and maybe even share it with friends. Oh! Have a bit of a dance, too.
My wonderful wife passed away on 23 December 2020. Tomorrow is a Celebration of Trenna’s Life. The event prompted me to develop a “Soundtrack of Trenna’s Life”. With the help of my friends Milka and Kym we have compiled a Spotify, and a YouTube Playlist (pretty much the same tunes).
Some of the choices of track might seem a bit odd so I thought I’d say why each was on the list.
Firstly, this list was chosen by me, not Trenna, but as you will see it is all about her, or her and me.
Secondly, this isn’t Tren or my “Best Songs Ever” list. But they are all there for a reason.
Thirdly, don’t agonise over the lyrics, sometimes the songs are included, just because they are good songs.
So put on your dancing shoes, or headphones or earbuds and let’s get into it….
The Spotify playlist is here https://sptfy.com/m9b2 (Some of the Neil Young ones might not be there any more!)
And the YouTube list is here https://tinyurl.com/yxddrqvm
It’s only Rock and Roll (but I like it) – Rolling Stones
It’s only fitting that a Stones’ song should be first on the list. Trenna loved them from her Craig House days onwards. And of course she loved Rock and Roll. She told me that the best time she EVER had [in her entire life] was at the Stones concert we saw in Perth in 2014 together with our friends Sue and Judy. We were in the Tongue Pit right up the front – and it was THE BEST!
Harvest Moon – Neil Young
We went to a Neil Young concert with friends Colin and Christine. Tren and I were very impressed by the ultra long, super controlled feedback he included in the concert. Brilliant! It did unfortunately finish off my already damaged hearing! Harvest Moon contains no feedback but Trenna always thought it was a lovely song.
Ride a White Swan – T-Rex
T-Rex were a huge band in Trenna’s music formative years. This is one of her favourites from them. Tren told me the band’s full name was actually TRENNAsaurus Rex.
Sympathy for the Devil – Stones
Another from the concert we went to in 2014. It sounded great.
Better be Home Soon – Crowded House
Through 2020 Trenna had Callum the speech therapist come and visit regularly. He didn’t have much luck getting her to practice the Super Supraglottic Swallow Method, or any other boring exercise. Then Trenna came up with the idea that perhaps they could do singing as a way of helping her lungs and as a way to improve her ability to have conversations. It worked. It also made her very happy. She looked forward to the weekly or sometimes fortnightly visits from Callum. All the songs they sang together are in this playlist. This song is also in the list because Crowded House songs always reminded Tren of a very enjoyable, relaxed Crowded House Concert one summer evening at the Sandleford winery.
Rock & Roll – Led Zep
Everyone Trenna’s age likes Led Zep, and she was no exception (well, she was often an exception, but not in this case). I know this was a favourite as we were once invited to a wedding. Guests were asked to send in in advance a song they would like on the playlist for the evening. She spent hours sifting through songs, vetting lyrics, considering what various people’s reaction would be to the songs, and also taking into account her “Cool” cred. She eventually settled on this song. On the night of the wedding reception she was starting to flag but wanted to stay until our song was played. It got later, and eventually we asked about it, only to be told that it was going to be too hard to do so they didn’t do it. Oh well!
RIP (Rock in Peace) – AC/DC
Tren liked AkkaDakka and had seen them at Pinocchio’s Nightclub in their very early days. The title of this track selected it for me.
Your My Best Friend – Queen
Again the title attracted me to this particular Queen track. She had tickets to see Queen at the Edgley Entertainment Centre in the 1970s. But she wanted to see a particular Perth pub band, so she went there instead!
Heart of Glass – Blondie
Blondie was always a favourite. Trenna told me she would always play Blondie loud, to put her in the mood, whilst she got ready to go out on weekend nights.
Denis – Blondie
Too much Blondie is barely enough. Plus this track has some French in it.
The Kids Aren’t Alright – The Offspring
We went to a Soundwave Festival with friends Slippery and Milka. Tren’s favourite performance was by The Offspring. They were really pumping that night, but Tren LOVED how everyone seemed to know the words of every song and was singing along in a very friendly and gleeful way.
Say Hey I Love You – Michael Franti and Spearhead
We didn’t know Michael Franti before we saw him at the Blues and Roots Festival at Freo one year. Trenna was overwhelmed by his generosity of spirit and the joy he brought to the crowd.
Bad Influence – Pink
Another concert where we were in the mosh pit. Friends had been worried for Trenna that there might be some rough girls in that mosh pit, but we escaped incident free and enjoyed a very good concert.
Do You Love Me? – Nick Cave
Trenna was a fan of Nick Cave and always wanted to see him live. We got tickets in 2014 for a show in Freo, however her ophthalmologist wanted to operate on her. She told him “no way” until she had been to the Stones’ concerts (we went twice). The operation happened after the Stones, but before Nick, and as the concert day approached it was clear she wasn’t recovered enough to attend. She gave the ticket to our friend Eggs, who went with me. It was pretty good.
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Stones
It’s a Stones song!
Every Girl I See – Dave Hole
Trenna was a Dave Hole Band fan from the early days. She even got her own Dave Hole Band windcheater printed. She mainly saw him at the White Sands on a Sunday. I’m trusting my memory here, but I think he used to sing this song in those days.
Tiny Dancer – Elton John
Trenna wasn’t a huge Elton John fan, but she certainly liked Tiny Dancer. We often talked about how as a child she had taken piano lessons (with the nuns) and she showed a lot of promise (Rachmaninoff was reportedly a Marfan) but piano was SO DAGGY in those days she didn’t continue with the lessons – in fact she often wagged them. We wondered that if Elton had made it big a few years earlier whether she might have continued with the lessons.
The Pushbike Song – The Mixtures (or Mungo Jerry)
This is another song that she practiced with Callum the Speechy.
Lua – Bright Eyes
Callum suggested this as a song they could practice together. Trenna really took to it quickly and practiced it over and over.
Lookin’ Out my Back Door – CCR
This was the first song she did with Callum. When we first picked it she was sure it was too fast and she would never master it, but in the end she was doing a pretty good rendition of it.
Bad Moon Rising – CCR
Another CCR song she did with Callum.
The Man Who Sold the World – David Bowie
Trenna was more familiar with the Nirvana version from “Unplugged in New York”. However, when she saw the film clip of David doing his own song (see the YouTube Playlist) she declared him “Dreamy” (I think she already thought he was dreamy) and she favoured him doing it. It was one of the songs she did with Callum.
Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
Yes, it is about dying and what might happen after, but it is in here because it was a hit when Trenna was younger, and it is good to dance to.
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Trenna owned a Van Morrison album, but I don’t think I ever heard her play it. This song is here because Trenna had beautiful, big brown eyes.
Fight the Power. – Public Enemy
We went to the Public Enemy concert that was part of the Festival of Perth. We were there with friends Milka, Slippery and Kym. It wasn’t Trenna’s usual style of music, but it was a great night with an energetic and fun crowd.
Wild Horses Couldn’t Drag Me Away – Stones
One of Trenna’s fave Stones songs.
Parlez Vous Francais – Art vs Science
Oui!, Trenna could. We went to the Future Music Festival on the Perth Esplanade at exactly the time Art vs Science were having a hit with this song. We managed to get right up to the front of the stage just as they started to sing it. Another fun day.
I Like it Both Ways – Supernaught
Perhaps not an obvious choice, but you have to see the film clip. The very last time Trenna went to a restaurant was with me and our friend Sue, and we went to Cocos in South Perth. As we came up the lift from the carpark we realized that the opposing mirrors made it possible to do our own version of the I Like it Both Ways film clip – after a few wines, we did! Look out TikTok!
Woke up this Morning (Sopranos Theme Music) – Alabama 3
The Sopranos was one of Trenna’s all time favourite TV shows, along with Dexter, Deadwood, Big Love, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, and a few more contemporary ones. She loved this theme song.
Baby Let Me Bang Your Box – Daddy Cool
Probably not one of my finest moments, but right at the start of our relationship in 1988, I think only a week or so after our first date I had a go at presenting a late night radio show on 6NR. I did a “Highlights of Australian 70s Rock” Of course, I had to include a Daddy Cool song, so I played this one and I dedicated it to Trenna. She told me she was listening in bed, and when I dedicated the song she screamed and pulled the covers over her head. Amazingly, one of her work colleagues was listening to the show that night and heard it – at least 2 listeners, not bad for community radio!
Love Shack – B52s
This was from well before my time with Tren but my understanding is that this was VERY big at one of the pubs she used to frequent and dance at – it may have been The Overflow.
Your as Cold as Ice – Foreigner
Again, well before my time, but when Trenna was spending a lot of time with one of Perth’s bands the singer was miffed that Trenna seemed impervious to his obvious charms. He started to dedicate this song, at all their gigs to Trenna. She tells me it didn’t work.
Science Fiction – The Divinyls
Trenna was an admirer of Chrissy Amphlett and saw the Divinyls on a number of occasions. She liked this song in particular.
Angie – Stones
Just a fabulous Stones track.
Come on Eileen – Dexys Midnight Runners
Another one from her earlier pub days, again, The Overflow, I think.
Heart of Gold – Neil Young
That was a good Neil Young concert.
Waiting for a Friend – Stones
Trenna, rightly, always put great stead in friendship, whether it be her own, or between Mick and Keef.
Jesus Doesn’t Want me for a Sunbeam – Nirvana
This is another she did with Callum.
Puff the Magic Dragon – Peter, Paul and Mary
Trenna didn’t have a lot of memories of her Dad, but one thing she did remember was that their Dad gave each of the kids a single. Trenna’s was “Puff the Magic Dragon”.
I Will Not Go Quietly – The Whitlams
Yet another concert we went to. This one was at the Perth Concert Hall and was the Whitlams with WASO. Trenna wouldn’t want to go quietly, so turn the volume up whilst you listen to this playlist.
Took the Children Away – Archie Roach
Trenna was very touched by the plight of the stolen generation.
This Year – The Mountain Goats
Another song suggested by Callum to sing together. At first Trenna didn’t pay the suggestion much attention, but eventually she played it a few times and it clicked with her. She told me she really liked it a lot.
Non Je Ne Regrette Rien – Edith Piaf
The final song on the list, thanks for reading this far. It is included in part because of its French title, but in fact, Trenna and I were convinced the main chorus is actually in English, as in “No, No Gregory!, Ahh!”. Listen, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Now, play it all over again.