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COLDPLAY'S FIX YOU AND CALVIN HARRIS' STAY ALSO HAVE A SIMILAR CONNECTION 18:29, 29 May 2025 On the surface of it all, there’s not many excuses to mention American producer
Timbaland and Liam Gallagher in the same sentence together. One was behind Missy Elliott’s Get Your Freak On, and the other enjoys a good Champagne Supanova - quite polar opposites of the
music spectrum, really. But, actually, the two musicians have a little more in common than we may have initially thought. They join the likes of Ed Sheeran, Ian Brown, The Smiths, Little
Mix, and David Bowie for one very particular connection. All these artists have recorded music videos within, or been inspired by, Greater Manchester at some point in their careers - using
the likes of stadiums, record shops, luxury mansions and train stations as backdrops or sound boards for their creative work. These music connections have been highlighted as part of new
research from Northern Rail, which has been released as part of an interactive map and an audio guide narrated by radio presenter Jo Whiley unearthing the stories behind these Manchester
music videos. In 2013, Timbaland and his team randomly set upon the decision to film part of the video for his number one hit The Way I Are, featuring Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian, in a
lock-up garage in the middle of Salford. Article continues below The location, on Chapel Street, featured the producer and singer Keri as they danced the night away in formalwear whilst a
group of footballers kicked a ball in the middle of a tunnel. Why? Who knows, but the video has more than 740m views on YouTube alone so it was certainly effective. Over in Saddleworth in
Oldham, Little Mix filmed the music video for their 2016 hit Hair at the luxurious Ashcroft House in Grasscroft. The £2.5m stone mansion, constructed in 2014, featured in the pop video as
the girls had a sleepover and danced around. It’s also alleged that after the 21-hour shoot, the girls hung around and shared a pizza with the homeowners. Whilst David Bowie didn’t film a
music video at Stockport Railway Station, it still has a musical connection to the star and even now has a plaque honouring it. In 1970, the singer was forced to spend the night sleeping at
the station after missing his last train to London following a gig at the Poco A Poco club. On the cusp of his big career breakthrough at the time, with the likes of Ziggy Stardust and
Aladdin Sane just years away from being released upon the world, who knows how that one very night in the Stockport station had an impact on his incredible work. Not too far away, Stockport
Grammar School has also appeared in the Manchester music map for its use in the 2024 music video for Blossoms’ Perfect Me. In fact, a number of local venues and businesses, including a care
home, were used in the full video. When it comes to Liam Gallagher himself, he gets a number of mentions on the music map. In 2022, he used the rooftop of the Midland Hotel to film the music
video for his single Better Days, which also included shots of the Beetham Tower and Central Library. Sifter Records, on Fog Lane in Burnage, also gets a mention for its use in Oasis’ 1994
Shakermaker. Being referenced in the song’s lyrics, many fans have visited the shop, owned by Pete Howard, as part of a pilgrimage of local Oasis sights. YOU CAN USE THE MAP BELOW TO
DISCOVER A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS IN GREATER MANCHESTER THAT HAVE PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN MUSIC HISTORY OVER THE YEARS: Of course, The Smiths also gets a good few mentions on the map too
thanks to1985 song Rusholme Ruffians and with a reference to Whalley Range in the band’s 1984 song Miserable Lie. Throughout Greater Manchester, there’s also music history from Coldplay,
Calvin Harris and The Durutti Column to be found too. Those looking to delve deeper into these stories can listen to Northern Rail’s audio series, which features contributions from DJ Yinka
Bokinni and former All Saints star Melanie Blatt, and looks at the music locations in the country that have inspired creativity. “Locations in Britain and the railway have been a source of
inspiration for music artists for as long as I can remember,” presenter Jo Whiley said. “There's no better way to connect with the music and artists you love than going to see the
locations that inspired them in person, which is why I've worked with the rail industry on a new series of audio guides, and encourage people to use their new interactive map to plan
their next musical adventure by train." Jacqueline Starr, Executive Chair and CEO at Rail Delivery Group, added: “With this year marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern
railway we wanted to highlight the role rail has played in inspiring music artists and how it continues to help connect Britons to the people, places and experiences they love. Article
continues below “It was great to team up with Jo again on a new series of audio guides, which are now available alongside an interactive map that highlights 200 locations that have inspired
some of the nation’s favourite songs, music videos, album artwork and are easily accessible by train.” NATIONAL RAIL'S MUSIC MAP AND AUDIO GUIDES FOR ACROSS THE COUNTRY CAN BE FOUND
HERE.