'Springsteen is so talented – I think he's the John Francome of the music world'

In the second instalment of our new series, Thistlecrack's jockey Tom Scudamore lists the songs that score his life in racing

When I'm getting psyched for a race I listen to . . .Stay With Me, by Rod Stewart and the Faces

To be honest I try to go the other way and keep myself calm before a race, but this is the one that really gets the blood flowing. The opening riff and then the key change into the rest of the song is wonderful and I love the rawness of it all.

They just sound like five lads together having an absolute ball and while they may not be admired for their professionalism, their energy was incredible.

It's all a bit before my time in a way but Dad [champion jockey Peter] liked Rod – although mainly the more mainstream stuff – and when I was in my early 20s I met a good friend called Jez Butterworth who got me into the early Faces and Stones and it just went from there.

When I'm celebrating a winner I listen to . . .Jumping Jack Flash by Rolling Stones

After a good day, something by the Stones always does the trick. My favourite album is Let It Bleed and the title track is an awesome song, but if it's a warm summer's day and I'm sitting in the garden feeling good about life, there's nothing better to put on than Exile On Main Street, with that great south of France vibe to it.

If it’s a party then the thing that really gets people going is the first few bars of Jumping Jack Flash – after that, you’re away. I saw them in Hyde Park and they were absolutely sensational.

When I'm annoyed about a loser I listen to . . .Comfortably Numb, by Pink Floyd

If you're feeling that way then The Wall is a good album to reach for and Comfortably Numb would reflect the mood pretty well.

The period that began when David Gilmour arrived in the band was when I started to love them – I'm not a massive fan of the earlier psychedelic stuff, which was a bit too far out there for me – and he's a wonderful guitarist.

When I'm stuck in traffic I listen to . . . Tunnel Of Love, by Dire Straits

I'm terribly impatient so when I'm in a serious traffic jam I put on the 1984 Alchemy album because the live versions of Tunnel Of Love and Telegraph Road go on for about 15 minutes each, which makes a big dent in the time, and they're both phenomenal.

Dire Straits aren't everybody's cup of tea but you won't hear better guitar than Mark Knopfler's on this recording and it's a great way to take your mind off the frustration. Tunnel Of Love is a slow builder but worth the wait.

When I'm relaxing at home I listen to . . .Thunder Road, by Bruce Springsteen

One of the first cracks that appeared in my marriage to my soon-to-be ex-wife was when I took her on what I thought was a romantic trip to Rome to see Springsteen in 2013.

He plays for three hours and after an hour she wanted to leave because she was worried about being able to get a taxi home. It wasn't a good sign.

The first time I went to see him was in Cardiff. I was riding at Hexham but Tom O'Brien and I had it planned to the minute, flying down, landing at seven, he was due to come on just before eight. It was all done with great precision, only the plane was delayed by two hours.

The three-hour set came in handy that night because we got there in time to see him do Thunder Road and Born To Run, but I got to see the full concert in Coventry last year and he was just fabulous –so talented. I think he's the John Francome of the music world.

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