Murdo Fraser: 'If you had ever heard me sing, you wouldn’t allow me anywhere near a karaoke machine'

What was the first record that you ever bought?

Down to Earth by Rainbow. It would’ve been around 1979 when it came out, so I was in my early teens. I was a bit of a rocker at that point.

What record would always get you on the dance floor?

Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.

Do you have a karaoke song?

If you had ever heard me sing, you wouldn’t allow me anywhere near a karaoke machine. So, it’s something I always avoid despite everybody else’s best efforts to get me up. You’ll never get me on the karaoke!

What song do you want played at your funeral?

 The only tunes played at my funeral will be good old-fashioned hymns. But as the coffin leaves the church perhaps something from Queen like Another One Bites the Dust.

Is there any song that is guaranteed to make you cry?

I’m not easily moved to tears, but I’m a big fan of Puccini’s operas, of which my favourite is Tosca. The final scene when Tosca, who is the heroine, finds her lover has been killed [and] she flings herself off the parapet to die – it is impossible to watch that without feeling moved.

What music do you associate with your childhood?

I’m a child of the 70s and 80s, and when I was in primary school there were two huge acts of the time that everybody loved. One was Suzi Quatro, and the other was Gary Glitter. And nobody, of course, will now ever admit to liking Gary Glitter for obvious reasons but at the time he was absolutely huge and in the charts all the time.

What song was the first dance at your wedding?

We had a ceilidh band at our wedding, and I’m embarrassed to say I can’t remember [what they played] but it was kind of a popular tune. It would have been a waltz or something we got up to. I’ll probably get divorced for saying this, but I can’t remember what it was.

What about the song that you would choose right now?

I remember on our honeymoon the number one in the charts was Love Is All Around by Wet Wet Wet. I would go for that one.

What record do you absolutely hate but can’t get out of your head? When my kids were younger, they used to play over and over Gangnam Style by PSY. So I absolutely hate Gangnam Style, and it’s one of these things you hear, [and] you just can’t get out of your head.

What record would you be embarrassed to owning up to having in your collection?

Anything by Gary Glitter.

What was the last band that you went to see and who with?

The last live act we went to see was Tom Jones last summer with some friends. Before that it was 10cc and before that it was The Killers. We’ve got tickets to see Billy Joel at Murrayfield in June, but of course that’s been postponed for a year.

What song do you associate with your political wins?

I go back to the independence referendum in 2014 and being part of the Better Together campaign – which is probably the most significant event in my political life – and the tune at the time I can remember was Let’s Stick Together by Bryan Ferry.