Staying in that realm, The Rev. Al Green takes on Burt Bacharach's "Say A Little Prayer". Which is followed by Vivian Reed's sexy Al Green cover "Tired Of Being Alone". Then, Ella Fitzgerald's "Sunshine Of Your Love", originally by Cream. I also have a brief live version by Jimi Hendrix and an incredibly funky one by Spanky Wilson that just might be the very best.
In between: Steve Miller Band's college party staple "Rock'n Me", Fuckintosh's hypnotic Johnny Cash and AC/DC mash up "Track 16", the brilliant "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, Ol' Dirty Bastard's staggering "Protect Ya Neck II", the anthropological"Rhythm" by Streetland Gang Rhythms Band 4, a stunning version of "I Say A Little Prayer" by Rashaan Roland Kirk and Bing Crosby's breezy "Swinging On A Star".
The Kirk version of "I Say A Little Prayer" bears further mention: it was recorded, on the album Volunteered Slavery, not long after Martin Luther King's assassination and starts with the vocal cry "They shot him down!" repeated a few times before resolving into "but, we're gonna say a little prayer for him anyway" and then that killer melody, elevated into something deeply spiritual.
It's commonly thought that Bob Dylan's cover of the then-recent Simon & Garfunkel song "The Boxer" was a bit of a piss take, but to my ears, stripped of its bombast, it's sweet and sincere.
Next is Liz Phair doing an acoustic version of her debut album song "Never Said", then the Kinks rarity "Rosemary Rose", and then Justin Hinds & The Dominoes with the reggae version of a wonderfully made up word I plan to adopt: "Botheration".
Tortoise & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy team up for a spacey and somber cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road". I grew up with the Rod Stewart version, but I love the sweetness of "Some Guys Have All the Luck" by The Persuaders. "Passion Flower" is a haunting and cinematic instrumental by hip-hop producer and rapper and all-round genius MF Doom. It appears elswhere on one of these mixes as "Krazy World" with vocals by Gigan under one of Doom's many guises, King Geedorah.
The stately piano of "The Crystal Ship" makes Jim Morrison's lyrics sound even more poetic than they are. I hit my Doors phase hard in junior high and by the time I was in college their music seemed silly and shallow to me. Yet as I've grown older, I've appreciated the drama and dark beauty of their music, while ignoring its inherent banalities. Meaning, where their music seemed rather "deep" to a 13 year old boy, I don't really look for that in their, or any, body of music any more. I just love the way it sounds and this moody little piece is about as good as they get.
Which leads nicely into Mazzy Star's "Look On Down From The Bridge". Just beautiful. Bridget St. John croons a Nico-like version of Bob Dylan's "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" and we end with a very young Ray Charles singing "I'm Beginning To See The Light". It's an unreleased practice take...love how he name-checks his lifelong friend Quincy Jones. It's an obviously hopeful song.
And I'll take this as a sign of early spring over a groundhog's shadow any day.
