This week's mix is bookended with romantic odes to my adopted home town, New York. It opens with Judy Garland's wistful version of Cole Porter's standard "I Happen To Like New York" and ends with Gary Graffman's majestic score to Woody Allen's film Manhattan: his version of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue".
There are times I need to watch that film again to remind myself why I am here. Other New York-related songs on this mix are Boogie Down Production's "South Bronx" and Lou Reed's homage to Andy Warhol, "Smalltown". As I type this I'm watching the sun set over the Hudson River outside my apartment window, and looking up at Lou's apartment across the street.
Other stuff: 1946 hit "Voo-It! Voo-It!" by Blues Woman (a.k.a. Marion Abernathy), Raekwon's bouncy "Knuckleheadz" featuring Ghostface Killah, 70s rap progenitor Lightin' Rod with "Four Bitches Is What I Got", Mos Def 's "Auditorium" with a Madlib sample I included earlier this year, a live version of "Thirteen" by Big Star from a radio session, a rare take of Hank Williams' "I Can't Get You Off Of My Mind" by Bob Dylan, the late 20s rave-up "Jollity Farm" by Lesley Sarony with Jack Hylton & His Orchestra, a demo of "Honey Pie" by The Beatles, the melodic "Badge" by Cream, a haunting cover of The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" by Junior Parker, a blistering live version of "Complete Control" by The Clash, a live cover of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long" by Ike and Tina Turner complete with disturbing stage patter, Elliot Smith's gentle cover of Big Star's "Thirteen", Hank Williams' bitter "I Can't Get You Off Of My Mind" and the rare "Suffering Face" by Elvis Costello.
