This week's mix has three different versions of "ABC" by The Jackson 5: the original single, an alternate version and a stripped-down version.
When I was a kid in Chicago, The Banana Splits was a variety show I watched all the time. It was half animation and half live action; featuring a dog, gorilla, lion and elephant. Liz Phair does a cover of the theme song, and I have the original theme as well.
Jens Lekman's "Pocketful Of Money" samples "Gravedigger Blues" by Beat Happening, both of which are on here.
The Police always had reggae leanings so their "Canary In A Coalmine" is a natural for Toots & The Maytals.
"I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers lifts a reggae riff from "The Liquidator" by The Harry J All Stars.
Other stuff: Barry Manilow's disco-inflected "Copacabana (At The Copa)", GZA's detailed "Animal Planet", the reggae-inflected "Respect" by The Notorious B.I.G., Biz Markie's goofy "The Doo Doo", Rufus Thomas' funky "(Do The) Push And Pull (Part 1)", Don Covay's frantic cover of Barrett Strong's pop standard "Money (That's What I Want)", the alternate "Quiet" version of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, Jim Croce's wistful "Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)", an alternate strings-laden version of "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Johnny Cash's spooky collaboration with U2 called "The Wanderer" and Roy Orbison's mysterious "Shahdaroba".
