"Winter In America" was the title of an iconic album by Gil Scott-Heron with Brian Jackson, but they didn't believe in title tracks for albums, so the eponymous song appeared on their following album. This week's mix includes their album version as well as Gil's solo version recorded over two decades later.
Don Covay's "Funky Yo Yo" is so funky I had to include Parts 1 and 2. Also in the vein of excess is Donna Summer's 12" single version of the pop standard "MacArthur Park", which fits in her "One Of A Kind" and "Heaven Knows" before reprising the original.
I included the acoustic demo version of Big Star's "What's Going Ahn" earlier this year, the album version here is more muted emotionally with altered lyrics and guitar.
The rest: Keith Jarrett's swinging "Blue Streak", Plantlife's ethereal "Fool For U", Big Daddy Kane's funky "Smooth Operator", EPMD's swaggering "Get The Bozack", the full version of the late Supremes song "Stoned Love", the dense "Ambassadors" by Strong Arm Steady featuring Planet Asia and Chace Infinite, The Zombies' take of the Gene Vincent single "I'm Going Home", the languid "Crush" by Smashing Pumpkins, the wartime lament "I Will Be Home Again" by The Golden Gate Quartet and Nina Simone's take of the gospel standard "Nearer Blessed Lord".
