08-09-12: But All The While I Was Alone The Past Was Close Behind

"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" was a 1968 hit for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, written and produced by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who also provided background vocals.  This week's mix includes a version by Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths, otherwise known as Bob and Marcia, from 1970 as well as Aretha Franklin's 1974 version to accompany the original.

The standard "Moonglow" dates back to 1933. This week's version features a recording from that era by Mississippi Mud Steppers as well as Artie Shaw's hit version from 1941 and Billie Holiday's late career version from 1952.

"Joy Inside My Tears" is from Stevie Wonder's 1976 album Songs In The Key Of Life. This week also features a version recorded the following year by Thelma Houston with Jerry Butler.

The rest: a yodeling Roy Rogers with the winsome "My Little Lady", Bob Dylan's epic "Tangled Up In Blue", Common's jazzy "Cold Blooded" with D'Angelo and Black Thought, the dramatic "A Guitar And A Heart" by M83, the percussive "Down By Law" by MC Shan, the distortion-heavy "Crown On The Ground" by Sleigh Bells, the funky "Lovely Night For Dancing" by Bill Withers, the cocky "Jus Lyke Compton" by DJ Quik, the bouncy "Give Me Your Love" by Sylvia Striplin, a demo version of "Morning Has Broken" by Cat Stevens and a live cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" by Sandro Perri.

My Little Lady                                         Roy Rogers
Tangled Up In Blue                                 Bob Dylan
Moonglow                                               Mississippi Mud Steppers
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing        Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Joy Inside My Tears                                Thelma Houston & Jerry Butler
Cold Blooded                           Common ft. D'Angelo & Black Thought
A Guitar And A Heart                            M83
Down By Law                                        MC Shan
Crown On The Ground                           Sleigh Bells
Lovely Night For Dancing                      Bill Withers
Jus Lyke Compton                                  DJ Quik
Give Me Your Love                               Sylvia Striplin
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing        Bob and Marcia
Moonglow                                              Billie Holiday
Joy Inside My Tears                               Stevie Wonder
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing        Aretha Franklin
Moonglow                                               Artie Shaw
Morning Has Broken (demo)                  Cat Stevens
Dreams (live)                                          Sandro Perri

08-02-12: I Did Not Become Someone Different That I Did Not Want To Be

"Killing The Blues" was written by Rowland Salley in 1977 but never recorded by him until 2004.  This week's mix features John Prine's 1979 version, a cover by Shawn Colvin recorded in 1994 and a version by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss from their 2007 album Raising Sand.

"Holiday" was written and recorded by The Bee Gees in 1967. This week features covers by Astrud Gilberto and The Clique as well as the original.

One other song repeats this week: the title track to Gil Scott-Heron's final album, released in 2010, "I'm New Here", with a remix by Jamie xx to accompany the original version.

The rest: U2's suggestive "Babyface", the grim "Advance Pawns" by GZA with RZA and Raekwon, Archie Shepp's version of John Coltrane's "Naima", the militant "American Dream And Future" by Madlib featuring OJ Simpson, the Marlena Shaw-sampling "Check The Technique" by Gang Starr, the funky "Baby, This Love I Have" by Minnie Riperton, the defiant "I Ain't No Miracle Worker" by The Brogues, a cover of The Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" by Hollywood Brats, the blues-inflected "Doncha Bother Me" by The Rolling Stones, the hushed "You've Been A Friend" by The Jesus & Mary Chain, the wistful "Thoughts Of You" by Dennis Wilson, the 80s television show theme "The Greatest American Hero" by Joey Scarbury and a cover of New Order's "Ceremony" by Galaxie 500.

I'm New Here                                  Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx
Babyface                                          U2
Advance Pawns                               GZA ft. RZA, Raekown & Sen Dog
Naima                                              Archie Shepp
American Dream & Future              Madlib ft. OJ Simpson     
Holiday                                            Astrud Gilberto 
Check The Technique                     Gang Starr
Baby, This Love I Have                  Minnie Riperton
Killing The Blues                            John Prine
Holiday                                           The Clique
I Ain't No Miracle Worker              The Brogues
Then He Kissed Me                        Hollywood Brats
Doncha Bother Me                          The Rolling Stones
You've Been A Friend                    The Jesus & Mary Chain
Killing The Blues                            Shawn Colvin
Thoughts Of You                            Dennis Wilson
The Greatest American Hero          Joey Scarbury
Holiday                                           The Bee Gees
I'm New Here                                  Gil Scott-Heron
Ceremony                                        Galaxie 500
Killing The Blues                            Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

07-26-12: You're As Close To Me As Two Is To Three

"I'm The One Who Loves You" was written by Curtis Mayfield for his group The Impressions' debut album in 1963. This week's mix features covers by Mayfield protege Major Lance and fellow Impression Jerry Butler as well as the original.

"Further Up On The Road" was first recorded in 1957 by Bobby "Blue" Bland. This week's mix features versions by Johnny Cash and Bruce Springsteen performing live as well as Bland's version.

"The Door Is Still Open To My Heart" is a 1955 song originally performed by Teh Cardinals. This week includes Dean Martin's hit version as well.

Oh No is the brother of Madlib, whose "Masala" precedes the Madlib-produced "Action".

The rest: a cover of Jerry Butler's "Only The Strong Survive" by Elvis Presely, the languid "GRaffiti" by Digable Planets, the smitten "Lovely Little Lassie" by Masters Of Soul,  the 1950s Bollywood soundtrack piece "Dil Deke Dekho" by Mohammed Rafi, a slightly edited version of Pharoahe Monch's assassination-minded "Mayor", a live version of Billy Paul's adulterous "Me And Mrs. Jones",  Neil Young's philosophic "The Losing End (When You're On)", an alternate version of the Bob Dylan bootleg "She's Your Lover Now", an alternate take of John Lennon's "God" and Sonny Curtis' theme for The Mary Tyler Moore Show called "Love Is All Around".

Only The Strong Survive                              Elvis Presley
I'm The One Who Loves You                       Jerry Butler
Graffiti                                                           Digable Planets
The Door Is Still Open To My Heart            The Cardinals
Lovely Little Lassie                                       Masters Of Soul
I'm The One Who Loves You                       Major Lance
Masala                                                           Madlib
Action                                                            Oh No
Dil Deke Dekho                                            Mohammed Rafi
Mayor (edit)                                                   Pharoahe Monch
Further On Up The Road                              Bobby "Blue" Bland
Me And Mrs. Jones (live)                              Billy Paul
Further On Up The Road (live)      Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band
I'm The One Who Loves You                       The Impressions
The Losing End (When You're On)               Neil Young
The Door Is Still Open To My Heart             Dean Martin
Further On Up The Road                               Johnny Cash 
She's Your Lover Now (alt ver)                     Bob Dylan
#9 Dream                                                       R.E.M.
God (studio outtake ver)                                John Lennon
Love Is All Around (The Mary Tyler Moore Show Theme)      Sonny Curtis

07-19-12: I'm Only Hanging On To Watch You Go Down

"La-La (Means I Love You)"  is a 1968 single by The Delfonics written by Thom Bell, one of the architects of the 1970s Philadelphia soul sound. This week's mix features versions by The Jackson 5, Prince and Laura Nyro as well as the original.

"So Cruel" is a track from U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby. This week features a cover by Depeche Mode and an early acoustic take as well as the original.

Nas' "N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave And The Master)" samples "We're Just Trying To Make It" by The Persuaders.

The Girls Of The Golden West, whose "Round Up Time In Texas" appears here, were actually from Illinois.

The rest: The Wu-Tang Clan-sampling "Straight Jacket" by The Beatnuts, and Italian version of his hit "Yester Me, Yester You, Yester Day" by Stevie Wonder titled "Solo Me, Solo Me, Solo Noi", the funky "Frisky" by Sly & The Family Stone, The Isley Brothers-sampling "A Week Ago" by Jay-Z with Too $hort, the Sly Stone-produced "Just A Little" by The Beau Brummels, the mournful Basement Tape outtake "Banks Of The Red Canal" by Bob Dylan & The Band, Donny Hathaway's studio version of the Leon Russell standard "A Song For You" and My Bloody Valentine's dream-like "To Here Knows When".

So Cruel                                                           Depeche Mode
La-La (Means I Love You)                              The Jackson 5
Straight Jacket                                                  The Beatnuts
We're Just Trying To Make It                          The Persuaders
N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave And The Master)     Nas
Solo Te Solo Me Solo Noi                               Stevie Wonder
La-La (Means I Love You)                              Prince
Frisky                                                               Sly & The Family Stone
A Week Ago                                                    Jay-Z & Too $hort
So Cruel                                                           U2 
La-La (Means I Love You)                              The Delfonics
Just A Little                                                      The Beau Brummels
Banks Of The Royal Canal                              Bob Dylan & The Band
Round-Up Time In Texas                     The Girls Of The Golden West
La-La (Means I Love You)                              Laura Nyro
A Song For You                                              Donny Hathaway
So Cruel (solo acoustic ver)                             U2
To Here Knows When                                     My Bloody Valentine

07-12-12: Thought I'd Shaken The Wonder And The Phantoms Of My Youth

"Wild Is The Wind" was written for the 1957 film of the same name as the title theme performed by Johnny Mathis.  Nina Simone recorded it live a few years later, then again in the studio for her 1966 album of the same name.  This week's mix features that version, along with two versions by Cat Power and another by David Bowie.

"Rainy Days And Mondays" was written by Paul Williams for The Carpenters in 1971. This week's mix features versions by The Smith Connection, Cracker and Sarah Vaughan.

"You Know You're Right" was the last song recorded by Nirvana, not released until several years after Kurt Cobain's deatth. This week features both the original and an acoustic demo version.

The rest: the aptly-titled "Smooth-N-Mellow" by JVC Force, the rare early doo wop single "Stormy Weather" by The Five Sharps, the jazzy "Dog It" by Digable Planets, a cover of New Order's "Ceremony" by Xiu Xiu, the smitten "Something There Is About You" by Bob Dylan, the Madlib-produced "Monkey Suite" by Madvillain, the spiritual "I Went To The House" by Deacon Williams & the Golden Stars, the lilting "Dream Teacher" by Lawrence Arabia, a cover of Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" by Marissa Nadler, an outtake version of "Over The Rainbow (reprise)" by Judy Garland and a piano demo version of "Us And Them" by Pink Floyd.

Wild Is The Wind                                           Nina Simone
Rainy Days And Mondays                             The Smith Connection
Smooth-N-Mellow                                          JVC Force
Stormy Weather                                              The Five Sharps
Dog It                                                              Digable Planets
Ceremony                                                        Xiu Xiu
Wild Is The Wind (iTunes session)                 Cat Power
Something There Is About You                      Bob Dylan
Rainy Days And Mondays                              Cracker
Wild Is The Wind                                            David Bowie
You Know You're Right                                 Nirvana
Monkey Suite                                                  Madvillain
I Went To The House              Deacon Williams & The Golden Stars
You Know You're Right (solo acoustic)         Nirvana
Dream Teacher                                                Lawrence Arabia
Cortez The Killer                                             Marissa Nadler
Rainy Days And Mondays                               Sarah Vaughan 
Wild Is The Wind                                             Cat Power
Over The Rainbow (reprise) (outtake/alt ver)   Judy Garland
Us And Them (Richard Wright demo)             Pink Floyd