"Willin'" was written by Lowell George before his band Little Feat recorded their first album. It was passed around as a demo and first recorded by Johnny Darrell in 1969. The first Little Feat version, on their 1971 self-titled debut album is almost a solo performance by George, with Ry Cooder on bottleneck slide. They re-recorded it the following year with a fuller band and Sneaky Pete Kleinow's pedal steel replacing Cooder for the album Sailing Shoes. Both of their studio versions are on this mix as well as mid 70s versions by Linda Ronstadt and Commander Cody & His Airmen.
"As" is a single from the 1976 double album Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder. This mix features versions by Gene Harris, Sister Sledge and Tony Sherman as well as the original.
One other song repeats this week: the album and demo version of Cat Stevens' "How Can I Tell You" from his 1971 album Teaser And The Firecat.
The rest: a cover of The Carpenters' standard "(They Long To Be) Close To You" by Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager, Ka's atmospheric "Just", the full version of James Brown's bouncy "Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses)", the odd "Super Hero" by Kool Keith with MF Doom, a cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" by Cher, the undubbed version of "Wigwam" by Bob Dylan, early MF Doom group KMD with the admonitory "Stop Smokin' That Shit", a cover of the Peter, Paul & Mary standard "Leavin' On A Jet Plane" by Eddy Arnold.
Willin' (1st ver) Little Feat
As Gene Harris
How Can I Tell You Cat Stevens
(They Long To Be) Close To You Jerry Butler ft. Brenda Lee Eager
Willin' Commander Cody & His Airmen
As Tony Sherman
Just Ka
Rap Payback (Where Iz Moses?) James Brown
Super Hero Kool Keith ft. MF Doom
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright Cher
Wigwan (without overdubs) Bob Dylan
Willin' (2nd ver) Little Feat
As Sister Sledge
Stop Smokin' That Shit KMD
Leaving On A Jet Plane Eddy Arnold
How Can I Tell You (demo) Cat Stevens
Willin' Linda Ronstadt
As Stevie Wonder
