10-23-14: Everything Is Not Enough, And Nothin' Is Too Much To Bear

"Who Is He (And What Is He To You)?" is an album track from Bill Withers' 1972 release Still Bill, his second album. This mix features his original version as well as covers recorded soon after his, with genders flipped, by Della Reese, The Three Degrees and Gladys Knight & The Pips.

"To Live Is To Fly" was recorded by Townes Van Zandt, also in 1972, for his album High, Low And In Between. It was his second album of the year and the last of his first six albums, all released in a  six year period. It would be another six years before his next studio album. This mix features both the album and demo version of "To Live Is To Fly" with covers by his good friend Guy Clark with Emmylou Harris and his acolyte Steve Earle.

"Safari" was the title track of a 1992 EP by The Breeders, in between their 1990 debut The Pod and their 1993 album Last Splash. This mix includes a cover by The Douglas Fir as well as the original.

The rest: Leon Thomas' atmospheric "China Doll", the winsome "Eyes Of The World" by The Grateful Dead, Talib Kweli's tense "Tater Tot", the British proto punk single "This Life Of Mine" by The Lost Souls, early 80s Scottish punk single "Candyskin" by Fire Engines, Ol' Dirty Bastard b-side "Give It To Ya Raw", Kris Kristofferson's melancholy standard "Sunday Morning Coming Down", a cover of his standard "Help Me Make It Through The Night" by Peggy Lee, the marimba-accented "Jackie O" by John Cougar Mellencamp, the retro soul single "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" by Mayer Hawthorne And The County, Prof's cinematic MF Doom showcase "Bells Of Doom", the catchy "Dating Cops" by The Intelligence, a cover of Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings" by Burl Ives and an early Peel Session of "doll Parts" by Holes a couple years before its album release.

Who Is She And What Is She To You?                    Della Reese
China Doll                                                                Leon Thomas
Eyes Of The World                                                  Grateful Dead
To Live Is To Fly                                                     Townes Van Zandt
Who Is He (Amd What Is He To You)?                   Bill Withers
Tater Tot                                                                   Talib Kweli
This Life Of Mine                                                    The Lost Souls
Safari                                                                        The Breeders
Candyskin                                                                 Fire Engines
Give It To Ya Raw                                                    Ol' Dirty Bastard 
Who Is She And What Is She To You?                    The Three Degrees
To Live Is To Fly                                    Guy Clark w/ Emmylou Harris
Sunday Morning Coming Down                              Kris Kristofferson
Help Me Make It Through The Night                      Peggy Lee
Jackie O                                                                    John Cougar Mellencamp
Just Ain't Gonna Work Out       Mayer Hawthorne And The County
Who Is She (And What Is She To You)?     Gladys Knight & The Pips
Bells Of Doom                                                          Prof ft. Doom
Dating Cops                                                              The Intelligence
To Live Is To Fly                                                       Steve Earle
Safari                                                                         The Douglas Fir
One Too Many Mornings                                          Burl Ives
Doll Parts (Peel session 11/91)                                  Hole
To Live Is To Fly (demo)                                          Townes Van Zandt
                

10-16-14: If You Plant Trouble, Expect Trouble

"All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" is a 1982 song from Bauhaus. This week features the original with covers by Lost In Stars, Gaba Kulka and Xiu Xiu.

"Have You Never Been Mellow" was a #1 hit for Olivia Newton-John in 1975 and has been featured on a pervious mix. This mix includes covers by The Brothers Four, James Last, Nicole Rieu's French version and Isaac Hayes' live version with Dionne Warwick.

"Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" was first recorded by Doris Day for her role in the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much. A previous mix featured Sly & The Family Stone's 1973 cover. This mix includes her original hit and a 1985 cover by Johnny Thunders.

"1, 2 Pass It" is a 1995 one-ff all star track produced by DJ Premier and featuring Mad Lion, Doug E Fresh, KRS One, Fat Joe, Smif-N-Wessun and Jeru the Damaja.

The rest: Linda Ronstadt's cover of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' 1981 single "The Waiting" from their album Hard Promises, their song "Letting You Go" from that same album, Afrika Bambaata & Soulsonic Force's 1986 single "Looking For The Perfect Beat", Sons Of The West's western swing song "Sally's Got A Wooden Leg", a live cover of "Paradise City" by Hole,. Guns N' Roses' cover of Johnny Thunders' "You Can;t Put Your Arms Around A Memory", the Johnny Thunders-themed "Johnny's Gonna Die" by The Replacements, the rare soul b-sider "I'm Tired Of Running Around" by Young Ladies, Bushwick Bill's wise "Dollars And Sense" and William Onyeabor's philosophic "Anything You Sow".

The Waiting                                                  Linda Ronstadt
Letting You Go                            Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
All We Ever Wanted Was Everything          Bauhaus
Have You Never Been Mellow                    The Brothers Four
Looking For The Perfect Beat    Afrika Bambaata & Soulsonic Force
Sally's Got A Wooden Leg                           The Sons Of The West
All We Ever Wanted Was Everything          Lost In Stars
1, 2 Pass It                                                     The D & D All Stars
Have You Never Been Mellow (live)    Isaac Hayes ft. Dionne Warwick
Paradse City (live)                                        Hole
You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory    Guns N' Roses
Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be)       Johnny Thunders
Johnny's Gonna Die                                        The Replacements
Have You Never Been Mellow                       James Last
All We Ever Wanted Was Everything            Gaba Kulka
I'm Tired Of Running Around                        Young Ladies
Ma Maison Au Bord De Leau                       Nicole Rieu
All We Ever Wanted Was Everything           Xiu Xiu
Que Sera, Srea (Whatever Will Be Will Be)   Doris Day
Dollars And Sense                                            Bushwick Bill
Anything You Sow                                         William Onyeabor

10-09-14: And He Can See No Reason 'Cuz There Are No Reasons

"Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" was a 1964 single written by a 21-year-old Randy Newman for a 23-year-old Irma Thomas. This mix includes that single with more recent versions by Blue Roses and Ruby Amanfu.

One other song repeats this week: versions of Neil Diamond's #1 hit from 1972 "Song Sung Blue" by Brenda Lee and Frank Sinatra. The original appeared on a previous mix.

Da Lench Mob's "Lord Have Mercy" samples "Dreaming Of You" by The Blackbyrds.

"Native New Yorker" was a disco song originally recorded by Frankie Valli. This mix includes Esther Phillips' 1978 version.

Gary Bartz' 1978 track "Music Is My Sanctuary" features Stevie Wonder muse Syreeta Wright on vocals.

The 1979 #1 UK hit "I Don't Like Mondays" by The Boomtown Rats was after an American school shooting earlier in the year where the teenaged shooter attributed it to not liking Mondays.

The rest:the optimistic "Things Can Only Get Better" by Howard Jones, Mos Def''s heady "Revelations", the 1931 recording "Shout, Sister, Shot!", Leon Thomas' version of The Jackson 5 hit "Got To Be There", Ultimate Force's James Brown and Rakim-sampling "Another Hit", Moonshione Kate's 1930 recording "My Man's A Jolly Railroad Man" , Don Henley's 1989 hit "The End Of The Innocence" and Philip Glass' 1980 solo recording "Mad Rush"

Things Can Only Get Better                                                Howard Jones
Revelations                                                                          Mos Def
Shout, Sisters, Shout!                                            The Boswell Sisters
Anyone Who Know What Love Is (Will Understand)        Irma Thomas
Got To Be There                                                                  Leon Thomas
Another Hit                                                                          Ultimate Force
Music Is My Sanctuary                                                        Gary Bartz
Lord Have Mercy                                                                Da Lench Mob
Dreaming Of You                                                                The Blackbyrds
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)      Blue Roses
Song Sung Blue                                                                   Brenda Lee
My Man's A Jolly Railroad Man                                         Moonshine Kate
Native New Yorker                                                              Esther Phillips
Song Sung Blue                                                                   Frank Sinatra
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)      Ruby Amanfu
The End Of The Innocence                                                 Don Henley
Mad Rush                                                                            Philip Glass
I Don't Like Mondays                                          The Boomtown Rats