01-16-14: No Wand, No Tricks, No Cards To Pick You Still Got The Power To Always Stick Right Here In My Mind

"My Sweet Lord" was written by George Harrison and released on his debut album All Things Must Pass in late 1970. But the first recording was released by Billy Preston a few months earlier on Apple Records, the label of Harrison's former band The Beatles.

Later in the 70s, the song was ruled to have plagiarized the 1963 hit "He's So Fine" by The Chiffons. Both that song and Harrison's original and a live version by him have been previously featured on this blog, as well as "My Sweet Lord" covers by Edwin Starr, Nina Simone, Fitzroy Sterling and John Gary Williams.

This week features his original acoustic demo, as well as a version oddly enough by The Chiffons, as well as by Peggy Lee.

"Girl Afraid" is a 1984 non-album b-side to the single "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" by The Smiths. This week features this song with covers by C'est La Mort and Janice Whaely.

One other song repeats this week, Nice & Smooth's "Dope On A Rope", both their original single with their full monikers and the latter version on their debut album.

The rest: Kip Tyler's tribal "Jungle Rock", Prince Buster's cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", Dee Irwin's nocturnal "Anytime", Belinda Carlisle's 1986 hit "Mad About You", Paris's sultry "I Choose You", Ringo Starr's country-tinged "Beaucoups Of Blues", the obscure "I Wish" by Daniel Neal, J.J. Cale's smooth "If You're Ever In Oklahoma", the demo version of "Jet" by Paul McCartney & Wings, the Melvin Peebles-sampling "Astronaut" by Quasimoto, the rocksteady rarity "Won't You Come Home Now" by The Conquerers, Darryl Stewart's equally obscure soul ballad "You Must Know Magic", the shimmering "Quite Buttery" by Doom with Count Bass D, a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Birds Of Beauty" by U.S. Atlantic First Navy Show Band, Stevie Wonder's Spanish version of "My Cherie Amor" called "Mi Querido Amor", John Lennon & Yoko Ono's romantic "Woman", a cover of The Smiths' "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" by Trespassers William and the steel guitar-driven "I Want To Live (So God Can Use Me)" by Brother Willie Eason & His Gospel Guitar.

Jungle Hop                                             Kip Tyler
Girl Afraid                                              C'est La Mort
A Change Is Gonna Come                     Prince Buster
Dope On A Rope (original ver)              Greg Nice & Smooth Bee
Anytime                                                  Dee Irwin
My Sweet Lord                                      Peggy Lee
Mad About You                                     Belinda Carlisle
I Choose You                                         Paris
Girl Afraid                                              The Smiths
Beaucoups Of Blues                               Ringo Starr
I Wish                                                     Daniel Neal
If You're Ever In Oklahoma                   J.J. Cale
Jet (demo ver)                                         Paul McCartney & Wings
Astronaut                                                Quasimoto
Won't You Come Home Now                The Conquerers
Dope On A Rope                                    Nice & Smooth
You Must Know Magic                          Darryl Stewart
Quite Buttery                                          Count Bass D ft. Doom
Birds Of Beauty                                      U.S. Atlantic First Navy Show Band
Mi Querido Amor                                   Stevie Wonder
My Sweet Lord                                       The Chiffons
Woman                                                    John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Girl Afraid                                               Janice Whaley
There Is A Never Goes Out                    Trespassers William
My Sweet Lord (demo ver)                     George Harrison
I Want To Live (So God Can Use Me)    Brother Willie Eason & His Gospel Guitar

01-09-14: Let Me Tell Ya You Are No Exception To The Rule

"The Jitterbug Waltz" is a 1942 jazz composition by Fats Waller and recorded by him later that year. This mix features live versions by Rashaan Roland Kirk in 1973 and Stanley Cowell in 1990 as well as a studio version by Chet Atkins to accompany the original.

"The Long And Winding Road" from The Beatles' final album Let It Be was their last single and last #1 single in June 1970.  Paul McCartney was the principal songwriter and was angered by Phil Spector's production overdubs.  Previous mixes have featured versions by Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Ray Charles with The Count Basie Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan and Diana Ross. This mix features the official Let It Be album version as well as covers by Peggy Lee, Cher and Gladys Knight & The Pips.

One other song repeats this week: The early Randy Newman composition "Hold Your Head High". Newman never recorded it himself but featured here are mid-60s covers by Jackie DeShannon and Irene Kral.

George Perkins & The Silver Stars' "Cryin In The Streets (Pt. 1 & 2)" was written after seeing the funeral procession of Dr. Martin Luther King.

The rest: the menacing "One Of Us" by Rick Ross with Nas, a cover of Barry White's "Love's Theme" called "Tema De Amor" by Julio Iglesias, the full album version of "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste Of Honey, the Rick Rubin-produced "It's Yours" by T La Rock, Michael Jackson's  urgent "Smooth Criminal", The DJ Premier remix of "The Shit Is Real" by Fat Joe, a cover of Merle Haggard's "Okie From Muskogee" by Jeannie C. Riley, the sardonic "It's Money That Matters" by Randy Newman and the mellow "Babe" by Styx.

Hold Your Head High                                 Jackie DeShannon
The Jitterbug Waltz                                     Chet Atkins
The Long And Winding Road                     Peggy Lee
Cryin' In The Streets Pt. 1 & 2        George Perkins And The Silver Stars
One Of Us                                                    Rick Ross ft. Nas
The Jitterbug Waltz (live)                            Rashaan Roland Kirk
The Long And Winding Road                     Cher
Tema De Amor                                            Julio Iglesias
Boogie Oogie Oogie (album ver)                A Taste Of Honey
It's Yours (12" ver)                                      T La Rock
Smooth Criminal                                         Michael Jackson
The Shit Is Real (DJ Premier Remix)          Fat Joe
The Jitterbug Waltz (live)                            Stanley Cowell
The Long And Winding Road                      Gladys Knight & The Pips
Okie From Muskogee                                   Jeannie C. Riley
Hold Your Head High                                  Irene Kral
It's Money That Matters                               Randy Newman
Babe                                                             Styx
The Jitterbug Waltz                                     Fats Waller
The Long And Winding Road                     The Beatles

01-02-14: My Face Is A Thousand Lipstick Flavors

"Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que M'en Vais" is a Serge Gainsbourg ballad from 1973. This mix, the first of a year's batch of weekly mixes, features the full version as well as 1979 version by Jo Lemaire & Flouze and a live version in English by Okkervil River released in 2007.

"The Last Time I Saw Paris" is a standard written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II in 1940 that won an Academy Award the following year. This mix features a space-age instrumental version by Ferrante & Teicher from 1958 as well as Noel Coward's 1941 version and Dean Martin's 1962 version.

One other song repeats this week. "Buttercup" was written and recorded in 1974 by Stevie Wonder for a planned album with The Jackson 5. Stevie also played all the instruments and seemed to help guide Michael Jackson's lead vocals. The album never came to be. This mix also has a version by Carl Anderson recorded in 1982.

Most songs attributed to the movie star Rita Hayworth were actually sung by other people. The one notable exception is here, with the slow version of "Put The Blame On Mame", which she performed with acoustic guitar in the 1946 early film noir Gilda.

The rest: the master vocal take of Bob Dylan's "Sooner Or Later (One Of Us Must Know)", the feral "Down On The Street" by The Stooges, the ferocious "If I Was A Cop" by Tim Dog, MF Doom's free associative "Microwave Mayo", Vivien Goldman's spacy "Her Story",  Run-D.M.C.'s guitar-driven "Can You Rock It Like This", DMZ's frenetic EP version of "Busy Man",  Bruce Springsteen's dramatic "Back Streets", Marah's folksy take of Springsteen's "Streets Of Philadelphia", the spooky "The Girl On Death Row" by Lee Hazelwood with Duane Eddy and Jeff Buckley's version of Bob Dylan's "Just Like A Woman".

One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) (master vocal take)        Bob Dylan
Down On The Street                                                               The Stooges
If I Was A Cop                                                                        Tim Dog
The Last Time I Saw Paris                                  Ferrante & Teicher
Microwave Mayo                                                                   MF Doom
Buttercup                                                                                The Jackson 5
Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'en Vais             Serge Gainsbourg
The Last Time I Saw Paris                                                     Noel Coward
Her Story                                                                                Vivien Goldman
Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'en Vais             Jo Lemaire & Flouze
Buttercup                                                                                Carl Anderson
Can You Rock It Like This                                                    Run-D.M.C.
Busy Man (EP ver)                                                                 DMZ
I Came Here To Say I'm Going Away                                   Okkervil River
Backstreets                                                             Bruce Springsteen
Streets Of Philadelphia                                                          Marah
The Last Time I Saw Paris                                                    Dean Martin
The Girl On Death Row                           Lee Hazelwood w/ Duane Eddy
Put The Blame On Mame (slow ver)                                    Rita Hayworth
Just Like A Woman                                                              Jeff Buckley

Countdown 2013

I posted 1,069 songs the past few years under the year's worth of weekly mixes dubbed "2013". These are my 11 favorite, counting down to my very favorite.

11.  Modern Love                                 Greg Dulli

This series of mixes has always featured cover versions of songs, among other miscellany. So it's no surprise that the countdown for my favorite 11 songs over the last 1,069 in my mixes begins with three cover songs.

Against the received wisdom of music criticism, I like the pop song 80s period of David Bowie best, and "Modern Love" is a great example of that. While nothing can top the original, this version comes close. Recorded shortly after he died, it's hard not to feel something elegiac in this version, for him and maybe for modern love itself. Ever since fronting The Afghan Whigs and in various guises since, Greg Dulli has made himself the master of the cover song. This simple acoustic guitar version seems to unearth a melancholic beauty that I might have felt subconsciously as a kid listening to the original, but only understood after hearing it done this way. As well as growing up.

10.  Solsbury Hill                                     Lou Reed

Lou Reed does similar wonders with Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill". If it feels funereal, it's hard not to listen to it without also realizing that the man wonderfully butchering this song of hopeful future is dying.

The heavy guitar, the plodding pace and his talk-singing take the song to a whole other place. It's defiant in an entirely different emotional color, and hopeful in a way that seems even more inspiring and hard-earned than the original. The way he sings the lyric "and my heart goes boom boom boom" still gives me goosebumps.

9. I'm Not In Love                                   Peggy Lee

I've always liked the haunting 10cc original of this song and have heard a few good covers, like Richie Havens' incongruously lush version.

But to me, nothing tops this late-period Peggy Lee crack at it. Never has exhaustion sound better as a singing technique and an apt reading of the lyric. The conceit in the original is that the singer is an unreliable narrator, that he is indeed in love. That clever construct seems abandoned here, not because Peggy Lee wasn't a sophisticated enough singer to pull that off, but because her sophistication is beyond the intent of the original lyric. She knows that one might reach a point where you really aren't, and can no longer be, in love. Something I thought a lot about over the time of this batch of mixes. Her languorous "no, no no"s are as convincing as anything on here.

8. Anotha Ho                                         JJ Fad

This extremely rare piece of late 80s lady battle rap makes mean-spirited lyrics sound so very fun. It's the beat-boxing, the taunts against nursery rhymes and Queen samples. This is a song that actually made me gasp, laugh and turn it up really loud.

It's strange to me that in a world that seems increasingly coarse and uncivil that songs this explicitly aggressive seem to be more rare, rather than more common.  And very few of them would have half the wit and musical genius in these few minutes.

7. Everybody Is A Star                         Gladys Knight & The Pips

Readers of this blog and collectors of my mixes would know of my deep love for the music of Sly & the Family Stone.  This song is among their best, and it was so exciting to find this obscure version by Gladys Knight & The Pips. It feels, if possible, more Sly & The Family Stone than the original.

Maybe that's because of the way the Pips set it up, before Gladys comes in and just kills it. I don't know why the only version I could find through various sources has a fuzziness in places, as if it was literally dusted off a shelf, forgotten and unheralded, like much of the music I fall in love with.

6. Just Another Case                              Cru

When I find songs like this, I wonder how many other forgotten hip hop gems from back in the day are waiting for me to find. I love the genius of both sampling Slick Rick's most famous song but inviting him to join with new lyrics.

But the moody guitar line and Tribe Called Quest feel already have me hooked before he comes on. The Phil Collins reference is so weird and unexpectedly cool and funny too.

5. Brother Father Sister Mother               Tim Maia

I loved playing this for people this year. "Who is this??" was the first question, with multiple question marks implied. It has the feel of something classic by someone famous that you should know.

Instead it was never close to an American hit by a complicated Brazilian musician with a troubled life and short, erratic career. But it's so sweet and hopeful and catchy and makes me feel as good as any song on here, which means the last few years of my life.

4. Pray Children If You Want To Go To Heaven                    The Nugrape Twins

This song sounds about as pure as it gets. And yet, it seems to suggest the real complicated backstory. No one is even quite sure who the Nugrape Twins were, whether they were actually twins or even really black, as perhaps they white men performing in disguise.

What is known is that they were perhaps the earliest American shills, named for a still extant soda brand in the southeast, for which they recorded a few jingles and a few gospel songs before disappearing. Of the latter, this one in particular is just incredible. The vocals are hypnotic, and I love how they change their cadence to a whisper at the end, completing the feel of a scary and moving lullaby.

3. I'll Be Around                                                                Rappin' 4-Tay

Sometimes I''ll just fall in love with a moment in a song, that elevates the song to one of my favorites. When I discovered this Spinners-sampling old school rap obscurity, I found that the single version omitted a spoken word intro over the music.  I usually opt to skip that part, but the fictive phone conversation, cueing the song title, and the artist's assurance that he'll be around, "baby boy" is now my favorite part.

This is one of those unabashed samples that just plops the main part of The Spinners' "I'll Be Around" as the musical bed. Over that is a sweet plea for a better society, which seems more relevant now than ever.

2. Could It Be I'm Falling In Love (Tom Moulton remix)               The Spinners

Over three years ago, when this "year's worth" of mixes, once done weekly but then resumed after a long hiatus, and then done much less frequently than weekly, started this was in one of the first batches. And even then, and for most of those three years, I was pretty sure it would be my #1.

I loved the story that Tom Moulton, who had invented the remix in the 70s, went back to some old favorites decades later and made some more.  I loved hearing such a hopeful and romantic favorite song of mine extended, given a long run on the leash before Phillip Wynne's incredible voice comes in. It's a song that carried me through the last few years as much as any.

1. Six Million Dollar Fish                                                    Don Covay

This is the only song of the 1,069 that had a chance of displacing the previous one.  This was not the plan. I was not supposed to hear a song this strange and beautiful and wise and funny and unique during this time.

I collect music at a pace that far outstrips my time and ability to listen to it. This is how these mixes were born, to sock away favorites in folders to revisit. I have long loved the incredible voice of overlooked soul singer Don Covay, who died during this batch of mixes. I had collected everything he ever recorded, going as far as Japanese imports, and one day the shuffle on my computer served this one up. I nearly fell out of my chair and played it about a dozen times in a row. The sheer ludicrousness of the idea, a slow jam tribute to a monster shark from a summer blockbuster against strange but empathic lyrics over a deep discofied soul arrangement expanded the possibilities for me about what music could be. And how life is.

Modern Love                                                              Greg Dulli
Solsbury Hill                                                               Lou Reed
I'm Not In Love                                                           Peggy Lee
Anotha Ho                                                                   JJ Fad
Everybody Is A Star                                                    Gladys Knight & The Pips
Brother Father Mother Sister                                       Tim Maia
Pray Children If You Want To Go To Heaven            The Nugrape Twins
I'll Be Around                                                              Rappin' 4-Tay
Could It Be I'm Fallin' In Love (Tom Moulton remix)     The Spinners
Six Million Dollar Fish                                                Don Covay

The Best Of 2013

Just as in 2012, there are 1,069 songs across my weekly mixes for 2013. These are my favorite 107 of them.

Sharon Von Etten's "A Crime" was such a favorite I also threw in Greg Dulli's version. I included a few covers of Erasure's "A Little Respect" in the last year's worth of mixes but it was the original that made this best of. Getachew Mekurya's "Aha Gedawo" is as beautiful as it is obscure. The same could be said for Kenny Knight's "All My Memories". I thought I knew every great Hall & Oates song until I found "Alone Too Long". The Waterboys' "And A Bang On The Ear" has  a similar nostalgic pull for me as the Erasure song. Barry White's "Baby Blues" feels like it should have been a more well-known hit. The Pointer Sisters' "Bring Your Sweet Stuff Home To Me" was another discovery of their early work. The Beatles/hip hop mash up "Brooklyn Walrus" was on constant repeat the minute I found it. Smif-N-Wessun's "Bucktown"feels like a hip hop western. Too $hort's "Burn Rubber" has the best use of cowbell I've heard in a hip hop tune. I can't believe it's taken this long for Barry White's "Can't  Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe" to make a mix, so of course it made my best of as well. I knew the chorus of Lords Of The Underground's "Chief Rocka" from The Nororious B.I.G. sample way before I knew the song.

I always thought "Cry Me A River" was a Joe Cocker original, but hearing older and tamer versions of the standard made me appreciate the iconic live Cocker version even more. The alternate "unreleased" version of Jackie DeShannon's cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is as good as it gets for that song. Hearing "Ebonics" makes me wonder how much more Big L could have done if he hadn't died so young. A$AP Rocky, by comparison, I hope has a long career after great songs like "Excuse Me". William Onyeabor's "Fantastic Man" was the perfect opener for my one return to the dj booth in the last few years. The obscure Milton Wright returns to one of my best ofs with the ingratiating "Friends And Buddies". Also returning to the best ofs is the standard "Gentle On My Mind", this time done by Tammy Wynette. David Bowie's passing during this time made me more nostalgic for some of his hits, like "Golden Years". I love the Thomas Dolby sample on Mobb Deep's "Got It Twisted". I never knew the early Talking Heads song "Heaven" until I heard the fantastic live cover by Eric Burdon & the Animals. I was certainly on a William Onyeabor kick this year and "Heaven & Hell" was one of my favorites. "Hello" by Eyrkah Badu with Andre 3000 is a great interpolation of The Isley Brothers' version of Todd Rundgren's "Hello, It's Me" so I had to include both. It wouldn't be a best of without some Cher and her version of The Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" is not at all too over the top for me.

The rare Lemonheads version of Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know" strikes the right balance between silly and sincere. I listened to a lot of Kendrick Lamar over the course of these 52 mixes and "i" was probably my favorite. Her disco remake of her signature tune "I've Got Rhythm" almost made this best of, but there was no doubt Ethel Merman's original would. Many versions of Marlene Dietrich's "Falling In Love Again" have made my mixes over the years so I was pleased to find a version titled "Ich Bin Von Kopf Bis Fub Auf Lieb Eingettellt". Annette Hanshaw's delightful "If You Want The Rainbow, You Must Have The Rain" was worth it for her signature "that's all" that ended all her songs. I was happy to discover the obscure Philadelphia disco maestro Vincent Montana, especially his "It Looks Like Love" featuring his daughter Denise. Stezo's "It's My Turn" was a great old school stomper. I included two versions of Coleman Hawkins' versions of the standard "Just A Gigolo" on the mixes this year but for the best of opted to include the more ragged and haunting latter version he recorded before death. Joe Cocker's organ-led version of Bob Dylan's "Just Like A Woman" sounds like the music of a church I've belonged to my whole life.  I miss the music of Clipse, but am grateful Pusha T still makes music like "Keep Dealin'", which is made more scary with Beanie Sigel's help. The full album version of David Bowie's "Let's Dance" finally made a mix and of course the best of. The Yoko Ono lullaby "Listen, The Snow Is Falling" somehow didn't make my upcoming top 11 of the year, but easily could have. The chorus of Nirvana's "Lithium" might be the catchiest thing I listened to all year.

I dug deep into 70s country this year and was happy to find the underappreciated "Livin' In The Country" by Cowboy. While the single version of The Brighter Side Of Darkness' "Love Jones" had been part of the mix, finding a longer album version meant it was bound for this best of.  Not sure what to say about the ethereal "Love's Almighty" by Telepopmusik execept that Angela McCluckey sounds like Billie Holiday fronting Portishead.  Barry White's "Love's Theme" gets an incredible reading from Santo & Johnny who perfectly marry their style to the wah wah guitar of the time. I can not believe that it took this many years of mixes before Bill Withers' "Lovely Day" appeared. I would include Rashaan Roland Kirk's version of Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" for his wordless singing alone. How did I forget how ferocious LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" was? I have spent some time digging into early 70s boogaloo and George Guzman's "Marilu" certainly stuck in heavy rotation. Scott Walker's haunting reading of "The Me I Never Knew" was very close to my top 11 of the year. Asheru & Talib Kweli's "Mood Swing" made me again marvel at the unexpected sample, in this case Duke Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood". I have always been a sucker for the Spiral Starecase pop song "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday" so was thrilled to find soulful readings by Dee Dee Warwick and Joe Bataan. Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" still kicks ass.

I have coveted Big Star acoustic demos over the past few years and that version of "Nightime" by them is as lovely as it gets. Nice & Smooth's discography, limited as it is, seems bottomless in its ability to put a smile on my face and the Prince-sampling "No Delayin'" seemed right this year. Pusha T's "Numbers On The Boards" is the other of his to make my best of, it's somehow menacing and relaxing. My Bloody Valentine's "Off Your Face" is pre-Loveless but just as potent. Teddy Grace's swinging version of the standard "Over The Rainbow" nearly made my top 11, and was as played as anything on this list. Lee Hazelwood's "Pour Man" deserves to be a famous country standard. Fiona Apple's version of the Willy Wonka theme "Pure Imagination" goes in the opposite direction of Lou Rawls' version but is just as effective. I first heard D'Angelo's "Really Love" in concert and figured it had to have been a song done years ago by someone else, it just sounded so classic. The posse cut "Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers" is even better, and more ferocious, than the first Crooklyn Dodgers song. The Velvet Underground's "Rock & Roll" finally made a mix and belongs in every year's best of. I discovered the soul obscurity "Sad Sweet Dreamer" in the fascinating British series Red Riding. Paul McCartney's country tune "Sally G" was an even more surprising find.

I was on a huge Sharon Von Etten kick this past year or so, and couldn't decide whether I liked the acoustic or full band version of "Serpents" better so I've included them both. Flipper's "Sex Bomb" is probably the stupidest song on here but that is part of its appeal.  I had to find a version of Keely Smith's cover of The Beatles" "She Loves You" from vinyl, but I don't mind the pops and hiss under her gentle version. The demo version of Paul McCartney's "Silly Love Songs" elevates the song into something really beautiful as opposed to saccharine. I edited out a little bit of chatter onto my version of Group Home's "Supa Star" but the weird synths remain. I had never heard the old school pastiche "The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel"by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five before recently and even at seven plus minutes wish it were longer. I had nearly forgotten the lonely beauty of Johnny Rivers' "The Poor Side Of Town". I can't decide which is better: Ella Fitzgerald's version of the Herb Alpert standard "This Guy's In Love With You" or James Brown's strange duet with Lyn Collins. After finding "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'" I need to find more Ruth Brown. Solid Solution's "This Must Be Love" is one of those obscure lost soul songs I hope I always discover. "To Lay Me Down" by The Grateful Dead is another nugget for me, an American Beauty outtake that would have made a great album better. I've included the original and a demo version of Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight" on previous bets ofs and had to include this strings only version, which has a cinematic beauty. Masta Ace's "Top Ten List" is one of those witty cautionary tales that somehow sounds relevant to even me.

Alice Coltrane's "Turiya and Ramakrishna" reminds me of one beautiful moment on a summer night during the time I made these 52 mixes. David Bowie's passing during this period of time sent me scrambling for his stuff, none greater than this a cappella version of "Under Pressure" with Freddie Mercury. James Brown's "Wake Up And Give Yourself A Chance To Live" is a wonderfully strange detour in his canon. "Walking In Rhythm" by The Blackbyrds is an old favorite included on a mix years ago, but this year I found an album version. I had found the late period Louis Armstrong song "We Have All The Time In The World", for a James Bond film no less, as moving as it is smooth. Bobby Womack's passing was only a few months after I sat front row in a small venue to see him, and a few weeks into this year's worth of mixes I included his version of The Carpenters standard "We've Only Just Begun" as well as Curtis Mayfield's, certain that wherever the year took me these two versions would make the best of. Also in little doubt was Jose Feliciano's unexpectedly fun version of Cat Stevens' somber but beautiful "Wild World". I discovered the Chris Bell, formerly of Big Star, song "You And Your Sister" this year but it was the This Mortal Coil version, with Tanya Donnelly and Kim Deal, that really caught my ear. I was delighted to find a late J Dilla track with Bust Rhymes and Q -Tip: "You Can't Hold The Torch". The last of my Tom Moulton mixes was a wonderfully dragged-out version of Lou Rawls' "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine".  The demo version of Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" was a revelation, the song feels less anondyne, if it ever did slightly, but certainly no less heartfelt. The LaBelle version on here is probably the best way humanly possible to sing it. Souls Of Mischief's  mellow "'93 Til Infinity" for its title alone seems a good last one to think about my history of mixtape making, the past and the future.

A Crime                                                    Greg Dulli
A Crime                                                    Sharon Von Etten
A Little Respect                                        Erasure
Aha Gedawao                                           Getachew Mekurya
All My Memories                                     Kenny Knight
Alone Too Long                                       Hall & Oates
And A Bang On The Ear                          The Waterboys
Anotha Ho                                                JJ Fad
Baby Blues                                               Barry White
Bring Your Sweet Stuff Home To Me     The Pointer Sisters
Brooklyn Walrus                                      Ol' Dirty Bastard, Buckshot, Masta Ace & Special Ed
Brother Father Mother Sister                    Tim Maia
Bucktown                                                 Smif-N-Wessun
Burn Rubber                                             Too $hort
Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe     Barry White
Chief Rocka                                              Lords Of The Underground
Could It Be I'm Falling In Love (Tom Moulton mix)        The Spinners
Cry Me A River  (live)                             Joe Cocker
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright                Jackie DeShannon
Ebonics                                                     Big L
Everybody Is A Star                                 Gladys Knight & The Pips
Excuse Me                                                A$AP Rocky
Fantastic Man                                           William Onyeabor
Friends And Buddies                                Milton Wright
Gentle On My Mind                                 Tammy Wynette
Golden Years                                            David Bowie
Got It Twisted                                           Mobb Deep ft. Twista
Heaven (live)                                            Eric Burdon & The Animals
Heaven & Hell (original mix)                  William Onyeabor
Hello                                                         Erykah Badu fr. Andre 3000
Hello It's Me                                              The Isley Brothers
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart        Cher
How Will I Know                                     Lemonheads
i                                                                 Kendrick Lamar
I'll Be Around                                           Rappin' 4-Tay
I'm Not In Love                                        Peggy Lee
I've Got Rhythm                                          Ethel Merman
Ich Bin Von Kopf Bis Fub Auf Lieb Eingestellt               Marlene Dietrich
If You Want The Rainbow You Must Have The Rain      Annette Hanshaw
It Looks Like Love (original '79)            Vincent Montana Jr. ft. Denise Montana
It's My Turn                                             Stezo
Just A Gigolo                                           Coleman Hawkins
Just Another Case                                    Cru
Just Like A Woman                                 Joe Cocker
Keep Dealing                                           Pusha T ft. Beanie Sigel      
Let's Dance                                               David Bowie
Listen, The Snow Is Falling                     Yoko Ono & John Lennon
Lithium                                                     Nirvana
Livin' In the Country                                Cowboy
Love Jones                                                Brighter Side Of Darkness
Love's Almighty                                        Telepopmusik ft. Angela McCluskey
Love's Theme                                             Santo & Johnny
Lovely Day                                                 Bill Withers
Ma Cherie Amour (live)                           Rashaan Roland Kirk
Mama Said Knock You Out                    LL Cool J
Marilu                                                      George Guzman
The Me I Never Knew                            Scott Walker
Modern Love                                            Greg Dulli
Mood Swing                                           Asheru & Talib Kweli
More Today Than Yesterday                  Dee Dee Warwick
More Today Than Yesterday                  Joe Bataan
My Prerogative                                        Bobby Womack
Nightime (demo)                                     Big Star
No Delayin'                                             Nice & Smooth
Numbers On the Boards                          Pusha T
Off Your Face                                         My Bloody Valentine
One Of A Kind (lOve Affair) (Tom Moulton mix)       The Spinners
Over The Rainbow                                   Teddy Grace
Pour Man                                                  Lee Hazelwood
Pray Children If You Want To Go To Heaven             The Nugrape Twins
Pure Imagination                                      Fiona Apple
Really Love                                              D'Angelo & The Vanguard
Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers            Buckshot, Special Ed & Masta Ace  
Rock & Roll                                             The Velvet Underground
Sad Sweet Dreamer                                  Sweet Sensation
Sally G                                                     Paul McCartney & Wings
Serpents                                                    Sharon Von Etten
Serpents (demo)                                       Sharon Von Etten
Sex Bomb                                                 Flipper
She Loves You                                         Keely Smith
Silly Love Songs (demo)                          Paul & Linda McCartney
Six Million Dollar Fish                            Don Covay
Solsbury Hill                                            Lou Reed
Supa Star (my edit)                                  Group Home
The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On the Wheels Of Steel      Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
The Poor Side Of Town                           Johnny Rivers
This Girl's In Love With You                  Ella Fitzgerald
This Guy - This Girl's In Love With You     James Brown & Lyn Collins
This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'                 Ruth Brown
This Must Be Love                                   Solid Solution
To Lay Me Down                                     The Grateful Dead
Tonight, Tonight (strings alone mix)        Smashing Pumpkins
Top Ten List                                           Masta Ace
Turiya And Ramakrishna                        Alice Coltrane
Under Pressure (a cappella)                    David Bowie & Freddie Mercury
Wake Up And Give Yourself A Chance To Live             James Brown
Walking In Rhythm  (album ver)                The Blackbyrds
We Have All The Time In The World        Louis Armstrong
We've Only Just Begun                              Bobby Womack
We've Only Just Begun (live)                    Curtis Mayfield
Wild World                                                Jose Feliciano
You And Your Sister                                 This Mortal Coil
You Can't Hold The Torch                         Busta Rhymes & Q-Tip with Chauncey Black
You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Tom Moulton mix)       Lou Rawls
You've Got A Friend (demo)                      Carole King
You've Got A Friend                                   LaBelle
93 'Til Infinity                                             Souls Of Mischief

12-26-13: Nowhere You Can Be That Isn't Where You're Meant To Be

The 1963 single "She Loves You" was one of a series of number one singles for The Beatles. This mix features contemporary covers by Count Basie and Keely Smith as well as the original.

Many versions of John Hartford's standard "Gentle On My Mind" have appeared on these mixes. This week has his original as long as covers by Frank Sinatra and Tammy Wynette.

George Harrison's "Here Comes The Moon" was a loose sequel of his "Here Comes The Sun" from ten years earlier. Both the album and demo version are on here.

The rest: the 60s rock obscurity "Born To Wander" by Jack Wood, a cover of The Beatles' "Something" by The Sundowners, the flippant "Careless" by The Replacements, Prince's funk "Private Joy", hip hop supergroup Penthouse Players with the cautionary "Trust No Bitch", the gently funky "Make It Better (Forget About Me)" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Pete Rock & CL Smooth's wise "Anger In The Nation", Bitter Sweet's anguished "What A Lonely Way To Spend The Summer", an acoustic version of Rod Stewart's "You're In My Hear", Johnny Mathis' version Of "how Deep Is Your Love", Santo & Johnny's version of Barry White's "Love's Theme", Bob Dylan's version of the standard "Young At Heart" and The Beatles' hopeful "All You Need Is Love".

She Loves You                                        The Beatles
Born To Wander                                      Jack Wood
Gentle On My Mind                                Frank Sinatra
Here Comes The Moon                           George Harrison
Something                                                The Sundowners
Careless                                                    The Replacements
Private Joy                                                Prince
Trust No Bitch                     Penthouse Players ft. DJ Quik, Eazy E and AMG
Mama Stayed Out                                    Barrel House Five Orchestra
No Snakes Alive                                      MF Doom & MF Grimm
Gentle On My Mind                                John Hartford
Make It Better (Forget About Me)          Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
She Loves You                                        Count Basie
Anger In The Nation                                Pete Rock & CL Smooth
What A Lonely Way To Spend The Summer                 Bitter Sweet
Gentle On My Mind                                  Tammy Wynette
You're In My Heart (acoustic ver)             Rod Stewart
How Deep Is Your Love                            Johnny Mathis
Love's Theme                                             Santo & Johnny
She Loves You                                          Keely Smith
Young At Heart                                         Bob Dylan
Here Comes The Moon (demo)                 George Harrison
All You Need Is Love                                The Beatles

12-19-13: I Just Seem To Be 'Twixt The Devil And The Sea

"Go Now" was written in 1962 by songwriter Larry Banks, who gave it to his ex-wife to record a couple years later. Bessie Banks' version came out in early 1964 but it was The Moody Blues version later in the year that became a hit. A previous mix included her original recording, this mix has The Moody Blues version along with other covers by Gloria Jones and Cher.

"Hamrony" is a track from Elton John's 1973 album Goodbye Yellowbrick Road. This mix features covers by Diana Ross and Jesse Malin as well as the original.

One other song repeats this week: Bob Dylan's 1981 Shot Of Love outtake "You Changed My Life", with a more recent cover by Ivan & Alvosha.

Jay-Z's "Cashmere Thoughts" samples Bohannon's "Save Their Souls".

The rest: a stripped-down version of Jimmy Cliff's cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World", the vocal track of The Clash's "Rock The Casbah", Eddie Kendricks' version of Seals & Croft's "Diamond Girl", Group Home's jazzy "Supa Star", the J Dilla-produced "You Can't Hold The Torch" by Busta Rhymes with Q-Tip and Chauncey Black, The Boswell Sisters' swinging "Wha'dja Do To Me?", the Joe Walsh-led "In The City" by The Eagles, Brook Benton's cover of Elton John's "Country Comfort", Marion Black's soulful "Go On Fool", Mark Kozelek's cover of Modest Mouse's "Float On" and a demo version of Big Star's "Blue Moon".

Wild World (stripped ver)                             Jimmy Cliff
Rock The Casbah (vocals)                             The Clash
Go Now                                                           The Moody Blues
Harmony                                                        Elton John
Diamond Girl                                                 Eddie Kendricks
Supa Star (my edit)                                        Group Home
Save Their Souls                                            Bohannon
Cashmere Thoughts                                       Jay-Z
Go Now                                                         Gloria Jones
You Can't Hold The Torch              Busta Rhymes ft/ Q-Tip & Chauncey Black
Wha'dja Do To Me?                                      The Boswell Sisters
Harmony                                                        Diana Ross
You Changed My Life                                  Ivan &Alyosha
Go Now                                                         Cher
In The City                                                    The Eagles
Country Comfort                                           Brook Benton
Harmony                                                        Jesse Malin
Go On Fool                                                    Marion Black 
You Changed My Life                                  Bob Dylan
Float On                                                         Mark Kozelek
Blue Moon (demo)                                        Big Star

12-12-13: If I Buy The Bread, I Can't Afford The Wine

"I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me" is a standard from 1926. More than twenty recordings of it were made in the first 16 years since it was published, including Billie Holiday's 1938 version. This mix includes that version and two much later versions by Frank Sinatra in 1960 and Dean Martin the following year.

The Sundowners were a Chicago country bar band from the 60s and 70s. Their version of Merle Haggard's "Sidewalks Of Chicago" is featured here with Brook Benton's country soul cover to accompany the original.

One other Merle Haggard song repeats this week: "Life In Prison", his original version as well as a cover by The Byrds with Gram Parsons singing lead vocals.

The rest: the soul ballad "This Must Be Love", Ruth Brown's chipper "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'", the wise "Hand Of Fate" by The Rolling Stones, the early 80s funk of "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind & Fire, Egyptian Lover's historic-minded "Egypt, Egypt", Don Blackman's funky "You Ain't Hip", the skeletal "I Got Rhythm" by The Brothers, Peter Gabriel's sly "Sledgehammer",  El-P & Killer Mike's Run The Jewels track "Get It", Jose Feliciano's cover of Stevie Wonder's "Blame It On The Sun", Stevie's cover of The Temptations' "My Girl", Hayes Shepherd's alias The Appalachia Vagabond with "The Peddler And His Wife", the Nashville demo of Hank Williams' "I'm Going Home" and a cover of Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home" by The Everly Brothers.

This Must Be Love                                                  Solid Solution
Sidewalks Of Chicago                                             Brook Benton
Life In Prison                                                           Merle Haggard
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me         Billie Holiday
This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'                                Ruth Brown
Hand Of Fate                                                           The Rolling Stones
Life In Prison                                                           The Byrds
Sidewalks Of Chicago                                             The Sundowners
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me         Frank Sinatra
Let's Groove                                                             Earth, Wind & Fire
Egypt, Egypt                                                            Egyptian Lover
You Ain't Hip                                                           Don Blackman 
I Got Rhythm                                                           The Brothers
Sledgehammer                                                         Peter Gabriel
Get It                                                                        El-P & Killer Mike
Blame It On The Sun                                               Jose Feliciano
My Girl                                                                    Stevie Wonder
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me        Dean Martin
The Peddler And His Wife                        The Appalachia Vagabond
I'm Going Home (Nashville Demo)                        Hank Williams
The Sidewalks Of Chicago                                     Merle Haggard
Sing Me Back Home                                              The Everly Brothers                    

12-05-13: This Ain't Funny, So Don't You Dare Laugh

"Dream A Little Dream Of Me" is a standard first recorded by eventual television dad Ozzie Nelson in 1931. This mix includes a duet between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong as well as the 1968 hit version by The Mamas & The Papas.

"Catch The Wind" is a 1965 single by Donovan. It was re-recorded a few years later in a different version to contractually allow the song for a greatest hits album. This mix has previously included both those versions and this week features vintage covers by Cher, Eartha Kitt and Glen Campbell.

One other song repeats this week: Peter Gabriel's 1982 single "Shock The Monkey" with a recent cover by Joseph Arthur.

"Just Another Case" by Cru both samples and features Slick Rick.

The rest: Joe Bataan's convincing "I'm Satisfied", a cover of Kenny Loggins' hit "This Is It" by Freddie Hubbard, K Rob & Rammelzee's breezy "Beat Bop", James Brown's advisory "Wake Up And Give Yourself The Chance To Live", Dead Prez's defiant "It's Bigger Than Hip Hop", William Onyeabor's spacey "Tell Me What You Want", Bill Withers' mellow "Don't You Want Me To Stay", Sinead O'Connor's dramatic "This Is The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance", an acoustic version of Bob Dylan's "Love Minus Zero/ No Limit" and Donovan's ethereal "There Is An Ocean"

Dream A Little Dream Of Me                      Ozzie Nelson
Catch The Wind                                            Cher
I'm Satisfied                                                  Joe Bataan
This Is It                                                       Freddie Hubbard
Beat Bop                                                      K Rob & Rammelzee
Shock The Monkey                                      Peter Gabriel
Wake Up And Give Yourself The Chance To Live           James Brown
It's Bigger Than Hip Hop                              Dead Prez
Tell Me What You Want                               William Onyeabor
Don't You Want Me To Stay?                       Bill Withers
Dream A Little Dream Of Me       Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Catch The Wind                                           Eartha Kitt
Just Another Case                                        Cru
Shock The Monkey                                     Joseph Arthur
This Is The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance         Sinead O'Connor
Love Minus Zero/ No Limit (acoustic ver)       Bob Dylan
There Is An Ocean                                      Donovan
Catch The Wind                                          Glenn Campbell
Dream A Little Dream Of Me                     The Mamas & The Papas