01-22-15: And Though You're Gone, You're With Me Every Single Day, Believe Me

This mix is also for the fox who lives in my heart.

"Speak Low" is a standard composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Ogden Nash. It was introduced in the 1943 Broadway musical One Touch Of Venus. The opening line is a reference to Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. This mix features a rare version from the 40s with Weill himself playing piano to Ira Gershwin's voice, as well as versions by Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald with Joe Pass.

"In The Morning" is an early Bee Gees song first recorded in 1966, then re-recorded as "Morning Of My Life" in 1970. This mix includes both versions as well as a live and studio version by Nina Simone.

"In Love" is a b-side and track from the 1979 eponymous debut album by The Raincoats. This mix also includes a cover of that by Linda Smith.

"Children's Song" is from the 1964 Samuel Fuller film noir The Naked Kiss, featuring Constance Towers with a cast of children.

The rest: an all vocal mix of John Lennon's "Oh My Love", Connie Smith's cover of Andy Gibb's "I Just Want To Be Your Everything", the smitten "Frederick" by The Patti Smith Group, the playful "Short Court Style" by Natalie Prass, Nicki Minaj's chiming "Coco Chanel" with Foxy Brown, Ohio Player Junie Morrison's funky mellow "Suzie Thundertussy", Chicago's west side crew Crucial Conflict with the 1996 western-themed single "Hay", a cover of Donovan's "Catch The Wind" by The Platters, the percussive "It's Like That" by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Chicano soul singer Joe Jama's sweet 1969 track "My Life", Tom Petty's wry "Down South" and an acoustic mix of the bittersweet "Days" by The Kinks.

Oh My Love (vocals only)                                      John Lennon
In Love                                                                    Linda Smith
Speak Low                                                              Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass
In The Morning                                                       The Bee Gees
I Just Want To Be Your Everything                         Connie Smith
Frederick                                                                  Patti Smith Group
Short Court Style                                                     Natalie Prass
In the Morning (live)                                              Nina Simone
Coco Chanel                                            Nicki Minaj ft. Foxy Brown
Suzie Thundertussy                                                Junie
Hay                                                                         Crucial Conflict
In The Morning                                                       Nina Simone
Speak Low                                                               Peggy Lee
Catch The Wind                                                       The Platters
It's Like That                                                            Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
My Life                                                                   Joe Jama
Speak Low                                                              Billie Holiday
Morning Of My Life                                               The Bee Gees
Down South                                                             Tom Petty
In Love                                                                     The Raincoats
Children's Song                                            Constance Towers and Cast
Speak Low                                               Ira Gershwin & Kurt Weill
Days (acoustic ver)                                                  The Kinks   

01-15-15: They Say Everything Can Be Replaced

This marks the 596th mix, the first one without the monkey or the fox, who died a week ago today. As did my heart. This is dedicated to him. I hope he is enjoying it with the monkey somewhere.

Two songs repeat this week. The recently-released alternate version of "Love Street" by The Doors, with a cover by George Winston. And Hall & Oates' 1984 hit "Adult Education", with a cover by Emm Gryner.

Kid N Play's "Last Night" samples Esther Williams' "Last Night Changed It All (I Really Had A Ball)".

The snippets of Prince's "Purple Rain" and his cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case Of You" are from a 1983 solo piano session.

The rest: Art Tatum's late 40s private solo piano version of the Duke Ellington standard "In A Sentimental Mood", the dreamy "Wring French" by Piano Magic, Tammi Lynn's cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire", the playful "Captain Crunch" by Czarface & MF Doom, John Edwards' cover of America's "Tin Man", Lil Wayne's frenzied "Mona Lisa" with Kendrick Lamar, an alternate version of Laura Nyro's "Wedding Bell Blues" performed by Bobbie Gentry, a version of John Lennon's "Isolation" by his good friend Harry Nilsson, Lennon's acoustic version of his "My Mummy's Dead", the mournful "Whisper Softly, Mother's Dying" by Kid Smith And Family, an a cappella version of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" performed by The Band and Max Waldron's haunting "All Alone".

In A Sentimental Mood                                     Art Tatum
A Case Of You (solo piano ver)                         Prince
Wrong French                                                    Piano Magic
Love Street (rough mix)                                    The Doors
Light My Fire                                                    Tammi Lynn
Captain Crunch                                                  Czarface & MF Doom
Last Night Changed It All (I Really Had A Ball)      Esther Williams
Last Night                                                            Kid N Play
Adult Education                                                  Hall & Oates
Tin Man                                                              John Edwards
Mona Lisa                                                          Lil Wayne ft. Kendrick Lamar
Gloria                                                                 Enchantment
Wedding Bell Blues (alt ver)                             Bobbie Gentry
Purple Rain (solo piano ver)                              Prince
Adult Education                                                 Emm Gryner
Love Street                                                         George Winston
Isolation                                                              Harry Nilsson
My Mummy's Dead (acoustic alt ver)                John Lennon
Whisper Softly, Mother's Dying                         Kid Smith And Family
I Shall Be Released  (a cappella)                        The Band
All Alone                                                            Max Waldron

01-08-15: Please Please Please Baby Don't Die

"Stranger In The House" is a song that was left off Elvis Costello's 1977 debut album My Aim Is True. It appeared on a reissue of the album decades later but was covered in 1977 by Rachel Sweet and the following year as a duet between Costello and George Jones. This mix includes those two subsequent versions, his original version recorded with his backing band Clover and a live version with his band The Attractions in 1978.

"Ooo Baby Baby" is a 1965 single written by Smokey Robinson for his group The Miracles. Previous mixes have include the original single along with covers byLaura Nyro, San Francsico T.K.O.'s, Marianne Faithfull & Antony and a "stripped" mix of the original. This mix features covers by Linda Ronstadt, Blinky & Edwin Starr, Honey Cone and Smokey himself performing live wth his childhood friend Aretha Franklin on Soul Train.

The music of Aretha is further featured on this mix with both her demo and original version of her 1967 single "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)", her first for the Atlantic record label as well as a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" and a studio demo called "Are You Leaving Me".

One more song repeats this week: Otis Redding's original "Let Me Come On Home", with a cover by Hopeton Lewis & The Merritone All Stars. EPMD's "The Steve Martin" samples the Redding original.

The rest: the slow jam "BabyLet'sHaveABabyBeforeBushDoSomethin'crazy" by The Coup with Silk-E on vocals, the chipper 1957 "Crazy Billboard Song" by Long Island doo wop group The Miller Sisters, an acoustic demo of "Open All Night" by Bruce Springsteen before his 1982 album Nebraska, a cover of the Herb Alpert pop standard "This Girl's In Love With You" by Bobbi Boyle & The Trio, Joeski Love's 1986 novelty rap "Pee Wee's Dance", Noname's self-released "Ace" with Smino and Saba, and an early piano demo version of the 1977 Crosby, Stills & Nash hit "Just A Song Before I Go" by Graham Nash.

I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) (demo)      Aretha Franklin
Ooo Baby Baby                                                                  Linda Ronstadt
Stranger In The House                                                       Elvis Costello
BabyLet'sHaveABabyBeforeBushDoSomethin'crazy       The Coup ft. Silk E
Let Me Come On Home                                                    Otis Redding
The Steve Martin                                                               EPMD
Crazy Billboard Song                                                        The Miller Sisters
Open All Night (demo)                                                      Bruce Springsteen
Stranger In The House                                                       Elvis Costello
Ooo Baby Baby                                               Blinky & Edwin Starr
Suzanne (Hey Now Hey)                                                   Aretha Franklin
This Gal's In Love With You                     Bobbi Boyle & The Trio
Let Me Come On Home            Hopeton Lewis & Merritone All Stars
Pee Wee's Dance                                                                Joeski Love
Stranger In The House                                George Jones w/ Elvis Costello
I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)                  Aretha Franklin
Ooo Baby Baby                                                                  Honey Cone
Ace                                                                         Noname ft. Smino & Saba
Stranger In The House (live)                   Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Ooo Baby Baby (live on Soul Train)       Aretha Franklin w/ Smokey Robinson
Just A Song Before I Go (demo)                                       Graham Nash
Are You Leaving Me (demo)                                             Aretha Franklin

01-01-15: Not The Pace, But The Steps

"Giant Steps" is the first track of John Coltrane's 1960 album of the same name. This mix features versions by Coltrane's former pianist McCoy Tyner, Tito Puente performing live and Rashaan Roland Kirk with a vocal chorus as well as Coltrane's original.

"Bless You" is a song from John Lennon's 1974 album Walls & Bridges. A slightly different demo version as well as covers by Maxine Nightingale and The Pretenders accompany the original here.

"Another One Bites The Dust" by Sugar Daddy is a proto-rap interpolation of the Queen hit of the same year, also released in 1980 and featured here.

Madvillian is the one album collaboration from 2004 between Madlib and MF Doom, here in his alter alias Viktor Vaughn on "Fancy Clown".

Hermit And The Recluse, here with "Golden Fleece" is a new collaboration between the rapper Ka and the producer Animoss.

Ultra was the 1996 one-off hip hop duo of Tim Dog and Kool Keith, who handles the vocals here on "Keep It Real...Represent".

Okkervil River's version of Don Henley's "The End Of The Innocence" takes poetic license with the lyrics, much to Henley's chagrin.

The rest: Tom Petty & The Heartnreakers' psychedelic-tinged "Don't Come Round Here No More", Tower Of Power's poignant "You're Still A Young Man", a swinging alternate take of Bob Dylan's "Just Like A Woman" and The Replacements elegiac "Darlin' One".

Don't Come Round Here No More     Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Another One Bites The Dust                                 Sugar Daddy
Giant Steps                                                            John Coltrane
Bless You                                                              Maxine Nightingale
Fancy Clown                             Madvillain ft. Viktor Vaughn
Giant Steps                                                            McCoy Tyner
Bless You (demo ver)                                            John Lennon
Golden Fleece                                                       Hermit And The Recluse
Giant Steps (live)                                                  Tito Puente
Another One Bites The Dust                                 Queen
Keep It Real...Represent (full original ver)           Ultra (Kool Keith)
You're Still A Young Man                                     Tower Of Power
Bless You                                                               John Lennon
Giant Steps                                                             Rashaan Roland Kirk
The End Of The Innocence                                    Okkervil River
Bless You                                                               The Pretenders
Just Like A Woman (take 4, alt take)                     Bob Dylan
Darlin' One                                                             The Replacements

Countdown 2014

Over two calendar years and 52 mixes of 1,088 songs these are my favorites in ascending order:

11. Helplessly Hoping (live)                   Richie Havens

Richie Havens once sang at my church fair, during a time in the 80s when his brand of hippie idealism must have been completely out of favor. Taking this gig must have been somewhat of a come-down for a man who headlined Woodstock, but you would never have known that by his demeanor. The crowd of suburban Catholic families seemed indifferent and I was too young to know anything about him, but I could sense a dignity and sincerity to him. I thought of this as I heard his lovely live version of Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Helplessly Hoping", and it only came to mean to more to me this past year or so. The period of time these songs soundtracked was most profoundly effected by losing the monkey of the duo whose nicknames inspired this blog.  Seeing him, despite his body slowly failing him, stay strong and vibrant to his last day still inspires me. But it also reminds me how I came to see him as indestructible, that he would never die and never leave us. There is a line Havens repeats here, inflecting different tones in each chorus, moving from tenderness to resolve: "we are three together/we are for each other" that perfectly captures our little family unit. Now and forever.

10. Bookfiend                                           MF Doom ft. Clams Casino

I've long been a fan of MF Doom and all of his various aliases. His lyrics are often inscrutable, but words do not need to make literal sense to me for them to make actual sense to me. This is a remix of a track called "Bookhead" and the moody Clams Casino production merits a title change even if the words are exactly the same. This stuck with me for a long time, capturing a spacey melancholy that followed me from the day I lost the monkey so suddenly. The sense of mystery death invokes, and that this track conjures was a feeling I went back to over and over again.

9. Like To Get To Know You                   Spanky and Our Gang

Sometimes when I make these mixes, it's not a song accidentally finding me but a song I seek out. I had vague memories of this song from my teenage years, driving in my car with the radio on, taking a break from the rock stations and stopping on the "oldies" station. This was one of those songs I liked and decided to look up one day. I remembered it being an odd blend of wistful and haunting. It's sweet and slightly goofy and a little bit sad underneath it all.

8. Never Too Much                                  Luther Vandross

I was never much a fan of Luther Vandross, as his ascendancy marks a line for me in "soul" music from the more interesting productions of the 70s to the slicker and more sterile sounds of 80s r&b. But this single, his first, is from a time in the early 80s where an r&b song still had plenty of funk and disco in its system. The guitar on this is also essential. I love the sentiment as well, thinking of the monkey and the fox, how a thousand kisses and a million days are never too much.

7. Can You Rock It Like This                 Run-D.M.C.

The second consecutive 80s track from a non-rock genre that uses guitar in a way that amplifies the intended feeling. In this case, it's a swagger that is at times hilarious. Telling the world that women like you so much that your face is a "thousand lipstick flavors", but also admitting maybe you're looking for a "casual life/ something normal nuttin formal three kids and a wife" are just a few of the lines that in aggregate feel almost like a stand-up comedy routine set to guitar and a beat. In my house, I was the Jam Master Jay to the swaggeringly hilarious monkey and the fox.

6. In Between Days                                 The Cure

Another track from the mid-80s, this made my last mix of the year's batch and I was surprised I hadn't used it before. The Cure soundtracked my teens as much as Run-D.M.C. did. Like so many songs I love, I don't know exactly what it means but I know how it makes me feel.

5. Glad Tidings                                       Merry Clayton

Anyone who follows this blog knows how much I love a well-done cover song, and this version of a minor Van Morrison song sounds very major when Merry Clayton messes with it. If the original is a Van Morrison r&b experiment, Merry Clayton's version is the proof.

4. Softer, Softest (live MTV version)      Hole

The original is a song I mostly ignored on their album Live Through This, packed with so many other great songs. But the live version is something else: vicious, defiant and triumphant. The sound of someone who learned to survive.

3. Born To Run                                        Frankie Goes To Hollywood

My top 3 songs of the year were pretty clear to me. The original Bruce Springsteen version of "born To Run" is of course perfect but this version is something better than perfect. It drops the sax from the original and instead doubles up the bass, making it feel like a thrilling ride. He can sing better than Bruce, and his voice goes from a croon to a sneer and back to something desperate and never anything but real. That opening "Ha!" is my favorite second to any song on here, a big middle finger to a very tough year.

2. Luchini - This Is It                               Camp Lo

This was the celebratory anthem of the year for me, in a year that didn't feel like I had much to celebrate. Being alive. Being with the monkey and the fox. The horns, the chorus, everything.

1. Mother's Last Word To Her Son          Washington Phillips

This beautiful song from the mysterious Washington Phillips is my favorite song of the year. It's his voice, those words and that sound: he created an instrument that is sometimes referred to as a "manzarene". It sounds, with the echoes of harp, like something from heaven which makes sense for this particular song. All during the monkey's life, people would refer to me as his "daddy" but in reality I was his mother. This song can alternately bring tears to my eyes or a happy swelling in my heart. And I will forever think of the monkey who is up in heaven, laughing at us. Knowing we miss him and will never forget him.

Helplessly Hoping (live)                         Richie Havens
Bookfiend                                                MF Doom ft. Clams Casino
Like To Get To Know You                      Spanky & Our Gang
Never Too Much                                     Luther Vandross
Can You Rock It Like This                     Run-D.M.C.
In Between Days                                     The Cure
Glad Tidings                                            Merry Clayton
Softer, Softest (live on MTV)                  Hole
Born To Run                                            Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Luchini - This Is It                                   Camp Lo
Mother's Last Word To Her Son              Washington Phillips

The Best of 2014

Once upon a time, I made these playlists, timed to fill the standard 80 minute running time for a CD, every Thursday.  Then for each year, I started to tally my favorite top 10% of the 52 playlists. The aggregate number of songs each year was always a little under 1,100 so then I would pick my top 110 or so.

I took time off from doing them, and when I resumed the last couple calendar years I've been knocking out a playlist about once every two weeks.

So now, a "year's" worth of playlists, 52 to be exact, takes about 2 years. So for the first time in almost exactly two years, I have 52 playlists completed since my last "best of". Of those 1,088 songs here are my favorite 109 of them:

I've always loved New Order's "Age Of Consent" but this lovely, spacey version by The Golden Filter was new to me. I dug deep into covers of Bauhaus' "All I Ever Wanted Was Everything" this year but the old Bauhaus original was my favorite. Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" seems pretty anthemic right now. Frank Ocean's mixtape epic "American Wedding" marries evocative new lyrics to The Eagles' "Hotel California", pissing off Don Henley much to my amusement. Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying To Close To The Ground" hovered near my top 11 and high in my heart during the time of losing my little monkey. William Onyeabor's "Anything You Sow" is like a space-age gospel hymn. Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black" is the profane girl's group heartbreak ballad this era needs. The full album version of "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste Of Honey reminds me so much of my childhood. Grady & Hazel Cole's "Brother, Be Ready For That Day" sounds like the warning from a simpler time that we should have heeded by now. "Buttercup" is a tasty as it sounds, a Jackson 5 song produced by Stevie Wonder from a never-released album when he was at the peak of his powers. "California Girls" by The Beach Boys finally made a mix in this period and feels as fresh as hearing it the first time did.

"Call Ticketron" features the usually fierce and excellent lyrics of Run The Jewels with an insane sample of vintage automated phone voices. The version of Neil Young's "Campaigner" here is a newly-unearthed longer take with extra lyrics, his nod of sympathy for a disgraceful lying President is hard to imagine as current. I would think after over a dozen years of mixes, numbering over 12,000 song, I would have picked clean the bones of The Rolling Stones canon but the spacey and smitten "Child Of The Moon" knocked me out as a new favorite. Leon Thomas' "China Doll" feels like it should be the opening of a weird and fascinating movie. Nikki Minaj's "Chun-Li" is equally fierce and funny. I fell in love with a handful of versions of Jackie DeShannon's "Come And Stay With Me" but her version, recorded after some of the others, was my favorite. Joseph Arthur's tender and hushed version of Lou Reed's "Coney Island Baby" does great justice to the original, which until now seemed untouchable. I'm a big fan of the underground Brooklyn rapper KA, and love the vaguely Eastern production flourishes on "Conflicted". Busy Bee's "Converse", 30 or so years after it was recorded, is just as compelling a soundtrack for the shoe brand as any could be. Heart's "Crazy On You", like the feeling it describes, elegantly switches mood gears. Don Covay, perhaps my favorite soul singer ever, cut me in half with his "Daddy Loves Baby" during the period I lost my little monkey. Kanye West's "Devil In A New Dress" with Rick Ross has the kind of production I wish I heard more from him these days.

"Diamond Sea" is the first of a few Yeah Yeah Yeahs songs on here, but a cover of Sonic Youth, proving them again to be great interpreters. Bushwick Bill's "Dollars And Sense" proves his wit and wisdom once again. I enjoyed a handful of versions of Neil Young's "Don't Be Denied" this year but none more than his old guitarist Nils Lofgren's piano-led version, surprisingly well-sung. Bessie Banks' rare disco stomper "Don't You Worry Baby The Best Is Yet To Come" is only a vinyl rip from an album lost to history, but it's well worth hearing. Big L's eerie "The Enemy" boasts great production and makes one wonder what he might have done if he'd lived past 24. I liked many versions of Paul McCartney's "Every Night" but none more than Odetta's, which shows a surprising sensual side to her outstanding voice. Similarly, I had to sift through many versions of Arthur Lee singing "Everybody's Gotta Live", with and without his band Love, before picking this late acoustic version.  "Eyes Of The World" is a classic from The Grateful Dead catalog that I'd overlooked until recently. "Feelin' Alright" by The Jungle Brothers lives up to its title perfectly. The George Benson ballad "Greatest Love Of All" is best known for Whitney Houston's rendition but I love this incredibly gentle version by Richie Havens right before he died. Not sure how I made over 500 mixes before including the original Beatles version of "Hey Jude", so I was pretty sure it had to be on this  year's "best of". There is no country artist I love more than Merle Haggard, so I was knocked out to find something as powerful as "I Am What I Am" from so late in his career.

Okkervil River's "I Came Here To Say I'm Going Away" is a graceful English-language cover of Serge Gainsbourg's Jane Birkin collaboration "Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que je M'en Vais". I forgot about how dramatic "I Don't Like Mondays" by The Boomtown Rats is. EPMD's "I'm Housin'" flips an Aretha Franklin sample to such great effect. Pusha T's "If You Know You Know" is the best thing Kanye West has produced in ages. There are a few versions of Gavin Bryars' spooky "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet", some clocking in at nearly an hour, but I like this version where Tom Waits stumbles in. Until recently I knew Young MC for "Bust A Move", but "Know How" is even better. Antony's version of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" is as devastatingly beautiful as I would have guessed. Da Lench Mob's "Lord Have Mercy", like many great hip hop tracks, puts a Blackbyrds sample to good use. There are more than a few good songs with bird sound effects, but none greater than Lottie Kimbrough and Winston Holmes' "Lost Lover Blues". Dusty Springfield's version of the obscure soul track "Love Power" by The Sandpebbles is better than the original for the backing singers alone. The fox and I heard someone play Philip Glass' "Mad Rush" on a grand piano in a park on a cold winter day in New York and had to track it down.

The Afghan Whigs cover of Hole's "Miss World" joins their long list of inspired covers, finding a melancholic underbelly the fantastic original doesn't hint at.  I got to see Yeah Yeah Yeahs play a rare hometown show last fall and their Fever To Tell album closer "Modern Romance" never sounded better. The only thing more surprising than discovering a new vintage Paul McCartney & Wings song was finding out "Mrs. Vandebilt" was an in-demand hip hop sample. Gary Bartz' funky "Music Is My Sanctuary" and Samuel Jonathan Johnson's languid "My Music" are both contenders for personal theme songs. Esther Phillips took a cheesy disco song called "Native New Yorker" made popular by Frankie Valli and made it cool because she is Esther Phillips. Steve Young's cover of The Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" has such a great spare arrangement and also great backing vocals behind his perfect performance.  I was of course delighted to find the "long" version of a childhood favorite: Donna Summer's "On The Radio". Young M.A.'s "Ooouuu" might be the catchiest song on here. Public Image Ltd.'s "The Order Of Death" might be the spookiest. "Poor Song" is the "hidden track" on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2003 album Fever To Tell, released the same year these playlist began, and a perfect companion to "Modern Romance". "Presence Of The Lord" by Blind Faith is as good a lyric Eric Clapton ever wrote, with the added bonus of Stevie Winwood's vocals. "Pull Up The Roots" is another fantastic cover by The Morning Benders, this time of Talking Heads. "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" is Busta Rhymes at his best, with fantastic production.

Count Bass D's "Quite Buttery", with MF Doom, is by far the shortest song on here but still deserves a spot of my top 109 of the 1,088 across the 52 mixes. UGK's "Real Women" with Talib Kweli sounds both classic and modern at once. I was so thrilled to find out earlier this year that some new tracks were unearthed from Dr. Octagon's first classic album and "Red Eye" does not disappoint. Mos Def's "Revelations" is brief but makes one wish it was much longer. I love early takes of classic Fleetwood Mac songs, especially ones with bits of spoken-word Stevie Nicks like this version of "Rhiannon". I could not decide which version of Minnie Riperton's "Seeing You This Way"--the album version or the acoustic version with her producer Stevie Wonder coaching her--was better so I had to include both. I've become a huge fan of the 30s singing trio The Boswell Sisters and their "Shout, Sister, Shout!" captures all of their abundant talents. Can't remember exactly how I accidentally found the Boz Scaggs remix "Skagg" by Linus Loves but I am so glad that I did. I fell for a handful of versions of Bobby Charles' "Small Town Talk" but my favorite has to be Rick Danko's, which sounds like a great lost song by his group The Band. Until recently, I had forgotten how great the bassline is in Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal". A Tribe Called Quest's "A Solid Wall Of Sound" with that inspired Elton John sample came very close to cracking my top 11. Sacrilege to say, especially as it's 80s Rod Stewart but I enjoy his version of The Persuaders' "Some Guys Have All The Luck" better than the original, or even the other fine covers included on this blog.

"Song For A Future Generation" makes me wonder how many other great old B-52s songs I am missing. Of the many versions of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic" I enjoyed this year, including her album version, nothing beat the solo piano demo here.  Jackie DeShannon's version of the Gershwin standard "Summertime" might be, with apologies to Billy Stewart and John Coltrane for that matter, the best one ever.  Donna Summer's "Sunset People" only seems more mysteriously incredible after all these years.  I am so proud to have found the amazing rap obscurity "Tall, Dark And Handsome" by the group of the same name, as it is as wonderfully ridiculous as the title suggests. I found a lot of great covers of The Undertones' "Teenage Kicks" this year and The Headcoatees version here is my favorite. Buck Owens found untold depths in The Eagles' "Tequila Sunrise" just by singing it, and I never thought of him for his singing.  I am always happy to find a new Nina Simone song to hold close to my heart and this year "That's All I Ask" did that trick. Linda Ronstadt's lovely version of Tom Petty's "The Waiting" again proves her peerless interpretation skills. I don't know why the "demo version 2" of The Pixies' "There Goes My Gun" is better than their others, but it is: crazier and more fun. Speaking of obscure demos, it was such a gift to find another pensive early Kinks song in "There's A New World Just Opening Up For Me".

Howard Jones' "Things Could Only Get Better" soundtracked my youth but never sounded more needed than recently. "This Is The Way That I Am" by La Fez quietly became an anthem for me. What a soulful vocal John Lennon gives on The Beatles' "Ticket To Ride".  Galaxie 500's "Tugboat" is a dreamy ride worth taking.  "Two To The Head" with Kool G Rap, Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Ice Cube is one of those posse cuts they just don't make anymore, maybe because it'd be hard to find four guys all that good. "Us Placers" with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Lupe Fiasco is a more muted modern update on that formula.  A Tribe Called Quest's "We The People..." hit a lot more hard than even they could have expected. Tony Joe White's soulful country version of Junior Walker's "What Does It Take To Win Your Love" is as great as the original and hovered just outside my top 11 of the year. Steve Winwood's "While You See A Chance" is a sweet earworm from my youth, and sounds better than ever to me. Stevie Wonder's live version of his "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" with Ella Fitzgerald was one of my favorites of the year for it's stage patter alone, some of which I have stolen when addressing the fox. I found George McRae's "You Can Have It All" through a Yo La Tengo cover many years ago, until finally hearing the even better original. Barry White's "You're The First, The Last, My Everything"is a radio staple in France to this day and soundtracked one romantic trip there a decade ago, so I was shocked it wasn't on one of my playlists until now. Sir Menelik's &XL with Grand Puba and the great Sadat X is a recent mellow favorite. Harry Nilsson tinkered with different versions of his autobiographical "1941" and I like his demo version best.

Age Of Consent                                                  The Golden Filter
All We Ever Wanted Was Everything                 Bauhaus
Alright                                                                 Kendrick Lamar
American Wedding                                             Frank Ocean
Angel Flying To Close To The Ground              Willie Nelson
Anything You Sow                                             William Onyeabor
Back To Black                                                    Amy Winehouse
Boogie Oogie Oogie                                           A Taste Of Honey
Bookfiend                                                            MF Doom ft. Clams Casino
Born To Run                                                        Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Brother, Be Ready For That Day                        Grady & Hazel Cole
Buttercup                                                            The Jackson 5
California Girls                                                   The Beach Boys
Call Ticketron                                                     Run The Jewels
Campaigner                                                        Neil Young 
Can You Rock It Like This                                 Run-D.M.C.
Child Of The Moon                                            The Rolling Stones
China Doll                                                           Leon Thomas
Chun-Li                                                               Nikki Minaj
Come And Stay With Me                                    Jackie DeShannon
Coney Island Baby                                              Joseph Arthur
Conflicted                                                            KA
Converse                                                             Busy Bee
Crazy On You                                                     Heart
Daddy Loves Baby                                             Don Covay
Devil In A New Dress                                         Kanye West ft. Rick Ross
Diamond Sea                                                      Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Dollars And Sense                                              Bushwick Bill
Don't Be Denied                                                 Nils Lofgren
Don't You Worry Baby The Best Is Yet to Come       Bessie Banks
The Enemy                                                          Big L
Every Night                                                         Odetta
Everybody's Gotta Live                                     Love
Eyes Of The World                                            The Grateful Dead
Feelin' Alright                                                    The Jungle Brothers 
Glad Tidings                                                       Merry Clayton
Greatest Love Of All                                          Richie Havens
Helplessly Hoping (live)                                    Richie Havens
Hey Jude                                                             The Beatles
I Am What I Am                                                 Merle Haggard
I Came Here To Say I'm Going Away                Okkervil River
I Don't Like Mondays                                         The Boomtown Rats
I'm Housin'                                                           EPMD
If You Know You Know                                      Pusha T
In Between Days                                                  The Cure
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet           Gavin Bryars ft. Tom Waits
Know How                                                           Young MC
Landslide                                                              Antony
Like To Get To Know You                                   Spanky & Our Gang
Lord Have Mercy                                                 Da Lench Mob
Lost Lover Blues                            Lottie Kimbrough & Winston Holmes
Love Power                                                         Dusty Springfield
Luchini - This Is It                                               Camp Lo
Mad Rush                                                             Philip Glass
Miss World                                                           The Afghan Whigs
Modern Romance                                                  Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Mother's Last Word To Her Son                           Washington Phillips
Mrs. Vanderbilt                                                     Paul McCartney & Wings
Music Is My Sanctuary                                        Gary Bartz
My Music                                                              Samuel Jonathan Johnson
Native New Yorker                                              Esther Phillips
Never Too Much                                                   Luther Vandross
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down              Steve Young
On The Radio (long ver)                                       Donna Summer
Ooouuu                                                                  Young M.A.
The Order Of Death                                               Public Image Ltd.
Poor Song                                                              Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Presence Of The Lord                                           Blind Faith
Pull Up The Roots                                                 The Morning Benders
Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See          Busta Rhymes
Quite Buttery                                                       Count Bass D ft. Doom
Real Women                       UGK ft. Talib Kweli & Raheem Devaughn
Redeye                                                                   Dr. Octagon
Revelations                                                             Mos Def
Rhiannon (early take)                                             Fleetwood Mac
Seeing You This Way                                              Minnie Ripterton
Seeing You This Way (acoustic ver)                      Minnie Riperton
Shout, Sister, Shout!                                               The Boswell Sisters
Skagg                                                                       Linus Loves
Small Town Talk                                                     Rick Danko
Smooth Criminal                                                    Michael Jackson
Softer, Softest (MTV live ver)                                Hole
Solid Wall Of Sound   A Tribe Called Quest ft. Bust Rhymes & Elton John  
Some Guys Have All The Luck                             Rod Stewart
Songs For A Future Generation                             B-52s
Stoned Soul Picnic (demo)                                    Laura Nyro
Summertime                                                          Jackie DeShannon
Sunset People                                                        Donna Summer
Tall, Dark And Handsome                       Tall, Dark And Handsome
Teenage Kicks                                                       The Headcoatees
Tequila Sunrise                                                      Buck Owens
That's All I Ask                                                      Nina Simone
The Waiting                                                            Linda Ronstadt
There Goes My Gun (demo ver 2)                        The Pixies
There's A New World Opening Up Just For Me (demo)        The Kinks
Things Can Only Get Better                                  Howard Jones
This Is The Way That I Am                                   La Fez
Ticket To Ride                                                       The Beatles
Tugboat                                                                  Galaxy 500
Two To The Head        Kool G Rap ft. Bushwick Bill, Scarface & Ice Cube
Us Placers            Child Rebel Solider ft. Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Lupe Fiasco & Thom Yorke
We The People...                                               A Tribe Called Quest
What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)               Tony Joe White
While You See A Chance                                      Stevie Winwood
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life (live 77)    Ella Fitzgerald & Stevie Wonder
You Can Have It All                                              George McRae
You're The First, My Last, My Everything            Barry White
7XL                                           Sir Menelik ft. Grand Puba & Sadat X
1941 (demo)                                                           Harry Nilsson

12-25-14: I Heard The Sound Of A Clown Who Cried In The Alley

"Heaven Help Us All" was written by Motown writer Ron Miller and first recorded as a 1970 single by Stevie Wonder . This mix features versions from shortly after by Joan Baez, Ray Charles and Marion Williams as well as the original.

"That'll Be The Day" is a 1957 single by Buddy Holly & The Crickets, inspired by John Wayne dialogue in The Searchers. This mix features covers by The Everly Brothers, Francoise Hardy and Linda Ronstadt as well as the Holly hit.

One other song repeats this week: Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" from his 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, here with a cover by The Staple Singers.

"Cowgirls To Boys" by The Ripples is a gender-flipped version of The Intruders hit "Cowboys To Girls".

The rest: the insouciant "Knockin' On Mine" by Paul Wetserberg, Caddyshack film theme "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins, Czarface & Mf Doom  with the trippy "Nautical Depths", a Tom Moulton remix of First Choice's "Smarty Pants", a cover of The Delfonics "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) by Jimmy & David Ruffin, the wry "Welcome To New York" by Johnny Hodges with Leon Thomas & Oliver Nelson, Puff Daddy's moody Young G's with Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G., the Pete Rock-produced "Black Superhero Car" with DZA and Rick Ross, Brenda Holloway's version of the Mary Wells single "When I'm Gone" and the 1985 single "In Between Days" by The Cure.

Knocking On Mine                                  Paul Westerberg
I'm Alright                                               Kenny Loggins
That'll Be The Day                                  Buddy Holly
Heaven Help Us All                                Joan Baez
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall                   Bob Dylan
Nautical Depth                                        Czarface & MF Doom
Smarty Pants (Tom Moulton remix)       First Choice
Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)     Jimmy & David Ruffin
Heaven Help Us All                                 Ray Charles
Welcome To New York      Johnny Hodges with Leon Thomas and Oliver Nelson
Young G's                         Puff Daddy w/ Jay-Z & The Notorious B.I.G.
Cowgirls To Boys                                    The Ripples
Black Superhero Car             Smoke DZA & Pete Rock ft. Rick Ross
That'll Be The Day                                  Francoise Hardy
Heaven Help Us All                                 Marion Williams
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall                    The Staple Singers
When I'm Gone                                         Brenda Holloway
That'll Be The Day                                   Linda Ronstadt
Heaven Help Us All                                 Stevie Wonder
In Between Days                                      The Cure

12-18-14: This Thing Of Mine Is Feelin' Kind Of Funny

"Come And Stay With Me" was written in 1965 for the singer Marianne Faithfull, supposedly as a favor to Faithful's manager, who was also her lover Jimmy Page's manager.  In addition to Faithfull's version, this mix includes two versions by DeShannon recorded over 40 years apart, as well as a 1969 cover by Waylon Jennings with The Kimberlys and Cher's 1965 version.

"Every Night"is a song from Paul McCartney's 1970 debut album McCartney. He played every instrument, but for this song his wife Linda sang back-up vocals. This mix features covers by The 5th Dimension, Richie Havens and Odetta to accompany the original.

One other song repeats on the mix: the 1970 single "Our House" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young along with a solo demo by Graham Nash.

The rest: an alternate version of Barry White's hit "You're The First, The Last, My Everything", a cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" by The Temptations, Gene Autry's salacious "Bye BYe Boyfriend", a Penut Butter Wolf remix of the 1990 rap track "Brothers Be Trippin': by MC Shay, Motown writer Valerie Simpson's 1972 single "Silly Wasn't I", the album version of Sade's 1992 single "No Ordinary Love", Nas' Kanye West-priced "Adam And Eve" featuring The Dream, "Complicated" by The Rolling Stones from their 1967 album Between The Buttons, a 1986 cover of the Stones' "Loving Cup" by Pussy Galore, Pusha T's vicious "the Story Of Adidon", the spooky "The Devil's Got Your Number" by two children singers named Alvis Barnett and Woodrow Dorrell and Neil Young's cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Mornin' Rain".

Come And Stay With Me                                              Marianne Faithfull
You're The First, The Last, My Everything (alt ver)     Barry White
Every Night                                                                   Paul McCartney
Our House                                               Crosby, Stills & Nash & Young
Come And Stay With Me (1968 ver)                            Jackie DeShannon
Ain't No Sunshine                                                         The Temptations
Bye Bye Boyfriend                                                       Gene Autry
Brothers Be Trippin'  (Peanut Butter Wolf remix)         MC Shay
Silly Wasn't I                                                                  Valerie Simpson
Come And Stay With Me                                               Cher
Every Night                                                                    The 5th Dimension
No Ordinary Love                                                          Sade
Adam And Eve                                                              Nas ft. The Dream
Complicated                                                                  The Rolling Stones
Loving Cup                                                                    Pussy Galore
The Story Of Adidon                                                     Pusha T
The Devil's Got Your Number       Alvis Barnett & Woodrow Dorrell
Come Stay With Me                     Waylon Jennings & The Kimberlys
Every Night                                                                    Richie Havens
Early Morning Rain                                                        Neil Young
Come And Stay With Me (2011 ver)                              Jackie DeShannon
Our House (demo)                                                          Graham Nash
Every Night                                                                     Odetta

12-11-14: And They Told The World Just How You Felt

"Love Me Tender" is a #1 hit song by Elvis Presley from 1956, the music is adapted from a Civil War song from nearly 100 years before called "Aura Lee". This mix features versions dedicated to Elvis shortly after he died by James Brown and Merle Haggard as well as a cover by Willie Nelson recorded for the 1985 film Porky's Revenge.

"Iron Man" is a song by Black Sabbath from their second album Paranoid released in 1970. This mix features a live cover by The Replacements, a jazz instrumental version by The Bad Plus and Busta Rhymes' "This Means War!!" which features new vocals by Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osborne to compliment Rhymes' rhymes all over the original music.

One other song repeats this week: "On The Radio" by Donna Summer. It was written for the 1980 teen film Foxes but released as a single the previous year. The single version has been on a previous mix: this mix includes her long version as well as a cover by Emmylou Harris.

The rest: the 1970 garage rock single "Outta Reach" by She, Cake Like's satiric late 90s track "Lorraine's Car", Dean Marin with a live Vegas performance of "June In January", One Way Streets' underground 60s song "We All Love Peanut Butter", ONYX's pre-album 1990 single "Ah, And We Do It Like This", William Onyeabor's international-minded "Better Change Your Mind", Roba Stanley's defiant "Single Life", Bruce Springtseen's nocturnal "Open All Night", an early demo of John Mellencamp's "Cherry Bomb" and the Thom Yorke-sampling "Us Placers" by one-off rap supergroup Child Rebel Soldier.

Love Me Tender                           James Brown
On The Radio (long ver)              Donna Summer
Outta Reach                                  She
Lorraine's Car                               Cake Like
Iron Man (live)                             The Replacements
June In January (live)                   Dean Martin
We All Love Peanut Butter          One Way Streets
Iron Man                                       Black Sabbath
Love Me Tender                            Elvis Presley
Ah, And We Do It Like This         ONYX
Better Change Your Mind             William Onyeabor
This Means War!!                         Busta Rhymes ft. Ozzie Osborne
Love Me Tender                            Willie Nelson
Single Life                                     Roba Stanley
On The Radio                                Emmylou Harris
Open All Night                              Bruce Springsteen
Love Me Tender                            Merle Haggard
Cherry Bomb (writing demo)        John Mellencamp
Us Placers               Child Rebel Soldier (ft. Kanye, Pharell, Lupe)
Iron Man                                        The Bad Plus

12-04-14: Swinging In The Tune Is How He Gets His Fix

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" was Whitney Houston's first single from her second album, and number one soon after its May 1987 release. This mix features an a cappella version along with the original as well as covers by The DeLorean Sisters and David Byrne performing live.

"'Til I Get It Right" is a song first recorded by Tammy Wynette and released as a single in December 1972 before hitting number one on the country charts. This mix features versions by Bettye Swan, Millie Jackson and Solomon Burke to accompany her original.

One other song repeats this week: the August 1967 psychedelic-tinged single "We Love You" by The Rolling Stones (the version that ends with John Lennon saying "your health!) as well as a punk cover by Cock Sparrer released a decade later.

The rest: Pusha T's cocky "If You Know You Know", Jazzy Joyce & Sweet Tee's James Brown-sampling "It's My Beat", the James Brown homage "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel, Tina Turner's cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night", Barry White's group Love Unlimited with the 1972 single "Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love",  First Aid Kit's cover of "Play With Fire" by The Rolling Stones, Roy Montrell's early rock smash "(Everytime I Hear) That Mellow Saxophone", Adam Ant's hit May 1982 single "Goody Two Shoes", Arabian Prince's 1984 single "Strange Life" and Gavin Bryars' sound collage "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" with Tom Waits.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody (a cappella)               Whitney Houston
If You Know You Know                                                Pusha T
'Til I Get It Right                                                            Bettye Swan
It's My Beat                                                       Jazzy Joyce & Sweet Tee
Sledgehammer                                                              Peter Gabriel
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (live)                         David Byrne
Help Me Make It Through The Night                           Tina Turner
'Til I Get It Right                                                            Millie Jackson
Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love                   Love Unlimited
I Wanna Dance With Somebody                     The DeLorean Sisters
'Til I Get It Right                                                            Tammy Wynette
Play With Fire                                                                First Aid Kit
We Love You                                                                 Cock Sparrer
(Everytime I Hear) That Mellow Saxophone                Roy Montrell
Goody Two Shoes                                                         Adam Ant
I Wanna Dance With Somebody                                   Whitney Houston
Strange Life                                                                   Arabian Prince
We Love You                                                                 The Rolling Stones
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet            Gavin Bryars w/ Tom Waits
'Til I Get It Right                                                            Solomon Burke