It might hurt, burn, sting, a little-- yet "when the devil drives, you needs must go".
If that song brings you to a dark place, friend, try this version instead: Roy Orbison's more upbeat and swinging version. This is closer to Casper the Friendly Ghost (in the best possible way).
Here we go, here's a little uplift, to match our weather today:
Oooooh, if only "everyday" felt this good! Going to go eat goose with friends tonight (my idea), doing research on Stoic philosophy in combination with Foucault's use of their ethical care of the self, sat in a park where they were mulching Xmas trees, which smelled better than you could possibly imagine.
Well, I won't bore you with all the rest of my "day, people"-- for it is not your duty to mark down and be concerned with my joys and ills, nor mine to fret and tut-tut over yours. As Epictetus tells us:
But the judge condemns you on the charge of impiety. And did not the judges similarly condemn Socrates? Surely it is no concern of yours... Your father has a certain function, and if he does not perform it, he has destroyed the father in him, the man who loves his offspring, the man of gentleness within him. Do not seek to make him lose anything else on this account... Again, it is your function to defend yourself firmly, respectfully, without passion. Otherwise, you have destroyed within you the son, the respectful man, the man of honour. What then? Is the judge secure? No; but he too runs just as great a risk. Why, then, are you afraid of what decision he is going to render? What have you to do with another man's evil? (Discourses, Book III, xviii)
So, if I be condemned, I will not let that affect the respect which I hold for myself, nor will it affect my judgment on what a nice fucking day it is.
Another song off my IPod: Jive Talkin', by Los Bee Gees. Oh sure, you want to knock the Bee Gees. Yeah yeah, you think you are too slick for all that. "Pfff", is what you say. Well, I say, "Pffffff" back to you, sucker. Listen here:
Listen to a track from ze mix: "Spirit In The Sky", by Norm Greenbaum.
(if you want a higher quality sound, listen to the YouTuber below; below has weird, weird religious stuff in it though- creepy, but we want summery, not creepy. Above is literally a guy recording him playing it on his den's jukebox: it has a certain je ne sais quoi, oui?)
Summer Madness ~O~ Kool & the Gang chilled out, nice way to start the mix. Sampled by Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff, for "Summertime"; Jazzy will be at the Roots Picnic...
Reunion ~O~ Bobbie Gentry Whoa now, an odd-ball, to get you intrigued about what your genius musical guide will pull next. A handclapped, bottle-smackin' little rhythm, a bit like 'Iko Iko'. First words, no joke: "Momma can I huh, Momma can I huh huh, can I Momma won't ya please let me Momma can I huh". About a family reunion: a little charmer, sweet funny little thing. Looks sumthin like this, but from deep down South
Summertime ~O~ Billy Stewart Cover of sorts of a song from Gershwin's "Porgy & Bess". Evidently, during that show, they sing at among other times, during a craps game. Upbeat, lots of little darting guitars. Horns, man, horns. Tongue rolls, like so: 'dddddddddah!'.
Spirit In The Sky ~O~ Norman Greenbaum aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! If I were a DJ, like a pro who gets $, it would be an uncommon night out when I didn't play this. Right? My goodness, just listen to your ears! I'm killing you, just killing you, with this track right now. Big stomping drums. You could play this at 'A Flyers Hockey Game', and I bet they would win. A woman singing backup, in a falsetto. Can women even sing falsetto? This one can!
Party Lights ~O~ Claudine Clark Another Killer. Old rock/RnB. Girl is watching all her friends go to the party across the street, but Mom won't let her go! "There goes Jenny and Sue, and Bobby and Mary Lou, oh-oh-oh there goes my boyfriend too!" "Party lights, red and blue and green; everybody in the crowd is there, but you won't let me make the scene!" Real rapid fire snappy snare drums. Piano tinkling, and some peppy-ass horns make an appearance.
In the Summertime ~O~ Mungo Jerry A pic shall suffice:
If Not For You ~O~ Olivia Newton John A pic shall suffice:
Summer Breeze ~O~ Isley Brothers Told you about last time.
Two Tickets To Paradise ~O~ Eddie Money "Oh, what?!?! Hit me again with that Eddie Money, Son!" (That's you talking, after this song drops. You are driving, in a Camaro, f'real. Top off- on the car, you jokester... "I'm gonna take you on a trip so far from here, I've got two tickets in my pocket, now baby, we're gonna disappear. We've waited so long, waited so long.
I've got two tickets to paradise, Won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight, I've got two tickets to paradise [guitar solo- 32 bars]"
That's you singing it at karaoke, and really, it made our night.
I Fought The Law ~O~ Bobby Fuller Four A pretty jaunty guitar in this song; really jaunty when you consider that the first lines are about 'breaking rocks in the hot sun'. We'll just bracket the rocks, okay, and focus on the sun, you feel me? A million famous people covered this song for a reason; that is, a reason beyond its sassy 'F-the-P' attitude- it is a funtime summertime spectacular. I bet even cops like this song.
Summer ~O~ War Return to Mellow. Almost all of War's stuff is proper for a summer mix; guys rocked a Texan melting pot thing; soul, Texana, sunbaked, relaxed. More horns, lazzzzzyyyy ones. "Summer: my time of year". Well-said, War, well-said.
aaaaand here is the creepy-video-version of Norm Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky". I think someone kidnapped her daughter? And this someone may be the state of Missouri? And Jesus is angry about it? Or what?
Another selection offa that "Summer Showerz" mix. This one is the Isley Brothers, who I have been ultragillin' as of late. Charlie and I are a two-man fan-club.
Oh yes, now that you mention it, this is a cover of Seals and Croft's "summer breeze", but this version is much better. Better, I say, than that yacht-rot version. Who would you trust to tell you about summer, these guys
or these chumps
(that's called a 'rhetorical question', because I already know the answer. Since I know all answers, does that make all questions rhetorical, when posed by me? HA, tricked you: the above was also a rhetorical question BOOM)
The above is a representation of what this mix is like: all laid back 'vibez'. The Isely Brothers' song is a good li'l snapshot of the general feel of the mix as well. Just a reminder, here is the tracklisting for this really stellar, star-studded mix.
Summer Madness ~O~ Kool & the Gang Reunion ~O~ Bobbie Gentry Maggie May ~O~ Rod Stewart Summertime ~O~ Billy Stewart Spirit In The Sky ~O~ Norman Greenbaum Party Lights ~O~ Claudine Clark In the Summertime ~O~ Mungo Jerry If Not For You ~O~ Olivia Newton John Summer Breeze ~O~ Isley Brothers Two Tickets To Paradise ~O~ Eddie Money I Fought The Law ~O~ Bobby Fuller Four Summer ~O~ War
Now, I stand by my comments above (about the waybetterness of IBs over S&C), but I will let you in on a li'l secret that undermines that claim: Croft goes by the first name of DASH. Jus' sayin'. (although his real name is Darrell, so, you see, right???)
Well, I've gone and done you another solid. Whipped up a precise blend of parts that together join up to make a Voltron-like colossus:
Summer 'Showerz': LoveLeigh Days
("showerz" refers the "singalong in the shower" nature of all the songs; "Leigh" refers to a friend who prompted me to finish this mix. THX!)
So, specifically summer, particularly shower jamz. Summer songs are feelgood, but perfect summer songs have to be melllllooooow too.
Not sure how feelgood mixes with ultramellow? Then listen to Kool & The Gang's "Summer Madness". You'll see.
Above is from the official Philadelphia Mural thingy, visible from the El tracks in West Philly. I see this on my way to work. More info, deets etc. (like how you could have gotten a tattoo designed by ESPO, the dude what did that mural).
Just like the summer. You are feeling nice in the summer, but you know, low-key like.
A perfect example of that perfect mellow feeling is perfectly evinced by the classically perfect first song, which is Youtubing above.
Summer Madness, by Kool & The Gang. This song was looped, 'slightly transformed' (like Voltron!), for Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff's "Summertime".
So, now we've picked up on a recent theme, of great older songs outtfitted with a little rappin'-freshness. Oh yes, surely you recall my last post, on Biggie and his Other Brothers (The Isley Brothers), whom he sampled for "Big Poppa". I'll probably drop some more of those, about songs in different forms.
Note that The Isley Brothers are included on this mix too- a clear nod to Leigh, who praised them recently.
Summer Madness ~O~ Kool & the Gang
Reunion ~O~ Bobbie Gentry Maggie May ~O~ Rod Stewart
Summertime ~O~ Billy Stewart Spirit In The Sky ~O~ Norman Greenbaum
Party Lights ~O~ Claudine Clark In the Summertime ~O~ Mungo Jerry
If Not For You ~O~ Olivia Newton John Summer Breeze ~O~ Isley Brothers
Two Tickets To Paradise ~O~ Eddie Money I Fought The Law ~O~ Bobby Fuller Four
Summer ~O~ War
Please note that the symbol, lovingly crafted by myself, in betwixt track and band: looks like a sun, yeah?
ahahhahhahah I'm unstoppable hahahahahahahah
Speaking of samples (as I did last time), here is a gem of a song I've been sitting on for a minute. In a hot HOT batch of records I snatched up the other day, I procured a few Isley Brothers albums. Of which there are roughly a million, by the way. In fact, Wiki tells me they had 20 albums between 1969 and 2006: excuse me, that's 20 albums that reached the Top 10, in 35-ish years. I guess when you have like 7 guys in the band, there are more songs getting written? (7/35=5; 5x20=100; 100/10= 10; 10/10 = perfect: do the math, it adds up)
Who knows- the point is, that these Brothers From The Same Mother got sampled- and that produces another song, A Brother From ANOTHER Mother, as it were.
And here is the song built around the former- I'm pretty sure we all love this song.
Big Poppa, Notorious B.I.G.
Also, I was trying to find a good picture of sample-sized-spoons, and I found this instead. A marrow- that's bone marrow, you understand?- spoon. A Narrow Marrow Spoon, that.
Interesting. I bet Biggie would be crushing on some marrow if he weren't dead. Sigh.... His loss, and ours.
A stone-cold classic, just right for the summer/springtime madness, of which we are all now a part.
This song is such classic goodness, that Mary J. Blige, herself classic and classy and good, sampled it. Naughty By Nature nabbed a little "Sunshine" too. Tribe Called Quest sample another jam of his, on the famed "Bonita Applebaum".
Erykah Badu sampled another Ayers' track; even Junior Mafia gets props from Roy Himself for their sample of yet another song of his.
Speaking of samples, this song has the same general vibe as Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness", sampled by DJ Jazzy Jeff for he and Will Smith's "Summertime". If you like that, I guarantee (money-back guarantee!) that you'll love this song too.
If you can't trust me, that this song is everything you need right now, then take the words of Erykah, Q-Tip, Diddy, and Treach. Treach married Pepa, of Salt'n'Pepa, btw, and then they got divorced. (in happier times:) It's sad, but you don't have to be all broken up. I have the solution to your sadness: Go plug a boombox in outside, after downloading Roy Ayers' "Everybody Loves the Sunshine", and everything will glow, positively G L O W , I say!
As a treat to myself, I got me some more records, all of which are top drawer: they all get top billin'.
Audio Two - Top Billin'
One of them is this bad bad bad beat. An ol' skool hip-hop classic, I mean classic cut. On the Youtube comments, someone rattled off 4 big songs they knew that sampled this song- the drums, I imagine- and someone else dropped a few more on there.
A bunch of the other songs posted as this on Youtube are not the song; remixes (by Youtube users, not real remixes), other songs entirely (they will make you take the songs down sometimes, they = copyright holders, and people often put up a new song and leave the name of the old), and one version that was so very quiet, you couldn't hear the bass go
This mix was inspired by an arcane practice from my friend Kyle. He and his then-roommate used to sneak the favorite songs of the other guy onto the stereo when one was in the shower. A pleasant, if unexpected, way to start your day.
(Here's a song off of it, to sate your ears whilst you feast your eyes on this oh-so magical blog)
TRACKLISTING:
Wind-Up Doll *** Lee Perry and The Upsetters
I Can See Clearly*** Johnny Nash ("nothing but blue sky"!)
Move On Up *** Mark Eitzel (cover of Curtis Mayfield)
Last night on Earth*** Mekons- ("they can't hurt you now..."!)
The Way We Get By *** Spoon (piano!)
Oh, Pretty Woman *** Al Green (cover of Roy Orbison)
Alright *** Supergrass (keeping their teeth clean: super clean!)
Young Folks *** Peter Bjorn And John (Yeah!: Bein' Young!)
Lady Don't Tek No *** Latyrx (Booty Bassline! Sassy rappin'!)
Beng Beng Beng *** Femi Kuti (...heh heh...)
Oooh (Feat. Redman)*** De La Soul
Oh Yoko *** John Lennon (oh YO!)
Too Young *** Phoenix (Young again!)
To Be Young (is to be sad, is to be high) *** Ryan Adams (again: Young Again!)
Settin' the Woods on Fire *** Hank Williams ("you be daffy, and I'll be dilly; we'll order up two bowls of chili"!)
Bimbo *** Jimmy Dean
If we can land a man on the moon, surely I can win your heart *** Beulah
I made an iTunes playlist, driven by the same desire: to get the day off to a really nifty start. It works! If you don't believe me, listen to this mix every morning for about 3-6 days, and then leave comments and a 'before' and an 'after' picture, okay? Bet they look like this: before:
after:
I've had this playlist, growing and growing, for years: I pared it down to some essentials. Some of these are songs I know that Kyle would like or does actually like; some are my own favorites. That some of the songs are simply selfish makes me feel better, because I don't like making mixes for other people: other people are gross!
Lemme tell you though: just because I put some of mine own besties on here, does not preclude them from being thine own besties, too. For instance, if you do not know the Spoon song, you will love it (FACT). If Beulah songs don't make you happy and smile, you are dead inside (FACT). Phoenix is hit or miss, but this song?: hit (FACT). (They're mostly hit, by the by.) I mean, you've heard of these people: Ryan Adams Hank Williams Al Green Spoon De La Soul Yoko (haha JK it's John Lennon, ya dope). See, I don't even need to put spaces in there, because you know when the name starts/stops. There is nothing scary here, only 110% bestness and favoricity and gollytude. Download: Shower Jamz!.zip
Music; musing; must-haves.
The curatorial agenda. Sealing up a void whose vacuity was a source of distress to no one. The seed I am most likely to sow is a certain jargon. Built on tilt. The center of a new universe of counterfeit. Increasingly random and increasingly increasing.
THE SNAPBACK, ISSUE 1
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I created Soul Sides 20 years ago because I wanted an outlet to write about
my favorite records. The blog era feels bygone — and I clearly stopped
regularl...
Hotel Bar Sessions, Ep 31: Whose History?
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The HBS hosts sit down with Dr. Charles McKinney, Jr. to talk about whose
history is (and isn't) being taught.
Following on the heels of a recent and ...
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