Mugglestone Hi-Fi WHAT'S UP, DOC?

I was back home recently and raided my Novelty/Children's box. The resulting mix is def not for everyone's ears or tastebuds, but for you crazy fucked-up individuals::> here is a schizo mix of 50's thru 70's novelty classicks, children's anthems, dated mash-ups, moral sexist slapstick beatnik fitness studio madness. No wonder our parents are so fucked up!!! I have cut all of these into individual tracks for easy perusal and appropriation, though most are only short lil snippets. "Take the straight and narrow path, and if you start to slide, give a little whistle..."

Track Listing::>

01. Buchanan & Goodman- The Flying Saucer Pt. 1
02. Firesign Theater- National Toilet
03. Jiminy Cricket- Intro
04. The Wizard of Oz- Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
05. Parakeet Training Record- Happy Day
06. Bob McFadden and Dor- The Mummy
07. Mel Blanc- Snowbound Tweety
08. Bobby Hendricks- Psycho
09. Dance Instruction
10. Flipper Theme
11. Tom Edwards- What is a Teenage Girl
12. Descending LFO
13. Eddie Vespa- A Letter to My Ex-Wife
14. Firesign Theater- Shoplifters Market
15. The Sword in the Stone- Higitus Figitus
16. Hudson and Landry- The Hippie and The Redneck
17. The Sicknicks- Presidential Conference
18. Jeanna Dixon- The Gift of Prophesy Pt. 2
19. Wendy Bagwell- Here Come the Rattlesnakes
20. The Hollywood Argyles- Bug Eye
21. United Electronics Institute
22. Jazzercize- Fit Is It
23. The Harlem Globetrotters- Sweet Georgia Brown
24. The Strangers- Crab Louie
25. Rollo and Boliver- Mildred, Our Choir Director
26. Play and Talk
27. Mickey Mouse and Friends- School Days
28. Firesign Theater- Art Snob
29. Slim Gaillard- Cement Mixer Putti Putti
30. Mel Blanc- Woody Woodpecker
31. Mel Blanc- Bugs Bunny in Storyland
32. Dickie Goodman- Mr. Jaws
33. Jose Jimenez- The Astronaut
34. Dr Boscoe- Dr. Boscoe Plays Name That Tune
35. Warren Schatz and the Universal City Orchestra- Stuck On TV
36. Robert Preston- Chicken Fat
37. Cinderella- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo
38. Sallie Blair- Daddy
39. Judy Garland- Somewhere Over the Rainbow
40. Jiminy Cricket- Give a Little Whistle
41. Jorgi Jorgenson- All Pooped Out
42. The Corona Kids- Nid Nid Noddin'

here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi HELP WANTED

Last night I watched a man die on the u-bahn. We all sat there waiting, and then stood there watching. It was -9 degrees on the platform and they wouldn't let us leave at first. People half-hiddenly smoked cigarettes, planning their personal retreat. I was hungry and didn't want a drink. No one was there. Something about a man carrying the jaw bone of his father wrapped in a blanket tied across his back.


Track Listing::>

01. Marvin Gaye- Distant Lover (Live)
02. Al Petty- Steel Guitar Twist
03. Pete Drake- Rick-A-Shay
04. The Animals- Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
05. Hank Williams- Alone and Forsaken
06. Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant- Rolling Sky
07. Lonnie Donnegan- Dead or Alive
08. Neil Young- Time Fades Away
09. Joe Maize and his Cordsmen- El Rancho Grande
10. Bud Isaacs- Steel Guitar Breakdown
11. Suni McGrath- Fantasia
12. Leadbelly and The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet- Take this Hammer
13. Spade Cooley- Y' ready
14. Willie Nelson- Blackjack County Chain
15. Jerry Byrd- Adventures in Paradise
16. Charles Mingus- Meditations for Moses
17. Frank Hunter- A Song About A Lonely Man
18. Herb Remington- Java
19. The Viscounts- Summertime
20. The Browns- Big Daddy

Here is the .zip

CAN- Halleluwah vs. DSCHINGHIS KAHN- Dschinghis Kahn

I haven't been posting many individual singles as of late, but I just felt the need to demonstrate how much West Germany in the 70's was a hell of a drug...

This Can single I have been hoisting high above my head since I found it at the Platten Pedro record store in Berlin (prices are high, but plenty o' raritease). Not much needs to be said here about "Halleluwah" except that once again any Can purists will be disappointed by the truncation of the edit (not to mention the mix), but goddamnit! The fact that this exists makes me happy to be alive! "Turtles Have Short Legs", a non-album track is also quite amazing, though I agree it would stick out on Tago Mago. Here is a good review from Head Heritage.

Can- "Halleluwah"

Can- "Turtles Have Short Legs"



Then, well there is Dschinghis Khan.

It doesn't get better than this video from the Eurovision Contest (4th place!!!) in 1979::>



Could have said it better myself. Their song "Moskau" was even an international hit, but believe me neither song hits no matter how ironically themed the night is. Better play it for disapproving friends while dancing wildly in yr living room late one night after the bars close.

Dschinghis Khan- "Dschinghis Khan"

Mugglestone Hi-Fi CULLING ALL CURS MIX

Bounty! And by bounty I am in a very vague way talking about a young child's dream of becoming something of a brilliant star. A star so bright that it blinds most, and gives others intense headaches. Featured here is my very first 7" single, originally given to me by Little A during lunch in high school. It was subsequently stolen and sold, and though I have looked diligently in the D section of every hip record store I encounter, alas, I could only find it on ebay. This then sparked a stream of seamingly unnecessary compulsive shopping on and off line, whereby I could acquire fancier (like this bizarre french Fela edit--I know some records should not be put onto single, but you can't blame me for coveting them, right?) and more "post punky" shuck an groove records to sparkle away the hours of DJ-dom. I never knew it was so easy. I dreamed of a world where I could own Nervous Norvus' "The Fang", and now that it's here next to me as I write this endless tome of an introduction, I would like to give thanks and praises to the record gods who have been shining on little ol' me as of late.

Track Listing::>

01. Dub Narcotic Sound System- Fuck Shit Up
02. Miles Davis- Vote for Miles Pt. 2
03. The Slits- In the Beginning There Was Rhythm
04. Fela Anikulapo Kuti- Shakara
05. The Residents- Sinister Exaggerator
06. Pink Floyd- See Emily Play
07. Nervous Norvus- The Fang
08. Pere Ubu- Not Happy
09. Ween- Pollo Asado
10. Charles Mingus- Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting Pts. 1&2
11. Can- Future Days
12. The Pop Group- Where There's a Will...
13. Red Crayola with Art and Language- An Old Man's Dreams
14. Snakefinger- Kill the Great Raven
15. The Dead Kennedys- Too Drunk to Fuck
16. Wayne Cochran- The Coo
17. The Halo Benders- Don't Touch My Bikini
18. The Fall- How I Wrote 'Elastic Man'
19. Diamond Joe- Moanin' and Screamin' Pts. 1&2
20. Down from Dover- Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra

Here is the .zip

MUGGLESTONE HI-FI Sum of 11 vol. 3

This last mix is probably my fav of the bunch because it played itself. I picked up a few Sega records from Mauritus (islands of Madagascar where the rich French come to sun) that blew my mind and sowed them with some dust that I found at Backtrack Records in Lincoln when I was there to see my cousin wed in the local Masonic Temple. This is the mid-summer mid-afternoon cool drink to begin the day (whether its a can o beer, a vodka tonic, or a caipirinha). Please enjoy!

Track Listing::>

01. Franki Valli- I Can't Take My Eyes Off You
02. Sanford Clark- The Fool
03. Booker T & the MGs- Aw, Mercy
04. Etta James- Something's Got a Hold on Me
05. Lonnie Donnegan- Lost John
06. Dave York- Beach Party
07. Roger Clency and Marie Josee- Famille Coutou
08. Bobby Gregg and Friends- The Jam Pt. 2
09. Mable John- Able Mable
10. Lee Hazlewood- Don't Cry
11. Jack McDuff- The Vibrator
12. Unknown Japanese Singer- Inochi Blues
13. The Muppets- Ma-Na-Ma-Na
14. Gerard Cimiotti e Son Ensemble- 40 Mozart
15. Lord Buckingham's XI- Fried Onions
16. Dossie "Thunderbird" Terry- Skinny Ginny
17. Naughty Abbie- Ala Moana Annie
18. Gerard Cimiotti- Sega Dans Camp Creole
19. Paul Evans- Happy Go Lucky Me
20. Marlene Dietrich- Lili Marlene

Here is the .zip

MUGGLESTONE HI-FI Sum of 11 vol. 2

This mix started as a tribute to all the songs that are a bit too "anthemic" for their own good, even though when taken in doses can make or break a nostalgia fueled dance party. But it turned out to be a collection of cool dad i-pod playlist material. I tried to sneak some ladies up in here to provide a little balance, but for the most part you can tailgate this one anywhere.

Track Listing::>

01. Can- Vitamin C
02. Mc5- Kick Out the Jams
03. Joy Division- Transmission
04. Blondie- One Way or Another
05. Iggy Pop- Lust for Life
06. Nina Hagen- African Reggae
07. The Dead Kennedys- Holiday in Cambodia
08. The Sweet- Blockbuster
09. FehlFarben- Es Geht Voran
10. Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit
11. Led Zepplin- D'yer Maker
12. The Velvet Underground- Femme Fatale
13. Metallica- Creeping Death
14. Frank Zappa- Stick it Out
15. Guns N' Roses- Welcome to the Jungle
16. David Bowie/Queen- Under Pressure
17. Neil Young- Walk On
18. the Smiths- Big Mouth Strikes Again
19. The Pop Group- We are All Prostitutes
20. Negativland- I Still Haven't Found What I am Looking For (Special Edit Radio Mix)

Here is the .zip

MUGGLESTONE HI-FI Sum of 11 vol. 1

When in doubt (and I mean self-doubt), overcompensate. That's what the country preacher has to say about it. So here you get not 1, not 2, but rather 3 new mixes to mow the lawn to. For this first volume I didn't really want to break any rules of the game for the summer of 2011, just showcase some of the finest southern funk and proto-rock classics. Doesn't that sound nice? There are plenty of classix as well as the elusive rare groove or two to keep the pop police at bay, and of course some nice whitey go black blues rock that we've grown to love.

Track Listing::>

01. The Meters- Hand Clapping Song
02. Sandy Nelson- Drum Stomp
03. Jo Ann & Troy- Who Do You Love?
04. The Animals- Boom Boom
05. The Twistin' Kings- Congo Pt. 1
06. Chuck Berry- Hey Pedro
07. Eddie Bo- Hook n Sling Pt. 2
08. The Novas- The Crusher
09. The Who- Dogs Pt. 2
10. The Fantastic Epics- Fun and Funk Pt. 3
11. Caetano Veloso- Não Identificado
12. The Shadows- Apache
13. Hugh Masekela- Riot
14. Mickey and the Soul Generation- Iron Leg
15. The Blackbyrds- Do it, Fluid
16. The Byrds- Leavin' Here
17. Them- Mystic Eyes
18. The Rolling Stones- Not Fade Away
19. Benny Spellman- Fortune Teller
20. Bert Weedon- Bert's Boogie

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi MONKEY MIX

I was drinkin beer mid-afternoon with my man Alan and watching old Butthole Surfers videos when we got to talkin about famous rock n roll bass players that did weirdo electro dub side projects in the late 70's. When back at my favorite watering hole (WAX TRAX Records in Denver) I was able to pick up a few that show up on this mix. As for the rest of it, needless to say I was feeling a bit manic.

Track Listing::>

01. Dion- Runaround Sue
02. The Yardbirds- The Shapes of Things
03. Bill Wyman- Si Si, Je Suis Un Rock Star
04. Paul McCartney- Check My Machine
05. Grace Jones- Warm Leatherette
06. Five Du Tones- Divorce Court
07. Johnny Dee- Sittin' in The Balcony
08. Preston Epps- Bongola
09. Adam Ant- Ant's Rap
10. Raymilland- Side Talk
11. America- A Horse with No Name
12. Love- No. Fourteen
13. Jimmy Castor- Ham Hocks Español
14. Shirley and Company- Shame, Shame, Shame
15. Kraftwerk- The Robots
16. John Cale- Rosegarden Funeral of Sores
17. The Viscounts- Chug-a-lug
18. Donald Byrd- Black Byrd
19. Hal Pearl's Singing Canaries- La Paloma
20- Wally Fowler and His Oak Ridge Quartet- Church in the Valley

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi NEW AGE MIX

Something for the New Zodiac, this one goes out to all you Ophiochus mofos out there. This picture came from a web article entitled "How Will Climate Change Impact World Food Supplies?" Need I say more? Lots of gold and moldies here, hard-hitting sentimentalitease and saxy sweet sextrumentals to ease the burden of the everyman inside us all.

Track Listing::>

01. Conway Twitty- Long Black Train
02. Jimmy McCracklin- The Drag
03. Gloria De Haven- Red Hot Pepper Pot
04. Dee Jay and the Runaways- Peter Rabbit
05. John Lee Hooker- Dazie Mae
06. George Jones String Band- Opry Rag
07. The Chantays- Move It
08. Ketty Lester- Love Letters
09. Big Jay McNeeley- Deacon's Hop
10. Red Foley- Hoot Owl Boogie
11. Floyd Jones- Any Old Lonesome Day
12. Roy Orbison- Running Scared
13. The Ideals- Knee Socks
14. O.V. Wright- Monkey Dog
15. Betty Mclaurin- Autumn Leaves
16. Jim Ed Brown- The Enemy
17. Ray Charles- Busted
18. Irma Thomas- It's Raining
19. The Jaguars- Where Lovers Go
20. Jack Scott- Goodbye Baby

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi MAKKI LA LA MIX

Who said mama's little baby likes shortnin' bread?
My little monkey loves watermelon
My little monkey loves teen wolf
My little monkey likes all the finer things
My little monkey could teach you one times two
If she can make to teach on me
She can sure reach down to you
My little monkey is a vu vu vu
vu vu vu vu la la vu vu vu

Track Listing::>

01. The Dixie Cups- Iko Iko
02. Wanda Jackson- Let's Have a Party
03. The J.B.'s- Hot Pants Road
04. Sam Taylor- Let's Go Dancin'
05. The Sheik's Men- The Belly Dancer
06. Lil Green- Romance in the Dark
07. Lee Hazlewood- Greyhound Bus Depot
08. Ines Barroso- Villa Legos
09. Alice Coltrane- Journey to Satchidananda Pt. 1
10. Spiritualized- Good Times
11. Carla Bley- Little Pony Soldier
12. Mick Jagger- Memo From Turner
13. Otis Redding- I've Been Loving You Too Long
14. Big Maceo- Worried Life Blues
15. Dave "Baby" Cortez- Organ Shout
16. Muddy Waters- Mean Mistreater
17. Brian Wilson- Caroline, No
18. The Roberta Martin Singers- Teach Me Lord
19. Norman Granz Supervising Charlie Parker etc.- Lady Be Good Pt. 1
20. Paul Craft- It's Me Again, Margaret

Here is the .zip

MUGGLESTONE HI-FI "IT WILL NEVER WORK OUT" MIXX

I just came back from Istanbul with a slew of amazing Turkish prog/psych records to find a small package of amazing skweee records from dødpop in Norway. I knew it would be dicey and a bit presumptuous to make a mix using only those, so I added a few other classics to help pave the way for this mixx. Perhaps not as easy listening as some other mixes up on hear, but a lot of goodies and some raritease to while the sun machine to sleep.

Track Listing::>

01. Erkin Koray- Krallar
02. Melkeveien vs Nino- Mandag
03. Selda- Rabbim
04. Shannon- Let the Music Play (dub)
05. Fantastic Johnny C- Boogaloo Down Broadway
06. Baris Manco- Olum Allahin Emri
07. Sprutbass- Ulykke
08. Beat Happening- Red Head Walking
09. Righeira- Vamos a la Playa
10. Unknown Coxsone Record- Little Girl?
11. Black Sabbath- Iron Man
12. Selcuk Alagoz-Malabadi Koprusu
13. Charles Mingus- The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
14. Eric B. & Rakim- Paid in Full
15. Nikki Sudden- Channel Steamer
16. Beatbully- Jobbe Pa Fabrikk
17. Minnie Riperton- Lovin' You
18. Serap Aksoy- Bendeki Sabir Daglari Deler
19. Swell Maps- Loin of the Surf
20. 3 Hur El- Sevenler Aglarmis

Here is the .zip

MUGGLESTONE HI-FI HAPPY GEBURTSDAY MIX

"Fuck it, I deserve it," I said as I realized I had spent some 130 Euro on records over the last week (but even those weren't enough for a B-day mix so I added both some dance with yrself classix and some tracks I have been meaning to post for a while). Sorry for the lengthy gap between posts, the I-man has been overdoing it a bit for the last lasts. Enjoy!

Track Listing::>

01. The Temptations- Papa was a Rolling Stone
02. The Cramps- Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?
03. Red Crayola- We are Born in Flames
04. Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg- La Dècadanse
05. Washboard Sam- Don't You Leave Me Here
06. Sonic Youth- Death Valley 69
07. Fadhili William and the Black Shadows- Hakuna Mwingine
08. The Flying Lizards- Tube
09. Lou Reed/ John Cale- Nobody but You
10. Bix Beiderbecke- Riverboat Shuffle
11. Nancy Sinatra- Lightning's Girl
12. Betty Davis- He was a Big Freak (Record Plant Rough Mix)
13. Little Richard/ Jimi Hendrix- Money Honey
14. Hamilton Bohannon- South African Man
15. Yoko Ono- Kiss Kiss Kiss
16. Annette- Lonely Guitar
17. Pixies- Dig for Fire
18. Dee-Lite- Groove is in the Heart (Peanutbutter Mix)
19. Wreckx N Effect- Rumpshaker
20. Harold Betters- Do What you Wanna Pt. 1

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi SOMMERMIX 2010

This one just writes itself::> a lot of ethnic goodies here, including some cumbia records that my friends brought me back from recent S.A. travels and a killer Congolese record courtesy of Brian at Awesome Tapes from Africa. Round it off with some good feelin soul and twang-strumentals and we gots something, it ain't profound but it moves.

Track Listing::>

01. Pigmeat Markham- Here Comes the Judge
02. Johnny Colon- Mombo Suzie
03. Tommy James and the Shondells- Thunderbolt
04. The Mighty Imperials- Thunder Chicken
05. Mickey Baker- Baia
06. Link Davis- Allons a Lafayette
07. The Beach Boys- Girl Don't Tell Me
08. Gary U.S. Bonds- New Orleans
09. Paul Humphreys and his Cool Aid Chemists- Cool Aid
10. Warren Covington- El Watusi
11. Ronny Kae- Drums Fell Off a Cliff
12. Screamin Jay Hawkins- Little Demon
13. Chuck Carbo- Can I Be Your Squeeze
14. Osibisa- Music for Gong Gong
15. Orch. Stukas- Wangata pt 1
16. Ines Barroso- Capueira
17. Scandinavian Letkis Dance Band- Jumpin Jenka
18. Cecilio Ruiz y su Sonor Colombiano- La Banda Borrachada
19. El Chicano- Viva Tirado pt 1
20. Jerry Byrd- Hawaiian Sunset

Here is the .zip

MUGGLESTONE HI-FI BRITISH TOURISM GUIDE

Recent travel to the UK brought some memorable round pieces of plastic into my life. SPOILER ALERT::> Not everything is British. The name and the little picture were just too tempting. There are some proper classics from quite a few hipster genres on here, but also some "challenging" stuff that might be a bit too much for yr super cool art-collector mom. But yr older cousin that never quite made it out of the minimum wage turned shift manager job at the grocery store will be like "those songs were already retro like 15 years ago" and then go off about these fucking kids who still think J.G. Ballard is like the greatest new thing. He will then start bitching about how William Gibson's new books are even better than the old ones but that no one cares anymore. And then he will wipe his sweaty hands on the back of his jeans (faded and frayed, but no proper holes), chew on the corner of his moustache and continue to fret about his young girlfriend/co-worker that may or may not be pregnant.

Track Listing::>

01. Bauhaus- Third Uncle
02. Orchestral Manoevers in the Dark- Maid of New Orleans (The Waltz of Joan of Arc)
03. Spiritualized- Good Times
04. Jesus and Mary Chain- Just like Honey
05. Hank Mizell- Jungle Rock
06. J. O. Araba and his Afro Skiffle Group-Lumumba Tiku
07. Snakefinger- The Man in the Dark Sedan
08. Ed Banger- Kinnel Tommy
09. The Modern Lovers- Roadrunner
10. The Fiery Furnaces- Crystal Clear
11. Jad Fair/ Daniel Johnston- The Making of an Album
12. Bow Wow Wow- C'30 C'60 C'90 Go
13. M.I.A.- Galang 05
14. Mr. Lex- No (Raw)
15. Rip Rig & Panic- Go Go Go (This is It)
16. Grauzone- Eisbaer
17. Magazine- Shot by Both Sides
18. Fad Gadget- 4m
19. Cocteau Twins- Iceblink Luck
20. Prince- 7

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi ALL PURPOSE FILLER

You guessed it! Filler songs are generally my favorite because they are dependable, make everyone happy, and take the pressure off. Too much killer can kill. Cuz as we all know, there is such a too much of a good thing. And yes, often hits make perfect filler.

Track Listing::>

01. Al Green- Tired of Bering Alone
02. Art & Dotty Todd- Chanson D'Amour
03. Dusty Springfield- Son of a Preacher Man
04. Charles Brown- Butterfly
05. Paul Anka- Crazy Love
06. John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band- Woman is the Nigger of the World
07. Clarence Henry- Ain't Got No Home
08. Larry Williams- Short Fat Fanny
09. Memphis Slim- Hey Lonely Girl
10. El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico- Mundy Baja
11. Johnny Cash & June Carter- Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man
12. Al Jolson- Carolina in the Morning
13. Dinosaur- Kiss Me Again
14. Flor Silvestre- Una Limosina
15. Billy Paul- Me & Mrs. Jones
16. Lyn Collins- Mr. Big Stuff
17. The Ink Spots- We Three
18. Perry Como- Keep It Gay
19. Etta James- All I Could Do Was Cry
20. The Flamingos- I Only Have Eyes for You

Here is the .zip

DIE TEILNAHMSLOSIGKEIT BEI MUGGLESTONE HI-FI

What can I say without sounding too weird. I started out wanting to make a kind of NDW mix with a smattering of 60's/70's classic rock/disco jams and some tasteful ballads, but then I kept adding these world music tracks that I love and can never DJ or fit into some of the more straight ahead mixes (esp these amazing Burmese and Bengali songs) and then of course some other little muffins. The track listing looks like another one of these "who the fuck is this guy, maybe he's trying a little bit too hard," but after listening to it yull find the songs create the perfect background for you to discuss politicized photography movements of the mid-70's or some article you read in the most recent issue of Cabinet.

Track Listing:::>

01. Mills Bros.- Sweet Adeline
02. DÖF- CODO
03. Ike and Tina Turner- Come Together
04. Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers- Egyptian Reggae
05. Trio Los Panchos- Cancion Del Alma
06. Deep Purple- Space Truckin'
07. Hamilton Bohannon- Disco Stomp
08. Burmese Song and Dance Ensemble- Introduction
09. The Ramblers- Devil Train
10. Donovan- Hurdy Gurdy Man
11. Gilbert Becaud- Nathalie
12. Leonard Cohen- It Seems So Long Ago, Nancy
13. Tiriki Musicians- Unknown
14. Lecuona Cuban Boys- Tabou
15. The Monkees- Last Train to Clarksville
16. Wall of Voodoo- Mexican Radio
17. Bengali Folk Song- Unknown
18. Trevor Baby/ G James- Cooki Monster
19. De La Soul (feat. Jungle Bros., Q-Tip, Queen Latifah)- Buddy
20. Trio- Sabine Sabine Sabine

Here is the .zip

MUGGLESTONE HI-FI KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY MIX

This mix came about as a desire to hear a few songs that didn't make it on the Family Vacation Mix and then needing to fill them in with other pieces of gold both that I listen to all the time and/or things I just bought into. Wheel let you decide which is which. After looking at the track listing I can honestly say there is something incestuous about this mix, it keeps harkening back to the bad old isolated teenage days mixed with some syrupy nostalgia and then just plain creepiness. But it plays nicely on a rainy it would be a picnic but instead its mid-afternoon brunch.

Track Listing::>

01. Ronnie Hawkins- Mary Lou
02. The Bell Jubillee Singers- Shadrach Meshach & Abednego
03. The Moonrakers- Love Train
04. Bob Dylan- Subterranean Home Sick Blues
05. James Brown- Every Piece of My Heart
06. The League of Gentlemen- Dislocated
07. Dick Hyman- Topless Dancers of Corfu
08. Lee Dorsey- Mexico
09. The Hombres- Let it Out
10. Caterina Caselli- Nessuno Mi Puo Giudicare
11. Siouxie and the Banshees- Supernatural Thing
12. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee- Walk On
13. Eugene Chadbourne- Jesus Protects Mexico
14. The Murmaids- Popsicles Icicles
15. The Birthday Party- Mr. Clarinet
16. Otis Redding- Fat Gal
17. The Coasters- Charlie Brown
18. Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant- West of Samoa
19. Josh White- Careless Love
20. Syd Barrett- Terrapin

Here is the .zip

MUGGLESTONE HI-FI Mx17

Are you ever on the road with yr band and things are getting a little bitchy and you need some good tunes that will make the miles go by, not anything to heavy or too sing-songy or taste-specific? Well let's hope this does the trick. A non-Cormac McCarthy road trip mix.

Track Listing::>

01. Tex Ritter- High Noon
02. Tom and Jerry's Rockets- On the Road Again
03. The Kinks- Lola
04. Tony Joe White- Polk Salad Annie
05. The Banjo Maniacs- Pick It You Peasant
06. Slim Willet and the Brush Cutters- Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
07. The Cure- Close to Me
08. The Church Street 5- A Night with Daddy G Part 1
09. Sidney Bechet- St. Louis Blues
10. Augustus Pablo- Edi Amin
11. Bull and the Matadors- Funky Judge (Instrumental)
12. Tom Waits- Frank's Wild Years
13. Clyde McCoy- Sugar Blues
14. Kenny Everett/Mike Vickers- Captain Kremmen
15. The Traveling Wilburys- Margarita
16. Caetano Veloso- Alegria Alegria
17. Bessie Smith- Black Mountain Blues
18. Perez Prado- My Roberta
19. Porter Wagoner- Heartbreak Affair
20. Pete Moesser's Music- Hawaiian Affair

Here is the .zip

MUGGLESTONE HI-FI FAMILY VACATION MIX

The idea here is quite simple: something for everyone. And while that most likely is not the case, who can resist some good disco, big band, cumbia, hank williams, david bowie, post punk, reggae, calypso, kitsch, italian pop, etc.? I'll admit it: I was in a good mood...oh, and this vik venus intro is such a classic, download it just for this proto mash-up masterpiece.

Track Listing::>

01. Vik Venus- Moonflight
02. Anita Ward- Ring My Bell
03. Enoch Light and the Light Brigade- Carribe
04. David Bowie- Andy Warhol
05. Cabaret Voltaire- Silent Command
06. Hank Williams Sr.- Kawliga
07. Fantasy- Stoned Cowboy
08. Les Paul and Mary Ford- I'm a Fool to Care
09. Cy Coleman- Sweet Pussycat
10. Frank Zander- Da Da Da
11. El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico- Mundy Baja
12. The Jordanaires- Each Day
13. Culture- Two Sevens Clash
14. Eddy Grant- Time Warp
15. Patty Pravo- La Bambola
16. Mighty Sparrow- Norman
17. Tommy Dorsey with Louis Bellson- Drumology
18. Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn- Who's Gonna Take the Garbage Out
19. Cecil Bee and the Buzzy Bunch- Superman
20. Coleman Hawkins- Body and Soul

Here is the .zip

WANKERS STONERS AND FREAKS MIX

This one's not really a stretch for me as I prolly fit into all 3 categories. People have been buggin me to do an all garage/psych comp for the blog, but when I sat down to do it, I kept thinking how male and wankery these songs sound stacked up against each other so I spliced it up a bit. I tried to add some of my fav wanker/stoner/freak tracks from at least 3 generations: yr parents, yr older drop-out cousins, and you of course, but don't get too picky about the what and the why here, cuz I just wanted to have some fun. So let's get stoned and put on some vintage porn::>

01. Bubble Puppy- Hot Smoke and Sassafras
02. Thee Midnighters- Whittier Blvd.
03. The Pleasure Seekers- What a Way to Die
04. Hot Jam- Tobacco Road
05. The Marshmallow Overcoat- Groovy Little Trip
06. The Electric Prunes- I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night
07. Eric Burdon and War- Home Cookin'
08. Frijid Pink- House of the Rising Sun
09. Link Wray and the Wraymen- Rumble
10. Dead Moon- Don't Burn the Fires
11. The Seeds- Pushin Too Hard
12. The Amboy Dukes- Journey to the Center of the Mind
13. Vanilla Fudge- Shotgun
14. Rhinoceros- Apricot Brandy
15. Brownsville Station- Martian Boogie
16. Thin Lizzy- The Rocker
17. Man or Astroman?- King of the Monsters
18. Bobby Vidone and the Rhythm Rockers- Weird
19. The Swan Silvertones- Singin' in My Soul
20. Jimi Hendrix- Little Wing

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi Fuck It Mix

I think this mix is pretty self-explanatory. A lot of oldies but goodies: you got country, instrumentals, "ethnic" classix, soulful ballads, etc. Let's call it a "late-afternoon" mix.

Track Listing::>
01. Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant- Sandy Canyon Swing
02. Roger Miller- Chug A-Lug
03. Rockin' Sydney- My Toot Toot
04. John Prine- There She Goes
05. Aaron Neville- Tell it Like it Is
06. Unknown- 60's Japanese Pop Duet
07. Caterina Valente- Precipite Volissime Volmente
08. Calypso Carnival- Zombie Jamboree
09. Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band- Skokiaan
10. Dick Cureless- Snap Your Fingers
11. King Oliver- St. James Infirmary
12. Elmore James- It Hurts Me Too
13. Vicente Fernàndez- Volver Volver
14. Jennell Hawkins- Moments
15. Kenny Ball- Midnight in Moscow
16. Ernest Tubb- Saturday Satan Sunday Saint
17. Fats Domino- Walkin' to New Orleans
18. Clifton Chenier- Frog Legs
19. Jorgen Ingman- Milord
20. Willie Nelson- She's Still Gone

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi Pande-Mix

Sorry, I tried to make this cover as ugly as possible. It somehow fits into the trashy DJ mix aesthetic. This mix is for a more arty crowd, maybe they want to dance or maybe they want to stand there and be cool. It stretches out a bit more and even dabbles into sub-genres of krautrock and 90's indie while keeping the ever-chic psych/garage and 70's country nouveau in the fore. I imagine it playing in a kitschy bar or a retro modern cafe, but that doesn't mean you can't dance around yr dorm room or clean the dishes will listening to it as well.

Track Listing::>

01. The Balloon Farm- A Question of Temperature
02. Dallas Frazier- Just a Little Bit of You
03. Faust- Extract 4
04. P-Model- Kameari Pop
05. Stereolab- Iron Man
06. Hasil Adkins- Sally Waddy Wally Woody
07. Esquivel- Whachamacallit
08. Madame X- Just That Type of Girl
09. The Turtles- Buzz Saw
10. Leon Redbone- Te Na Na
11. Peggy Lee- Me and My Shadow
12. Plastic Bertrand- Ça Plane Pour Moi
13. Blonde Redhead- Symphony of Treble
14. Sleepy LaBeef- Asphalt Cowboy
15. Palace Bros.- Ohio River Boat Song
16. Can- Spoon
17. Broadcast- Phantom
18. The Kingsmen- The Jolly Green Giant
19. Red Crayola- Hurricane Fighter Plane
20. Joao Gilberto- Samba de Una Nota

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi MEGA MIX

I have been busy for a while so I figured to make up for lost time I would put up some mp3 mixes.

This one was first called the "Super Berlin Mega-Mix" cause its totally heiß. There are a lot of hits on this one, not so many raritease, cause not everyone has a taste for the obscure. I give these mixes to prospective "clients" that somehow might not think the blog gives an accurate representation of my taste level and mixing skills (which it really doesn't). Some of these tracks are featured on the blog, the rest will be up here in the original (non-blended) format when I get a chance.

Track Listing::>

01. David Bowie- Sound and Vision
02. The Chiefs- Apache
03. Sweeney Todd- Roxy Roller
04. Althea and Donna- Uptown Top Ranking
05. Professor Morrison's Lollipop- You Got the Love
06. Shirley Ellis- The Clapping Song
07. Sparks- Wonder Girl
08. Ko Ko Taylor- Wang Dang Doodle
09. The Clash- London Calling
10. The Flying Lizards- TV
11. Love- Time is a River
12. Mandrill- Warning Blues
13. Dave and Ansil Collins- Double Barrel
14. The Honeymoon Killers- Histoire a Suivre
15. Gap- Sheriff
16. Nillson- Jump into the Fire
17. Soul Survivors- Hey Gyp
18. The Champs- Midnighter
19. Bow Wow Wow- Louis Quatorze
20. Laid Back- White Horse

Here is the .zip

Nina Hagen- SMACK JACK

I am gonna just give you this picture, it was too hard to choose from all of the amazing photos and styles this diva has donned over the years. People either love or hate Nina Hagen, but she has had an amazing career and is still at it. This single off of "nunsexmonkrock" is quintessential of her early 80's crossover sound: weirdo goth synths and guitars, jagged beats that are still poppy but almost cheap, and of course her amazing range of growls, screeches and operatic scary German woman voices. She is always controversial, of course she plays into it, but damn she looks the part and would have scared the piss out of me as a kid (even though now she just released a children's audio book). Oh, wiki also told me that she dated Anthony Kiedis for a year, that must have been fun. Here is the vid.

Nina Hagen and "Smack Jack"

Betty Harris- CRY TO ME

Lets just say that the mood of this picture is the exact opposite of that in the song, but Betty looks good, so I figured it would add a little spice to the page. "Cry To Me" from 1962, on Jubilee Records, to me is one of those at home with the bottle type of songs. I don't get to DJ this one too much cause its just too painful, but if its just right (say Valentine's Day at 3 AM, when there is just the heavy drinkers left at the bar and the lonely women sitting in the corner with the glow of their cigarette the only evidence of their existence) then I will let it loose. Woman's got soul, there is no doubt. And while she is more know for her catchy Toussaint productions on Sansu records, this one always hits the spot for me. She builds into it the right way, its like Charlie Parker said about soloing (and I paraphrase): you don't just go into a room and start shouting, you smile and shake hands first. You can check out the B-side "I'll Be A Liar" on So Many Records So Little Time as well, to get an idea of just what kinda voice we are dealin with here.

Betty Harris with "Cry To Me"

Jennell Hawkins- MOMENTS

When I first put this song on here I couldn't find any info on the lady herself outside that she recorded with Richard Berry (yes, the "louie louie" guy) but now there is a whole bio page and even some mp3 links. This Titanic label photo is courtesy of Brian's Music Musings a great resource for oldies but goodies like this one. I got this as a Collectables reissue B-side to Ike and Tina's "Poor Fool", but this song immediately captivated me. Her sweet vocal line is longing and slightly shattered, but never wavering in devotion or bitter. The track has a great sax intro and solo and such a smooth feel that it almost breezes past you. Most people who know me know that I only play this song when I am either really happy or really sad.

Jennell Hawkins- "Moments"

Peggy Lee- ME AND MY SHADOW

This is the B-Side to the 1969 classic "Is That All There Is?", and even more nasty and depressing, but in that super cool Sunset Boulevard (by Billy Wilder) kind of way. Peggy Lee slings and slurs her way through the text, making it seem almost cute that she's so desperate and alone. This gal could do it all and did. She even wrote the lyrics to the Disney classic "We are Siamese" cat song from "Lady and the Tramp". The arrangement of this Jolson-written cabaret number (originally made famous by the Rat Pack) is by Randy Newman. The piano and bass reel this song along while her breathy vocals make you wanna give her a big bugs bunny kiss or slit yr own throat. Sounds melodramatic I know, but goddamn I love this song.

Peggy Lee "Me and My Shadow"

Flor Silvestre- UNA LIMOSINA

Flor Silvestre, stage name of Guillermina Jiménez, has been in dozens of mexi-famous movies and sang many a celebrated song, yet will always live in the shadow of her husband, Antonio Aguilar, heartthrob actor who sold over 150 million albums over his 40 year career (not to mention son, pepe). This song develops the story of being tortured by someone so great you have to let them go, but with style (una limosina), so they know how special but evil they are. Her voice and the accordion are hauntingly desperate and sincere, something singers above the border often forget. Go to her myspace page to see what a showstopper she was, lots of videos and tracks.

Flor Silvestre- "Una Limosina"

Althea and Donna- UPTOWN TOP RANKING

I have noticed that many of my post involving ladies, esp ladies of color, have been deleted. I am not sure if the flagging gods have started to inflict their exacting (yet frivolous without explanation) censorship on my blog because I am offering up free mp3 downloads (of singles I purchased used and digitized that can no how supplant the original source tapes or official reissues) or because of some kind of musical misogyny. I almost hope for the latter as it could be some how mediated, but in attempt to add some balance back to the blog, I will put up some of the tracks again.

Like this cool cool classic from '77, of Althea and Donna singing over the Alton Ellis riddim "I'm Still in Love". John Peel originally brought this into chic-dom, gotta love him for that. This song is one of my clutch singles, I use it either to shift into the dance vibe or to apologize for something that didn't hit the floor running. This is the scene::> At least 1/3 of the girls will immediately hand their boyfriend their drink and then either attempt to pull him to the dance floor or make their way solo, knowing its a ladies number anyway. Its not really a booty track so there is more head swaying with arms up in the air than ass smackin. Here is a youtube of them gettin down on TV (love the glasses on Donna, or is that Althea?).

Althea and Donna- "Uptown Top Ranking"

Ko Ko Taylor- WANG DANG DOODLE

This may be the hottest song ever recorded. Pure juke joint flava, nasty and feisty, putting everyone in the mood for drinkin dancin and fuckin. This one will play well at weddings, hipster bashes, mexi dive bars, road trip mix CDs or even Curves workout playlists because it brings that from the bottom of the belly to the top of the head explosion from the needle drop. Ko Ko Taylor's voice on this is one of the most precious moments ever recorded, not to mention the rhythm section or the rippin sax solo. Taylor passed on this year in June, age 80, but not without gaining the title time and time again of "Queen of the Blues". You will be missed.

Ko Ko Taylor- "Wang Dang Doodle"

Lee Hazlewood- NANCY AND ME

Barton Lee died a couple years back of kidney cancer but not before leaving us a legacy of darkly charming and shruggingly unabashed music that spans his production of Duane Eddy's twangy guitar and saxtrumentals to many solo masterpieces, including his final work, Cake or Death. This song is a single from 1973's "Poet, Fool, or Bum", and of course is about his time with the Pope's Daughter, Nancy Sinatra, who he wrote and produced "These Boots are Made for Walking" and "Some Velvet Morning" for and with. Like everything with Lee, this song is not as sweet as it seems, and he offers no answers.

Lee Hazlewood "Nancy and Me"

Tony Terry- SHE'S FLY (DUB MIX)

There are a lot of these mid-80's Epic Records R&B dub mixes that accompany a pretty bland A-side radio mix, and I collect everyone I see because this was the first one I ever found, and of course the best. Its lucky I did not win big at scratch games when I was young or it would have been over for me. Unfortunately, I have never found anything else on Epic, Solar, Zomba, or Def Jam that even come close to the intricate latin breaks that Charlie "Dee" Diaz and Omar Santana put together for Tony Terry's first single (someone had something to prove, and it wasn't Mr. Terry--I mean look at the guy). This song will make any b-boy or girl dizzy, it's fast and off-kilter, but still has all of the mixing tricks and pre-digi sounds (think reverse-echo vox) that most dub mixes from this era play people off the dance floor with due to the cheese factor (sorry T'Pau). This song will either cause people to lose it on the dance floor or stand still in awe at how fucking deep it gets. File under sweat!

Tony Terry with "She's Fly (Dub Mix)"

Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels- SOCK IT TO ME BABY

The picture sleeve here really is not overselling the hype that this song whizzes together. Pretty much from the shout/slap intro of the song, this song is a whirlwind of party screams, searing guitar breaks, momentous builds, grunting and punchy sax lines. Mitch Ryder, a Bob Crewe protegè had a few other bigger hits: "Little Latin Lupe Lu", "Devil With a Blue Dress On", etc. But this one, from 1967, takes his sound a step further and really feeds into the hysteria of the time. It's really hard to say what market he was trying to fit into, as this song is freak-out enough to be psychedelic garage, mob shouting and stir crazy enough to be protest, sexy enough to be black, but somehow with this overdriven mod british beat and guitar line. And Mitch is still kickin, goddamnit! Here is a link to his home page where you can find out what casino to catch him crooning Prince and Springsteen covers in. Ever-enlightening wiki also wrote that Winona took her surname from Mitch after seeing his record in her dad's collection. Thanks wiki!

Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels- "Sock It to Me Baby!"

Clifton Chenier- FROG LEGS

Clifton Chenier is really the grandfather of Zydeco music (accordion and rub-board=all night dancing). He is a direct descendant of old New Orleans and the "Deep South". This track is the B-side of his soul crossover "Black Gal" on Bayou Records from the mid-50's. My copy is severly scratched but I think it lends to the sunset sittin on a porch eatin greasy frog legs atmosphere. With a rolling Creole shuck and Chenier's rip n' jive accordion solo, this song is perfect for throwing on between live acts or more appropriately to barbecue alligator meat on Sunday afternoon. Not much there, just a feel good track to start out the day.

Clifton Chenier "Frog Legs"

Mutabaruka- SIDDUNG PON DI WALL (ROLAND Z MIX)

Samuel L. called, he wants his glare back. This Roland Z. remix kills mainly for the rise n fall sax slices and the minimal drum/tamborine feel that makes this feel like a Digable Planets track. "I siddung pon di wall, an watch him watch me": the war cry of the captured and plotting! Mutabaruka is a Jamaican dub poet that has been writing for 30+ years about Jamaican culture and its role in the Worldsphere. Here is a link to his website that has a lot more info, audio, and even a section called Muta Seh, where he gives his "reasoning on a variety of subjects affecting black people and society today". This song proves that not everything out of Jamaica is about feelin irie, sometimes its more about being irate.

Mutabaruka "Siddung Pon Di Wall (Roland Z Mix)"

King Sunny Ade and His African Beats- ASE

"The Minister of Enjoyment", as he is known in Nigeria, King Sunny Adè is no doubt the international king of Jùjú. This song (from 1984's Aura on Island Records) has it all: 80's synths, buoyant electronic and talking drumline, relentless vocal refrains, pedal steel and tenor guitar, electric harmonica; what more could you want? Okay, I can imagine a crazy break in the middle and a janky video where dudes in nylon ball caps with the bill flipped up are gettin down on the streets of Lagos, but that's not the way this one roles out (it is Island Records in the 80's after all). But all lovers of electro and breakdance music can get into this one. Warning though: this will not hit on the dance floor, it is too intimidatingly chill. Obviously I learned the hard way, but it probably won't stop me from trying again. The equation involves more hippies with children or drunk 30-somethings NOT trying to hook up. This guy has more records out than Bob Dylan, and tours pretty regularly. Please do yourself a favor and see him live!

King Sunny Adè and His African Beats- "Ase"

Taj Mahal- AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS

Taj Mahal, world music blues guy, sounds like it could not get any worse, but this guy is for real. His shows now may be catered to more of a botanical garden or sit down university theater crowd, but this single from 1976 shows where he's at. A re-write of the 1920's rollicking "I'm so honest, I'm drunk" 8-bar blues called "Ain't Nobody's Business if I Do" made famous by Billie via Bessie, this song seems to really speak to the spirit of '76: cocaine and champagne. It's just fun in a fuck it why not way, and not so many songs, esp 70's blues songs, can pull that off. Go see him some time, he's always touring.

Taj Mahal- "Ain't Nobody's Business"

Santo & Johny- SLEEP WALK

This could possibly be the best song (read slow instrumental ballad most commonly associated with the sad funeral sequence of "la bamba") of all time. My friend told me that the mother of Santo & Johnny used to sing it to them at night and so they recorded it and went all the way to #1 in 1959 (which makes for a great American story), but all knowing wiki says "this is apparently false". Anyone who hates this song is a hater. That being said, here is a video. Enjoy.


Santo & Johnny with "Sleep Walk"

Stan Kenton- 23N 82W

"23N 82W", the longitude and latitude coordinates for Havana, Cuba, (thanks Google) only give a glimpse into the inspiration for this romping trombone-a-thon, arranged by Bill Russo. Stan Kenton was always on the cutting edge of big band arrangements, but this song shreds away the cliche and moves into something Mingus would probably dig. It even delves into 7/4 after the Lee Konitz solo. I wouldn't have quit my high school jazz band if I knew big band tracks like this existed (sorry Mr. Brice). Originally cut in 1952, this sounds more like the soundtrack to the bay of pigs than the watered down tribute to Cuban rhythms that most big band leaders were doing at the time.

Stan Kenton with "23N 83W"

Grady Martin- THE FUZZ

Grady Martin, as a member of the Nashville A-Team, played guitar on some of the most classic country hits of the 50's and 60's, but it's his "fuzz effect" (discovered accidentally during the recording of Marty Robbins' "Don't Worry" in 1961) that changed the sound of Rock to come. Originally caused by a faulty pre-amp in the studio, this sound has been used by everyone from the Ventures to Radiohead, and of course has been made into many different pedals like the "Fuzz Tone" or the "Big Muff" that probably many of you shoe-gazing guitarists own some version of. "The Fuzz" (on Decca) is kind of a tribute to that sound, and with a different production would sound straight gangsta and fit into any miami bass or dubstep party. I love the fading effect of the strings, and how the guitar sound reminds me of an old Lee Hazelwood walking down an Arizona highway.

Grady Martin- "The Fuzz"

Broadcast- PHANTOM

This is the B-side to a rare 7" on Duophonic from 1997 that sounds like Jean-Jacques Perrey on Nyquil. Broadcast has continued to put out great albums on Warp Records, but the early stuff (as compiled on Warp's "Work and Non Work") is still my favorite. The wurlizer-filtered melodies drip in and out of the over-saturated vamps and ghostly rhythm box bossa sounds, making this a great song for either a down-tempo/chill out night or in the long pause between indie-electro bands in a smoky bar.

Broadcast- "Phantom"

Ian Dury and the Blockheads- HIT ME WITH YOUR RHYTHM STICK

This song has been in my head for the past couple weeks and has caused me to unexpectedly hit people and inanimate objects in both the public and private spheres a few too many times. Ian Dury and the Blockheads made a pretty big splash in the post-punk/new wave scene in '79 with this hit that to me sounds like Dr. Buzzard and Bryan Ferry doing bumps at the bar. A spastic galloping groove, an evocative catch-line, and the use of ironic phases in French and German make this song an instant dance floor success. Esp if yr audience is wearing a gang of 4 shirt but secretly rediscovering later kinks and yes records. Here is a live video.

Ian Dury and the Bockheads- "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick"

Dinosaur- KISS ME AGAIN

Arthur Russell on 45 would make any serious collector laugh (if they knew how), but when you are crack-addicted to these little records you find yourself shelling out money for things you didn't even know existed. This song was a legend in the downtown disco genre as was the mid-western buddhist cello-groove master behind it. Though relatively unknown or under-appreciated in his lifetime, more and more compilations and tribute articles about Arthur have come out in the last years and even a new documentary. When researching photos etc. for this post I came across a truly amazing description/background for this song on the Mr. Disco blog. Unfortunately, his link to the 12" mix has expired, but you can feel his enthusiasm and listen to this 45 mix; then go on ebay and pay waaaay too much for the original.

Dinosaur- "Kiss Me Again"

Bill Withers- LOVELY DAY

I have been looking for this feel good track forever, and just after lamenting to a friend that it was one of those (the "so common yet classic that no one sells them or throws them away unless they melted in the attic") I found it on my first day back at Wax Trax in Denver. Bill Withers has written some of the most classic American soul/funk anthems ("Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", and even "Just the Two of Us"), yet few people know his name--and those who do drop it every chance they can. His beautiful arrangements and honest lyrics created a legacy that has been sampled/bit countless times (blackstreet, arrested development, etc.) and even spawned some secular spirituals that everyone can wave their lighter to. The intro to this song really brings a smile to my face as does the sustained "lovely day" in the chorus. You have heard it before, hopefully many times, but listen again to the way this song unfolds, or check out this really bad "sunshine mix" from '88 that was a pretty big Euro hit (even bigger than the original). Still waiting for the documentary which should be out soon!

Bill Withers' "Lovely Day"