It seemed appropriate to throw this song up after I realized my mistake regarding my missing Tori Amos CDs. This 1958 tune written by Leiber & Stoller and originally recorded by The Coasters (aka The Robins) may seem familiar as it has been covered by myriad artists including Ritchie Valens, Jerry Reed and Cheech & Chong.
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Framed by The Coasters at Spotify.
If you don’t know what this track is, here’s a piece on it at National Public Radio. Rapper’s Delight pumps me up for a lot of different reasons. There’s nostalgia; since I remember when it was new, when I hear it now, those neurons in my brain fire right up. This is barely a song: it has no bridge, chorus or any real structure; it’s just a bunch a guys talking shit over a bunch of other guys playing a snippet or two of music over and over — for 15 solid minutes. On top of that, it was recorded in one take. What the fuck?!? Who even thinks of doing that? It wouldn’t surprise me to find out The Sugarhill Gang recorded it directly to gramophone disc using a Mr. Microphone. Put aside a quarter of an hour today and blow your mind.
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Rapper’s Delight by The Sugarhill Gang at Spotify.
This 1971 classic by Johnny Cash is straightforward and to the point, pretty much expressing his views on life. Enjoy the weekend, people; I should be back on the regular schedule in the next couple of days.
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Man in Black by Johnny Cash at Spotify.
This song is from The Ramones final studio album, ¡Adios Amigos! It’s a pretty laid back number for the band, better known for their frenetic high octane playing; if The Ramones did a cover of In A Gadda Da Vida, it would probably be two minutes long. It’s one of their more popular later songs, even though it didn’t chart. Ronnie Spector did a cover that was produced by none other than the song’s composer, Joey Ramone.
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She Talks To Rainbows by Ramones at Spotify.
This Simon & Garfunkel song was originally released in late 1966, hitting the Top 20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart. It’s a relatively hard track for the duo, better known for a gentler, more hippieish, folky sound. It’s a brilliantly arranged piece of music, the driving beat perfectly complements Paul Simon‘s stellar guitar work. Lyrically, the song is a metaphor for growing older and coping with being unable to fulfill the dreams of youth. About 20 years after its release, it became a signature tune for The Bangles when they covered it for the soundtrack to the film Less Than Zero. It’s also been covered by artists ranging from film composer Hugo Montenegro to goth punk band She Wants Revenge.
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A Hazy Shade of Winter by Simon & Garfunkel at Spotify.
Even if you’ve never heard this Leon Haywood classic, you probably know it anyway, because in the last two decades or so this shit has been sampled on at least two dozen tracks by artists like Public Enemy, Redman, Masta Ace, and Mariah Carey; most notably by Dr. Dre and Snoop Whatever The Fuck He Calls Himself These Days on Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang. It’s a great piece of funk to listen to going into the weekend. Happy Friday, People!
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I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You by Leon Haywood at Spotify.
