Summer of '82 part 5: Depeche Mode's hit songwriter Vince Clarke hit up Alison Moyet, a blues belter he knew from their school days to cut a demo. Then they changed electronic dance music forever. You can hear "Don't Go," and more by Yaz/Yazoo, here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/58piA9AnrO97hfkTXWLgn7?si=bf414288876848b0
Summer of '82 part 4. How The Gap Band filled dancefloors and took Tulsa's Greenwood, Archer, and Pine streets, and their dark history, around the world You can hear "You Dropped a Bomb on Me," and more by The Gap band, here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6NWyndfhxsFt5mur8AjMjW?si=ef07a89848b04b2b
Summer of '82 Part 3 The idiosyncratic soul of a contrarian one hit wonder that's more than some rolled-up dungarees. You Can hear "Come On Eileen" in a playlist of 17 songs from Dexy's Midnight Runners here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZKzPrSTCfHChnB3oygJ5M?si=84b0de1ca2a94fbc
Summer of '82 Part 2: "The Message" was the first hip-hop single to really hit hard, and it has some surprising origins and influences (including a double dose of Talking Heads side projects). You can hear "The Message," a few songs that influenced it, and a playlist of songs by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0sHrZvnr4pZJvEf0kuuSKv?si=1110d8cfd6144eae...
Summer of '82 Part 1: Missing Persons: plexiglass bikinis, Frank Zapa, and the New Wave band that wasn't. You can hear "Words" and a playlist of Missing Persons songs, plus through from Dale Bozzio's adventurous later career, here https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3c1NOlRBJeL0d6OsJEvoiG?si=d41db1f3ad5b45b0
ink Wray's 1958 song "Rumble" was the first instrumental to be banned by radio. Paul McCartney had a copy taped to his record player. With three snarling chords, the half-Shawnee son of backwoods preachers redefined the guitar in rock 'n' roll. You can hear "Rumble" and a 28-song playlist of Link Wray and other rock 'n' roll instrumentals here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7l4difJ7xuYBAeHddISBnM?si=f43b82c33faa49d5...
Blossom Dearie taught Saturday morning cartoon watchers about adjectives. She also taught jazz great Bill Evans a thing or two about piano and played with Miles Davis. Her version of the Lorenz and Hart standard often known as "I'll Take Manhattan" stands out because the singer with the girlish voice could swoon but was also always in on the joke. You can hear "Manhattan" and a playlist of other songs by Blossom Dearie: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/77tuoQOzIufZmKMsHPzc43?si=6f9e60bf97404114...
"LIfe's What You Make It" is the inflection point whereTalk Talk went from a Duran Duran also-ran to an innovative band that proved to be a big influence on Radiohead, St. Vincent, and many, many others. It's also a great song and good advice. You can hear "Life's What You Make It" and a playlist of other songs from Talk Talk, from their first hit "TalkTalk" through their final, atmospheric records that stretched the boundaries of popular music here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0VB3wVOGVAl...
Massive Attack's "Protection'' was built around a sample of a sample. That James Brown sample is taken from a song about revenge that he released as an act of revenge itself. Tracey Thorn, whose partner in Everything But The Girl nearly died and spent months in the hospital, turned it into more than a love song; she made it a song about love. You can hear "Protection" and a playlist of other songs from Massive Attack and Tracey Thorn, as well James Brown and other artists touched upon in this ep...
Stranger Things introduced Kate Bush to a new generation of fans and put a 37 year-old song on the pop charts. It's fitting -- even when "Running Up That Hill" was new, Kate Bush's music always did seem out of time. You can hear "Running Up That Hill" and a playlist of other songs from Kate Bush's career here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7g78AHKnVNDWOCdwLlaLTp?si=451ee997649044ea
For the first official week of summer: The Isley Brothers make something hot and funky from a soft rock hit, "Summer Breeze."
Dave Brubeck's nerdy time signature experiments have their roots in Patton's Army and a Turkish street musician named June Eighth. You can hear "A "Blue Rondo à la Turk" and a playlist of songs by The Dave Brubeck Quartet here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/02FDdJVLmIn6zbvrcaeOl9?si=21fa8bcbdbc94b2a
John Prine was a 24 year-old mailman when wrote about how being old isn't about age but an absence of youth. Bonnie Raitt made it a classic by singing how that feels to a woman. You can hear "Angel from Montgomery" and a playlist of songs by Bonnie Raitt and John Prine here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KqW8FTVAM0kEWBbv8FxZm?si=23ae55f5d7cd402a
Popcorn started in a barn in Belgium where couples touch-danced to slowed-down R&B. It was the last great underground scene in Europe. You can hear "Anyway You Wanta" and full scene-spanning Popcorn playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0lQMelkkBynNCgSpR6B71D?si=f24024a963ba4d1b
The Records "Starry Eyes" "Starry Eyes" captured a moment when anything seemed possible with guitar pop. Hear the true story behind The Records' scruffy, bittersweet Power Pop classic. You can hear "Starry Eyes" and full history-spanning Power Pop playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ImrlrbYD7TgWdEh9VGAG1?si=e7f217fabdc044bc
Shuggie Otis played gigs with his father Johnny "Willie and the Hand Jive" Otis at 11 and was a guitar hero at 15. By the time he was 21, he was making records that influenced Prince, Acid Jazz, and hip-hop. Then, he just sort of stopped making them. You can hear "Strawberry Letter #23" and more songs by Shuggie Otis here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0KTRgHAZrY4tHpVS8Iso1W?si=40064cb384b94ce6...
Rock 'n' roll might not have happened without Big Joe Turner, but he was bigger than that. You can hear "Flip, Flop & Fly" and more songs by Big Joe Turner here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6vRaOhpMMkLa9EDgo0Iy4l?si=76449189a7464363
How Waylon Jennings unintentionally started the outlaw movement in country music. You can hear "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" and songs from Waylon Jennings here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4IL4qbYw9fa36Pmyq0akNG?si=66a38091e2cd4191
"The Girl from Ipanema" recalls so much loungey, easy-listening kitsch, but that's not the fault of Bossa Nova's history-making song and certainly not Astrud Gilberto, who wasn't even supposed to sing it. A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3sF2lmLbhbwrq98noI40Me?si=cc58aee82d8d44e6 You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com....
Cat Stevens said that this is the definitive version of the song that's been a hit for Rod Stewart and Sheryk Crow, and he should know -- he wrote it. In it, you hear not just an indelible vocal performance, but the woman who PP left an abusive marriage and the United States to chart her own path. A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6VEiHErgtmae4tBKRNieMR?si=253a26d4cd2d4b5d You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) fo...
Like love turned fraught, honey can be bittersweet, especially when a band pours it through record-setting guitar feedback. A playlist of this and other songs by The Jesus and Mary Chain can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3M2DDGAyfh1yaaHvdSk8In?si=4bb8007eaaaf49f2
From Bugs Bunny to Motown to Moog synthesizers, Raymond Scott was a 20th century music innovator who got his weirdo compositions into American living rooms. A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DJg4CFkgVdwmk2nhaFadE?si=553b149e4ec84002
The first bi-lingual pop hit launched a country career for Freddy Fender, which wasn't at all what he wanted. A playlist of this and other songs in the neighborhood of this playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6tgdIlzaWQkUzlboplRRjT?si=e773cba95d3a48a1 The email newsletter version of The Best Song Ever (This Week) is available for free at bestsong.substack.com...
A folk song about the WWI Gallipoli campaign has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day, but everything to do with the truth Shane MacGowan and The Pogues could find in a song. A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5oUG8FGmjhC0ZkzctKvFLP?si=78f2f40c8a934da1
In Berlin, David Bowie found that his best character was himself, and his most experimental period, created an anthem. A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3eYn0DT7OlmfrdIwnkW2O8?si=8e6b06cea2224c9c You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com.
A force-of-nature singer, The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," and Simon & Garfunkel's secular hymn made spiritual. A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1kL1nQAZYxb9aMlX486Nxk?si=b12db8d602754d2a You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com.
Mark Lanegan died on February 22nd. His breakout song with Screaming Trees was a grunge hit that wasn't and got him into living rooms via MTV. His solo albums got him into people's hearts. A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5xHBI6JUUAPcAmR6eKwEyn?si=a1434ac70205430f You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com....
Betty Davis blazed a sexually explicit funk-rock trail. As her ex-husband Miles Davis put it, she was "Madonna before Madonna; Prince before Prince." A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3iWCL3woi74dotbZFpu0CR?si=87e0f5c386e94bb4 You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com. A bonus playlist of the 19 blues artists Betty Davis namechecks in "They Say I'm Different" can be found here: https...
Kris Kristofferson landed a helicopter on Johnny Cash's lawn to hand him a demo tape. The rest is music history. Hear "Sunday Morning Coming Down" and more songs by Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and more music in the direction of this episode here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2INnKPtBzNzKXUNn9E8Twa?si=7056a587c07044fe You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com....
How did reggae become such a big part of the early UK punk scene? One DJ with more dub than punk in his record case, who also had his own connection to Bob Marley. You can hear "Punky Reggae Party" and songs from that early intersection of punk and reggae here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Q4D3HKvKWWMiTeKHPUIx8?si=9b53a00e4fd94947 You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com....
