Playlist: R. Zimmerman from Minnesota

A continuing celebration of my favorite Bob Dylan songs. Updated. Enjoy!

Bob Dylan

01. Bob Dylan – “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (1965)

02. Bob Dylan – “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)” (1978)

03. Bob Dylan – “Murder Most Foul” (2020)

04. Bob Dylan – “Red River Shore” (1997)

05. Bob Dylan – “Ring Them Bells” (1989)

06. Bob Dylan – “The Times They Are a-Changin’” (1964)

07. Bob Dylan – “Born in Time (Outtake)” (1990)

08. Bob Dylan – “Ring Them Bells (Live) (1993)

09. Bob Dylan – “Cross the Green Mountain” (2003)

10. Bob Dylan – “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (1965)

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Playlist: Soul by the Dozen

A continuing celebration of my favorite R&B songs. Updated. Enjoy!

Funkadelic

01. Erma Franklin – “Open Up Your Soul” (1968)

02. The Beginning of the End – “Funky Nassau, Pt. 1 (1971)

03. Funkadelic – “Biological Speculation” (1972)

04. Funkadelic – “Can You Get to That” (1971)

05. Gil Scott-Heron – “Lady Day and John Coltrane” (1971)

06. Funkadelic – “I’ll Stay” (1974)

07. Marlena Shaw – “California Soul” (1969)

08. Fred Wesley – “House Party” (1980)

09. The Poets of Rhythm – “More Mess on My Thing” (1993)

10. Eddie Hazel – “California Dreamin’” (1977)

11. Bootsy Collins – “I’d Rather Be with You” (1976)

12. Funkadelic – “A Joyful Process” (1972)

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Playlist: Bob’s Birthday Bash

A continuing celebration of my favorite covers of Bob Dylan songs. Updated. Enjoy!

Bob Dylan

01. Peter, Paul, and Mary – “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (Live)” (1967)

02. Totta Näslund – “Wigwam” (2003)

03. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “All Along the Watchtower” (1968) 

04. Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Tony Rice – “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (1993)

05. Peter, Paul, and Mary – “The Times They Are a-Changin’ (Live)” (1967)

06. Peter, Paul, and Mary – “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1963)

07. Nanci Griffith – “Boots of Spanish Leather” (1993)

08. Fernando Goin – “Abandoned Love” (2006)

09. Ralph McTell – “One Too Many Mornings” (2011)

10. Willie Nile – “Blowin’ in the Wind” (2017)

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Sing the Body Electric

Encompassing everything from house to techno, trip-hop to trance (none of which I’ve ever really understood, by the way), electronic music was big in the ‘90s in New York and around the world. At that time, a few electronic CD albums- Björk, UNKLE, Moby- found their way into my collection though back then I did not consider or care what genres these artists represented. I just liked the music. 

Björk

During my first year as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria in 1999, my musical tastes began to broaden. I recall sitting alone on the floor of my Black Sea apartment wrapping Christmas gifts for my family back in the States and enjoying Vangelis’ El Greco. While often associated with DJs and clubs, most of my favorite electronic music drips with humanity and supplies appropriate sounds to accompany me through long, soul searching nights far from home, or entertain guests as I shoot darts with them in my Bulgarian bachelor pad. Here are some of my favorite electronic songs. Enjoy!

01. Björk – “It’s Oh So Quiet” (1995)

02. Vangelis – “El Greco: Movement V” (1995) 

03. Björk – “Like Someone in Love” (1993)

04. Moby feat. Mimi Goese – “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die” (1995)

05. Moby – “Porcelain” (1999)

06. UNKLE feat. Richard Ashcroft – “Lonely Soul” (1998)

07. Björk – “Hyperballad” (1995)

08. Neu! – “Isi” (1975)

09. Fatboy Slim – “Praise You” (1999)

10. Moby – “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?” (1999)

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Fatboy Slim – “Praise You”

Pipes and Thrills

With few exceptions, to make it as a popular singer in the 20th century then you had to have the goods. Looks and brains were a plus, but to make it big your pipes had to be powerful enough to accommodate whatever joint in which you found yourself, be it a bar, club, roadhouse, speakeasy, auditorium, or what have you. You had to give it all and connect with and thrill listeners to earn that entertainment dollar.

Billie Holiday

I think what I love best about the giants of 20th century vocal artistry is while they are from places and neighborhoods you would never want to visit, their singing brought them fame and entry into the upper class. In addition to singing, they could do whatever else it took to make a buck and thrill you. Now I look around at today’s music entertainment industry and sadly don’t see much in the way of pipes and thrills. Here are some of my favorite vocal music songs that still thrill me. Enjoy!

Sammy Davis Jr. performing for U.S. soldiers in South Vietnam

01. Sammy Davis Jr. – “Mr. Bojangles” (1972)

02. Robert Goulet – “If Ever I Would Leave You (from ‘Camelot’)” (1960)

03. Frank Sinatra – “My Heart Stood Still” (1963)

04. Frank Sinatra feat. Antônio Carlos Jobim – “Wave” (1969)

05. Frank Sinatra – “All or Nothing at All” (1962)

06. Harry Belafonte – “Jamaica Farewell” (1956)

07. Billie Holiday – “You Go to My Head” (1952)

08. Billie Holiday – “Love for Sale” (1952)

09. Billie Holiday with Eddie Heywood & His Orchestra – “All of Me” (1941)

10. Nat King Cole – “When My Sugar Walks Down the Street”  (1964) 

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Dennis Miller tells about dinner with Frank Sinatra

Playlist: Four Guys from Liverpool

A continuing celebration of my favorite Beatles songs. Updated. Enjoy!

The Beatles with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

01. The Beatles – “Here Comes the Sun (2019 Mix)” (1969)

02. The Beatles – “The Fool on the Hill” (1967)

03. The Beatles – “In My Life” (1965)

04. The Beatles – “Revolution” (1968)

05. The Beatles – “For No One” (1966)

06. The Beatles – “Here, There and Everywhere” (1966)

07. The Beatles – “Something (Take 39 / Instrumental / String Only)” (1969)

08. The Beatles – “Child of Nature (Esher Demo)” (1968)

09. The Beatles – “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (Take 3)” (1968)

10. The Beatles – “Good Night (Take 10)” (1968)

11. The Beatles – “Good Night (Take 22)” (1968) 

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Playlist: Oldies: Pass the Fritos

A continuing celebration of my favorite oldies songs. Updated. Enjoy!

The Beatles

01. The Beatles – “Come Together” (1969)

02. Frank Sinatra – “I Would Be in Love (Anyway)” (1970)

03. The Neon Philharmonic – “Morning Girl, Later” (1969)

04. Spirit – “Fresh-Garbage” (1968)

05. The Swinging Blue Jeans – “You’re No Good” (1964)

06. Frank Sinatra – “It Was a Very Good Year” (1965)

07. Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra – “Somethin’ Stupid” (1967)

08. Honeybus – “(Do I Figure) In Your Life” (1967)

09. The Left Banke – “She May Call You Up Tonight” (1967)

10. Frank Sinatra – “Cycles” (1968)

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