Music Labyrinth Episode 065
Leaving Normal / Cowboy Junkies
Hello Listener, and welcome to episode 65 of The Music Labyrinth. And if these introductions sound a little different this week, thats because, for logistical reasons, I need to pre-record this episode, and I am recording in a rather fetching outdoor setting, at the Emu Valley Rhododendron Gardens. Its actually quite lovely where I am right now, and I will include a photo of this location on the page for this episode when it appears at www.themusiclabyrinth.com (Although, I have to advise you that my timing is less than ideal. There is a wedding happening just the other side of the lake, and you may hear the odd snippet of wedding ambiance. That wont worry us, and I’m pretty sure we wont trouble them. On behalf of The Music Labyrinth, I extend our very best wishes to the unknown bride and groom. Good luck!). In addition to being the 65th episode of The Music Labyrinth, this is the first episode for the year 2022 - so Happy New Year to you all, even the year is already three and a half percent expended. By the way, 65 converts in Roman numerals to LXV, which just happens to be the International Air Transport Code abbreviation for the Lake County Airport in Colorado; America’s highest general aviation airport at 3026m above sea level. If that airport was relocated to the same altitude in New Zealand, it would sit neatly on the summit of Mount Aspiring. Handy for the ski season! Speaking of aspiring, I’m sure we all aspire for this introduction to end so that I shut up and the music plays. So, lets get to that, shall we? We started this alpine episode of The Music Labyrinth where we ended the last, and that was with the song Leaving Normal by the Cowboy Junkies. The Cowboy Junkies have had more than three decades in the music caper, and have recorded and played plenty of fine music. But I think it is fair to say that they remain most famed for their cover of this next song, which they recorded for the soundtrack of the 1994 film Natural Born Killers. The original, however, was released 24 years before that, and sounded like this.
Sweet Jane / Velvet Underground (1970)
From their 1970 album Loaded, that was the Velvet Underground with Sweet Jane. Regular Velvet Underground drummer, Maureen Tucker, was pregnant and did not appear on the album Loaded. One of the drummers who replaced Maureen Tucker on those sessions was Adrian Barber, who also engineered the album. Years later, Adrian Barber produced the debut album for Aerosmith which contains this next classic rock tune. AND - stand by for something unusual on The Music Labyrinth. Because the link from this next track to the one which follows it is SO obvious - I’m not even bothering with an introduction for it. So, here we go into a rare Music Labyrinth double-play, starting with this track produced by Adrian Barber for Aerosmith.
Dream On / Aerosmith (1973)
Sing For The Moment / Eminem (2002)
Welcome back to The Music Labyrinth where we last listened to Eminem with his 2002 song Sing For the Moment, based heavily - as I’m sure you gathered - on Aerosmith’s 1973 hit Dream On. Aerosmith are famous for two massive samples/contributions to hits of other bands. One we just heard. The other is this one …
Walk This Way / Run DMC (feat. Aerosmith) (1986)
That was Run DMC, featuring Aerosmith, with Walk This Way. The Super Bowl XXXV half-time show featured Aerosmith; NSYNC (including young JT); Brittney Spears; Nelly & Mary J Blige on stage together singing the song we just heard. 20 years later two of those artists (JT & MJB) teamed up to contribute to this song from the soundtrack of the movie The Trolls World Tour. Here are JT, MJB, Anderson .Paak, Kelly Clarkson, Anna Kendrick & Kenan Thompson with Just Sing.
Just Sing / JT, MJB, Anderson .Paak, Kelly Clarkson, Anna Kendrick & Kenan Thompson (2020)
From the soundtrack of the movie The Trolls World Tour, we just heard Just Sing. The soundtrack album for that movie also included a cover by Rachel Bloom of this 1977 hit. Here is the original.
Barracuda / Heart (1977)
Welcome back to The Music Labyrinth where we last listened to Barracuda by Heart. Barracuda appears on the soundtrack of Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock. So too does this track. From their 1972 debut album, this is Blue Oyster Cult with Cities On Flame with Rock and Roll.
Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll / Blue Oyster Cult (1972)
From 1972 that was Blue Oyster Cult with Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll. that song featured in an episode of the TV show That 70s show, and thus made its way onto a compilation album released in 1999 called That 70s Album (Rockin’). Another track on that album was this one from 1973. This is the California band Montrose with Rock Candy.
Rock Candy / Montrose (1973)
On the Music Labyrinth, that was the Californian band Montrose with Rock Candy. A sample of that song appears in this 1988 hit for Tone Loc.
Don’t Get Close / Tone Loc (1988)
Here we are in The Music Labyrinth where we last listened to Don’t Get Close by Tone Loc, and we arrived at that song because it contains a sample from our previous song. In turn, Don’t Get close was sampled in this 1990 song by Depeche Mode. This is Halo.
Halo / Depeche Mode (1990)
From 1990 that was Depeche Mode with Halo. Regular listeners to this program will know how much I like to find songs of the same title to play for you. And those same listeners will also know of my penchant for designating sections of the program with sub-headings. Well, here we are in the middle of that the record will come to recognise as the “Halo” section, and here is The Porcupine Tree with their 2005 song Halo.
Halo / The Porcupine Tree (2005)
We remain in the “Halo” section of this episode of The Music Labyrinth, and that was The Porcupine Tree with their contribution. Lets push this thing one step further. From 2013, this is Cage The Elephant with Halo.
Halo / Cage The Elephant (2013)
This is The Music Labyrinth, coming to you from a quite lovely outdoor location for this episode and, from their 2013 album Melaphobia, we last listened to Cage The Elephant with Halo. Interestingly, Melaphobia is the term for an aversion to music, and the album title comes from the fact that the band attempted to isolate themselves from all their respective influences when they wrote and recorded the album. Melaphobia was nominated for the Best Alternative Album at the 57th Grammy Awards in 2015, but missed out to the eponymous album by the American musician St. Vincent. We’ve heard from that album before on The Music Labyrinth, when we played Birth In Reverse in episode 58 (and I know that because I consulted the excellent database of this program called “The Vault”, created for us by our collaborator Rob from Buderim, and you can also consult the vault, by going to www.themusiclabyrinth.com). So, lets hear another track from St Vincent’s Grammy winning album. This is Digital Witness.
Digital Witness / St. Vincent (2014)
On The Music Labyrinth, that was St. Vincent with Ddigital Witness. Drums on that track are played by Homer Steinweiss, who’s primary gig as a drummer is with The Dap-Kings, of Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings fame. Just prior to Sharon Jones’ untimely death in 2016, The Dap-Kings were engaged by Mark Ronson for the making of his album Uptown Special. In addition to The Dap Kings, Ronson engaged many guest vocalists to contribute to the album, which he dedicated to the recently deceased Amy Winehouse. From that album, and featuring Homer Steinwiess on drums, and The Dap Kings, and Bruno Mars, this is Uptown Funk.
Uptown Funk / Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars) (2014)
Well! That was fun! Another vocalist to feature prominently on Mark Ronson’s album Uptown Special is the Australian singer, musician, songwriter and producer Kevin Parker from Tame Impala. Here he is with that band from their 2009 album Innerspeaker with Solitude Is Bliss.
Solitude Is Bliss / Tame Impala (2009)
This is The Music Labyrinth, and thanks to you for joining us here. The last track we heard was Solitude Is Bliss by Tame Impala. In 2016 Kevin Parker from Tame Impala and Mark Ronson collaborated with Lady Gaga for this next song, which was the first single from Gaga’s album Joanne. This is Perfect Illusion.
Perfect Illusion / Lady Gaga (2016)
From her 2016 album Joanne, that was Lady Gaga with Perfect Illusion. That song was written by Gaga, Kevin Parker, Mark Ronson and the American producer, singer, songwriter and musician BloodPop. In 2019 BloodPop co-wrote and produced this song for Vampire Weekend’s album Father Of The Bride. This is Spring Snow.
Spring Snow / Vampire Weekend (2019)
That was the lovely Spring Snow by Vampire Weekend, from their album Father Of The Bride. Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend co-wrote and co-produced this track from Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade.
Hold Up / Beyonce (2016)
Here we remain in The Music Labyrinth where we last listened to Hold Up by Beyonce. Hold Up contains a pretty obvious sample of "Can't Get Used to Losing You" performed by Andy Williams, and an interpolation of "Maps", a song released in 2003 by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Here is that song.
Maps / Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2003)
That was the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with Maps. Lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was Karen O, whose we know from some of her later work as a solo performer. From her 2019 collaboration with Danger Mouse, called Lux Prima, this is Turn The Light.
Turn The Light / Karen O & Danger Mouse (2019)
From 2019, that was Karen O and Danger Mouse with Turn The Light. Danger Mouse seems to - metaphorically - have musical fingers in plenty of musical pies. If the volume of work he contributes to is any indication, he is clearly something of a genius. So lets stay with him. In 2011 he teamed up with the Italian composer Danielle Luppi to create an album of music based loosely on the soundtracks of spaghetti westerns. From that album, and featuring Jack White, this is Two Against One.
Two Against One / Danger Mouse & Danielle Luppi (feat. Jack White)
Welcome back to the final section of episode 65 of The Music Labyrinth. We last listened to Danger Mouse and Daneille Luppi, together with Jack White, with the song Two Against One. So, lets stay with Jack White for a moment. From his 2018 album Boarding House Reach, this is Jack White with Over and Over and Over.
Over and Over and Over / Jack White (2018)
From his 2018 album Boarding House Reach, that was Jack White with Over and Over and Over. Believe it or not, Boarding House Reach features a contribution from Australian blues singer, musician, songwriter and storyteller, C. W. Stoneking. If you are not familiar with C. W. Stoneking’s work, imagine something that is about as far from our last song as you can credibly picture, and you are probably still way off the mark. Having said that, he is a favourite of mine and I’ve been lucky enough to see him play live. Here is something typical of his style. This is Jungle Blues.
Jungle Blues / C.W. Stoneking (2008)
From his 2008 album Jungle Blues, that was C.W. Stoneking with the title track. That album won the ARIA Award in 2009 for the Best Blues & Roots Album, a feat C. W. Stoneking has achieved twice with his three album releases. Another act to win multiple Best Blues and Roots Album ARIAs (and they’ve clasped it three times) are the Adelaide band The Audreys - which gives me the perfect opportunity to end this episode of The Music Labyrinth with a song I have loved since I first heard it. Thanks very much for your company this time around on The Music Labyrinth. Please join us again in two weeks, when I plan to be live in the Coast FM studios to take you through episode 66 (I wonder what possible musical references we can allude to in the introduction to that show???). To take us there, here is a favourite. From their 2006 album, Between Last Night And Us, this is the opening track, You And Steve McQueen.
You And Steve McQueen / The Audreys