Amazing Quotation from Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

So, I just downloaded Creedence Clearwater Revival's greatest hits, which led me to wonder who wrote the song "I Put a Spell on You," which they covered in 1968. I always think of it is a Nina Simone song, so I wondered if she had written it or not. The wikipedia page for the song itself has this mindblowing quote from the composer, Screamin' Jay Hawkins: "Hawkins had originally intended to record 'I Put a Spell on You' as a refined love song, a blues ballad. He reported, however, that the producer 'brought in ribs and chicken and got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version.^[4] I don't even remember making the record. Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins. It all sort of just fell in place. I found out I could do more destroying a song and screaming it to death.'" A-mazing. Keep on destroying, 'em, Jay. YOU MUST WATCH THIS AMAZING VIDEO:

Back to Album a Day

Snoop reps the Burgh

Oops. I totally slacked on an album a day, but with a good reason. Sports and sports talk have fueled the last week, from the Penguins struggling against the Islanders and yanking Marc-Andre Fleury, to all the second round NBA playoff games splitting 1-1, to my softball-softball-kickball 3 days in a row this week. I've been watching sports at home, at friends' houses, at Lot 17 around the corner, listening to sports talk on the radio, and hardly playing any music at all.

So today I threw on an old classic, Tha Doggfather, by Snoop Doog, his second studio album, released in 1996, and representing some deep gangsta funk. Oh, hah, I forgot he did Vapors on this album, a la covering La Di Da Di (Lodi Dodi) on his first album! Sick. 

In pro sports some modern players know all the old school guys, all the stats, all the history of the game they play, and they revere the legends. Snoop is this kind of modern rapper. He totally respects the canon and you gotta respect that.

Ok, two thirds of the way through this album, FYI, it's goooood. This is one of the bounciest albums ever. I mean, I tend to associate this album exclusively with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head," which I always thought sounded corny and overly mainstream -- good in the generic Snoop style, but not elite. Calvin does show a little bit of range, though, and the pure g-funk synthesizer melodies sound ... I don't know ... more evolved than those early 90's melodies.

Listening to this album has inspired a Gangsta Funk Mix. It will steady bounce at about 92 BPM and feature Snoop, Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound, etc.

More Full Albums

I have to admit, I do have a hard time listening all the way through a whole album sometimes. I just get too itchy to switch it up. But that doesn't seem too strange to me. I imagine most people feel that way. You just have to find those elite, all-time classic albums that just deliver hits all the way through from start to finish. Well, I'll say this, it doesn't have to deliver all hits. It can have some average songs, as long as it doesn't go through any completely unlistenable stretches.

ZZ Ward
(Lauren's suggestion, weak)

But it can't just mire in mediocrity either. Listening to three mediocre songs on an album represents 10 minutes of my life that I could have spent listening to silence instead of mediocre music, ya know? I just said "mediocre" three times. Meaty ochre. Serengeti's Standing Still, which I mentioned the other day, falls into this category...

Right now I have on ZZ Ward, 11 Roses (Mixtape), kind of a poppy neo-soul chill collection of songs. I chose it because it only runs about 22 minutes, haha. Very soulful, a little bit funky, kind of bluesy in places. I like it. I especially like Cinnamon Stix (Feat. Nathan Santos).

Ethiopiques

Recently I listened all the way through the 1 hour and 9 minute album Ethiopiques Live At Tff Rudolstadt. I saw this reccommendation on Facebook from Holly, so, good lookin' out on that one! I would call it international, folk, jazz, etc. Very good stuff!

Up next... Cymande, The Soul of Rasta, more international jazz/funk/reggae soul fusion. Check that link to read peoples' reviews on Amazon. One listener says, "its the Meters meets Carlos Santana, with a little bit of P-Funk thrown in on top."

Listening to One New Album Per Day

I've started trying to listen to one new album a day. I can think of at least a few reasons to do this. One, no reason at all, just seems like a worthwhile thing to do. Two, I listen to too much talk radio. I do this partly because I do enjoy it, but partly because I don't have as much new "go-to" music anymore. My go-to music has all gotten old, and I need to force myself to add more. Three, albums deserve to get played whole sometimes [rather than having their songs spread out through playlists or chosen randomly (the ways I tend to listen to music)]. Four, this will force me to seek out and download some albums, after I work through the handful or so I've gotten lately. Five, it allows me to have a dedicated listen rather than just playing something as background music.

Yesterday I listened to the Smut Peddlers' Born Again (2001). Right now I've got Macklemore and Ryan Lewis The Vs. EP (2009). The Smut Peddlers (Mr. Eon and Mighty Mi) rank among the best of the upper underground, and go well with Ill Bill and Necro, in my opinion. Check out the video for Bottom Feeders, which is pretty hardcore. The Macklemore and Ryan Lewis stuff came up on my Pandora, and I love it -- great sample driven, hip-hop fusion! Definitely check them out. Lined up next I have Swedish reggae duo Serengeti's 2010 album Standing Steady...

Episode 09 Four Twenty Special Edition!

Thirty Three and a Third Cents a Pound Episode 09 - The Weed Show - Special 4/20 Edition is now available!

33 1/3 Cents a Pound New Ep. 09 (Four Twenty: 4-20-2013) by Joesoheady on Mixcloud

Set List

Cypress HIll - Bong Hit

Macka B - Legalize the Herb

Rick James - Maryjane

50 Cent - High All the Time

Muddy Waters - Champagne and Reefer

Ben Harper - Burn One Down

Eek-A-Mouse - Prop 215

Madlib - I Love Marijuana

Redman - Smoke Buddah

Eek-A-Mouse - Police in Helicopter

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Mary Jane’s Last Dance

Buck Washington - Save the Roach for Me

Capleton - Ganja

Barrington Levi - Under Mi Sensi

Jungle Brothers - I'm In Love With Indica

Lil Wyte - Get High

mc chris - Wiid

ICP, Twiztid & Kottonmouth Kings - Alien Grass

Lords of Acid - Marijuana in Your Brain

Adam Sandler - Weed Song

Lone Ranger - Jamaican Weed

Tony Rebel - The Herb

Sugar Minott - Herbsman Hustling

Marlon Asher - Ganja Planter

Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony - We Be Fiendin’

Redman - How To Roll a BLunt

Cypress Hill - Hits From The Bong

Eminem - Must Be The Ganja

David Peel & The Lower East Side - I Like Marijuana

My Eminem Mix Rules

My Eminem Mix, which I posted about a year and a half ago, has been played over 3,000 times! I have to admit it feels good to know people out there in the world, not just my friends, are, not only listening to, but replaying and enjoying, my mix! I love watching that play number climb day by day. It averages about 8-10 plays a day, which is awesome. If you type "Eminem Mix" into your browser or search engine, mine comes up on the first page (or close to it). Awesome.

Bottom of First Page Google Results!

33 1/3 Cents a Pound Episode 08

... Back Up In This Bitch! Click play below or visit www.mixcloud.com

33 1/3 Cents a Pound New Ep. 08 (March 2013) by Joesoheady on Mixcloud

SHOW 08

 >>> denotes a mix segue
[indicates who gave me the song] 

Gangstarr – Warning
Pep Love – Different >>> [Tom Bozzo]
Antipop Consortium – 3 Digit Wiz >>> 
STS9 – Schock Doctrine (Welder Remix)
Quantic Soul Orchestra – Los Olvidados
Afro Celt Sound System – Further in Time >>> [Cheryl]
The Hood Gang – Roller Boogie (Can't Wait to Skate) >>> [Sneaky Mike via Juliet → Nikkie]
CSS – Alala >>> [Jaimee]
Wiz Khalifa featuring Juicy J, Lola Monroe, Chevy Woods – The Code >>> 
CSS vs. Taylor Gang – Lala Code
Buckethead – Stick Pit [Tom Bozzo]
Twat Waffle – OCD Andy (Plugged) [Nikkie]
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Gold Lion [Nikkie]
Musica Para La Casa De Quadruple J – From John Steinhart Mix CD [John Steinhart]
Al Green – Ain't No Sunshine
Cunninlynguists – Sunrise/Sunset >>> 
Gnarls Barkley – Smiley Faces >>> [Kellie McCready]
Santigold – I'm a Lady >>> 
Renaldo Lapuz – We Are Brothers Forever (JustinB Remix) >>> [Cool Chris / SkiDog]
Kool Keith vs. Renaldo Lapuz – I Love You Brah >>> 
Dr. Octagon – Perfect World [Holly Coleman]
Otis Redding – Hard Day's Night
Dr. Octagon – The Turtle Skit
Ralph MacDonald – Calypso Breakdown

 >>> denotes a mix segue
[indicates who gave me the song]