Tag Archives: today’s special

today’s special: eaaaaasy listening

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Sometimes, I like to stay out all night.

Other times, nothing will please me more than closing the door, turning off my phone and settling in with comfy slippers, a cup of weak tea and a digestive biscuit.

One of my all-time favourite mixes, Extra Sensitive (in two parts) by Alec DeRuggiero, is for the lazy, languid latter times. It’s a delightfully un-ironic two-hour MOR odyssey through Sixto Rodriguez, Sandy Denny and Linda Lewis, and it contains more soft rock, smooth jazz, lite funk, muted flutes, gentle harmonies, shimmering harps and slow-shuffle percussion than anyone could possibly dream of.

It’s a mix that will never leave my ‘Top 25 Most Played’ iTunes list.
Here are some of my cherry-picked favourites.

Mamas & Papas – Shooting Star

Nicks & Cunningham – Long Distance Winner

Crosby, Stils & Nash – Dark Star

today’s special: skip james

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i don’t have the right words to describe how amazing this is. just listen.

Hard time’s is here
An ev’rywhere you go
Times are harder
Than th’ever been befo’

Um, hm-hm
Um-hm

You know that people
They are driftin’ from do’ to do’
But they can’t find no heaven
I don’t care where they go

Um, hm-hm
Um-uh-hm

People, if I ever can get up
Off a-this old hard killin’ flo’
Lord, I’ll never get down
This low no mo’

Um, hm-hm-hm
Hm, um-hm

Well, you hear me singin’
This old lonesome song
People, you know these hard times
Can’t last us so long

Hm, hm-hm
Hm, hm-hm, oh Lord

You know, you’ll say you had money
You better be sho’
But these hard times gon’ kill you
Just drive a lonely soul

Um, hm-hm
Umm, hmm

today’s special: toy box

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I heard about 90 seconds of this in a very fresh and fun disco/groove mix from Brainfeeder’s TokiMonsta a couple of days ago, and as the secretive lady didn’t want to reveal the tracklist (booooo!) a heavy period of investigation finally revealed that the tracks was by Sylvia Striplin, she of bona fide disco anthem “Give Me Your Love”.

“Toy Box” is from her 1981 album Give Me Your Love, produced by Roy Ayers and James Bedford. The lyrics are extremely cutesy and silly, but it’s frickin’ adorable, about toys getting down and having a disco in a toybox when the lights are out… HOWEVER despite the sweetness it still has a very slinky and grown-up disco-funk groove. Listen to this first thing in the morning, it will put you in a great mood.