July 25, 2012
Miracler
Jeanne-Marie Greiner
Location
Chicago
Today we hear from an Original Miracler,
an original Friend of Hostess (since '76), and a mix maker you guys usually have a lot of exclamation points for. Why, in Nov. '11, about the iconic Twilight Savings Time, you said, 'I am speechless. I've been listening to this mix again and again over the last couple of days and I'm in total awe, Jeanne-Marie! Thank you so much. Love it love it love it. You even got me to sit through a whole song by Eartha Kitt, no little feat in itself!' 'The jazz fan in me is rubbing hands, while the kid in me is just finger snappin', dancing away. Are you a mod, Ms. Greiner? What club you DJ at?' 'Lovely mix. Our weekend soundtrack so far, and no doubt many rainy autumn/winter eves to come.' 'Coltrane and Ellington doing "In a Sentimental Mood" could easily be a Desert Island Song. Just that one song, on repeat play forever, never wanting for another. Thanks for this perfectly stardusted jazz mix, Jeanne-Marie.' 'Love the mix, Jeanne-Marie. Thank you. I spent a good part of last year trying to convince our hostess that Mel Tormé was worth listening to, but sadly, my entreaties fell on deaf ears. (Odd that, considering her all-embracing love of music.)' 'Stardust' was recommended to me years back by one of my favorite musicians as one of the best pieces ever, and he wasn't wrong.' 'Wow! This is a great mix. That version of Caravan is absolutely amazing. And what a great song by Yusef Lateef.' 'I was listening to this Sunday morning and it made me a bit melancholic and transported me to the days where I would buy 15 cent records at thrift shops based on their (awesome) cover art and play them over and over again - some were a surprise, some were mind blowing, and some just upset my neighbors if played too loud!. Great mix!' 'A suitable mix for this day as well. The Coltrane sound stood out amongst many of the great tracks. I suddenly feel like I'm writing a yelp review. Did I say this mix is yummy?' 'I *really* enjoyed this mix. It had that consistent-theme-but-not-too-samey thing I like. And some really standout tracks: 'Caravan' was surprisingly Carl Stallingish, 'Comin' Home Baby' is now my favorite Mel Torme song, & 'Sing, Sing, Sing' was the first extended drum solo ever released commercially (according to Wikipedia, so it must be true!). Thanks Jeanne-Marie, it was great way to end Season 4.' 'Excellent season closer. Some great tracks here. Nina Simone, Bobby Timmons, Mel Tormé (funny that a whole generation's introduction to Mel was as one object of obsession for the judge in 'Night Court'). Crazy-awesomest arrangement of 'Caravan' I've ever heard. Wow. Filling the house repeatedly. Thanks!'
Before that, we were treated to Hayseeds Go Back to the Country in May '11, Back to School Compositions in Sept. '09, as well as Have Yourself a Hi-Fi Christmas in Dec. '08 and Guilty Pleasures—A 3MPM Road Trip Mix in Aug. '08, mixes which brought out a "Y! FY!" from many. What's JMHG brought us today? Another fabulous eclectic-yet-focused time machine that carries the distinctive JMG™ touch. Enjoy.
Liner Notes by JMG
Real guilty pleasures go beyond Scandal songs. They are the songs that you dine on for lunch and dinner, with emotions that are reveled in. For me that emotion was longing. I lived it well.
But there is no Leonard Cohen here. I won't do that to you, as I did in '96, giving my boyfriend a cassette mix called “True Love at Its Saddest and Best” when we broke up.
This mix is cut with songs of flight and some silliness, but not without sincerity. I hope we can stay friends.
Mix is UP. New password! Check your inbox.
To comment on this mix, click on the 'Comment' button below the post and write something. If you don't have/want to use your Google etc. accounts, just type your name in the "Name" box and you are done.
XOK
18 comments:
I'm longing for the artists and track names! But there's an app for that!
I'm hearing a lifetime of break-ups in this mix. But with a soundtrack like this, they were probably weren't so bad. Good theme. Thanks.
Crap—you're right, Kevin! My fault there—I uploaded the mix before it had all the track info in it.
Okay, I've pulled that one down, and am uploading the proper version.
At 11am this morning Pac Time (very soon), y'all can get it.
Sorry!
XOK
Well, let me be the first and possibly only person to say I love the Helen Reddy. My little sister used to pump up her Angie Baby 45 over and over from her room while I was trying to crank Black Sabbath in peace and quiet in my own. Somehow I love them both now.
The Derek & the Dominos is a killer opener, and the whole mix is a treat from top to bottom. I particularly enjoyed the Dark Dark Dark and Keith Richards tracks.
Thanks!
Loving the Kurt Vile. Does it sound like World Party to anyone else? And the one-two punch of Heart and Carly Simon. (Embracing that irony-free here in SF today.) Wait—Don McClean wrote more than two songs? Shocking. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm only a casual Replacements fan (seriously, right?), so this is a welcomed addition to my paltry collection of non-Pleased To Meet Me tracks. Diggin' Zuzu's Petals, too.
Oh, and Helen Reddy does not offend. You're a special lady, J-M. Thanks!
I very much enjoyed the Carly Simon which was new to me. The Keef and 'Mats combo gave me a very late-80s 'XRT vibe, which was fun thing to experience again. ;-)
Really liked the Elton and Russell piece a lot, moderately surprising since I've not been too taken with the former's output for a long while.
Mrs. fritz was happily surprised by the Helen Reddy inclusion which took her back to the days of yore when she played her 45 of it many a time.
Sorry to end on a pedantic note, but it's driving me crazy: it's McLean, not McClean.
Of course, Fritz. McLean. I'm always getting him confused with Mr. Clean, which is probably why I only think he's written two songs.
Very nicely done. Love the Kurt Vile cut and the Dark Dark Dark song is amazing. Plus Helen Reddy and Sugar, perfect. Thank you.
Actually, Doug, the mistake is in the tracklist as downloaded-- was not singling anyone out, just being my usual pedantic assh*le about meaningless stuff.
Okay, so I already told you about the freaky Sugar incident. So in lieu of telling you about that AGAIN, I will tell you I've been listening to this mix all week. Here are my standout traxxxx:
Nobody's Side, Gary Yerkins. This is BY FAR my favorite track. Which is no dis on any of the others, it's simply how much I love this one. Who is this dude? Google indicates he is a Chicago musician who played in a couple of bands I've never heard of. Every time this song has come on I've liked it even more. It's the melancholy cousin of Steve Forbert's sweet Romeo's Tune with its easy natural loop that just kinda hooks into you so immediately. Thanks so much, I feel safe saying I doubt I would have heard it otherwise. WHY WE LOVE THE PRODGE.
Other delights: Elton/Leon, that Derek and the Dominos kickoff totally rules, The Replacements. Angie Baby makes a regular appearance at Smoothday and for good reason. So smooth. And you know I gots me some Sugar up in my head.
One of the things I like so far about this mix (pls forgive my delay in commenting, btw; this is partly why) is that it seems quite layered. I am going to have to listen to it a lot to unpeel it. So far I'm only a few layers in. Looking forward to future discoveries. Thanks so much, Jeanne-Marie.
Thanks for turning me on to some real keepers Jean-Marie. The Kurt Vile just jumped out of the speakers, sounding to me as well like World Party. My other new favorite song of all time is Zuzu's Petals cut. Great rolling intro and big beat. Thanks to Seen Your Video I now have three Replacement songs I like. They've just never registered too much for me, may need to dig deeper there.
Van B. - I love peace and quiet times with Black Sabbath too. I dig your far out mixes Van!
Doug - I never thought of Vile sounding like World Party but I can hear it.
Fritz - Oddly I wondered if you would like that C. Simon song... for real. I think it was because of the beauty of that mix you made for me - a little goes a long way. I love that mix Fritz it is perfect and I have listened to it a lot!
Always glad to hear what the lovely Mrs. Fritz likes!
Wes - I saw Dark Dark Dark and they were so good, very eclectic and looking way too young to try to look that old.
Xtina - So glad someone dug Gary Yerkins' song. He was part of a band called "the Insiders" back in the late 80's. They had a couple hit pop tunes, and were picked up by a major record label who immediately fucked them over and held them hostage. One of those stories.... Happily, he teaches at a great college here and still plays occasionally and in my opinion can still kick out a 3mpm.
Thank you for bringing up Romeo's Tune - I loved that song!
xo to you lady!!
Mark - if you are ever in the mood to read a really fun and funny book about being in a band check out "Petal Pusher" by Laurie Lindeen (of Zuzu's Petals). It is one of my favorite memoirs.
JM-
I have to admit I recognized most of the names in the track list, but knew almost nothing about them.
That said:
Love that Derek first song - such a groovy tune.
The Kurt Vile song (except for the vocals) could be on any New Zealand indie comp.
Other standouts are Gary Yerkins (never heard of him) and that Zuzu's Petals song.
Always a Sugar fan.
Thanks!
As a kid I conflated the Hellen Reddy's "Angie Baby" with The Stones' "Angie." Ruined it for me. It's one of the few Stones songs that gives me the creeps. Speaking of Stones, I sure do dig that Keith Richards song, Jeanne-Marie. And speaking of Annies, "Dreamboat Annie" is one I haven't heard in almost forty years. Banjos!
That first Heart album was an 8-track favorite, along with, of all crazy combinations, Funkadelic's Maggot Brain. Me and my junior high stoner buddies had us some friends in high places. One of whom was Gary's older brother Jack, who was both friendly AND owned a lowrider.
Kids smoking $15 ounces of Mexican weed in a lowered '63, listening to "Steamboat Annie...."
Jeanne-Marie, this is the kind of mix that you want to hear when the cicadas are buzzing, which they are right now in S.E. Michigan. So nice hearing an old Carly tune for the first time. And "Dreamboat Annie" made me go back and listen to that album again.
Oh. My. God. I hadn't thought about Helen Reddy in about, well, I won't say exactly how many years...but I was like Van B's little sister -- playing Helen at top-volume during the 70s. Thanks for the Saturday morning time travelin'!
1. Was Gary Yerkins in The Insiders that did "Ghost on the Beach"? Those Insiders?
2. Van B. likes Helen Reddy? I'm Shocked! SHOCKED! (I love her too; memories of waiting for mom in the station wagon in the Sears parking lot).
3. xtina's comment about layering is spot on.
4. Hostess's comments made me go back and look at the J-M G ouvre; it hadn't had the retrospective appreciation it deserved. Wow.
Awesome awesome playlist. Thanks.
*oeuvre, dammit.
fat-fingering everything these days.
Alright, I have a good amount to say about this mix that I've turned over in my mind quite a few times over the past month and a half.
First off, I don't think I've listened to Derek and the Dominoes since middle school...what the hell has been wrong with me? This handed me a nice "well now I'm ready for any song thrown my way" type of attitude."
Kurt Vile--let me just say he's always welcome in my house.
So I really enjoyed how "Dreamboat Annie" fit into this mix itself. It was as if it began, made it's beauty known in just a fleeting moment, only to disappear catching me by complete surprise.
Man, I liked them all. The Don McClean song really comes to mind--it truly was a sweet ballad. And that Helen Reddy song...WTF!? Definitely the weirdest lyrics I've heard in a song in a long, long time, and for that, I thank you.
Here's the best part: guess who never had listened to Sugar or THE REPLACEMENTS before. Me. Wow. You sure remedied that. Copper Blue and Let It Be are now in my possession, don't worry.
However, it's "Cinderella's Daydream" that is stuck in my head at the end of the day. Cool with me.
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