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Music in this episode:

John Coltrane - “Giant Steps” (1960)

Miles Davis - “Blues By Five” (1957)

Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane - “Nutty” (1957)

John Coltrane - “Moment’s Notice” (1958)

Miles Davis - “Milestones” (1958)

Miles Davis - “So What” (1959)

John Coltrane - “Countdown” (1960)

John Coltrane - “Cousin Mary” (1960)

John Coltrane - “Central Park West” (1960)

Ella Fitzgerald - "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)" (1956)

Luis Russell - "I Got Rhythm" (1930)

Oscar Peterson - “Have You Met Miss Jones?” (1964)

John Coltrane - “But Not For Me” (1960)

Tommy Flanagan - "Giant Steps" (1982)

John Coltrane - “My Favorite Things” (1960)

John Coltrane - “India” (1961)

John Coltrane - “Acknowledgment” (1965)

John Coltrane - "Mars" (1967)

John Coltrane - “Venus” (1967)

Kenny G - “Giant Steps” (2019)

Michel Camilo Trio - “Giant Steps” (2008)

Andrew Fox - “A Thousand Giant Steps by Vanessa Coltrane” (2020)

Edmund Gunther - “All Star But It’s Giant Steps” (2017)

Barry Harris - Piano class on “Giant Steps” (c. 1989-1998)

Ethan Hein - “Giant Steps 12x Stretch” (2025)

Q-Tip - “Let’s Ride” (2000)

Ethan Hein - “Giant Steps Sample Jam” (2020)

John Coltrane - “Living Space” (1965

Flying Lotus - "Drips/Auntie's Harp" (2010)

References:

* John Coltrane: His Life and Music by Lewis Porter

* Jazz Harmony by Andy Jaffe

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Music appearing in this episode:

Talking Heads - “Once in a Lifetime” (1980)

Talking Heads - "Don't Worry About the Government" (1977)

Talking Heads - "Take Me To The River" (1978)

Fela Kuti - “Zombie” (1976)

Talking Heads - “Right Start (Unfinished Outtake)” (2006)

Robert Palmer - “Addicted to Love” (1985)

Talking Heads - "Cities" (1979)

Kathryn Kuhlman - “My First Encounter with the Holy Spirit” (unknown date)

Brian Eno & David Byrne - "The Jezebel Spirit" (1981)

Steve Reich - “It’s Gonna Rain” (1965)

The Velvet Underground - “What Goes On” (1969)

Talking Heads - “Once in a Lifetime” from The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads (1982)

Talking Heads - “Once in a Lifetime” from Stop Making Sense (1983)

David Byrne - “Once in a Lifetime” from David Byrne’s American Utopia (2020)

Smashing Pumpkins - “Once in a Lifetime” (2022)

Angélique Kidjo - “Once in a Lifetime” (2018)

PM Dawn - “Fantasia’s Confidential Ghetto: 1999/Once in a Lifetime/Coconut” (1995)

Mike Wofford - “Once in a Lifetime” (2013)

DJ Chuck Chillout & Kool Chip - "Rhythm Is The Master" (1989)

Bassheads - "Is There Anybody Out There?" (1991)

Memphis Bleek and Jay-Z - “Alright” (1998)

Gigamesh - “Once in a Lifetime (Gigamesh Remix)” (2012)

The Reflex - “Once in a Lifetime [The Reflex Revision]” (2017)

Talking Heads - “I Zimbra” (1979)

References:

* Uncut Magazine on the making of “Once in a Lifetime”

* NPR 100 - “Once in a Lifetime”

* Multitrack stems

* Diana Deutsch - The Speech-to-Song Illusion

* Ted Gioia - Is the Three-Minute Song Bad for Music?

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Music in this episode:

Björk - "Bachelorette" (1997)

Björk - "Human Behaviour" (1993)

Björk - "Isobel" (1995)

Aubrey Ghent and Friends - "There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood" (1997)

Carlos Di Sarli - "Indio Manso" (1958)

Astor Piazzolla - "La Milonga del Angel" performed by Fabio Furia (2014)

Björk - "Oceania" (2004)

Müslüm Gürses - "Ask Tesadufleri Sever" (2006)

Trio Shalva - "Bachelorette" (2013)

Clams Casino - "Illest Alive" (2011)

References:

I draw on the Sonic Symbolism podcast episode on Homogenic, this Stereogum interview, and this Record Collector Magazine interview via a French Björk fan site.

Björk mentions tango in this Apple Music interview at 48:50.

My analysis draws on the score for “Bachelorette” that Björk included in her book 34 Scores for Piano, Harpsichord, Organ and Celeste.

I discuss Thomas Turino’s book, Music as Social Life: The Politics of Participation.

There are two instrumental layers in the track that I neglected to mention: tympani and distorted screaming mixed way in the background. It’s probably samples of Björk’s vocal track, but it’s hard to tell.

I also forgot to point out an obstacle to covering Björk songs: she frequently sings in Icelandic, nonsense syllables, or combinations of the two. The end section of “Bachelorette” is a case in point. I guess you could just scat-sing all of that, but it’s not as straightforward as singing a song by a more conventional songwriter.

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Music in this episode:

Björk - "Jóga" (1997)

Björk - "Arisen My Senses" (2017) (I describe it as using flutes, I meant harp; the rest of the album is full of flutes though) (Also it was released 20 years after Homogenic, not 30, my editor is so fired) (My editor is me unfortunately)

Deodato - “Thus Spoke Zarathustra (2001)” (1973)

Björk - “Isobel (Deodato Mix)” (1997) (This is not the version from Post but I like it better)

Brian Eno - "Fractal Zoom" (1992)

LFO - "Love Is The Message" (1991)

Jason Moran - "Jóga" (2000)

Pamela Z - "Jóga" (2016)

Missy Elliott (feat. Lil Kim & Mocha) - "Hit 'Em wit da Hee" (Remix) (1998)

Cannibal Ox - "Angels and Insects" (2004)

Björk - “So Broken” (2002)

Björk - "Human Behaviour" (1993)

References:

South Bank Show documentary on the making of Homogenic

Interview with The Creative Independent

Interview with Sound on Sound

Sonic Symbolism Podcast

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Music in this episode:

Glen Campbell - “Wichita Lineman” (1968)

The Beach Boys - "Hang On To Your Ego" (1966)

Merle Haggard - “Mama Tried” (1968)

Glen Campbell - "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" (1967)

The Who - “Baba O’Riley” (1971)

Patsy Cline - "Crazy" (1961)

Johnny Horton - “Honky-Tonk Hardwood Floor” (1957)

Dee Felice Trio - “Wichita Lineman” (1969)

Cassandra Wilson - “Wichita Lineman” (2002)

Johnny Cash - “Wichita Lineman” (2002)

Frank Sinatra - "Strangers In The Night" (1966)

Donna Summer - “MacArthur Park” (1978)

Kanye West - “Famous” (2016)

Nina Simone - "Do What You Gotta Do" (1968)

Rick Beato’s interview with Jimmy Webb is a key resource for this episode:

Minor correction: I describe Glen Campbell’s singing as “vibrato-less.” He does use a little vibrato, just not much.

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Music in this episode:

INXS - “Need You Tonight” (1987)

Psyche - “Unveiling The Secret” (1986)

Mr Fingers - “Washing Machine” (1986)

Queen - “Another One Bites The Dust” (1980)

The Beatles - "Piggies" (1968)

Bonnie Raitt - “Need You Tonight” (2016)

Vitamin String Quartet - “Need You Tonight” (2006) - after recording, I learned from a listener that the arranger is Noah Agruss

Big Pun w/ Beenie Man - "Make Me Sweat" (1998)

Dua Lipa - "Break My Heart" (2020)

I quote from Tom Breihan’s delightful column The Number Ones.

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Music in this episode:

T-Bone Walker - "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday’s Just As Bad)" (1947)

T-Bone Walker - "Mean Old World" (1942)

Charlie Christian - "Air Mail Special" (1941)

Charlie Christian - "Solo Flight" (1941)

Bobby "Blue" Bland - "Stormy Monday Blues" (1961)

The Allman Brothers Band - "Stormy Monday" (1971)

The Allman Brothers Band - "Statesboro Blues" (1971)

The Allman Brothers Band - "Blue Sky" (1972)

Wilson Pickett - "Hey Jude" (1969)

Aretha Franklin - "The Weight" (1970)

Correction: I refer to the Allman Brothers Band as a "white band" multiple times, but one of the original members, drummer John Lee "Jaimoe" Johnson, is Black.

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Music appearing in this episode:

Paul Simon - "You Can Call Me Al" (1986)

Paul Simon - "Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes (Alternate Unreleased Version)" (2012)

Bakithi Kumalo - unknown titles (2019)

Stimela - "Say Say No" (1984)

Talking Heads - "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" (1980)

Mickey Hart ft. Jerry Garcia - "The Eliminators" (1990)

Mpharanyana and The Cannibals - "Hlotse" (1978)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo - "Nomathemba" (1973)

Lemmy "Special" Mabaso - "Tsamaea" (1962)

Grover Washington Jr. feat. Bill Withers - "Just the Two of Us" (1980)

Paul Simon - "You Can Call Me Al (Demo Version)" (2012)

Alicia Witt - "You Can Call Me Al" (2009)

Bakithi Kumalo demonstrates the bassline(s) in "You Can Call Me Al", and also justifiably expresses some bitterness that Paul Simon mimes his part in the video.

Charles DeVillers helpfully transcribed several basslines on Graceland.

I quote extensively from Louise Meintjes' classic 1990 article, "Paul Simon's Graceland, South Africa, and the Mediation of Musical Meaning".

I also quote from "Paul Simon vs the World" by Steven Hyden.

I learned the concept of songs versus tracks from Albin Zak's book The Poetics of Rock: Cutting Tracks, Making Records.

Here's some helpful backstory on South African music by DJ Henri.

The Kleptones' attempted reconstruction of Accordion Jive Hits Volume II is a worthwhile listen.

For some critical context, I recommend Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon by Peter Ames Carlin.

I also recommend the documentary Under African Skies, which had Paul Simon's involvement but which is reasonably even-handed.

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Music appearing in this episode:

Simon & Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1970)

JS Bach - St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 - O Haupt Voll Blut Und Wunden (1727)

Paul Simon - "American Tune" (1973)

The Swan Silvertones - "Oh Mary Don't You Weep" (1959)

Paul Simon - "Loves Me Like a Rock" (1973)

Aretha Franklin - "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Live at Fillmore West, San Francisco, February 5, 1971)

There's video of this performance too, though the sound isn’t very good.

Aretha Franklin - "Mary, Don't You Weep" (Live at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, Los Angeles, January 14, 1972)

I include excerpts of Paul Simon's appearance on the Dick Cavett Show on April 9, 1970.

Read more analysis of Aretha's recording and see a notated transcription here.

Read more about Paul Simon's love of that Bach chorale.

I quote from Kate Heidemann's doctoral dissertation, Hearing Women’s Voices in Popular Song: Analyzing Sound and Identity in Country and Soul.

I also quote from Daphne Brooks' NPR article "Aretha's Bridge."

Eric Lott's book Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class is a tough and necessary read.

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Music appearing in this episode:

Otis Redding - "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (1967)

Otis Redding - "Try a Little Tenderness" (1966)

Elizabeth Cotten - "Freight Train" (1958)

Mongo Santamaría - "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" (1968)

Peggy Lee - "Dock Of The Bay" (1969)

DJ Shadow - "Mellow But Chunky" (2012)

World Saxophone Quartet - "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (1989)

De La Soul - "Eye Know" (1989)

Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew - "Check It Out" (2005)

Blackalicious - "Swan Lake" (1994)

To learn more about Otis Redding and “Dock of the Bay”, listen to the 500 Songs Podcast episode on the song. I also recommend the documentary Stax: Soulsville USA.

For more on “Eye Know” by De La Soul, listen to my podcast episode:

If you want a formal resource on pop music theory, I recommend The Practice of Popular Music: Understanding Harmony, Rhythm, Melody, and Form in Commercial Songwriting by Trevor de Clercq. I have also written a lot about the subject.

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