The Best Song Ever (This Week)

For the first official week of summer: The Isley Brothers make something hot and funky from a soft rock hit, "Summer Breeze."

Dave Brubeck's nerdy time signature experiments have their roots in Patton's Army and a Turkish street musician named June Eighth.

You can hear "A "Blue Rondo à la Turk" and a playlist of songs by The Dave Brubeck Quartet here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/02FDdJVLmIn6zbvrcaeOl9?si=21fa8bcbdbc94b2a

John Prine was a 24 year-old mailman when wrote about how being old isn't about age but an absence of youth. Bonnie Raitt made it a classic by singing how that feels to a woman.

You can hear "Angel from Montgomery" and a playlist of songs by Bonnie Raitt and John Prine here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KqW8FTVAM0kEWBbv8FxZm?si=23ae55f5d7cd402a

Popcorn started in a barn in Belgium where couples touch-danced to slowed-down R&B. It was the last great underground scene in Europe.

You can hear "Anyway You Wanta" and full scene-spanning Popcorn playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0lQMelkkBynNCgSpR6B71D?si=f24024a963ba4d1b

The Records "Starry Eyes"

"Starry Eyes" captured a moment when anything seemed possible with guitar pop. Hear the true story behind The Records' scruffy, bittersweet Power Pop classic.

You can hear "Starry Eyes" and full history-spanning Power Pop playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ImrlrbYD7TgWdEh9VGAG1?si=e7f217fabdc044bc

Shuggie Otis played gigs with his father Johnny "Willie and the Hand Jive" Otis at 11 and was a guitar hero at 15. By the time he was 21, he was making records that influenced Prince, Acid Jazz, and hip-hop. Then, he just sort of stopped making them.

You can hear "Strawberry Letter #23" and more songs by Shuggie Otis here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0KTRgHAZrY4tHpVS8Iso1W?si=40064cb384b94ce6

Rock 'n' roll might not have happened without Big Joe Turner, but he was bigger than that.

You can hear "Flip, Flop & Fly" and more songs by Big Joe Turner here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6vRaOhpMMkLa9EDgo0Iy4l?si=76449189a7464363

How Waylon Jennings unintentionally started the outlaw movement in country music.

You can hear "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" and songs from Waylon Jennings here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4IL4qbYw9fa36Pmyq0akNG?si=66a38091e2cd4191

"The Girl from Ipanema" recalls so much loungey, easy-listening kitsch, but that's not the fault of Bossa Nova's history-making song and certainly not Astrud Gilberto, who wasn't even supposed to sing it.

A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3sF2lmLbhbwrq98noI40Me?si=cc58aee82d8d44e6

You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com.

Cat Stevens said that this is the definitive version of the song that's been a hit for Rod Stewart and Sheryk Crow, and he should know -- he wrote it. In it, you hear not just an indelible vocal performance, but the woman who PP left an abusive marriage and the United States to chart her own path.

A playlist of this and other songs relevant to the episode can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6VEiHErgtmae4tBKRNieMR?si=253a26d4cd2d4b5d

You can read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com.