Jefito’s Mix Six

Listen to Jefito’s Mix Six HERE

[The big winner to last week’s super-easy music quiz was Jefito! The prize was to do this week’s mix. So, here we go with a mix from a guy who has so much music that he needs a hard drive with a terabyte of storage space. –PK]

Now here’s an example of needing to be careful what you wish for — or at least a parable of the dangers of answering a quiz before your morning coffee. Handle the Mix Six? Me? Are you nuts?

I wandered around for a few days in search of a theme, feeling panicked and forlorn — until I remembered that I’m contributing to a feature over at Bullz-Eye about the best albums you’ve never heard, and decided to take the easy way out. So here they are, six songs you’ve probably never heard! Great theme, eh?
“Robert Bradley’s Postcard” David Mead There is perhaps no better example of my own inability to understand the world around me than this fantastic song, which sounded like a smash hit to me the first time I heard it. RCA released “Postcard” as the first single from David Mead’s stellar debut album…only to watch it die a lonely, undignified death at the bottom of the charts. What gives, America? How could you pass up such a flawless piece of pop music?
“I’m Your Puppet (Live)” Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham Penn and Oldham have written some of the most indelible classics in the history of white soul, and while you’ve heard many of them — “You Left the Water Running,” “The Dark End of the Street,” “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” and this song should be just a few — the songwriters themselves have remained largely behind the scenes, which is why their 1998 tour was such a treat. Intimate and as perfectly worn as an old leather jacket, Moments from This Theatre should be part of your collection.
“Hey Julia” Robert Palmer They undoubtedly had a positive impact on his portfolio, but it’s a shame, in a way, that Robert Palmer’s big hits came in the mid-to-late ’80s; the albums they came from were perfect for the time, but they didn’t represent whatsoever Palmer’s true strengths as a songwriter, interpreter, and musicologist. Acquaint yourself with the real Robert Palmer here, by going back to the beginning, and a self-penned classic from his debut.
“Millionaire” The Push Stars Despite being featured on a number of soundtracks to Farrelly Brothers films, and having an extremely radio-friendly sound, Boston’s Push Stars haven’t caught on, and likely never will — it’s hard to imagine, after all, a record which encapsulates the band’s strengths as perfectly as Opening Time. “Millionaire” isn’t deep, and it revisits themes the band has more or less relied upon throughout its career, but it sure is catchy…
“Compassion” David Baerwald You can’t buy it — A Fine Mess was issued in a signed & numbered limited edition through Baerwald’s website, and won’t be reprinted — but it’s worth hearing anyway, because Baerwald’s a standout songwriter, and you can obtain used copies of his other solo albums — along with his big hit, 1986’s Boomtown, as half of David & David — relatively cheaply.
“Blanket for a Sail” Harry Nilsson It’s unfortunate that Knnillssonn wound up becoming Nilsson’s final release here in America, but you could hardly ask for a lovelier, more tenderly crafted farewell. After years of falling back on (admittedly well-done) scatalogical humor and cover songs, for this album, Nilsson switched gears, presenting ten original songs recorded with strings, percussion, a six-string bass, and his incomparable voice. Nilsson’s death in 1994 was a loss of which listeners and the musical community are only beginning to feel the full impact.