Wednesday, October 30, 2024: Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You

I mean, Screamin' Jay Hawkins is cool, and I dig the version that CCR put out, they're cool, but this will always be Sub Zero Cool.

Tuesday, March 12, 2012: TWOfer Tuesday - The "Here Comes The Sun" Edition

 

What can be better than The Beatles? 

How about two artists, masters of their craft, who bring their own unique interpretations to this classic Fab Four track.

 

Wednesday, September 8, 2010: Nina Simone - The Pusher

Movie Week is in full swing now, and today's performance is a full pendulum swing away from avant-guard German electronica.

Originally written by country music legend Hoyt Axton, The Pusher was promenantly featured in the counter-culture classic Easy Rider.

While Born To Be Wild is Steppenwolf's best known contribution to the soundtrack, it's their version of The Pusher that actually opens the movie.  Sure, the Steppenwolf version is perfectly passable, but anytime I can choose a Nina Simone performance, I will.

The Pusher is moody, atmospheric, passionate and painfully soulful, with lyrics written from the depth of experience:

"You know, I've seen a lot of people walkin' 'round

With tombstones in their eyes"

That's heavy when Hoyt sang it, but it's pure power for Nina.