Q is good for you!


All this snow has got me longing for the sun, and that's why I wanted to share this Quincy Jones-gem with you: 'Summer In The City'. I don't think there's anyone who hasn't heard the original by The Loving Spoonful (voted #393 in Rolling Stone's '500 Greatest Songs of All Time'), but you should also check out the excellent B.B. King-cover (1972), the strange Tim Curry-version (1982), the popular Joe Cocker-cover (1993), the Butthole Surfers-cover (1999), the Styx-cover (2005), the Incognito acid-jazz-cover (2006) and the (ex-Golden Earring-singer) Barry Hay-version (2008). The Loving Spoonful also inspired De La Soul and J. Dilla for the chorus of 'Thru Ya City' (2000).
The reason I chose the Quincy Jones-version (apart from the fact that it's absolutely brilliant) is of course that hearing the first notes will make hiphop headz go 'oww shiiit', recognizing the main ingredient for 'Passin' Me By' by The Pharcyde, produced by... mister Dilla. Q's version also provided samples for Massive Attack & Horace Andy's 'Exchange', Black Moon's 'Reality (Killing Every N****)', r&boysband Intro's 'Funny How Time Flies', Nightmares On Wax's 'Nights Interlude' and 'Les Nuits', The Roots' 'Clones' and 'Funky' by DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist. Enjoy!

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