us and us for july 2009

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us & us (july 2009) for motion radio
“songs from the unconventional hymnal (vol. 2)”
transmitting from mount vernon, new york, usa
supplying musical therapy by way of vinyl, cd, cassette, and mp3

“all you have to do…is try.  all you have to do is…testify.”

i’ve been putting off this mix for over a year.  recent events finally made me get off my butt and commit myself to getting this one done.  between the election unrest in iran, economic instability, and a number of significant deaths in june (ed mcmahon, farrah fawcett and michael jackson in one week alone), the fragile nature of life has been weighing heavy on my mind.  i needed to make this mix for me more than anything, but i’m all about sharing music with others, so hopefully somebody else will find some solace in these selections.

as the title suggests, there is a first installment to this mix and i can’t believe that i left the winstons off that one.  sampled countless times, it’s here as not only a great addition to the unconventional hymnal, but as a nod to phuture frequency’s championing of drum and bass, a genre that is quite familiar with the “amen break.”  so there’s funk and soul-driven gospel here along with some secular tunes that i thought made great segue pieces.  some psychedelic interludes from john rydren, who’s totally getting his ken nordine on in terms of spoken word delivery.  some gospel glitch sharing space with broken beat, choirs that wouldn’t be out of place at the disco, and a group of hebrew israelites who damn near sound like the jackson 5 (tonistics).  and you will never hear pat boone sound as cool as he does on “the addicts psalm.”

i remember interviewing ohmega watts for impose magazine (back when it was still in print and not strictly web) and he was telling me about sugar pie desanto’s inspiration for “are you satisfied.”  her husband died around the same time that a fire gutted her home.  in spite of those setbacks, she persevered and it’s that same spirit that bursts forth through the song.  joy jones exemplifies that as well: i absolutely had to include “the joy” as part of the unconventional hymnal.  it’s my song of encouragement as of late.  the same can be said for doom’s “thank ya,” which i play every week right before i walk into work.

my apologies for the low volume on “open your eyes” – my copy of the organized konfusion record is a low pressing.  beyond that, i really didn’t rehearse this mix, although i had a good idea as to where certain songs should go.  basically, i wanted to move as the spirit led me, so to speak.  some of the transitions may not be their smoothest, but neither is a believer’s spiritual walk through this life.  with that said, i hope that you enjoy this one.  peace, beats, and blessings…

1.  – enter in… -
2.  voices of east harlem – oh yeah
3.  the winstons – amen, brother
4.  – …noosgnimocsidroleht -
5.  trevor dandy – is there any love
6.  ted taylor organisation feat. tubby hayes – he who would valient be
7.  ohmega watts – are you satisfied (feat. sugar pie desanto)
8.  – butterfly… -
9.  pastor t.l. barrett – after the rain
10. ralph carmichael feat. pat boone – the addicts psalm
11. voices of conquest – o yes my lord
12. – the lord is my shepherd… -
13. jessy dixon – love lifted me
14. joubert singers (celestial choir) – stand on the word
15. – a reverend moment… -
16. organized konfusion – open your eyes
17. geeez ‘n’ gosh – calling Jesus
18. voices of east harlem – music in the air
19. geeez ‘n’ gosh – soul of mine
20. donnie – masterplan
21. beatless – the truth part two (mono uptempo mix)
22. the basement boys present mudfoot jones – see the light
23. kool & the gang – here after
24. tonistics – dimona (spiritual capital of the world)
25. roy ayers – He’s a superstar
26. joy jones – the joy (daru’s drop it mix)
27. – thelordiscomingsoon… -
28. doom – thank ya

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(“lay your hands on the radio…”)