John Richards

Hey Monday, it's time for The Morning Show! Happy birthday to Bernie Worrell, American keyboardist and composer of the legendary Funkadelic. Guitarist Eddie Hazel recorded his Maggot Brain solo in one take. George Clinton describes the recording session in his 2014 memoir: "I told him to play like his mother had died, to picture that day, what he would feel, how he would make sense of his life, how he would take a measure of everything that was inside him and let it out thought his guitar. “I knew immediately that he understood what I meant,” Clinton wrote. “I could see the guitar notes stretching out like a silver web. When he played the solo back, I knew that it was good beyond good, not only a virtuoso display of musicianship but also an almost unprecedented moment of emotion in pop music." -bit.ly

'L.A. Woman' is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released on this day in 1971 on Elektra Records. It is the last to feature lead singer Jim Morrison during his lifetime due to his death three months after the album's release, though he would posthumously appear on the 1978 album An 'American Prayer'.

This is Leon Bridges' cover of the 1971 Pastor T. L. Barrett And The Youth For Christ Choir tune. Bridges recorded this track as part of the Truth To Power Project, a Texas-based initiative and creative endeavor to encourage people to get involved in their community. truthtopowerproject.com

For Kevin, an amplifier from Beacon Hill. ==== Emily Fox interviewed Kiwanuka about this record for Sound & Vision early last year: www.kexp.org

John!! Welcome back! I hope you had a relaxing vacation & were able to recharge your batteries. 3 years ago we were celebrating my partners birthday in Barcelona Spain & we listened to KEXP the entire time we were there. We look forward to traveling again soon & ad well as traveling to Seattle once we can visit the station. Lauren’s all time fav artist is Tina Turner. Would you mind playing River Deep Mountain High for her bday? Much love to everyone at KEXP! Chris ==== "River Deep – Mountain High" is a single by Ike & Tina Turner released on Philles Records in 1966. It was considered by producer Phil Spector to be his best work. Rolling Stone ranked "River Deep – Mountain High" No. 33 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. NME ranked it No. 37 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame added it to the list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll

'Texas Sun' for a sunny Monday morning here in Seattle. This is a collaboration between two Texas artists, Houston trio Khruangbin & Leon Bridges. "A meeting of funk and soul to celebrate the Lone Star State." : bit.ly Go on a road trip through Texas as you watch the video for "Texas Sun": www.youtube.com

Black Pumas is an American psychedelic soul band based in Austin, Texas, led by singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada. blackpumas.bandcamp.com Watch Black Pumas perform this track in the KEXP studio in 2019: youtu.be

For Rama in India! === This song originated as an instrumental demo under the name "E Ballad" that was written by guitarist Stone Gossard in 1990. It was one of five songs compiled onto a tape called Stone Gossard Demos '91 that was circulated in the hopes of finding a singer and drummer for Pearl Jam. The tape made its way into the hands of vocalist Eddie Vedder, who was working as a San Diego gas station attendant at the time. Vedder recorded vocals for three of the songs on the demo tape ("Alive", "Once", and "Footsteps"), and mailed the tape back to Seattle. Upon hearing the tape, the band invited Vedder to come to Seattle. On his way to Seattle, Vedder wrote lyrics for "E Ballad", which he called "Black"

The song originated with a lyric inspired by a line in Kurt Vonnegut's 1963 satirical postmodern novel, Cat's Cradle. "Who were you to ask for anything more? Do you wait for your dancing lessons to be sent from God?" Roswell explained: "I had written the line 'Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God' in my notes. But then I thought: 'Uh, your peculiar travel suggestion isn't a dancing lesson from God, it's just a travel suggestion! Why does everything need to mean something more.'" - bit.ly

Hi John. It's been a rough week. Covid fatigue, Work is challenging and 3/4 of my family now have Covid. Pretty low right now. Can you please play Taillights Fade by Buffalo Tom? -Paul in Vancouver, BC ==== Check out Buffalo Tom in the KEXP studio back in 2018, including "Taillights Fade": youtu.be

In a rave review, Rolling Stone writer Lester Bangs described In a Silent Way as "the kind of album that gives you faith in the future of music. It is not rock and roll, but it's nothing stereotyped as jazz either. All at once, it owes almost as much to the techniques developed by rock improvisors in the last four years as to Davis' jazz background. It is part of a transcendental new music which flushes categories away and, while using musical devices from all styles and cultures, is defined mainly by its deep emotion and unaffected originality".

Jose Gonzalez has announced his first album in six years! Visions is a soft, thrumming acoustic track about finding peace in uncertainty: “Look at the magic of reality/ While accepting with all honesty/ That we can’t know for sure what’s next.” In a multi-tracked, reverbed voice, González harmonizes with himself over the sound of a guitar, and the track also features birdsong and other nature sounds. To read more or watch the accompanying video, go here... www.stereogum.com

This album, their debut, released on this day in 2011. The Head and the Heart perform "Lost In My Mind" live in the KEXP studio. Recorded 7/17/10. www.youtube.com

East Tennessee singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah’s debut solo recording for Rounder Records. The original version of “Black Myself” appeared on the collaborative 2019 project Our Native Daughters, which featured Kiah alongside Rhiannon Giddens, Allison Russell, and Leyla McCalla.

Okkervil River joined Cheryl Waters for a live performance in the KEXP studio in 2018: www.youtube.com okkervilriver.bandcamp.com

Los Angeles band Lord Huron will release their fourth full-length album, Long Lost, on May 21 via Whispering Pines Studios Inc./Republic Records. www.lordhuron.com

This South Afriican 4-piece released their debut, After Robots, in 2009 but largely disappeared after that until 2018 when they recorded a tribute to their hero Hugh Masekela shortly after his death with Masekela's son, Selema of Alekesam, on vocals and that ushered in a more permanent return of the group. Finally, last year they began recording their second album, only to have their studio broken into and the hard drives with all their new recordings stolen. Undeterred, they recorded again in just three days of studio time. Their long-awaited second album, Abantu / Before Humans will be released on May 21 via We Are Busy Bodies in North America and Glitterbeat in the rest of the world. They are championed by The Mars Volta and TV On The Radio (amongst many others). blk-jks.bandcamp.com

"Listen up every doubter never ever... if you don't go now, then you might not never...."

Maimouna Youssef aka "Mumu Fresh" is a Grammy nominated seasoned singer, emcee, songwriter and producer from Washington DC. She received a Grammy nomination for her contribution on the Roots hit “Don’t Feel Right” in 2007 for best rap song. maimounayoussef.bandcamp.com

On this day in 1994, Nas released his seminal debut album "Illmatic" featuring "N.Y. State of Mind." The song's production was handled by DJ Premier who sampled two jazz songs: "Mind Rain" by Joe Chambers and "Flight Time" by Donald Byrd (produced by The Mizell Brothers!).

Good morning! Writing to request ‘Neighborhood #1’ by Arcade Fire today. My daughter is a pandemic baby; she was only a few months old when shutdowns started last March. After venturing out on day trips a little more this year, we quickly realized that she LOVES highway tunnels. Her face lights up while driving through one, and when we’re through it she excitedly asks “again?!” It always reminds me of the lyrics of this song. Thanks! Krista / Seattle

Hey John, It's great to have you back. I'm about to set out on a run in my complex in South Sudan, where I'm on a new, two-year assignment. While running on a complex in a shoebox-sized gym is a far cry from the coastal runs I'd become accustomed to in Central California, as a runner, you know well that I'm grateful for any opportunity to extend my legs, pump my heart, and put down some miles. To accompany me on my 'journey', I would be grateful for (quite literally) anything by Deerhunter. Much love, man. Daniel

Sam from Quivers says of this new song, "It is a song overwhelmed by someone, and somewhere, but also overwhelmed by the beauty of those strange, new experiences we used to have when travel was possible. 'We would kiss close to the precipice, though it makes us feel nervous'."

The Flaming Lips on their most commercially successful track: "With its chiming pedal steel chorus breaks and seemingly nonsensical lyrics, the song entered into the realms of novelty hit. It's a happy little ditty about strange people and their individual idiosyncrasies, with pretty melodies laced throughout and punctuated by trademark moments of crunching but still harmonious noise."

X is the first new music from Working Men’s Club since their acclaimed self-titled debut was released in the autumn of 2020. workingmensclub.bandcamp.com

“It’s a journey through the city to meet someone, seeing all the good, bad and ugly of the city—the manipulative advertising, the needles on the floor, police sirens, a queue hoping to find love in a nightclub and so on,” says singer James McGregor. “All of this stuff makes the city what it is, and makes life what it is. That’s the reality underpinning the ideal, and that’s what feels real.” - bit.ly

A request for Derek! ==== Dry Cleaning dropped their eagerly-anticipated debut album, 'New Long Leg,' earlier this month. Dry Cleaning chatted with Cheryl Waters and shared an exclusive set for Live on KEXP at Home. Watch it here: youtu.be -- drycleaning.bandcamp.com

For Eric, Doug and Peri... -- A Flock of Seagulls was started by Mike Score in late 1979 in Liverpool. The band's name was taken from the song "Toiler on the Sea" by punk rock band the Stranglers and the book Jonathan Livingston Seagull, according to Mike Score.

Sharon Van Etten unveiled the final cover from her 'epic Ten' reissue. Big Red Machine, IDLES, Lucinda Williams, Shamir, Courtney Barnett, and Vagabond contributed so far, but this one comes from none other than Fiona Apple.

Keith Alam, aka Guru, American rapper of Gang Starr died on this day in 2010 at 48 years old.

Lizzo dropped this, her third full-length studio album and major label debut, on this day in 2019.

Hi, John. At the last Music Heals Cancer day, I wrote in and shared a story about my mother and I, who were both battling cancer. Sadly, mom finished her fight and we buried her on Friday. We played "Handle with Care" by the Traveling Wilburys at the funeral (which y'all played as a request at the aforementioned MH Day). If you can work it into the mix this morning, I'd be grateful. Tim, Nebraska