John Richards

David Gray was born on this day in 1968 in Cheshire, England. www.davidgray.com

Alanis Morissette released Jagged Little Pill on this day in 1995!

Deep Sea Diver covering this 1995 Alanis Morissette classic! Damien Jurado is also featured on vocals for this track. www.thisisdeepseadiver.com

Brandi Carlile covering "Black Hole Sun" with members of Soundgarden. Brandi first performed this with the group at the Chris Cornell tribute "I Am the Highway" in January 2019.

"Outshined" was written by Chris Cornell, "Outshined" and was first released in 1991 as the second single from the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger (1991). It became the band's first single to reach the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts, where it peaked at number 45.

"Breath" first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 film, "Singles." Guitarist Mike McCready on the song: That was a really old song of Stone's (Gossard) from his days in Mother Love Bone. It was just another chance for me to do a lot of leads. The song was kind of cool at the time because it reminded me of performing. For me, it was about playing live."

Hey DJ John Richards - Last month, I was lucky enough to see James on their 40th anniversary tour. (How's THAT to make you feel like an old codger???) They have long been one of my very favorite bands and rarely ever come stateside, as I'm sure you've noted. When I learned what they were planning for said tour—a 22-piece orchestra and gospel choir—something snapped in me, and I thought, f**k it, I'm doing this. I convinced a dear expat friend to travel with me to the UK, got tickets to the Manchester show, splurged on plane tickets, and left my family here to make the journey. It was 100% worth it, definitely in my top 5 shows—three hours of songs from their entire catalog, arranged for an orchestra, with a lot of intense engagement between the band and the audience. Tim Booth sounded amazing and everyone in the audience was right there with him. I almost lost it more than once, and I loved every minute. Yes, that's a shameless brag but I felt like you would appreciate it. The sense of gratitude and community was everywhere in that theater. And ... their orchestral album is out! Would you pretty please play something from it sometime soon? Nothing But Love, Sarah

Because sometimes... once is not enough.

Recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester in celebration of their 40th Anniversary, Be Opened By The Wonderful is a celebration of James' most loved and rare tracks, reimagined with a 22-piece orchestra and 8-piece choir and including one brand-new track. Tim Booth says "Life begins at 40. For our midlife euphoria we recorded a double orchestral album of some of our deepest cuts." wearejames.com

On January 30, 2015, surviving Mad Season members Mike McCready and Barrett Martin performed selections from the band’s repertoire at the Seattle Symphony’s Sonic Evolution concert, with conductor Ludovic Morlot and guest artists including Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell (filling in for the late Layne Staley), Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron and Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan.

Stop Making Sense is a 1984 American concert film featuring a live performance by the Talking Heads. Stop Making Sense considered by many critics to be one of the greatest concert films of all time, and is actually edited together from several concerts.

DeVotchKa's "Live with the Colorado Symphony" is the band's first official live album. Recorded on February 18, 2012 at Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver, the concert featured DeVotchKa with the full 60-piece Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Here's DeVotchKa performing live at KEXP in 2015: www.youtube.com

"Bad", a song about addiction, and went on to become a staple of the band's live sets, particularly after an extended 14 minute performance at Live Aid in which Bono danced with a guest in the audience.

New EP due out on July 28th - their first on label Diamond West Records, founded by band members Jared Tankel and Tom Brenneck Here is The Budos Band in April 2019 - Live in the KEXP Studio: youtu.be

The Winstons released the single "Color Him Father" on this day in 1969. On the b-side of that release is, "Amen, Brother" which features what is known as the Amen break, a drum break that has been widely sampled in numerous music genres. In 1986, "Amen Brother" was included on Ultimate Breaks and Beats, a compilation of old funk and soul tracks with clean drum breaks intended for DJs.

Salt-N-Pepa's 1986 single "I Desire" saw one of the earliest uses of the Amen break.

This Prodigy song samples "Amen, Brother" by the Winstons, "Hip's Trip" by John Barry, "King Kut" by Word of Mouth feat. DJ Cheese, and "Feedback 01 48-01" by Sonic Foundry.

A number of releases in 1988 brought the Amen break into the mainstream, including "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A.

We love a Winston sandwich.

Also sampled Amen Brother. This one is a cover. It was originally released by 13th Floor Elevators on their 1967 album "Easter Everywhere." For comparison's sake, here's a link to the original: www.youtube.com

Another Amen break sample. Noel Gallagher had the following to say about the lead single of Be Here Now: "I was going to make up some profound statement in the chorus but I couldn't come up with anything that fitted. Then I just thought 'All my people right here, right now, d'you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah.' Very vague, very ambiguous, that'll do. Look in the mirror and wink while you're singing it and it's quite saucy. And I love that line, 'Coming in a mess, going out in style'. We were a bunch of scruffs from Manchester and we're going out in a Rolls Royce."

Amen.

The cover of this album is a reproduction of the painting "A Basket of Roses" by French artist Henri Fantin-Latour, which is part of the National Gallery's permanent collection in London. Peter Saville, the cover's designer, had originally planned to use a Renaissance portrait of a dark prince to tie in with the Machiavellian theme of the title, but could not find a suitable portrait. At the gallery Saville picked up a postcard with Fantin-Latour's painting, and his girlfriend mockingly asked him if he was going to use it for the cover. Saville then realised it was a great idea. Saville suggested that the flowers "suggested the means by which power, corruption and lies infiltrate our lives. They're seductive."

'Life' is the 1990 debut album by English band Inspiral Carpets. The group was part of the Madchester movement in the late 80's and early 90's, a musical and cultural scene associated with indie-dance that began in the city of Manchester.

In an interview on BBC Radio 2, singer Richard Ashcroft said the song was "inspired by my relationship with my wife, and that sense of when you're beyond the sort of peacock dance that you have early on in a relationship. And you're getting down to the raw nature of yourselves."

The lyrics in this song have been misheard many times as "I want to be a dog." In a 2009 interview, The Stone Roses' lead singer, Ian Brown, explained that he "didn't actually want people to adore me. I was trying to say then, if you want to be adored, it's like a sin, like lust or gluttony or something like that."

For Will in Boston. You are not alone: "I donated on Friday for a lot of reasons. My friend a week ago decided to turn off the darkness and pain he felt. I have so many feelings and am trying to feel them all while being there for my family. I’d be humbled if you’d give Aaron a shout. Let’s hope he’s running in the meadow in the big sky with his dog who preceded him. If it pleases the DJ a request for anything uplifting. Thanks for reminding us we’re together and not alone. Maybe there’s hope. Maybe it won’t be a daughter without a father, maybe it will be a daughter with dozens of new people stepping up to help."

"Good morning John! I am recovering Brandi Carlile’s Echoes in the Canyon. All the feels and Annie F+cking Lennox - may I request for everyone there holy sh*t you you're playing Brandi Carlile right now can we play Annie Lennox any song? Oh my God I need to get through the next two days finals."

For Vince. For Henry. "Sitting here on a rainy Michigan day sorting thru family photos and listening to the Morning Show. Our oldest son was born in Seattle in Mar. 1993, and he would have turned 30 this year. After 8 years of off and on substance abuse plus undiagnosed (until near the end) bipolar 2, we lost him in March 2021; five days after his 28th birthday. He had been clean for 6 months and was doing well, and then...in a matter of 10 days things fell apart for him. We're making our first trip back to Seattle since we left in 1994 (when I was an avid listener to KCMU) to bring some of Henry's ashes to spread in Green Lake. We lived right off Aurora at N. 89th Street back then, and Green Lake was one of our favorite spots to take him for walks. It will be a difficult trip, but I'm looking forward to being there again. Definitely plan to come see the new home of KEXP. The music programming on KEXP has always enriched my life. I can't even count how many great songs/bands I've been exposed to through listening to the station.Music was important to both of my sons, it was especially gratifying when they had a band together in high school. Music was a huge part of Henry's life, he was a guitar player, a writer, and just an all around awesome young man. So today I'm putting together a photo aIbum for his younger brother, they were extremely close and it's been incredibly difficult for him. Surrounded by the photos and the memories, I'm comforted by the music and the morning show in particular. Thanks for all you do, Vince PS: one of the things i miss most is not being able to share music with Henry. I only listened to all of 'Pink Moon' for the first time this year (go figure) and I desperately wish I could share that album with my son"

Nick Drake cover by Let's Eat Grandma! - letseatgrandma.co.uk --- This compilation album features additional covers of Nick Drake from Fontaines D.C., Liz Phair, John Grant, Bombay Bicyle Club and more!

By American electronica producer Moby, Almost Home features the delicate falsetto vocals of Damien Jurado. Listener wrote in: Hey John! Hope all is well? My wife and I just saw Damien Jurado and Chris Pureka in Grand Rapids last Saturday and what a couple of fantastic sets! I was wondering if you could play something by Damien? Thanks!

Chris Isaak released Heart Shaped World featuring "Wicked Game" on this day in 1989!

Hi John: Thank you and the team for creating a safe space and community for listeners to share their stories worldwide! The value and utility of the KEXP community cannot be overstated. You literally save lives every day with your message of hope and that we are not alone! My mother died suddenly about a month ago and I left my miserable job the very same day, I literally gave my notice and then got the dreaded call from my sister an hour later. I went from relief to grief. I told myself the universe was trying to communicate with me and I am glad to say I am not ignoring the message. As of this past Saturday, I have also stopped the numbing of my pain and trauma with various substances and activities. I still am feeling quite a bit of pain and grief but I know I am now heading in a better direction now. It's been a scary time for me with all of this sudden uncertainty but I think I am turning the corner on the things that have held me back. All of this to say that I have been leaning on the KEXP community heavily in recent weeks and I just wanted to share how much you all mean to me and so many others! And I am so thankful for all of the listeners who have shared their powerful stories over the years as they have also helped me summon the courage to share my feelings with others. If you could fit in U2's With or Without You I'd be much obliged. Thanks Doran