Any Major Dude With Half A Heart

Ten years ago I first issued a review of the past year’s mixes (other than In Memoriam and Christmas) in Any Major Favourites collections, with a song from each — a favourite — representing the compilation. In the tracklisting, I give a link to the particular mix these tracks come from, for easy click-through in case you missed it the first time around. I also have these links in a PDF file that is included in this mix (the typeface used is Calibri). You can also revisit past years’ collections.

Lately I have updated every dead link I could find in posts throughout this place, so most mixes are live again (other those which I don’t have anymore).

This year I resumed the Any Major Soul series with a full mix of soul tracks from 1960, while also reviewing the soul year 1985. While I will continue the series in 1961, I’m not sure whether there’s great demand for a volume covering 1986, including from myself. I’ll compile one, but if I don’t like it, I won’t post it. But if I do, you’ll be sure it is good.

Two Songbooks last year were recycled when Brian Wilson and Sly Stone died within days of each other. It was a year of Songbooks: Van Morrison, Pete Townshend, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young (the latter two are awaiting follow-ups).

And there were two brand-new concepts. Any Major Sunshine Pop is a stand-alone mix, but Any Major Band will see further volumes.

So, which Any Majors have I listened to most? The Any Major Sunshine Pop and Any Major Morning Vol. 3 mixes got especially frequent play, as did the Van Morrison Songbook. The Any Major Hits of 1975 Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 were fun go-to sets, as were the Any Major Albums of 1975 and 1985 sets.Which mixes have you enjoyed in particular?

1. Status Quo – Rockin’ All Over The World (live) (1985)
   Live Aid – 40 years ago
2. Stingray – The Man In My Shoes (1979)
   Any Major Band Vol. 1
3. Grand Funk – Bad Time (1975)
   Any Hits from 1975 Vol. 1
4. Doc Holliday – Fire On The Mountain (2005)
   Any Major Southern Rock Vol. 2
5. Southern Comfort – Harvest (1972)
   Any Major Neil Young Songbook
6. Michael Johnson – Right Through The Heart (1980)
   Not Feeling Guilty Mix Vol. 14
7. Roberta Flack – Mr. Magic (1975)
   Roberta Flack Sings Covers
8. Bill Withers – Oh Yeah! (1985)
   Any Major Soul 1985
9. PJ Morton feat. Susan Carol – Good Morning (2023)
   Any Major Morning Vol. 3
10. Luther Vandross – Evergreen (1994)
    Luther Vandross Sings Covers
11. Ray Charles – Living For The City (1975)
    Any Major Stevie Wonder Songbook Vol. 1
12. Ike & Tina Turner – I Want To Take You Higher (1970)
    Any Major Sly Stone Songbook
13. Al Matthews – Fool (1975)
    Any Hits from 1975 Vol. 2
14. Linda Lewis – This Time I’ll Be Sweeter (1975)
    Any Major Albums of the Year: 1975
15. Dusty Springfield – Tupelo Honey (1973)
    Any Major Van Morrison Songbook
16. John Prine – He Was in Heaven Before He Died (1975)
    Any Major Heaven Vol. 1
17. Dave Alvin – Surfer Girl (2006)
    Any Major Brian Wilson Songbook
18. Mark Knopfler – Back To Tupelo (2004)
    Any Major Songs About Elvis Vol. 1
19. China Crisis – You Did Cut Me (1985)
    Any Major Album of the Year: 1985
20. The Jam – So Sad About Us (1978)
    Any Major Pete Townshend Songbook
21. Phil Lynott – Yellow Pearl (1980)
    Any Major TV Theme Songs Vol. 5
22. Paul Revere & The Raiders – Cinderella Sunshine (1968)
    Any Major Sunshine Pop
23. Rosco Gordon – Just A Little Bit (1960)
    Any Major Soul 1960

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This year I reduced the number of mixes I posted slightly — and still came in at 25 CD-R length mixes, 12 In Memoriams, as well as two Song Swarms (though one of these was recycled and the other was a guest contribution) and two Christmas mixes.

There were old favourites, like Not Feeling Guilty or Covered With Soul, a few Songbooks and three Singing Star Sings Covers (usually to celebrate somebody’s 75^th or 80^th birthday, and in the case of Marvin Gaye, the 40^th anniversary of his death), more Beatles in foreign languages (this time Spanish, to follow French and Italian), and one brand-new concept, the Any Major Backing Singers Mix.

I have a few more mixes on the boil, playlists all ready, being listened to, and awaiting the taxing task of having linernotes written about them (well, the playlists don’t await the task; that’ll be my job).

The very attentive regulars may wonder: Where’s the traditional Party It’s Like… mix for New Year’s Eve? Well, I’ve scrapped it. Firstly, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to bang together a collection of dance tracks from 1984 which I’d like to listen or boogie down to myself. Secondly, for years these mixes have elicited barely any comments (in four out of six years, zero!). I therefore assume there’s no market for them. The vox populi speaks also through silence. So last December’s Party Like It’s 1983 ended that series.

As I’ve said before, comments are the only indicator I have for how well mixes are received. Sometimes the lack of comments causes me disappointment. Was there not at least somebody who liked the Any Major Love Vol. 2 mix, which was one of my favourites this year? But, well, vox populi and all that. Maybe I’ll do a mix of songs about divorce this Valentine’s Day….As every year, I’ve picked one track from each mix of the year, beneath which you’ll find the link to the relevant post — a good way of catching up with mixes you might have mixed, or to remind you of mixes you liked. The text above and list below is included as a PDF, fir easy reference.

Now, which mix of 2024 have you enjoyed?

1. John Prine – Sweet Revenge (1973)
   Any Major Backing Singers Vol. 1
2. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Trapped (1985)
   Bruce Springsteen Sings Covers
3. Karla Bonoff – Personally (1982)
   Not Feeling Guilty Mix Vol. 13
4. Al Stewart – Valentina Way (1978)
   Any Major Guitar Vol. 3
5. Richard Hawley – Baby, You’re My Light (2001)
   Any Major Love Vol. 2
6. Teri Moïse – Je serai là (1996)
   Any Major ABC of France
7. Nino Ferrer – South (1974)
   Any Major Albums Of The Year: 1974
8. Redbone – Come And Get Your Love (1973)
   Any Major Hits from 1974 Vol. 1
9. The Three Degrees – Stop In Nevada (1976)
   Any Major Billy Joel Songbook
10. Diana Ross – Reach Out, I’ll Be There (1971)
    Diana Ross Sings Covers
11. Marlena Shaw – Go Away, Little Boy (1969)
    Any Major Soul Women
12. Matt Bianco – More Than I Can Bear (1984)
    Any Major Album of the Year: 1984
13. David Essex – Gonna Make You A Star (1974)
    Any Hits from 1974 Vol. 2
14. Billy Paul – Takin’ It To The Streets (1977)
    Covered With Soul Vol. 25
15. Thelma Houston – Me And Bobby McGee (1972)
    Any Major Kris Kristofferson Songbook
16. Gladys Knight & The Pips – (I Know) I’m Losing You (1970)
    Gladys Knight Sings Covers
17. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Take Me With U (2009)
    Purple Rain Recovered
18. Oliver Cheatham – Get Down, Saturday Night (1983)
    Party Like It’s 1983
19. Cameo – She’s Strange (1984)
    Any Major Soul 1984
20. Fourplay feat. El DeBarge – After The Dance (1991)
    Any Major Marvin Gaye Songbook
21. James Taylor – Hound Dog (2009)
    Song Swarm: Hound Dog
22. New Riders Of The Purple Sage – Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Loud Music (1972)
    Any Major Nicky Hopkins Collection
23. Eagles – Ol’ 55 (1974)
    Any Major Tom Waits Songbook
24. Skeeter Davis – Gonna Get Along Without You Now (1964)
    Song Swarm: Gonna Get Along Without You Now
25. Ink Spots – Someone’s Rocking My Dreamboat (1941)
    Any Major ABC of the 1940s
26. Ella Fitzgerald – Ringo Beat (1964)
    Any Major Bizarre Beatles
27. Los Loud Jets – La Felicidad Es Un Arma Caliente (Happiness Is A Warm Gun) (1969)
    Any Major Beatles in Spanish

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Here’s part 2 of my review of stuff I posted in 2023. It was a year in which I cut back on my output a bit, owing to other commitments. Here’s hoping that this hear will be a bit easier.

In the Any Major Favourites 2023 Vol. 1, I mentioned which of 2023’s Songbook mixes got extra spins on my virtual turntable. Of other mixes, the two volumes of Hits from 1973 (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) got a lot of play, as did the two recycled Any Major Morning mixes (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) — perennial favourites since I first posted them during the reign of Queen Victoria. A third volume in that series will drop this year.

Any Major Power Ballads Vol. 2 was another favourite, and one I could play with no complaints from Any Major Dudette. I also played the Any Major Soul 1983 mix more often than many of its predecessors. And the Any Major Favourite mixes are always happy go-to places.

In the new year, I hope to come up with a few more original mixes and want to pick up from a few previous ones, such as Any Major Southern Rock, and get a new Not Feeling Guilty mix out — time (and, to be honest, sometimes motivation) permitting, of course. This mix also include a PDF with the links below, for later reference. PW in comments.

1. Junior Campbell – Sweet Illusion (1973)
Any Major Hits from 1973 Vol. 2
2. The Temptations – Papa Was A Rolling Stone (live) (1973)
Song Swarm: Papa Was A Rolling Stone
3. Bobby Marchan – There Is Something On Your Mind (Parts 1 & 2) (1964)
Any Major Murder Sings Vol. 4
4. Billy Preston – All Things Must Pass (1970)
Any Major George Harrison Songbook
5. Lucky Peterson – Purple Rain (1997)
Any Major Prince Songbook
6. Peter Mayer – Now Touch The Air Softly (1999)
Any Major Forever Love
7. Jon English – Play With Fire (1976)
Any Major Rolling Stones Songbook Vol. 1
8. Rusty Wier – Texas Morning (1974)
Any Major Morning Vol. 1
9. Katja Ebstein – Und wenn ein neuer Tag erwacht (1970)
Any Major Schlager
10. Isaac Hayes – I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love In Love With You) (1973)
Any Major Hank Williams Songbook
11. Luther Vandross – A House Is Not A Home (1980)
Any Major Bacharach/David Songbook Vol. 2
12. Shine – So Into You (1983)
Any Major Soul 1983
13. Chaka Khan – We Can Work It Out (1981)
Beatles Recovered: The Beatles 1962-66
14. Art Of Noise feat. Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens – Yebo! (1989)
A Life In Vinyl: 1989

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The past year saw the sudden disappearance of Zippyshare, so I spent much time in 2023 migrating material to a new external host. That one works better and is faster than the previous option. Unlike Zippy, however, it offers no stats, so I have no idea which mixes are popular and which are not.

My Facebook page (make friends at facebook.com/amdwhah) offers some indication, but the numbers of “likes” and “shares” tend to be steady. So while in the past I could observe that, for example, the Songbook mixes did well, without the stats I don’t know, and the lack of comments suggests that readers may be fed up with them. Or they quietly love them. I have no idea.

This year, I’ve done Songbooks on Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Burt Bacharach/Hal David, Sly Stone, Prince, Randy Newman, Gordon Lightfoot, Hank Williams and twice The Rolling Stones (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2). Too much? I don’t know. But I’m having big fun compiling these things and listening to them (this year especially the Mitchell, Newman and Stones mixes). So there’ll be more in 2024, to mark special birthdays or recent deaths.

I was thinking of a Led Zeppelin Songbook to mark Jimmy Page’s 80^th birthday on January 9, but didn’t get around to it. What that tells you is that there is a list!

So, as every year since 2015, here’s the first of two mixes containing tracks from mixes posted in the past year (excluding the In Memoriams, which in themselves are a great way of discovering a few gems), with links to the relevant posts, so you can catch up with stuff you might have missed. This mix also include a PDF with the links below, for later reference. PW in comments.

1. Edgar Winter Group – Free Ride (1972)
Any Major Hits from 1973 Vol. 1
2. The Young Rascals – A Girl Like You (1967)
Any Major Blue-Eyed Soul
3. Ike & Tina Turner and The Ikettes – Respect (1969)
Tina Turner Sings Covers
4. Love Childs Afro Cuban Blues Band – Life And Death In G&A (1975)
Any Major Sly Stone Songbook
5. Gwen Guthrie – It Should Have Been You (1982)
Any Major Disco: Party Like It’s 1982
6. Claudia Lennear – Let It Be (1971)
Beatles Recovered: The Beatles 1967-70
7. Bonnie Raitt – Guilty (1972)
Any Major Randy Newman Songbook
8. Tom Rush – The Circle Game (1968)
Any Major Joni Mitchell Songbook
9. Linda Lewis – Reach For The Truth (1973)
Any Major Albums of the Year: 1973
10. Fleetwood Mac – Silver Springs (1977)
Any Major B-Sides
11. Big Star – Watch The Sunrise (1972)
Any Major Morning Vol. 2
12. Eric Clapton – Looking At The Rain (1977)
Any Major Gordon Lightfoot Songbook
13. Jennifer Warnes – Shine A Light (1976)
Any Major Rolling Stones Songbook Vol. 2
14. Sheriff – When I’m With You (1982)
Any Major Power Ballads Vol. 2
15. Sheryl Crow – Callin’ Me When I’m Lonely (2013)
Any Major Telephone Vol. 4

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Last week I ran the first set of “favourites” from Any Major mixes in 2022, with links to the respective posts (with a PDF containing them included). Here’s the second volume.

I noted last week how popular the Songbooks have been. In 2022, I songbooked Carole King, Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson on their respective 80^th birthdays, and Elton John, Carol Bayer Sager and the late Laura Nyro on their 75^th, and Lamont Dozier (alone and with the Holland brothers) on his passing. I’ll have to see what jubilees there are in 2023 (a couple are pencilled in already); obviously there needn’t be a special occasion to run a Songbook.

Of course I’ll continue other regulars: Covered With Soul (for which I have a surprise coming up), Any Major Soul, A Year in Hits, Albums of the Year, and so on. And no doubt here’ll be a few stand-alones, like 2022’s Any Major Laurel Canyon, Any Major Party and Any Major Sugar. And there will be more Beatles in foreign languages.

All this presumes, of course, that I will have the time to continue as I have in the past. Professional and private priorities must obviously take precedence, but how can I think of cutting back when I get such kind comments, such as this by a reader signing off as Le Trev:

I have no idea how I came across your site only a few days ago but it is my best Christmas present so far. (Albeit the only one but no matter!) If you are a one-man Operator, then your knowledge of “popular music” probably cannot be bettered by anybody in ” The business”!

Of course, you are invited to leave comments on posts — even if to say you enjoyed or didn’t like a mix. In fact, I would be very happy if you could tell me which mixes you particularly liked over the past year. This mix also include a PDF with the links below, for later reference. PW in comments.

1. Jo Jo Gunne – Run Run Run (1972)
Any Major Hits from 1972 – Vol. 2

2. Ike & Tina Turner – Get Back (1973)
Paul McCartney Songbook Vol. 1

3. Wilson Pickett – Sugar Sugar (1970)
Covered With Soul Vol. 24

4. The Monkees – Pleasant Valley Sunday (1967)
Any Major Carole King Songbook Vol. 2

5. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich – The Legend Of Xanadu (1968)
Any Major Teen Dreams

6. Southern Freeze – Freeez (1981)
Any Major Disco Vol. 10 – Party Like It’s 1981

7. Charles & Eddie – Would I Lie To You (Acoustic Version) (1992)
Any Major Charlies

8. Dexys Midnight Runners – Liars A To E (1982)
Any Major Albums of the Year: 1982

9. The Pogues – Streets Of Sorrow/Birmingham Six (1988)
Life in Vinyl 1988

10. Carole King – Sweet Seasons (1970)
Any Major Laurel Canyon

11. Salome Bey – Hit The Nail Right On The Head (1970)
Any Major ABC of Canada

12. Chairmen Of The Board – Everything’s Tuesday (1970)
Any Major Lamont Dozier Songbook

13. Z.Z. Hill – Cheating In The Next Room (1982)
Any Major Soul 1982

14. The Bushmen – Pioggia (1966)
Any Major Beatles in Italian

15. Jody Reynolds – Endless Sleep (1958)
Any Major Teenage Tragedy

16. Merle Travis – So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed (1947)
Any Major Hits From 1947

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I noticed with some surprise that I’ve been doing these reviews of mixes posted throughout the gone year since 2015. Happily, it seems that people aren’t getting tired of what I’m doing in this little corner of the Internet, so I hope that I’ll be able to offer new Any Major Favourites comps in 2024.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. What we have here is the first of two mixes featuring a song from each mix posted in 2022 (with the exception of the Party Like It’s 1981 set, which ran in December 2021, and the year’s only Christmas album). These songs are among my favourites on each compilation.

In the tracklisting, I give a link to the particular mix these tracks come from, for easy click-through in case you missed it the first time around. I also have these links in a PDF file that is included.

So, which Any Majors have I listened to most? Obviously I don’t keep count — that would be weird — but the one I have loved the most is the Any Major Laurel Canyon mix, which I had put together long before I posted it. Because it is my top mix of the year, it will feature again on Vol. 2.

Not Feeling Guilty Vol. 12 got a lot of play, as did the Songbooks of Carole King (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) and Elton John (actually, all the Songbooks did), the Any Major Hits from 1972 (Vol. 1 and Vol.2), and Albums of 1972 and 1982.

The Songbooks seems to be a very popular feature, and I have a few more in store for 2023. Poignantly, I compiled this playlist last month, before the death on New Year’s Eve of Anita Pointer. It closes with a song by the Pointer Sisters, from the Carole Bayer Sager Songbook, on which Anita took the lead vocals.

Older Any Major Favourite posts contain links to mixes you might have missed. Many of their links are still live. This post is also included as a PDF, for later reference.

At this point I want to thank the good people who have bought me coffees over the past year, and thereby helped in covering the costs of running this thing. With that, I wish everybody a superb and superbly healthy 2023.1. Rhinestones – Party Music (1975)
Any Major Party

2. Sad Café – Every Day Hurts (1979)
Not Feeling Guilty Mix Vol. 12

3. Malo – Suavecito (1972)
Any Major Hits from 1972 – Vol. 1

4. The Style Council – Long Hot Summer (1983)
Best of Any Major Summer

5. Soft Cell – Where Did Our Love Go (1981)
Holland-Dozier-Holland Songbook

6. Richie Havens – Band On The Run (1974)
Paul McCartney Songbook Vol. 2

7. Martha Reeves – Dixie Highway (1974)
Any Major Carole King Songbook Vol. 1

8. Claudia Lennear – It Ain’t Easy (1973)
Ziggy Stardust Recovered (1972)

9. The Allman Brothers Band – Blue Sky (1972)
Any Major Albums of the Year: 1972

10. Jimi Hendrix – Angel (1971)
Saved! Vol. 6 – The Angels edition

11. Judee Sill – Crayon Angels (1971)
Any Major Laurel Canyon

12. Dave Alvin – Surfer Girl (2006)
Brian Wilson Songbook

13. Joseph Arthur – Honey And The Moon (2002)
Any Major Sugar

14. Neil Diamond – Rocket Man (1978)
Any Major Elton John & Bernie Taupin Songbook

15. Swing Out Sister – Stoned Soul Picnic (1997)
Any Major Laura Nyro Songbook

16. Candi Staton – Nights On Broadway (1977)
Barry Gibb Songbook Vol. 2

17. Pointer Sisters – The Love Too Good To Last (1980)
Any Major Carole Bayer Sager Songbook

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I previously posted Volume 1 of the Any Major Favourites 2021, which collects one track from each of the playlists I posted in the past year (except the In Memoriams and Christmas mixes).

Of this lot here, I think I was most pleased with the Any Major Shakespeare mix, of songs that features common phrases introduced by The Bard (“In my mind’s eye”, “My salad days”, “The wheel is come full circle”, that sort of thing). I really hope that an enterprising English teacher might find use for this mix as a class project.

1971 was a remarkable year for albums.  I recovered three of them — Carole King’s Tapestry, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, and Joni Mitchell’s Blue — and managed to put together a very credible Top 40 of albums from that year, over two volumes (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2).

I’m still running the Buy Me A Coffee thing, whereby readers can express their appreciation for my work by, well, “buying me a cup of coffee”. An encouraging number of people have kept me running in caffeine — and helped to build up the fund to cover the costs of running this site (hosting, domain renewal, really bloody expensive hacker protection subscription etc). Thank you, thank you, thank you, beautiful Any Major Readers! And please keep commenting! Even a “Enjoyed that, thanks” (or a “What the hell was that crap, you idiot?”) is welcome feedback!

If you still need to catch up with the mixes of 2020, they are reviewed in Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.For your convenience and future reference, these CD-R length mixes include the text above and links below in an illustrated PDF.

1. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – Roll Me Away (1983)
The Roy Bittan Collection

2. Crowded House – When You Come (live) (2006)
Any Major Top 75 Acts (35-56)

3. The Pogues – A Rainy Night In Soho (1986)
Any Major Rain

4. Van Morrison – And It Stoned Me (1970)
Any Major Top 75 Acts (18-34)

5. Johnny Cash feat. Tom Petty – Solitary Man (2000)
Neil Diamond Songbook

6. Tift Merritt – Hopes Too High (2008)
Any Maj’r Shakespeare

7. Everything But The Girl – Goodbye Sunday (1988)
Any Major Week Vol. 3

8. SWV – Weak (1992)
Any Major Soul 1990-1992

9. Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out (Extended Mix) (1980)
Any Major Disco Vol. 9 – Party Like It’s 1980

10. The Jones Girls – I Just Love The Man (1981)
Any Major Soul 1981

11. Sister Goose And The Ducklings – Super Shine #9 (1973)
Any Major Blaxploitation Tracks

12. Donny Hathaway – What’s Goin’ On (1971)
Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On LP Recovered

13. Baby Huey – A Change Is Going To Come (1971)
Any Major Albums 1971 – Vol. 2

14. The Crusaders – Keep That Same Old Feeling (1976)
Any Major Fusion Vol. 1

15. Elvis Presley – What A Wonderful Life (1962)
Any Major Movie Elvis

16. Brook Benton – Another Cup Of Coffee (1964)
Any Major Coffee Vol. 3

17. The Jive Five – My True Story (1961)
Any Major Hits from 1961

18. Maurice Chevalier – Le sous-marin vert (1967)
Any Major Beatles in French Vol. 2

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this new year see the end of this damn pandemic — it was good only for my Any Major Pandemic mix — and may your 2022 be filled with undiluted happiness and uncompromisingly good health!

As every year, the mixes of the past year (excluding the In Memoriams and Christmas mixes) are revisited by the choice of one favourite song from them — like an annual Greatest Hits of Any Major Dude. I hope it is useful to provide a link to the relevant mix in the playlist, so that you might discover a compilation here or there which you might have missed. If you still need to catch up with the mixes of 2020, they are reviewed in Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (this series goes back to 2015).

I haven’t bothered to measure which mixes were the most popular, but the two Beatles in French mixes (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) attracted great feedback. Maurice Chevalier doing Yellow Submarine was something of a revelation. There will be more Beatles in foreign languages collections coming up.

The one series I had hoped would get some feedback was the countdown of the Top 75 pop acts, according to myself and Rolling Stone. Did everybody just think, “Yeah, Any Major Dude got all placings spot on”? Surely not.

I had the biggest fun with this year’s Not Feeling Guilty mix, the 11th in the series of soft-rock and AOR numbers from the 1970s and early ’80s. All featured artists had names you might find in a teachers’ register, so I had some fun making a “Our Teachers” gallery for the Any Major Dude High yearbook 1979/80, with Mr D. O’Day as the principal (see it here).

And which mixes have I personally played the most? Well, I had Any Major Hits from 1971 from May on frequent rotation (as I still had the Hits from 1970 installment from 2020). Don’t be surprised if there are not one but two follow-ups covering 1972. The 1961 version on this theme was really enjoyable as well. The Jimmy Webb, Neil Diamond and Barry Gibb Songbooks also had plenty of spins (as is currently the set of Carole King songs, which will drop in February). And for a while I played little else but the mix of tracks from Blaxploitation movies.

Part 2 of this collection follows later. So, which mixes did you enjoy last year?For your convenience and future reference, these CD-R length mixes include the text above and links below in an illustrated PDF.

1. Lemonheads – It’s A Shame About Ray (1992)
Any Major ABC of the 1990s

2. Manic Street Preachers – If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (1998)
Any Major Dude Kills Fascism

3. The Jesus and Mary Chain – Darklands (1987)
Life In Vinyl 1987 Vol. 2

4. Turley Richards – You Might Need Somebody (1979)
Any Major Originals – Soul Edition Vol. 2

5. Alan O’Day – Undercover Angel (1977)
Not Feeling Guilty Mix Vol. 11

6. Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds – Don’t Pull Your Love (1971)
Any Major Hits from 1971

7. Dusty Springfield – Magic Garden (1968)
Jimmy Webb Songbook Vol. 3

8. Joy – Paradise Road (1980)
Any Major ABC of South Africa

9. Earth, Wind & Fire – Devotion (1975)
Any Major Live Festival – Soul Vol. 1

10. Richard ‘Dimples’ Fields feat. Betty Wright – She’s Got Papers On Me (1981)
Any Major Soul 1981

11. Prince – A Case Of You (2007)
Joni Mitchell’s Blue Recovered

12. Marlena Shaw – So Far Away (1972)
Carole King’s Tapestry Recovered

13. P.P. Arnold – Bury Me Down By The River (1969)
Barry Gibb Songbook Vol. 1

14. Grateful Dead – Ripple (1970)
Any Major Top 75 Acts (57-75)

15. Judee Sill – The Lamb Ran Away With The Crown (1971)
Any Major Albums of 1971 – Vol. 1

16. Simon & Garfunkel – America (1968)
Any Major Top 75 Acts (1-17)

17. Cisco Houston – The Killers (1968)
Any Major Murder Songs Vol. 3

18. Michèle Torr – Et le l’aime (1965)
Any Major Beatles in French Vol. 1

19. Mocedades – Eres Tu (1973)
Any Major Eurovision

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On the first day of 2021, I posted Volume 1 of the Any Major Favourites, which collects one track from each of the playlists I posted in the past year (except the In Memoriams and Christmas mixes).

This collection recalls the typically-2020 event: when this site was hacked and thoroughly messed up. That happened days after I posted a mix on the subject of the colour orange. The accompanying text made no mention of the name of Agent Orange in the White House, but I’ll always claim that my little corner of the Internet was attacked by his friends, probably the Russian.

So for a couple of weeks the site was down. Having just lost my full-time job, I appealed for help on Facebook.  And, wow, did people rally! The Facebook friends of this blog, some still from the earliest days, kept it alive (become my friend here and be notified of all new posts — and, it seems, occasional drama). The Standing Together mix was my thank-you to these kind generous people.

At the same time (even preceding the Russian attack), several people encouraged me to set up something like the Buy Me A Coffee thing, whereby readers can express their appreciation for my work by, well, “buying me a cup of coffee”. An encouraging number of people have kept me running in caffeine — and helped to build up the fund to cover the costs of running this site (hosting, domain renewal, hacker protection subscription etc). Thank you, thank you, thank you, beautiful Any Major Readers!

Thank you also for your comments. These are the oxygen for any blogger. How good it is to read that somebody enjoyed a mix, or read with such attentiveness as to spot a factual error somewhere, or taking the time to commend me on the quality of my writing. And how encouraging it is to hear that my efforts helped somebody through this past year.

So, here are representative tracks of 17 more mixes posted in 2020. Both Any Major Favourites packages include a PDF version of the post, with all the links below, for easy access.

1. Elias & His Zigzag Jive Flutes – Tom Hark (1957)
The Originals: 1980s Vol. 2

2. Johnny Clegg & Savuka – Scatterlings Of Africa (1987)
A Life in Vinyl 1987 Vol. 1

3. John Lennon – Nobody Told Me (rel. 1984)
Beatles Reunited: Let It See (1980)

4. Alexi Murdoch – Orange Sky (2002)
Any Major Orange

5. Warren Zevon – Splendid Isolation (1989)
Any Major Pandemic

6. Smith – Baby, It’s You (1969)
Beatles Recovered: Please, Please Me

7. Carole King – We Are All In This Together (1974)
Any Major Standing Together

8. Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) (1984)
Any Major Power Ballads Vol. 1

9. Brenton Wood – Baby You Got It (1967)
Any Major Southern Soul

10. Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators – If This Ain’t Love (2005)
Any Major ABC  of Soul

11. Diane Schuur – Louisiana Sunday Afternoon (1988)
Any Major Week Vol. 2

12. Bobby Caldwell – I Get A Kick Out Of You (1993)
Any Major Cole Porter Vol. 2

13. Merle Travis – Sixteen Tons (1947)
The Originals: Country Edition

14. Buddy Jones – Rockin’ Rollin’ Mama (1939)
Any Major Firsts

15. Lena Horne – One For My Baby (1944)
The Originals: Rat Pack Edition

16. Zarah Leander – Davon geht die Welt nicht unter (1942)
Germany’s Hit Parade 1930-37
Germany’s Hit Parade 1938-45

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HAPPY NEW YEAR. May this new year 2021, despite the hangover it carries over from the past annus horribilis, be a great one for us all. Stay healthy, keep others healthy, and please get vaccinated!

As every year, the mixes of the past year (excluding the In Memoriams and Christmas mixes) are revisited by the choice of one favourite song from them — like an annual Greatest Hits of Any Major Dude. I hope it is useful to provide a link to the relevant mix in the playlist, so that you might discover a compilation here or there which you might have missed.

The past year seems to have been dominated by Beatles: three Beatles Recovered mixes (first for Let It Be on the 50^th anniversary of its release, then Please, Please Me and With The Beatles to mark John Lennon’s 80^th birthday and 40^th anniversary of his murder respectively), as well as the final Beatles Reunited mix in the series of fictional Beatles album comprising the Fabs’ solo tracks between 1970 and 1980.

There were fewer Originals mixes than in the previous year; still there were five of them: 1960s Vol.2, 1980s Vol. 2, Country, Rat Pack and Burt Bacharach.

Two mixes were tributes to giants in music who died within days of one another: Bill Withers and John Prine, two particular favourites of mine, for whom I wrote what I hope were worthy tributes. The collections were of covers of their songs, but it was a bitter-sweet joy to also revisit their original music with some intensity.

Withers features on this first volume of Any Major Favourites of 2020, representing the Let It Be Recovered mix. That track is followed by Gil Scott-Heron’s stunning reinterpretation of Withers’ wonderful Grandma’s Hands.Ask me which was my favourite mix of 2020? The Any Major Firsts mix in February was the most fun to put together. The most topical was Any Major Pandemic in March (who knew what lay ahead?). Without planning it, the Any Major Cole Porter Vol. 2 mix was also topical: It turned out that I posted it a day before the 30th anniversary of the release of the groundbreaking Red Hot + Blue charity compilation of modern interpretations of Porter songs.

My most-played mixes were Any Major Southern Rock, Any Major Protest Soul Vol. 3, Any Major Falsetto and Any Major Hits From 1970. What were your favourites?

The second volume follows next week, after the In Memoriam for December drops. Both packages include a PDF version of the post, with all the links below, for easy access.

1. The Ronettes – I Can Hear Music (1966)
The Originals: 1960s Vol. 2

2. Gene McDaniels – Tower Of Strength (1961)
The Originals: Burth Bacharach Edition

3. Laura Nyro – Up On The Roof (Live) (1971)
The Brill Building Vol. 1

4. Bill Withers – Let It Be (1971)
Beatles Recovered: Let It Be

5. Gil Scott-Heron – Grandma’s Hands (1981)
Any Major Bill Withers Songbook

6. Blues Image – Ride Captain Ride (1970)
Any Major Hits From 1970

7. Ozark Mountain Daredevils – Jackie Blue (1974)
Not Feeling Guilty Mix Vol. 10

8. Poco – A Good Feeling To Know (1972)
Any Major Happy Songs Vol. 2

9. Boondoggle & Balderdash – I’ve Been Delayed (1971)
Any Major Southern Rock

10. Al Kooper – Sam Stone (1972)
Any Major John Prine Songbook

11. The Rolling Stones – Fool To Cry (1976)
Any Major Falsetto Vol. 1

12. Katja Ebstein – Beide Seiten (1973)
Any Major Schlager Covers Vol. 2

13. Elvis Costello – Alison (1977)
Any Major Women Vol. 2

14. Joe Bataan – This Boy (1972)
Beatles Recovered: With The Beatles

15. The Pointer Sisters – Yes We Can Can (1973)
Any Major Protest Soul Vol. 3

16. Stevie Wonder – All I Do (1980)
Any Major Soul 1980

17. The Neville Brothers – Sweet Honey Dripper (1979)
Any Major Disco Vol. 8 – Party Like It’s 1979

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