Over the years I have made a number of compilations comprised largely of an “uncommon” selection of music from the 1960s and 1970s, mostly from the U.S. and Britain, but also with French, African, Caribbean, and other elements. I consider these to be some of my most accessible and pleasurable compilations — fun and melodic, with some obscurities but also some tracks likely to be recognized by music aficionados. The compilations are listed below in reverse chronological order. If you click on the compilation title it will take you to a page with links to stream the compilations and complete song lists. Send me a message (or complete the form on this page) for more information about any of my music compilations.
One additional note: My compilation Popcorn could be included on this page, but because I made it for my daughter I have included it on the page for kid-friendly compilations.
Enjoy!
Parade
April 2021. This is a compilation I made to celebrate my 50th birthday. It’s got an offbeat, celebratory atmosphere. It really speaks to the me of now, and I find myself incapable of really capturing it in genre terms. It is mellowly celebratory, offbeat and twisty, most of it not in English, and some of it without words. Atmospheric. (As an aside, ten years ago on my 40th birthday I made the compilation Yeh Yeh.)
Bonny Brambles
December 2019. This, my end of 2018 compilation, is late 60s/early 70s British folk and pastoral pop (there is also at least one song by an Irish artist). This is a highly idiosyncratic selection, based on a tremendous amount of listening, much inspired by Rob Young’s wonderful book Electric Eden.
A Street That Rhymes
January 2018. This compilation is mostly comprised of soul and international pop from the 60s and 70s. The mix is eclectic but pretty accessible; music aficionados will be familiar with some of the tracks, but pleasant surprises lurk within for all.
Daydreams
This is a compilation I made for my wife some time back, and it is timeless for me, and most of the music is from the 1970s. Sweet, lively and/or just gorgeous, heartfelt melodies.
I Remember
December 2015. This is a compilation of exquisitely beautiful folk (mostly), mostly from the 1970s that I made for my wife. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
singsong
Winter 2014. This compilation is mostly comprised of soul and pop from the 60s and 70s. I made it for a friend who asked for a mix she could sing along to. I consider it a companion to my “uncommon” 60s compilations Lollipop and Yeh Yeh, also here on my website (and Mixcloud). This mix is a highly accessible and music aficionados will be familiar with some of the tracks, although I’m hoping pleasant surprises lurk within for all. Click here to stream and for the song list.
Stardust
December 2012. This is my end-of-2012 compilation. To my ears, all of the songs on this compilation have in common the quality of “cheesiness.” The term is generally considered to be pejorative. To me, however, “cheesiness” is simply a subjective descriptive term that, like any other descriptor, can be applied both to music that the listener likes and dislikes. As an argument for use of the term in its positive sense, I present this collection of “cheesy” songs I love. Click here to stream the comp, for the song list, and for a few videos.
Folks: A Jazz Compilation
December 2011. This is my end-of-2011 compilation. Jazz is so expansive that any 80 minute compilation is necessarily hopelessly subjective and only a very small part of the picture. In any event, anything else would be beyond my abilities, with my limited knowledge of the genre. This selection of songs tends towards post-bop/ avant-garde jazz, especially in the middle of the compilation, with a preference for slower tempos and an atmospheric feel. Click here to stream the comp, for the song list, and for a couple videos.
Yeh Yeh
April 2011. This compilation, Yeh Yeh, is mostly comprised of music from the 60s (with an unintentionally large number of songs from 1967), with some tracks from the 50s and the 1970s. I consider it a companion to my previous compilation, Lollipop, also an uncommon slice of music from the era, although this compilation has a stronger pop emphasis. Click here to stream the comp, for the song list, and for a couple videos.
Lollipop
Fall 2008.This compilation, Lollipop, is mostly comprised of music from the 60s, with some also from the 50s and the very start of the 70s. It is kind of an uncommon slice of music from the era, with, for example, doo wop, French pop, first wave ska, and a bit of soul and calypso and African music and early rock and roll. Click here to stream the comp, for the song list, and for a couple videos.
Wonderings 