Saint Etienne - Just Friends (Amy Winehouse Cover) (2012)

Amy Winehouse tune given 'Tiger Bay' reworking.

The original's spartan Stax-y treatment is replaced by a spartan folk-dub re-rub in the vein of Saint Etienne's classic 'Tiger Bay' album. Sarah Cracknell hasn't got Amy Winehouse's voice, obviously, but the clear, simple approach works well with acoustic guitar and vibes. Sweet.

Download Saint Etienne 'Just Friends' (Amy Winehouse cover, Back to Back to Black, mp3) (Divshare)

Jeff Buckley - Everybody Here Wants You (Columbia, 1998)

Prince-y, slow jamming beauty

Perhaps better known for the sky-soaring, expansive alt rock of his 'Grace' album, this is effectively a demo for his never-recorded second album. It's still heartbreakingly beautiful but it really grooves where 'Grace' went for widescreen guitars.

Download Jeff Buckley 'Everybody Here Wants You' (Alternative, mp3) (Divshare)

Cat Power - The Greatest (Matador, 2006)

Sweet, resigned, Dusty-style ballad-ing

Real fans of Cat Power probably hate this album as it smooths her idiosyncracies into a 'Dusty In Memphis' sweep of country-soul.

The title track and album opener, is a piano led essay in wistfulness and gentle regret. It sparkles with Cat Power's insouciant charm, meandering along behind sparse drums and an almost drunken violin.

Download Cat Power 'The Greatest' (Matador, indie, mp3) (Divshare)

One Dove - Breakdown (Cellophane Boat Mix) (Junior Boys Own, 1993)

A Dub House symphony. Epic. Beautiful.

'Morning Dove White' - also touched by the hand of Andrew Weatherall - is up there with 'Screamadelica' for me in distilling the emotions and dynamics of Dub and House into a sumptuous cocoon of sound. You could call it Post Club Soul. Maybe it doesn't need a label.

'Breakdown' is a teasing, irresistable web of shuffling beats, reverb-happy piano, meandering bass and dubbed-out effects, bouncing subtly around the soundfield. It settles into a laidback groove and Dot Allison unleashes an angelic soliloquy to lost love.

A perfect companion piece to the Dub Symphony version of 'Higher Than The Sun' and the Lemonentry Mix of Saint Etienne's 'Pale Movie'. A seriously under-rated album.

Download One Dove - Breakdown (Cellophane Boat Mix) (Junior Boys Own, One Dove mp3) (Box.net)

Stevie Wonder - I Don't Know Why I Love You (Motown, 1969)

Gritty, minimal love song with a tang of bitterness and frustration. 

It's about time we had some Stevie Wonder. This is the original version of the song that BEF and Scritti Politti's Green Gartside turned into a floating, synthetic soul fantasy in 1991. The b-side of 'My Cherie Amour', it's grittier and more emotional.

Fantastic stuff.

I'm obviously tempted to blog the Rolling Stones 1975 version tomorrow but that would have been somewhat excessive. Good record though.

Download Stevie Wonder 'I Don't Know Why I Love You' (Soul, Tamla Motown, mp3) (Rapidshare)

Pleasure 'Joyous (DJ Harvey Re-Edit)' (Nuphonic, 2003)

Slinky, sinuous dancefloor jazz action, originally released in 1977. Acceptable sax interlude (skronk).

Is it Rare Groove? Dancefloor Jazz? Funk? Soul Jazz?

DJ Harvey loops and tightens Pleasure's supple 'Joyous' into a total masterpiece. Ten minutes of warm, tense, teasing soulful funk that sits nicely alongside Kenny Dope's 'Can U Handle It' or Polmo Polpo's strung-out version of Arthur Russell's 'Kiss Me Again And Again' via a tense Average White Band guitar.

Opening at breakneck pace, it breaks down into an urgent section section then expands into a vocal breakdown, smooth and soulful. Then it winds up via some unrestrained guitar soloing as the epic, Chic-style strings sweep in. Even the sax is acceptable, veering into a dirty, skronky realm that Ornette Coleman or Albert Ayler would appreciate.

It's a constantly evolving track. Genius.

Download Pleasure 'Joyous (DJ Harvey Re-Edit)' (rare groove, re-edit mp3) (Mediafire)