“Conference of the Birds†is my weekly radio program on WNUR-FM. It airs on Tuesdays from 5-7:30 am Chicago time (UTC-5). And, of course, when technology cooperates, you can just come here for the archives. You can subscribe to the podcast with this URL (click here to subscribe in iTunes).
A little more than 24 hours before this week’s show, the Curiosity Rover was deposited on the surface of Mars. Seeing the excitement and inspiration this event inspired in so many people, I thought it would be fun to make a show out of it, so this week’s playlist starts with Mars-oriented music and spreads more widely into a space theme. It was pretty easy to fill a whole show, although we took one side track to play a tune for my friend and former fellow-DJ Jonas, who dropped by to see the current WNUR studios, which opened after his tenure on the air.
Enjoy!
Listen:
download program (142MB, 2 hrs 35 min)
Artist: “Track†– Album (Label)
Don Pardo and Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez: “Civil Defense Spot: Message from Mars†– Moistworks Hits Like the Atom Bomb (Moistworks)
Seu Jorge: “Life on Mars?†– The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions (Hollywood Records)
David Bowie: “Ziggy Stardust†– The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (RCA)
The Cramps: “Weekend on Mars†– Mexicali Baby (A New Kind of Mambo, Vol. 17) (Jonny Q)
The Citations: “Moon Race†– Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Vol. 4 (WFMU)
LeSabres: “Rising Mercury Twist†– A History of Garage and Frat Bands in Memphis 1960-1975 (Shangri-La Projects)
Joseph Henry & the Soul Command: “Moon Mission†– The Soul Fire Funk 45 Collection, Part 2 (Truth & Soul)
Isotope 217: “Looking After Life on Mars†– Utonian Automatic (Thrill Jockey)
Marvin Gaye: “Funky Space Reincarnation†– Here, My Dear (Motown)
Eddie Henderson: “Scorpio-Libra†– Anthology Vol.2 : The Capricorn Years (Realization/Inside Out) (Soul Brother)
A Certain Ratio: “Saturn†– Early (Soul Jazz)
Afrika Bambaata & Soul Sonic Force: “Planet Rock†– 12″ (Tommy Boy Music)
Stereolab: “Prisoner of Mars†– Dots and Loops (Elektra)
Pharoah Sanders: “Astral Travelling†– Thembi (Impulse)
Van Morrison: “Astral Weeks†– Astral Weeks (Warner Brothers)
The Langley Schools Music Project: “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day)†– Innocence & Despair (Bar/None)
Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins: “Full Moon†– Clutch of the Tiger (Ubiquity )
Thievery Corporation: “Shaolin Satellite†– Chillout Fourever (Xtreme Records)
Sun Ra: “Space is the Place†– Soundtrack to the Film: Space is the Place (Evidence)
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: “Moon Over Cuba†– Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band (RCA)
Mighty Sparrow: “Russian Satellite†– Volume Four (Ice Records)
Tommy McCook: “Rocket Ship†– Intensified! Original Ska 1962-66 (Mango)
Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath: “Andromeda†– Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath (Fledg’ling)
The Torque-tet: “Cosmopolis†– Walk in Space (Cosmosis)
Eric Dolphy: “Red Planet†– The Illinois Concert (Blue Note)
Gato Barbieri: “Merceditas†– Bolivia (Flying Dutchman)
Abdullah Ibrahim: “Tintiyana, First Part†– African Space Program (Enja)
