Rufus has put together a playlist for iTunes:
“Dead Skunk,” Loudon Wainwright III (Track 1): “This was a hit my dad had in the ’70s. He has a love/hate relationship with this song like many other artists have with their hits. One story is that a well-known TV show, in accordance with his performance of the song, built a massive skunk that at the end of the tune would flatulate (presumably odorless) huge billows of smoke. He didn’t sing it, and I will always admire him for that act.”
“Barracuda,” Heart (Track 2): “Rarely has there been a more camp moment than watching a drag queen cover this song.”
“I Want You,” Bob Dylan (Track 3): “Proof that it was OK that Bob Dylan went electric.”
Rigoletto, “Caro Nome,” Joan Sutherland (Track 4): “No one in the history of singing could top the performance of this aria.”
“Love Is a Stranger,” Eurythmics (Track 5): “This song ignited my childhood brain and hurled my into puberty.”
Les Nuits d’été, “Absence,” Leontyne Price (Track 6): “The first time I heard this was in the car and the experience almost caused a massive accident. Utterly transfixing.”
“Mystery Train,” Elvis Presley (Track 7): “No matter how many times I hear this (and I’m sure I’m not the only one), I am transported to the nether regions of music.”
“I Put a Spell on You,” Nina Simone (Track 8): “Counteless times, after the wreckage of a failed love attempt, this song has come in handy and hopefully worked.”
“Rufus Is a T*t Man,” Loudon Wainwright III (Track 9): “Not many people can boast a song written about them breastfeeding.”
“Night And Day,” Fred Astaire (Track 10): “When I was a kid piercing through the latest pop tracks and videos was always a vision of Fred Astaire. He always reminded me of what true talent was.”
» Playlist by Rufus Wainwright at iTunes music store, 14 Sept. 2004.
» Official website.