https://variety.com/2023/music/news/lewis-largent-mtv-120-minutes-kroq-dead-dies-1235549497/

My friend and former colleague Lewis Largent died in February and as the shock of his death moved through me, I knew I had to make a mix in tribute to him. 

I met Lewis when we were doing A&R for the Island Def Jam Music Group in the early aughts. Before I met him at IDJ, Lewis was already famous in the biz, having been the Program Director at KROQ in Los Angeles, the country’s most influential alternative station and then the host of MTV’s 120 minutes in the early to mid 90’s, just as Alternative was going mainstream in the wake of Nirvana. 

Lewis and I were kindred spirts with a lot of musical overlap—Soul music, old school Country, Springsteen, Jazz, the Stones, 50's rock, 70's punk and the (kind of corny) AM hits of the 70’s that we both grew up on and a whole lot more that is reflected in this mix. Lewis had a huge passion for Britpop and British post-punk, some of which I loved and some of which we argued about. He also loved the Clash even more than me—Joe Strummer especially. And there was Oasis, who he swore by and who I dismissed when they emerged in the mid-90’s. I never became a full convert, but I’ll swear by the three songs I’ve included here. 

One of my rules for this mix was that the songs included had to be either songs I know Lewis loved (he had wonderfully deep and eclectic taste) or they had to be tracks that he gave me when we would raid each other's music hard drive. Thousands upon thousands of songs…reflecting his love of 80's alternative/punk hits; early Reggae/Ska/Rock Steady; AM hits of the 70's; Britpop; pop vocalists of the 50’s and a whole lot more. Going through my hard drive to find tracks for this brought him back vividly--a lot of recollections of him saying, "Oh Dude, you need this album!"

I hope the mix does this beautiful soul the justice he deserves. 


1. Booker T. & the M.G.'s - Meditation
2. Elton John - Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)
3. Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
4. Oasis - Live Forever
5. Leon Russell - Stranger In A Strange Land
6. The Beach Boys - I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
7. The Rolling Stones - Worried About You
8. Johnny Cash - Redemption Song (with Joe Strummer)
9. The Church - Under The Milky Way
10. The Heptones - Our Day Will Come
11. Jimmy London - Bridge Over Troubled Waters
12. Babybird - You're Gorgeous
13. The Sundays - Here's Where The Story Ends
14. Oasis - Acquiesce
15. Dean Martin - You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
16. Dolly Parton - Here You Come Again
17. Looking Glass - Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)
18. Joya Landis - Angel (Of The Morning)
19. Patti Smith - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
20. Nick Lowe - When I Write The Book
21. New Order - Temptation
22. Charles Bradley, The Budos Band - Changes
23. Ozzy Osbourne - Mama, I'm Coming Home
24. Bruce Springsteen - Wreck On The Highway
25. Neil Sedaka - Love Will Keep Us Together
26. Meat Loaf - You Took The Word Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)
27. Bryan Adams - Cuts Like A Knife
28. Hank Williams - I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
29. George Jones - Tarnished Angel
30. Elvis Costello & the Attractions  - A Good Year For The Roses
31. Joni Mitchell - California
32. Donny Hathaway - I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
33. Bobby Darin - I Guess I'm Good for Nothing but the Blues
34. Stanley Turrentine - God Bless The Child
35. Billie Holiday - I'll Be Around
36. Prince - Adore
37. Chuck Berry - Promised Land
38. X - 4th Of July
39. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Silver and Gold
40. Jimmy Cliff - Sitting In Limbo
41. Bruce Springsteen - Backstreets
42. Creedence Clearwater Revival - The Midnight Special
43. Marvin Gaye - One For My Baby (And One For The Road)
44. Oasis - Champagne Supernova
45. The Rolling Stones - Shine A Light
46. Frank Sinatra - Put Your Dreams Away

Love you Forever, my friend. -- Swifty

Mixes

Tribute To Lew Large

LAZAR spins a full spectrum of sound and rhythm to get you into your dancing groove, taking it down and through a kaleidoscope of genres—from House, Soul, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Disco, R&B and Blues--bringing it all alongside of Progressive, Deep House, New Orleans influenced funk, some occasional sprinkles of classic rock and much more. 

It's all about frequency and it's all connected. 

One Love.

Pro photographer, videographer, writer, DJ and native New Yorker, currently residing in Reno, Nevada. Former A&R man for the Island Def Jam Music Group, Elektra Records and EMI Records in the 90's and 00's. (It's been quite a journey.) For gigs and events, email: ben@benlazar.com. 

If you enjoy what you hear, please like and repost! Thank you!

"There are simply two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind." -- Duke Ellington

New tracks tagged #50sVocalists