A treasure time won't steal away

Michael Jackson. "The Lady In My Life." Thriller, MJJ Productions Inc., 1982.

Sadly, songwriter and musician Rod Temperton passed away earlier this month. He left us with many incredible songs that became instant classics, including this one from Michael Jackson's record-breaking Grammy award-winning album Thriller, produced by the legendary Quincy Jones almost 35 years ago.

Some of you may have picked up on the sections of this track that have been sampled over the years since it was first released -- there are over 30 counts according to WhoSampled -- my favourites of which include LL Cool J's "Hey Lover (feat. Boyz II Men)," Ghostface Killah's "Daytona 500 (feat. Raewkon & Cappadonna)," and People Under The Stairs' "Ambien Hallway Music." If not, check them out below.

A San Francisco treat just like some Rice-A-Roni

People Under The Stairs. "San Francisco Knights." The Next Step, Om Records, 2001.

We've been experiencing a bit of a heat wave here in the Bay Area lately and the past few nights have been seasonally warm ones, so this song feels appropriate.

PUTS is without a doubt one of my favourite acts to see perform live. Their energy, enthusiasm, and pure love for the crowd is palpable and simply infectious. I first got to see Thes One and Double K perform for their homecoming at LA's classic El Rey Theater on the heels of 2011's Highlighter tour, and have seen them twice since then, more recently at the Independent for their November 2014 #THANKSGIVEBACK show and last November at the Fillmore. (Keeping my fingers crossed for November PUTS shows becoming a new tradition).

And that guitar riff? It's from a 1967 recording of "San Franciscan Nights" by Gábor Szabó & The California Dreamers (originally penned by Eric Burdon & The Animals), off the Wind, Sky and Diamonds album. Give a listen to the full track below, or skip ahead to the 2:17 mark.