Song Of The Day 10/23/2012: Jeff Buckley - "Alligator Wine"

I can tell you during this week's Halloween festivities that we're going to cover both the solo artists who went by the adjective "Screaming" (or "Screamin'"). There must be more than two, but I can't find any.

"Alligator Wine" was one of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' best-known songs, still leagues behind "I Put A Spell On You," but assuredly in his top five or so. The late Jeff Buckley did an impromptu cover of the song on radio that conveys all the inherent madness of the original, but even more weirdly because he has no accompaniment other than himself. All these squeaks, yawls and grunts are pure.

[Editor's note: Just figured out what radio station this was broadcast on. WFMU. Of course.]