Dorothy Ashby - The: Windmills Of Your Mind

Long before the harp was a staple in indie-folk or hip-hop samples, was busy proving it could swing as hard as any saxophone. Her 1969 cover of "The Windmills of Your Mind" —the Oscar-winning theme from The Thomas Crown Affair —stands as a masterclass in how to take a "mellow" pop tune and turn it into something deeply soulful and rhythmically complex. Why This Track Matters

: Produced by Richard Evans at Cadet Records, the arrangement bridges the gap between sophisticated "Middle of the Road" (MOR) standards and the gritty, psychedelic funk Ashby was exploring on her landmark album Afro-Harping . Dorothy Ashby - The Windmills of your Mind

: The track opens with a powerful solo harp introduction featuring lush, descending arpeggios that have become legendary among crate-diggers. Long before the harp was a staple in

If the melody sounds familiar but you’ve never owned a jazz record, you likely know it through hip-hop. Ashby’s intricate harp work on this track provided the backbone for: "Start the Show" Rahzel’s "All I Know" (produced by Pete Rock ) The Album: Dorothy’s Harp (1969) WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT . . . DOROTHY ASHBY - Elsewhere : The track opens with a powerful solo