Found – Mix tapes

Since moving back from New York, I’ve been bemused of my decision of over a year ago as to what I took to New York with me and what I didn’t bother with. Some of those things needed special handling so were not worth sending – for now.  Others, I guess I was unsure off.

I’ve come across a few cassette tapes amongst my big collection of music magazines from my yoof.

I haven’t owned a cassette player for a several years but I’m still keeping all the ones that include taped radio interviews of Duran Duran, Edwyn Collins (Orange Juice), Echo & the Bunnymen on the John Peel sessions, more Duran Duran, The Rock & Pop awards before they became the BRITS and before they were televised, interviews and live tracks with U2 (I was a big fan until New Years Day, not at all since).

One day I’ll get to listen to these and transfer them onto….well whatever the technology is then.

I’m throwing out all the Madonna albums, these are just recordings from the vinyl and I have them all in CD anyway. I stopped playing my records when I was young, instead transferring them all to cassette leaving my vinyl pristine.

There are also albums from Gun, my all time favourite rock band – still, INXS, Bon Jovi, Jamiroquai, Blur, Georgia Satellites and Take That and  Party. I actually stole that one from an Oasis fan during the war with Blur. Which Blur so obviously won. Somehow a Now 40 is in there and it has my handwriting on it. Must have been a rare good year for chart music.

I have a tape called Disco which includes:

• Odyssey – Native New Yorker (of course)
• Village People – Can’t Stop the Music (do you remember that one?)
• Yvonne Elliman – If I Can’t Have You (still love that one)
• Tina Charles – Love to Love

But looking at the tape inside, it’s the best album Bryan Adams ever made – Waking Up the Neighbours, at his loudest and best and great value as it’s a double.

The Dance tape includes

• Madonna – Lucky Star (if held at gun point I would choose this or Borderline as my fave Madonna track but there are so many)
• Greg Phillinganes – Behind the Mask (with Eric Clapton?)
• Madonna – Stay (that would be the best album track – again if at gun point)
• SOS Band – The Finest
• Cherelle – Saturday Night (But wasn’t that Alexander O’Neil too?)
• Five Star – System Addict (Their finest hour)
• Jellybean – Sidewalk (I vaguely remember this track from Madonna’s early producer)
• Chic – Good Times (my musical heroes and in my all time top 10)

Most intriguing is the Obscure/Alternative  1980 – 1982

• The (Psychedelic) Furs – We Love You (plus 2 more)
• Orange Juice – Blue Boy (2 more OJ tracks)
• A Flock Of Seagulls – Wishing (made 2 of the best records of the decade, the other being I Ran)
• Simple Minds – Someone Somewhere (plus 2 more Minds tracks, loved, loved that Glittering Prize album)
• Farmers Boys – Muck it Out
• Pale Fountains – Thank You (don’t remember how the track goes)
• The The – Uncertain Smile (loved it)
• Wah! – Story of the Blues (Loved this but my fave now is probably ‘Remember’)
• The Cure – Let’s Go To Bed (nostalgic reason)

Actually, I’m going to keep that one.

Oh and there’s a cassette head cleaner.

I feel like I’m 14 again. Good Times indeed.

All going to a charity shop, as soon as I find one as they appear  to be  obsolete in the city centre.