I made my first one almost 25 years ago. I believe it was 85 or 86. I took this silver boombox I had and I put it up against the television to record the music. Yep, I recorded straight from the television. There was so much fuzzy noise in the background that the songs didn’t come out so great plus my mom or my sister would walk into the room start talking or make some other kind of sound to “ruin” the whole thing. It was far from perfect but I did have the songs I loved and could listen to then whenever I wanted.
Before too long fuzzy noise and constant interruption became one drawback too many so it got to the point that I sneaked out into the living room after everyone went to sleep to record the music. It was a perfect setup. My parents' room was all the way in the back of this long narrow house. If I could keep the volume reasonable, there was no way, save an unexpected bathroom visit from someone, that I could be caught.
It was also perfect because in those days MTV played videos 24 hours a day. If I wanted to record Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer (just an example song, like I’d ever record THAT, wink wink) it was usually on every 60-90 minutes, even in the middle of the night. In fact all of my favorite songs were played heavily. Hungry Like the Wolf, Karma Chameleon, Caribbean Queen, Summer of 69, Billie Jean, Panama, Manic Monday, Hold Me Now, and many others comprised those first mixtapes. I call it a mixtape because I didn’t record every song that came on. I only recorded the ones I liked so there was a choice involved. Choosing the songs to put on the tape= mixtape. With the songs, I believe many of them were missing the first few notes if the music started right away in the video. There was only so fast I could recognize the video and press down play and record at the same time.
Soon I wised up and was taking tracks off of FM radio. They almost played as many cool songs as MTV did. I would record my favorites and they were much better quality than the ones recorded from the television. I wasn’t as ashamed to share them with friends, although the recording process was more difficult due to station IDs and dopey DJs talking over either the beginning or ends of some songs. Sometimes a song would have to be scrapped because the DJ talked over the fade out at the end of the song. So close! Often if a particular DJ did such a thing I’d change the station. That would show him! In those days there were at least 2 if not 3 or more stations that played the same hits. It wasn’t as specific as it can be now.
As the 90’s began I started to amass a cassette collection and subsequently those became the source for future mixtapes. Sometimes I could record the tracks so cleanly from tape to tape that you couldn’t even hear the click between songs. People would be impressed. It was like the songs just went together naturally. I was a poor man’s DJ.
As we got a few years into the 90’s my friends started to get vehicles and there was one in particular who had to get the best sound system you could get at the time. He bought the best radio at Stereo Advantage but like a numbskull he forgot to get good speakers. He had this top of the line, high status car radio with lowly factory default car speakers. It didn’t take him long to save up the cash to get quality speakers or at least a cheaper substitute. He bought speakers for a home system and then put them in his car and ran the wiring to them. Now we had the booming system going except the 5 seat car was now a 3-seater due to the space needed for the monstrous shelf speakers in the back.
This was the first time I started making mixes for other people. I made this guy the dopest mix with the fattest beats so he/we could drive around letting everyone know how cool we were. Every month I’d make another tape. I’d just watch Yo MTV Raps and find out what was hype and then drop those things onto the next tape. We’d go to the recently opened Walden Galleria mall and drive around the parking lot checking out the honeys and setting off the occasional car alarm with the throbbing bass. Okay so we were idiots, but I was making mixtapes for people and they were loving them.
When I found my way into CDs and deeper into different genres in the mid-90’s my mixtapes started to really become something. In my mind they were legendary. I’d give one out to someone occasionally. I’d try to avoid overexposure by handing out too many and I would use them for one of three purposes: to enlighten, inform or to say thanks. Don’t worry I’ll explain.
If someone I knew liked a song by the band but never heard any of their other things, especially if it was a band I liked and had a large amount of stuff from I’d make them a tape or CD with some great tracks from that band to help enlighten them. The hope is that the person gives me the credit for getting them into the band. Nothing would give me more pleasure back then than to be in a conversation with a bunch of people and then my enlightened friend would say, “Well, to be honest I didn’t even really know Morphine until Ed got me into them”. Score! It worked the other way too. If someone else got me into a band, I’d go out of my way to give them credit for it: “I didn’t even know who Ween was until I heard them on blah blah blah’s mixtape.” It was a wonderful give and take.
Secondly I’d use the mixtape to inform a pretty female I was into them. Forget flowers, cards and chocolates, if I gave a woman a mixtape it was a sure sign I liked her. It took a few minutes to buy flowers but it could take a whole evening to put together a proper mixtape for a beautiful lady. These days I give them out more freely to those who ask for them or to friends but I am certainly still capable to giving a mixtape to a pretty female that I like in lieu of a rose.
Lastly, I’d use the mixtape to thank people for being kind to me. I’d make them a mix because they helped me in some way and being a poor interracial kid from the inner city, it wasn’t always possible to take someone out for a meal or drinks as a thank you. Besides, the mixtapes would take time and energy and more often than not I’d make them with a unique tracklisting that I would not repeat on any other tape. It was personalized just for them and I think that is a very cool gesture.
These days I make tons of mix-CDs (I hate saying it that way) for work and play. I’ll even put together playlists for the MP3 device. I’ll still put together mixes for others but the vast majority are for my own use and never get the chance to touch anyone else’s ears. While the methods and reasons have changed over the years, I still adhere to a certain ideology during the creation process.
I realize when one makes a mixtape that anything is possible. You can simply select 20 songs with your eyes closed and call it a mix. For me, I like some organization and sorting. They are generally necessary for me to create. I mean I like to do my own thing but I like to do my own thing within rules. Before you get on me for that I will tell that I make up my own rules for my own good, so that makes it okay. I like to do my own thing within my own rules. This basically means I rule. It also suggests that I like to have a theme when I make a mixtape whether it’s a mood, activity, time or place. Sometimes I’ll make a tape based on or for a person but I cannot or do not make a mixtape for some random reason. I guess it’s not in my nature. Without direction I get lost. All my mixtapes have a purpose.
Without further ado, let me tell you about some past and present ones…
Here are some classics I made over the years that come to me right now:
- “The U.K. is O.K.” – This was a mix of a ton of fantastic indie rock/alternative U.K. bands. I believe this tape goes back to the late 90’s.
-“Eurotrash” – This was a mix I made of European dance rock. It really lived up to its name.
- “Slow Jams” – I believe I made up to 14 volumes of this mixtape. All of them had different slow jams. I guess it goes to show how much I like soul music.
-“Atmospheric Girls” – During the late 90’s I really got into Electronic and European style pop music with female vocals. It was probably Bjork’s fault and you know she was on this mix.
-“My Band” – This was a silly mix tape I made that was based on fantasy. I thought which songs do I wish my fictional band had written? I’d listen to this tape and pretend my kickass band was rocking these songs.
-“80’s movies” – I compiled my favorites from 80’s movies like Teen Wolf, Real Genius, Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Valley Girl and tons more.
- “Best of” - I started this in 2007, made a best of 2008, and a best of 2009 which was bigger than the first two years combined! My Best of 2010 is already on pre-order!
- “The End of the Episode”, - This was one I finished recently and is pretty self explanatory. These are tracks you’d hear at the end of dramatic television shows. Think the end of NCIS, House, Criminal Minds and things like that. The episode ends and either a tragedy is averted or some deep life lessons were learned and a song plays.
-“F-You” – This was a mix of quintessential punk rock tracks from the 70’s and 80’s.
“Last night a DJ saved my life” – This was a disco mix with Chic, the Bee Gees and stuff like that.
Now conversely these are unfinished Mixtapes I’m currently researching or working on:
-“Edwin mix” –This is a long term mix I have been working on for years. I’m trying to collect about 20 songs that I feel encompass who I am. I hope to finish this one day but I’m just a little over half way there after many years.
-“For Her” – Normally I’m always down to receive help putting together mixtapes. I love when people have suggestions and advice but this is one I don’t want any help with. I want every song on this to be songs I heard and thought of her. Unfortunately I haven’t found a “her” to bestow this hopefully one of a kind mix on. I’m forever hopeful though.
-“Summertime” – Strangely I’ve never made a summer mixtape. That has to change. I started putting together tracks for this in the last few days. I’m hoping it will be ready soon because these hot summer-like temperatures have me thinking its summer already.
-“Desert Island mix” – Perhaps some of you television fans might even want to call it a “Lost” mix. This is basically 20 songs I would want if I were on a desert island. The best 20 songs I can find.
-“Retro Pop Sounds” – This is a batch of pop songs with an oldschool vibe to them. Are they from last year or 30 years ago? Hmmm…
-“Soul Train Line” – This is the mix to shake your groove thing to. I want to put together the coolest, funkiest, booty shaking songs that they might have formed the Soul Train Line to back in the day. If you don’t know what the soul train line is, it’s when everybody comes together and forms two sides with about 8-10 feet in between and either everyone goes through one at a time or two at a time showing off their best dance moves. Basically it’s your time to shine and bust a move… no Young MC will not be included.
-“The Soundtrack” – I’ve been working on a book for a long time and in my mind sometimes I imagine the story in movie form. When I do I start to think of songs that would be included on my movie soundtrack. This one may not be finished because the book is not finished. Hopefully both of these will be finished sometime soon.
Okay so tell me what mixtapes mean to you. Have you made any memorable ones, recent ones, awful ones? Tell me about them and your love for mixtapes.
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