Friday, April 18, 2008

Flashback Friday: Ain't it funny how a melody can bring back a memory…

Because I neglected to post Flashback Friday last week, I’m making you all a mix-tape to repent for my slight and ask for your forgiveness.

I kind of miss the mix-tape. What do kids do these days? I’m sure the mix CD is passé…an iTunes playlist, maybe? Whatever it is…the “click and drag” is a lot damn easier than what we went through. Sure, it isn’t walking to school 4 miles in the snow like our parents…but still…


Mix-tapes were a lot of work.

Especially if you were like me and didn’t have a dual deck tape player. This meant you had to call the radio station, request the song, wait for it to come on, hold your tape player up to the radio and record it. There were numerous false starts, rewinding and starting over (you didn’t want to miss the opening notes of Kharma Chameleon, did you?). It was a chore…but the end result was worth it. And if you were on the receiving end of one of these babies…well you knew you were special. Just like you, gentle readers. You are special (most of you in a good way). That’s why I took the time, not only to compile a few memorable songs, but to also tell you why they have a special place in my heart.


1. Borderline – Madonna
One of the first 45s (remember those, kids?) I ever bought.

2. Wild Boys – Duran Duran
The theme to Birthday Slumber Party ’84 (15 squealing girls + late-night dance contests + 2am ghost stories + too much caffeine = last giant sleepover).

3. Girl Fight Tonight – Julie Brown (The comedian. No, I’m not kidding.)
Many a jr. high dance routine was choreographed to this catchy little number. If you’ve never heard it, you must check it out. That’s an order (if for nothing else than JB's amazingly 80s earrings).

4. Believe It or Not - Joey Scarbury
I loved the Greatest American Hero and I loved the theme song even more. One of my claims to fame is that I can sing the lesser-known second verse (I was known to do this in college. A lot.). Interestingly enough, on a school-scouting trip my senior year of high school our hotel room got Skinemax and we saw a soft-core porn with William Katt in it. Not great (nor heroic for that matter).

5. I’ve Got A Crush on You – The Jets
They sang this on Dance Party USA, which was by far one of the highlights of the 80s…I SO wanted to be on that show! Attention DPUSA producers: I have my AquaNet ready if you’re planning a comeback!

6. You’re Makin’ My Dreams Come True – Hall & Oates
The all-time, number one, best roller-skating song ever. Not for couples’ skate. Regular, fast, balls-out skating only.

7. Take on Me – A-ha
No list of 80s songs would be complete without this one. It’s by far one of the most memorable MTV videos of my youth. Speaking of which…remember when MTV played videos? A friend and I got into a fight in 6th grade because she said I didn’t really like her and was using her for her MTV. She was right.

8. I Wanna New Drug – Huey Lewis and the News
I didn’t love this song, but it is burned into my memory because I thought it was SO scandalous that he wanted drugs (this was after Nancy Regan taught us to “Just Say No” to drugs without making the distinction that some drugs (i.e. prescription, a little weed or a Valium on a bad day) are ok).

9. Naughty Girls Need Love Too – Samantha Fox
The song epitomized bubblegum pop in the 80s. I loved it…and I loved Samantha (who should not be confused with the porn star of the same name). She was everything I wasn’t – short, blonde, giant boobs, in a Commodore 64 video game. British. God, I wanted to be her. The singer. Not the porn star.

10. Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
In 1982, every little girl with feathered hair wearing a Laura Ingalls-style dress wanted this song at her wedding. I was one of ‘em.


Bonus track: Black Velvet - Alannah Myles
True story – the first alcoholic beverage I ever drank was Black Velvet (stolen from my friend’s dad’s “liquor cabinet” – i.e. under the kitchen sink). It’s a whisky that is almost as bad as the fat girl who sings this song at Karaoke. You know the one.


So there you have it. I hope that you'll accept my apology and give me back all those friendship pins you made me return after last week.


LYLAS,
Ro

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Muxtape: mixtapes for the 21st century!

Also, I went through a major 80s pop phase a few years back (I was a baby of the late 80s) and "Wild Boys" and "Believe It or Not" were two of the songs that I would sing, full voice, to annoy the pants off my mother.

Anonymous said...

I've never heard of any of these songs... (maybe because in 1985 i was -6 years old.)

Anonymous said...

Oh wow you took me way back. I was a mix tape queen and at 33 still have a bunch of them in the basement. I keep meaning to make an itunes playlist from them....

Anonymous said...

mixtapes! great flashback!! and by the way, in my pre-glam rock phase, I thought Huey Lewis was "fine".

Anonymous said...

Sam Fox, Madonna, Duran Duran and Alannah Myles! This is far too much campery from me to contemplate, I'm off to mix myself a Mirdori and lemonade and put my tape deck up to the television so I can record the Debbie Gibson single!

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