As discussed in previous blog entries, I passed the half-century mark a couple of years ago. Long before the digital era, eighties teens like myself used to purchase blank tapes and record songs on them using the cassette players of their home stereo systems. (By contemporary standards, this seems like something that the copyright law powers that be would have tried to stop, but keep in mind, the sound quality wasn’t exactly stellar.)
Still, even though “Is it live or just Memorex?” was just a catchy advertising slogan that did not reflect auditory reality, we had fun. One phenomenon that came to be was that of the mixtape, a listener-created collection of songs for various purposes, sometimes by disc jockeys for entertainment events or other times by friends or sweethearts as carefully personalized gifts from the heart.
The mixtape concept managed to survive multiple format incarnations, from compact discs to mp3 players to digital streaming services. Perhaps the more contemporary term playlist serves a similar purpose, though I am not enough of a recording aficionado to weigh in on those fine points.
Recently, I read a compelling novel, Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult, that got me thinking about mixtapes, though perhaps in a more figurative way. I don’t want to dwell on the myriad of plot elements concerning the book, other than noting that the protagonist is a music therapist by profession. She utilizes a particular ice breaker in working with new clients, “What songs would comprise the mixtape of your life?”
I couldn’t resist taking this challenge to heart for myself. A standard mixtape should contain somewhere between ten and fifteen songs. I figured I would push that limit as hard as I could. I also resisted the temptation to provide extra insight or explanation, other than to declare that these selections somehow define essential qualities of my approach to life and the self-talk that runs through my head. I have listed these songs and the artists that recorded them (at least in my version of choice) in no particular order.
Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End by the Beatles
Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones
It Was A Very Good Year by Frank Sinatra
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
Have You Ever Seen the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing by Stevie Wonder
Three Little Birds by Bob Marley
Sunshine on My Shoulders by John Denver
Moon River by Audrey Hepburn (I know this is now more associated with Andy Williams, but Hepburn’s rendering in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is the version that’s extra special to me.)
Maybe This Time by Liza Minnelli
Wishing You Were Here by Chicago
No Matter What by Badfinger
Count On Me by Jefferson Starship
Let the River Run by Carly Simon
So what about you? Take some time and think about the mixtape of your life.
Coloring Outside the Lines 
I love your song choices! Three Little Birds would also be on mine. I’d have to throw in Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, Linger by The Cranberries, Crazy for You by Madonna, Girl by Marren Morris, Again by Lenny Kravitz, Yellow by Coldplay, Crash by Dave Matthews, Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, and Ring of Fire by Johnny and June. Fun to think back on my favorites over the years!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great List, Christy! “Landslide” is another great Stevie Knicks creation.
LikeLike