Tapes made from the records in my father's collection accompanied my family on many trips. They played a major role in shaping my current musical taste for non-current music.
What a cool, diverse collection - as you put it, Kevin, a mixtape of pieces about mixtape! I'm happy to have been included among this group, and I think this came together really well.
Wonderful piece, Kevin (and guests)! And, I can relate to your wanting to make your mixtapes, Kevin, all perfect, and wanting to "top" the others' tapes, as well! Wasn't this our chance, finally, to be little "bedroom producers" and proudly release our wonderworks to the "world"?
Lest one think mixtapes was just a '90s thing, I made my share of homemade Maxells in the '80s (and, even sometimes when it WASN'T that hot!)....I don't recall ever making one for anyone, and no one saw fit to give ME one, either....maybe THAT was a '90s thing! I think my intention was to create a bit of a radio "aircheck" of my "hits" plucked off the many otherwise unheard tracks that radio ignored from the many promo albums I had acquired over the years.
Themed tapes emerged, too, like all the songs I could find (again, with no streaming....just singles and LPs) that had to do with radio, whether mentioned or not (like Raspberries "Overnight Sesnsation (Hit Record)". I also did a "Cover Me" tape on Barry Manilow hits recorded by the original songwriters who also had recording contracts, and also recorded!
For ex: Randy Edelman's "Weekend in New England," Richard Kerr's "Somewhere in the Night" and "Looks Like We Made It", Bruce Johnston's "I Write the Songs," David Pomeranz's "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again," etc! Again, all these singers wrote these Barry hits, but also recorded them! It was a great way to hear what, in many cases, were the demos Barry heard, and appreciate how his arrangements made great songs into hits!
Again, beautifully done, Kevin, Thea, Marmi, Mike, and Andrew!
Ah, the mixtape! Fond memories, indeed. And I agree, *not* the same as slapping together a Spotify list. I wonder, do the young'uns make Spotify mixtapes for their boyfriends and girlfriends? (I'd seriously like to know...)
Not to say that I haven't made my own share of Spotify lists. But mostly for personal use when I'm novel writing. It started as YouTube videos way back when, until I got a Spotify account. When I finished my first (unpublished) novel, I celebrated in part by compiling some of my favourites from the many lists I had. It's eclectic for sure with music from Counting Crows, Brad Sucks, Jefferson Airplane, and Rhianna. You can check it out here if you're so inclined: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qdgsilWX6i0SfA8yDBHxT
But yeah, a totally different experience than making, arting-up, giving, and listening to a mixtape. (I think we forget what a pain it was. Not to mention how long it took, fingers hovering over the STOP button so you could time it just right... lol)
I don't think I have any mixtapes left of the romantic gesture kind -- lost in moves, likely. I made at least one where I recorded bits of me talking into the spaces between -- wooey-gooey stuff (it worked, btw...) My favourite title was a mixed tape at work that kept getting passed around:
Side A: Fish
Side B: Not a Fish
Both sides had respective graphics to illustrate the point.
I suppose every generation has their thing that they'll look back on fondly. But I'm pretty happy that I grew up when I did. Mixtapes is one of the reasons why.
Thanks for this, Kevin, and all the writers of this post!
As "research" for this piece, I asked a couple of teenagers (okay, my sons) if they anyone made playlists for their boyfriends/girlfriends, and got strange looks in return. Only a sampole size of n/2, so hopefully, kids are still out there making 'em.
I put a Like but of course I am sad that your small sample of size of two produced zero positive observations! I think kids do make Spotify playlists, but those are NOT. THE. SAME.
This was such a fun collab Kev, thanks again and I'm down to contribute another track to a future On Repeat mixtape!
One of my new favorite twitter accounts takes clips from the show and reposts them. When I see them, all I can think about is how hard it used to be to get the timing just right.
That was fun -- thanks to Kevin and all of the writers! Two notes on mixtapes:
- A favorite thing about making a mixtape was nailing the last track on each side. Adding up the times and the gaps, you would estimate that you had 2:45 left. What's the perfect song that you have access to that wraps up the side *and* is shorter than 2:45? So much fun.
- When I began dating my wife nearly 35 years ago, I had just left a girlfriend I dated for over five years. They were both brunettes so on the first mixtape I made for my wife, I cheekily included Billy Bragg's "Greetings to the New Brunette." She appreciated my sense of humor as we're still together. ;-)
Yes! Excellent point about trying to find the right song length. Flipping the tape over immediately, without having to fast forward, was very important. I had forgotten!
These were so great! I made mixtapes through the 80s and 90s. For myself, for friends, for boyfriends. I had a friend from when I lived in Chicago that after I moved back to the Quad Cities, we would mail mixtape/voice recordings back and forth for a year or two.
There was a lot of planning and math involved! Every tape was a work of art. I somewhat revisited that while coming up with a 20 minute set for vinyl night this week at a local brewery. 20 minutes is a lot tighter of a set than I imagined! I revised song choice and order at least ten times to get it as close to 20 minutes without going more than 11 seconds over. Then the person who spun before me was done with 5 minutes remaining! Hahahaha! So, I revised a little last minute.
Yes! Dave pointed this timing issue out here in the comments too. This was a nuanced and complicated process, and although I do enjoy creating playlists today, it is not the same holistic experience today.
Yes, it’s not the same! I mean it’s nice that it’s limitless, but it doesn’t require as much thought process. I don’t pay for any music streaming service, so I only get shuffle play, thus ordering selections has no part of my playlists anymore.
This was a big hurdle if you happened to be particularly fussy about such things like I was/am. One downside to making a playlist on Spotify is that you get an infinite opportunity for revisions.
I made a mixtape for my wife when she was pregnant with our first daughter. I didn't tell her and changed her own tape, which she was going to listen to on her Walkman (yes, really) on the bus. So she would press play and hear me curate each track that I'd put on it. It worked a treat, too. Your article made me think of this. Thank you.
Ah the mixtape, without which I would never have had a GF in college. Still have many tapes and occasionally play them and an transported in time. Thanks for the eclectic collection of articles.
Just to indulge in my own nostalgia a bit. I was often older than typical when I would hit various stages of engaging with music (in brief; I grew up in a family that was into music and, as the youngest, it was intimidating that everyone knew more than I did, so I didn't really start building my own musical collection or tastes until college, so the process was shifted slightly later in life).
I didn't get interested in making mixes until my late 20's and having both a bit of disposable income and a slightly obsessive personality, I bought an used Alesis Masterlink -- https://www.stereophile.com/hirezplayers/605/index.html
So when I started making mix CDs I would adjust the levels on the tracks; adjust the spacing; add fades at the beginning or end (in one case removing the first couple seconds of a song to create a smoother transition).
It was different work than making a mixtape but also very engaged and profoundly changed the way that I listened to music.
It was absolutely worth it. I'm sure it would have been possible to do most of that on a computer but, in that case, buying the fancy tool did motivate me to put more time and energy into using it.
One of my favorite examples; I remember going to a wedding (of a friend of a friend; not someone I knew well) and they made a particularly well-crafted mix-CD as a wedding favor (which proves the point that the mix-CD is easier to duplicate, but it was a nice connection).
After reading your comment about mix-CDs, I remembered that I spent days - maybe even weeks, making the perfect set of Mix-CDs for my wedding reception! I think I had 4, and had them labeled and numbered- then of course someone put the wrong one in first 🤣
How many weddings I wonder led to mixtapes and then to marriages? I'm guessing A LOT. I don't go to enough weddings, but I don't think I've ever NOT enjoyed one. Such a joyous occasion, normally. ;-)
Last year, we (the On Repeat community) crowdsourced a playlist for Matt Ziegler and his bride to be. It was one of the cooler things I think we've done.
Just reading the playlist, it's fun. I appreciate the cornucopia approach (the one song that made me curious about the intention was "Ballroom Blitz". I would be curious how you decided to sequence it.
People added tracks, so it was primarily in the order they added them. I then went through and moved some things around based both on my memories of my own reception, and what song might best capture the energy at any point during theirs.
I think it's a good topic and it would be interesting to see if, like this post, you can find some other writers who can highlight specific aspects of mix CDs.
Fantastic piece, Kevin. It really brought back some great memories and one not so good. I was making a tape for my then girlfriend. I was really into Todd Rundgren at the time so I started the mix with “The Last Ride” possibly my all-time favorite Runt song. She thought it was a message and it just went downhill from there!
That’s a great story, Nolan. I think my Todd song was something off Something/Anything and probably not a good first choice at that! (“Piss Aaron”? I forget)…
Tapes made from the records in my father's collection accompanied my family on many trips. They played a major role in shaping my current musical taste for non-current music.
My father did the same thing. For awhile, I still had those tapes, and more recently was finally able to bring those records out here.
I still have four cabinets full of cassette tapes I made, and yes I have a cassette player.
I still have a handful of tapes, but no way to play them! I'm also kinda terrified to play any original tapes I can't replace.
I have 3 boxes of cassettes that have been in storage probably since the early 2000s… No longer have a cassette player.
Holy shit.
What a cool, diverse collection - as you put it, Kevin, a mixtape of pieces about mixtape! I'm happy to have been included among this group, and I think this came together really well.
Thanks for being a part of it!
Wonderful piece, Kevin (and guests)! And, I can relate to your wanting to make your mixtapes, Kevin, all perfect, and wanting to "top" the others' tapes, as well! Wasn't this our chance, finally, to be little "bedroom producers" and proudly release our wonderworks to the "world"?
Lest one think mixtapes was just a '90s thing, I made my share of homemade Maxells in the '80s (and, even sometimes when it WASN'T that hot!)....I don't recall ever making one for anyone, and no one saw fit to give ME one, either....maybe THAT was a '90s thing! I think my intention was to create a bit of a radio "aircheck" of my "hits" plucked off the many otherwise unheard tracks that radio ignored from the many promo albums I had acquired over the years.
Themed tapes emerged, too, like all the songs I could find (again, with no streaming....just singles and LPs) that had to do with radio, whether mentioned or not (like Raspberries "Overnight Sesnsation (Hit Record)". I also did a "Cover Me" tape on Barry Manilow hits recorded by the original songwriters who also had recording contracts, and also recorded!
For ex: Randy Edelman's "Weekend in New England," Richard Kerr's "Somewhere in the Night" and "Looks Like We Made It", Bruce Johnston's "I Write the Songs," David Pomeranz's "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again," etc! Again, all these singers wrote these Barry hits, but also recorded them! It was a great way to hear what, in many cases, were the demos Barry heard, and appreciate how his arrangements made great songs into hits!
Again, beautifully done, Kevin, Thea, Marmi, Mike, and Andrew!
Thanks! Kevin knocked it out of the park with this one.
Bingo, Thea! And, I have it on good authority that we might see this format again! Better stock up on a Maxell 4-pack.......again!!😃👍
I’ll have to see if my husband has an old tape player in his storage room of electronics that he can’t part with. 😊
Thanks Thea! Loved your roommate's creativity. We all need someone like that in our lives.
Thank you, Brad!
Ah, the mixtape! Fond memories, indeed. And I agree, *not* the same as slapping together a Spotify list. I wonder, do the young'uns make Spotify mixtapes for their boyfriends and girlfriends? (I'd seriously like to know...)
Not to say that I haven't made my own share of Spotify lists. But mostly for personal use when I'm novel writing. It started as YouTube videos way back when, until I got a Spotify account. When I finished my first (unpublished) novel, I celebrated in part by compiling some of my favourites from the many lists I had. It's eclectic for sure with music from Counting Crows, Brad Sucks, Jefferson Airplane, and Rhianna. You can check it out here if you're so inclined: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qdgsilWX6i0SfA8yDBHxT
But yeah, a totally different experience than making, arting-up, giving, and listening to a mixtape. (I think we forget what a pain it was. Not to mention how long it took, fingers hovering over the STOP button so you could time it just right... lol)
I don't think I have any mixtapes left of the romantic gesture kind -- lost in moves, likely. I made at least one where I recorded bits of me talking into the spaces between -- wooey-gooey stuff (it worked, btw...) My favourite title was a mixed tape at work that kept getting passed around:
Side A: Fish
Side B: Not a Fish
Both sides had respective graphics to illustrate the point.
I suppose every generation has their thing that they'll look back on fondly. But I'm pretty happy that I grew up when I did. Mixtapes is one of the reasons why.
Thanks for this, Kevin, and all the writers of this post!
As "research" for this piece, I asked a couple of teenagers (okay, my sons) if they anyone made playlists for their boyfriends/girlfriends, and got strange looks in return. Only a sampole size of n/2, so hopefully, kids are still out there making 'em.
I put a Like but of course I am sad that your small sample of size of two produced zero positive observations! I think kids do make Spotify playlists, but those are NOT. THE. SAME.
This was such a fun collab Kev, thanks again and I'm down to contribute another track to a future On Repeat mixtape!
Right on! I'd love to have you. :)
I suspected as much. I think the same is true for my boys, but who knows what exactly goes on in their secret lives! lol
Extra nerd points if you recorded from a video to add into the mix! And what a hassle that was! Fwd/Rwd/ get the perfect spot...
One of my new favorite twitter accounts takes clips from the show and reposts them. When I see them, all I can think about is how hard it used to be to get the timing just right.
I used to do it anytime I added Prince into the mix (which was always!)…but Fuck Graffiti Bridge!
Lol.
That was fun -- thanks to Kevin and all of the writers! Two notes on mixtapes:
- A favorite thing about making a mixtape was nailing the last track on each side. Adding up the times and the gaps, you would estimate that you had 2:45 left. What's the perfect song that you have access to that wraps up the side *and* is shorter than 2:45? So much fun.
- When I began dating my wife nearly 35 years ago, I had just left a girlfriend I dated for over five years. They were both brunettes so on the first mixtape I made for my wife, I cheekily included Billy Bragg's "Greetings to the New Brunette." She appreciated my sense of humor as we're still together. ;-)
Yes! Excellent point about trying to find the right song length. Flipping the tape over immediately, without having to fast forward, was very important. I had forgotten!
Lol. That's my kinda of humor.
I considered it as the best gift to give or to receive, back then. It was a labour of love.
Exactly! Nothing better than someone giving you one when you were least expecting it.
These were so great! I made mixtapes through the 80s and 90s. For myself, for friends, for boyfriends. I had a friend from when I lived in Chicago that after I moved back to the Quad Cities, we would mail mixtape/voice recordings back and forth for a year or two.
There was a lot of planning and math involved! Every tape was a work of art. I somewhat revisited that while coming up with a 20 minute set for vinyl night this week at a local brewery. 20 minutes is a lot tighter of a set than I imagined! I revised song choice and order at least ten times to get it as close to 20 minutes without going more than 11 seconds over. Then the person who spun before me was done with 5 minutes remaining! Hahahaha! So, I revised a little last minute.
Yes! Dave pointed this timing issue out here in the comments too. This was a nuanced and complicated process, and although I do enjoy creating playlists today, it is not the same holistic experience today.
Yes, it’s not the same! I mean it’s nice that it’s limitless, but it doesn’t require as much thought process. I don’t pay for any music streaming service, so I only get shuffle play, thus ordering selections has no part of my playlists anymore.
This was a big hurdle if you happened to be particularly fussy about such things like I was/am. One downside to making a playlist on Spotify is that you get an infinite opportunity for revisions.
I made a mixtape for my wife when she was pregnant with our first daughter. I didn't tell her and changed her own tape, which she was going to listen to on her Walkman (yes, really) on the bus. So she would press play and hear me curate each track that I'd put on it. It worked a treat, too. Your article made me think of this. Thank you.
Thanks, Jon. This is a very endearing story to read today.
I love this. Thanks for sharing it with us all.
This was so much fun to write and to read. Thank you for curating this mixed stack!
Thank you for being a part of it!
This was a joy, thanks @Kevin Alexander for mixing me in!
Of course! Your story is awesome.
Ah the mixtape, without which I would never have had a GF in college. Still have many tapes and occasionally play them and an transported in time. Thanks for the eclectic collection of articles.
You bet. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I want to defend the honor of a well-crafted mix-CD, but these are all heartfelt tributes to the mix-tape specifically.
Just to indulge in my own nostalgia a bit. I was often older than typical when I would hit various stages of engaging with music (in brief; I grew up in a family that was into music and, as the youngest, it was intimidating that everyone knew more than I did, so I didn't really start building my own musical collection or tastes until college, so the process was shifted slightly later in life).
I didn't get interested in making mixes until my late 20's and having both a bit of disposable income and a slightly obsessive personality, I bought an used Alesis Masterlink -- https://www.stereophile.com/hirezplayers/605/index.html
So when I started making mix CDs I would adjust the levels on the tracks; adjust the spacing; add fades at the beginning or end (in one case removing the first couple seconds of a song to create a smoother transition).
It was different work than making a mixtape but also very engaged and profoundly changed the way that I listened to music.
Well, you just took mixed tape production to 11, didn’t ya?!! 🤓
It was probably excessive, but still simpler than the effort described for mix tapes.
Whoa! That's awesome, Nick!
It was absolutely worth it. I'm sure it would have been possible to do most of that on a computer but, in that case, buying the fancy tool did motivate me to put more time and energy into using it.
There's something to be said about intention, and not always taking the easiest route.
Hahaha yes! I think a lot of people who curated mixtapes then curated mix-CDs. I know I did!!
One of my favorite examples; I remember going to a wedding (of a friend of a friend; not someone I knew well) and they made a particularly well-crafted mix-CD as a wedding favor (which proves the point that the mix-CD is easier to duplicate, but it was a nice connection).
After reading your comment about mix-CDs, I remembered that I spent days - maybe even weeks, making the perfect set of Mix-CDs for my wedding reception! I think I had 4, and had them labeled and numbered- then of course someone put the wrong one in first 🤣
How many weddings I wonder led to mixtapes and then to marriages? I'm guessing A LOT. I don't go to enough weddings, but I don't think I've ever NOT enjoyed one. Such a joyous occasion, normally. ;-)
Last year, we (the On Repeat community) crowdsourced a playlist for Matt Ziegler and his bride to be. It was one of the cooler things I think we've done.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2lGF8cKH4RBn1Hw2zJdWvc?si=5ad7231748804db8
Just reading the playlist, it's fun. I appreciate the cornucopia approach (the one song that made me curious about the intention was "Ballroom Blitz". I would be curious how you decided to sequence it.
People added tracks, so it was primarily in the order they added them. I then went through and moved some things around based both on my memories of my own reception, and what song might best capture the energy at any point during theirs.
Burning CDs might be a good theme for a future project (and maybe also about sites like LimeWire and Kazaa). What do you think?
I think it's a good topic and it would be interesting to see if, like this post, you can find some other writers who can highlight specific aspects of mix CDs.
Not sure if "hell yeah!" or "hell motherfucking yeah!" 🤔🤔
I'm looking for potential collabs on a future mixtape (not necessarily soon), would love to have you, @Kevin!
Thanks for the invite! I'm in! Please DM me, and we'll get everything sorted.
Fantastic piece, Kevin. It really brought back some great memories and one not so good. I was making a tape for my then girlfriend. I was really into Todd Rundgren at the time so I started the mix with “The Last Ride” possibly my all-time favorite Runt song. She thought it was a message and it just went downhill from there!
That’s a great story, Nolan. I think my Todd song was something off Something/Anything and probably not a good first choice at that! (“Piss Aaron”? I forget)…
Oh no!!
Oh no!