This was not quite my first mix tape, but I think it might have been the second. I came across it the other day. I think the first one was better and was from about 1983 and had stuff like OMD, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran and all sorts of other good stuff. I think this was 1984 and is my earliest survivor. It’s recorded on a TDK D90…
Bird of Paradise – Snowy White
Love of the Common People – Paul Young
Hold Me Now – Thompson Twins
Club Tropicana – Wham
Waves – Blancmange (still think this is awesome)
Electric Dreams – Phil Oakey & Giorgio Moroder
Missing You – John Waite
Hello – Lionel Ritchie (a lot of soppy stuff on this tape…)
Too Late for Goodbyes – Julian Lennon (whatever happened to him)
Against All Odds – Phil Collins (really..?)
White Lines (Don’t Do It) – Grandmaster & Melle Mel (now that’s what I’m talking about)
You’re the Best Thing – Style Council
Small Town Boy – Bronski Beat
Lessons in Love – Level 42
Absolute Beginners – David Bowie
Invisible Touch – Genesis
Happy Hour – The Housemartins
Look Away – Big Country (such a loss)
Is This Love? – Whitesnake
Lies – Jonathan Butler (don’t remember that one at all)
Pretty in Pink – Psychedelic Furs (big sign-off!)
And if that’s not enough, the name of this tape is “Essential Edits”. This is sooooo embarrassing but somehow I feel much better for it.
In my defence, may I add that the first 12” and 7” vinyl that I bought was Blondie – Parallel Lines and Cool for Cats by Squeeze back in 1978 at the age of 9, so I was a lot cooler in the 70s obviously…
I’ve just found that Jonathan Butler track on Spotify here – http://open.spotify.com/track/5E8mmllOus6DeXR5i5a6TK
It’s got a real Gregory Isaacs jazz/funk mid-80s feel about it. #playlist