My Christmas mixtape.
For some families, the day after Thanksgiving is for Black Friday shopping and decorating the Christmas tree. At my house, the day after Thanksgiving meant that it was socially acceptable for my mom to have our taped-from-TV version of White Christmas on continuous play. We could also listen to Christmas music. In the 80s and 90s, my dad devoted lots of time to making mix tapes. Our Christmas house blend combined my mom's and dad's favorites with a heaping side of Elvis.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
Showing posts with label mixtapes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mixtapes. Show all posts
November 28, 2014
November 6, 2014
THROWBACK THURSDAY
This is a very special edition of Throwback Thursday because it's my birthday. Twelve years ago, I turned seventeen. My (now) two oldest friends had great surprises for me that day. Megan got to school early and decorated my locker with pictures and a typewritten letter. She left a small tape recorder perched on top with instructions to press play.
I shouldn't worry, the letter said. It won't be too loud.
I pressed play, and The Beatles began to sing. Before they could even get out, "Well, it's my birthday too, yeah!", my homeroom teacher sped out into the hallway and told me to stop making so much noise. I always got the impression that not much about life excited him. Especially teenagers. Not even this birthday fun could warm his heart.
Later that day, B gave me a small, wrapped present. Inside was a Christmas tree air freshener for my car (because cross country runners make stinky cars) and a mix tape. To this day, it is the only mix tape someone has ever made me. I wore that thing out. I've still got it, so I decided to make a playlist of the songs on the tape. I began from memory before listening to find out what I had forgotten. I was patting myself on the back for remembering 40 minutes worth of songs (well, more like 45 but the official Beatles version of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is not on Spotify,) and then I pulled out the tape. It was 90 minutes long! What had I forgotten? ( I suppose my memory of a mix tape having a half life of 12 years isn't the worst thing in the world.)
So, because I'm not yet 30, here is my Happy Birthday Sarah mixtape from 2002. (With about 40 minutes of Beatles songs missing -- most from the Let It Be album. )
I shouldn't worry, the letter said. It won't be too loud.
I pressed play, and The Beatles began to sing. Before they could even get out, "Well, it's my birthday too, yeah!", my homeroom teacher sped out into the hallway and told me to stop making so much noise. I always got the impression that not much about life excited him. Especially teenagers. Not even this birthday fun could warm his heart.
Later that day, B gave me a small, wrapped present. Inside was a Christmas tree air freshener for my car (because cross country runners make stinky cars) and a mix tape. To this day, it is the only mix tape someone has ever made me. I wore that thing out. I've still got it, so I decided to make a playlist of the songs on the tape. I began from memory before listening to find out what I had forgotten. I was patting myself on the back for remembering 40 minutes worth of songs (well, more like 45 but the official Beatles version of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is not on Spotify,) and then I pulled out the tape. It was 90 minutes long! What had I forgotten? ( I suppose my memory of a mix tape having a half life of 12 years isn't the worst thing in the world.)
So, because I'm not yet 30, here is my Happy Birthday Sarah mixtape from 2002. (With about 40 minutes of Beatles songs missing -- most from the Let It Be album. )
October 31, 2014
September 30, 2014
PLAYLIST
I made this for a friend whose birthday is in September. I liked it so much, I've decided to share it here.
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