Often, when I’m writing, I know I’m on to something, or at least I know I’m being honest when I feel uncomfortable and debate erasing whatever it is I’ve just written. Looking at IAAFOTS’s image yesterday, I had to laugh, reminded how, back in the dawn of mixed tape time, mixes were always named the likes of, “Party Mix,” or, “Sad Mix,” or, maybe, if you were really cutting edge, you might go so far as, “Experimental Groove Mix!” Well, since I want to get to know more about Renee, Thea’s mother, I thought I’d try figuring out what she might have been listening to, what her contribution to the mixed tape box would have been, in order to get some idea who she was when she was about Thea’s age.
Besides, I’m working on a few new scenes with Renee and Thea, in which 80s music plays a starring role, like it or not, so it seems apt. Here’s the first mix I came up with. In keeping with the ground rules of eight-song per playlist, book ended by the original and a cover, of course:
1. “Mad World,” Tears for Fears
2. “Someone’s Calling,” Modern English
3. “Wishing,” A Flock of Seagulls
5. “Video Killed the Radio Star,” The Buggles
4. “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thing,” Heaven 17
6. “Mexican Radio,” Wall of Voodoo
7. “Ahead,” Wire
8. “Mad World,” Gary Jules and Michael Andrews
Now that I look at it, Wall of Voodoo’s “Ring of Fire” would work much better. I should probably divide songs into “sad” and “party” categories, too, create a few mixes, even. The problem is, this list doesn’t really make me squirm, so I’m still thinking over a few changes to the list. And of course a-ha’s hit “Take On Me,” immediately comes to mind. Which, to this day, I vividly remember as the song a couple of would be punk boys always mocking, singing, “Come On Me,” in falsettos, in the halls, between periods, but I’m not sure I’m willing to take it that far. Then again, maybe I should have a contest to see who can create the most squirm-inducing 80s playlist of all time? Maybe I’ll save that for the “Romantic Mix,” mood music sure to make any teenage girl convulse. But still, if you’ve got any suggestions, I’m all ears.