Since we began tracking through the tapes in this series of sonic valentines, we've been delighted to feature the lovely, slightly leaning to the left penmanship of the woman who would become MRS. HERC less than three years after the initial tapes were dubbed. When HERC dusted off and cracked tape "E" open, there was a little disclaimer, written on a folded Post it™ Note by HERC himself tucked inside, between the cassette and the j-card:
Dolby Noise Reduction was a big thing back in the Eighties, appearing on most tape decks as well as their car stereo, boombox and Walkman-style counterparts. The most common form, the one used on most prerecorded cassettes and widely available on playback devices, was Dolby B, a holdover from the late Sixties. In 1980, Dolby C came to market and was HERC's preferred format to record in, regardless of whether his intended tape recipient could take full advantage of the technology on their playback deck of choice. The last Sony dual dubbing tape deck that HERC owned (OK, owns) featured not just Dolby B + C but also Dolby S.
The first nine songs on Side A were HERC's favorite Loverboy songs up until that time. (He'd have a couple more after 1984. What? You didn't?) Since he has no idea why or how the compilation came about, here's how HERC imagines the conversation that gave birth to the concept went:
- her: Gosh, they play "Working For The Weekend" on the radio too darn much. Doesn't Loverboy have any other songs the DJs could play?
- him: (starts listing songs from the first three Loverboy albums, all of which he is intimately familiar with)
- her: Wow, that's a lot of songs I've never heard before (smiles gorgeous dimple-cheeked smile)
- him: I'll make you a tape
- her: This will be the fifth tape you've made me. I shall label it "E" cause you're a cutie
- him: (blushes)
The tenth and final song on Side A is one of HERC's favorite Tom Petty songs, a song he believes to be true this day: "You Got Lucky". He got lucky when he found her and that luck has continued on through the past 30 years with no end in sight.
Side B is filled with nothing but HERC faves, plain and simple. Whether he was showing off or not back then, now he's pretty sure MRS. HERC would only recognize a couple of these songs by title and maybe a few more once she heard them. The whole composition of this tape makes HERC wonder if it was one he had made for himself that he ended up giving to his girl?
| | | SIDE A | | 46:26 |
| 1980 | | The Kid Is Hot Tonite | Loverboy | 04:29 |
| 1980 | | Turn Me Loose | Loverboy | 05:38 |
| 1981 | | Working For The Weekend | Loverboy | 03:41 |
| 1981 | | When It's Over | Loverboy | 05:09 |
| 1981 | | Lucky Ones | Loverboy | 03:50 |
| 1981 | | Take Me To The Top | Loverboy | 06:12 |
| 1983 | | Hot Girls In Love | Loverboy | 03:59 |
| 1983 | | Strike Zone | Loverboy | 06:00 |
| 1983 | | Queen of The Broken Hearts | Loverboy | 03:50 |
| 1982 | | You Got Lucky | Tom Petty | 03:38 |
| | | | | |
| | | SIDE B | | 45:04 |
| 1981 | | Lunatic Fringe | Red Rider | 04:23 |
| 1982 | | Eye Of The Tiger | Survivor | 04:04 |
| 1979 | | In The City | Joe Walsh | 03:55 |
| 1983 | | Fake Friends | Joan Jett | 03:23 |
| 1983 | | The Walls Came Down | The Call | 03:39 |
| 1981 | | Heavy Metal (Takin' A Ride) | Don Felder | 04:43 |
| 1981 | | Think It Over / Maybe Baby | The Cars | 09:59 |
| 1984 | | Baby Come Back | Billy Rankin | 03:04 |
| 1984 | | Round And Round | Ratt | 04:26 |
| 1981 | | Going Under | Devo | 03:28 |
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