Another Mixtape Monday here at The Hideaway finds us listening to tape KK from the well-known Somewhat Alphabetical Mixtape series.
Another TDK SA90, another written jcard, another chapter in the love story of a boy, a girl and the music that brought them together.
- Side A kicks off appropriately with "Start" from Peter Gabriel's third self-titled album also known as Melt. Interesting way to go.
- "Start" leads directly into "I Don't Remember", the cut that follows it on the album. Please note that 1980's Melt is my preferred Peter Gabriel album both then and now, with every cut a favorite. I'll also add that it is a night album for me, best heard in velvety darkness.
- Up next is Steve Lilywhite's London Mix of The Rolling Stones cover of "Harlem Shuffle", a cut from their 1986 album Dirty Work.
- From one remix we go right into another, the epic Destruction Mix of Paul Hardcastle's "19", a massive electro beatfest with stuttering samples and delicious stereo effects.
- The fifth track on the tape is The Captain Video Mix of "The Honeymooner's Rap" from Joe Piscopo and his much more famous and talented friend Eddie Murphy. This was probably bad even back then yet I included it on a tape for someone I was really into. The fact that you can buy this single or even the entire album for less than a dollar tells you all you need to know.
- George Clinton's "Atomic Dog" comes thundering in as the sixth track on Side A. And this isn't the 4:47 album cut or 4:15 edit, it's the 10:00 Atomic Mix! By the time it's over, I've forgotten all about the previous track.
- The extended remix grooves continue with the Extended Version of Prince's "Kiss". The Extended Version features all sorts of sonic surprises including added instrumentation and lyrics that make it one of Prince's most enjoyable twelve-inch single mixes.
- The final track on Side A of tape KK is the album track "How To Be A Millionaire" from ABC's How To Be A... Zillionaire! While there are extended remixes of the track, it is one of the few ABC songs I would rather not listen to if given a choice. It's busy and grating and in hindsight, not a good way to close out the side.
- "Tarzan Boy" kicks off Side B in its Extended Dance Version and I got nothing but love for this one. It's silly and stupid and reminds me of good times. Fun fact: This remix is credited to Juergen Koppers, who also did Village People's "Ready For The 80's", another silly, stupid yet somehow uplifting track.
- The educational "AEIOU Sometimes Y" from Ēbn-Ōzn follows in its 6:27 album length form. I did have the twelve-inch single with 7:30 Long Version - Vocal back then but I don't know why I did not use it. Really, really like some of the effects, voices, and drums on this one. "I dare you to play this record."
- Culture Club's "Love Is Love", a track from the Electric Dreams soundtrack is the third song on the second side of KK. It is lush and smooth and one of my favorite songs from them. Suprised it wasn't released as a single here in the States as the band's fortunes were starting to slide in Summer of 1984 after six consecutive Top 10 hits.
- Continuing down the lush and smooth songs of 1984 route is The Art Of Noise's "Moments In Love" from their (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise! album. Just when I thought "Atomic Dog" was going to be the longest song on the tape, along comes all 10:17 of "Moments In Love". Seems like I might have been setting the mood.
- Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" was one of the first songs my girl and I called our song once we got together and it makes sense that it is here on KK as the fifth song on Side B. Fun fact: Clapton got married in a church just a few miles from the courthouse where the recipient of all these tapes and I tied the knot almost exactly eight years later.
- Next up and continuing the mood is Journey's highest-charting hit "Open Arms" from 1981's Escape. The song was indelibly etched in my mind after it was one of 3 tapes that I listened to endlessly on our move from Illinois to Arizona in late Summer 1981. The song had also been featured in two of my favorite movies as a teenager: Heavy Metal and The Last American Virgin.
- Speaking of soundtracks, "Almost Paradise", the Love Theme from Footloose as performed by the respective lead singers of Loverboy and Heart follows "Open Arms".
- Tape KK closes out with my all-time favorite Phil Collins extended remix, all 8+ minutes of the slow-building "Take Me Home". Great way to end the tape.
Every second of "Moments in Love" is sublime and absolutely necessary. :)
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