This week’s theme is to make a mixtape of your favorite dance music or dance club mixes. It was requested by our very good friend of mixtape – Kir from The Kir Corner. She lost her brother suddenly at the end of they year, he loved music so much. And especially mixing up the dance music as a DJ.
What better way to honor his life than to boogie on down with him in mind?
There are three distinctive times in my life dance or club music were prominent.
In the mid-late 80’s first at under age clubs; our’s was called McGreevy’s or lovingly McSleezy’s. It was strictly under 18, with a bar, so that was cool. Because, you know, you could walk up to the bar and order a coke. Then when I passed the 18 benchmark I was old enough to play with the big folks and spend the end of the 80’s hanging out at Medusa’s – the hottest alternative dance club in Chicago.
Random 80’s memory alert: Do you remember creepers? They were like wearing Doc Martins, but more like a shoe with an even bigger sole and wider rounded toes?
In my mid 20’s we (me, my sister, and our friend Chris, a boy, who could seriously dance) started going to a club in Chicago (that for the life of me I can’t remember the name of) which only played disco music. Now THAT rocked! They had the colored floor ala Saturday Night Fever, the disco ball, even the freaks dressing up like it was still the 70’s. However I really covered the 70’s pretty thoroughly over at Raised on the Radio for this post. So if you’re craving 70’s disco head over there.
And then there was the late 90’s (my late 20’s) my sister and I were both unmarried with really good jobs and basically had more money than we knew what to do with. OK not really. But we had enough to take two cruises a year and that was AWESOME! We got so into it, bought the ball gowns for the formal dinners and everything. We loved it so much that I got married on a cruise ship! Wait…where was I going? Oh right! Disco on the cruise ship! I was so not listening to pop music in the 90’s certainly not club music. But thanks to those cruises there will be some songs I will never forget, even if I try to scrub my brain from the inside out and stick hot pokers into my ears.
Enough time has not passed to make me revisit songs like Mambo #5 and I’m Blue (Da Ba Dee) but, amazingly, enough has passed that I actually find I enjoy listening to the songs from my first foray into clubbing.
Stomping With My Creepers and Bringing The House Down
And now….if everyone could please follow me to the dark side? Here you will see a 18yo Jen, well, you won’t recognize her. But she will be doing a dance that could only be described as the stomp. Basically hundreds of kids stomping their feet in time to the beat in their giant creepers or Doc Martin’s on the second floor of an old brownstone in Chicago to a new trend that would be known in the future as 80’s New Wave Music. It’s a wonder the floor never caved in.
Ministry with Everyday is Halloween – By the way, this song was our anthem. “Why are you dressed like it’s halloween?”
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
Siouxsie & The Banshees with Cities in Dust
The Cure – Close To Me
Sorry I just got so darn nostalgic I couldn’t leave this one out.
The Cure – Love Cats
New Order – Blue Monday
You guys have been so awesome! I appreciate you coming to play so much, now share your MixTape with all of us. The best part of this party is we get to hear so much music that may be new, may be forgotten or may be just what you wanted to hear right now.
These are the rules. Five songs (do your best to stick to it, I really do listen to every mix and I don’t want you to wait). Stick to the theme (as best you can). Try and check out at least two of the other players or more! (everyone wants to share their tunes with you).
Create a mix, not a “hey look at all the cool songs I know” we’re not snobs, if you were our best bud and you were gonna make us a tape, what would it be? And share this party so more people will play next week!
Do me a favor, if you’re a veteran, try to visit at least one person you’ve never visited before.
NOW PLAY
http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=222834
And now, The List of all Lists
January 28 – One of your friends is feeling down and needs to feel better. Make a mix to make him/her feel better. This can be songs you know your friend will love or songs meant to cheer someone up. You decide.
February 4 – A mix to Get Motivated. Whether it’s to workout, write or just get out of bed. Mix it up!
February 11 – Love to Love you baby. (Or friend or kid or dog or cat, whatever)
February 18 – We’re back to your choice, play us what you want, we’ll listen!
February 25 – Guilty Pleasures-the songs and or groups that you hate to admit that you love… (Thank you Sarah from The Sadder but Wiser Girl)
March 4 – If My Life Had A Soundtrack…
If you’re still here, thanks! I would love it if you checked out my site, Raised on the Radio we got hacked a few weeks ago and are eeeekkkking our way back up the search engine ranks, any click-thru or better yet share will help us get back to our rightful place!
