Right to a Slice
Ah...the mix tape. Such a sentimental old-school practice. A mix tape could symbolize the beginning of a relationship, the end of one, to mark a vacation, to celebrate a word, or for no reason at all. This particular mix tape has a more interesting story behind it.
Many years ago – I would have to say almost twenty five or twenty six at this point – I used to work at a record store in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC. The store closed at midnight every night, so after work, we would head a few blocks away to the best place to be – a club called Poseur’s. We’d dance the night away until closing time.
One particular Friday or Saturday night, Lisa and Tony met me after work and we had one of our typical nights...until we left. We were driving up Canal Road to get to the Beltway so I could drop them off in Rockville on the way back to my home in Bowie. Right out of Georgetown, we came across an accident. A car had careened off the road and into a tree. The driver was alive, but definitely hurt. His friends had been following behind him and had also pulled over to the side of the road, as did we. We recognized them – they had also been at Poseur’s that night. The driver was freaked out and all he could think about was the fact that he had a “piece” in his car (a handgun) and asked for it to be removed from the car and hidden somewhere in the forest so that he could come and retrieve it at a later point. We all waited for the ambulance to arrive and kept talking to the driver and his friends, to make sure they all stayed calm and conscious. The ambulance took him away – several broken bones, if I remember correctly. Somehow, we ended up either driving one of the passengers home, or following their car home – I’m a little sketchy on those details. When we got to their house, the friend pulled a mix tape out of his car and handed it to me, to thank us for being “so cool.” Printed on the Maxell label were the words “RIGHT TO A SLICE”. We listened to the tape that night and thought it was the coolest tape ever.
The tape ended up in my possession and I found it yesterday. I immediately popped it into the cassette player (yes, I still have one) to see what was on it.
And here is the tracklisting. Remember, it was the 80s!!
SIDE A:
1. Some instrumental song with a man with a cockney accent giving directions...”Take Bay Walker Road to Notting Hill Gate...third left around Marble Arch...left again at the bottom of Park Lane...”
2. Some other weird bizarre instrumental.
3. Another instrumental. I write the word “Sorta” next to the tracklisting. (By now I am wondering why this tape has held such a spell over me for all of these years.)
4. Kim Wilde “Can You Hear It”
5. The Smiths “What Difference Does it Make”
6. The Specials “Ghost Town”
7. Lene Lovich “Bird Song”
8. Psychedelic Furs “Heaven”
9. Expression “With Closed Eyes”
10. Talk Talk “Such a Shame”
11. Simple Minds “I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night”
12. Ministry “The Light Pours Out of me”
SIDE B:
1. Bram Tchaikovsky “Girl of My Dreams”
2. Lyrics are: “I’ve got a secret, I wish I could tell you, I’ve got a secret, you.” I have googled the hell out of this and cannot come up with the artist/title!
3. The Jam “That’s Entertainment”
4. Another song that google is failing me on...lyrics contain “color shades...beating hearts...cheating hearts...”
5. Thompson Twins “No Peace for the Wicked”
6. Language “Touch the Radio Dance”
7. X “We’re Having Much More Fun”
8. Oingo Boingo “Grey Matter”
9. The Surburbs “Love is the Law”
10. Blancmange “That’s Love That it is”
11. The Cure “The Walk”
12. And of course the tape ends with another song that I can’t figure out the title/artist of...and the quality of the tape is so crappy that I can’t barely make out the words...all I have is “flowers they hope they grow...”
Any help that anyone has to help with filling in the holes, especially on Side B, is appreciated.
Ultimately, I think the tape is better in memory than reality. But then again, sometimes isn't life?
Many years ago – I would have to say almost twenty five or twenty six at this point – I used to work at a record store in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC. The store closed at midnight every night, so after work, we would head a few blocks away to the best place to be – a club called Poseur’s. We’d dance the night away until closing time.
One particular Friday or Saturday night, Lisa and Tony met me after work and we had one of our typical nights...until we left. We were driving up Canal Road to get to the Beltway so I could drop them off in Rockville on the way back to my home in Bowie. Right out of Georgetown, we came across an accident. A car had careened off the road and into a tree. The driver was alive, but definitely hurt. His friends had been following behind him and had also pulled over to the side of the road, as did we. We recognized them – they had also been at Poseur’s that night. The driver was freaked out and all he could think about was the fact that he had a “piece” in his car (a handgun) and asked for it to be removed from the car and hidden somewhere in the forest so that he could come and retrieve it at a later point. We all waited for the ambulance to arrive and kept talking to the driver and his friends, to make sure they all stayed calm and conscious. The ambulance took him away – several broken bones, if I remember correctly. Somehow, we ended up either driving one of the passengers home, or following their car home – I’m a little sketchy on those details. When we got to their house, the friend pulled a mix tape out of his car and handed it to me, to thank us for being “so cool.” Printed on the Maxell label were the words “RIGHT TO A SLICE”. We listened to the tape that night and thought it was the coolest tape ever.
The tape ended up in my possession and I found it yesterday. I immediately popped it into the cassette player (yes, I still have one) to see what was on it.
And here is the tracklisting. Remember, it was the 80s!!
SIDE A:
1. Some instrumental song with a man with a cockney accent giving directions...”Take Bay Walker Road to Notting Hill Gate...third left around Marble Arch...left again at the bottom of Park Lane...”
2. Some other weird bizarre instrumental.
3. Another instrumental. I write the word “Sorta” next to the tracklisting. (By now I am wondering why this tape has held such a spell over me for all of these years.)
4. Kim Wilde “Can You Hear It”
5. The Smiths “What Difference Does it Make”
6. The Specials “Ghost Town”
7. Lene Lovich “Bird Song”
8. Psychedelic Furs “Heaven”
9. Expression “With Closed Eyes”
10. Talk Talk “Such a Shame”
11. Simple Minds “I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night”
12. Ministry “The Light Pours Out of me”
SIDE B:
1. Bram Tchaikovsky “Girl of My Dreams”
2. Lyrics are: “I’ve got a secret, I wish I could tell you, I’ve got a secret, you.” I have googled the hell out of this and cannot come up with the artist/title!
3. The Jam “That’s Entertainment”
4. Another song that google is failing me on...lyrics contain “color shades...beating hearts...cheating hearts...”
5. Thompson Twins “No Peace for the Wicked”
6. Language “Touch the Radio Dance”
7. X “We’re Having Much More Fun”
8. Oingo Boingo “Grey Matter”
9. The Surburbs “Love is the Law”
10. Blancmange “That’s Love That it is”
11. The Cure “The Walk”
12. And of course the tape ends with another song that I can’t figure out the title/artist of...and the quality of the tape is so crappy that I can’t barely make out the words...all I have is “flowers they hope they grow...”
Any help that anyone has to help with filling in the holes, especially on Side B, is appreciated.
Ultimately, I think the tape is better in memory than reality. But then again, sometimes isn't life?
posted by Princess Leah at 11:51 AM
1 comments
