Wednesday, June 04, 2008

An Assignment I'm Looking Forward To

Father's Day is coming up. In an effort to avert receiving any more XXL sweatshirts, thorlo socks, books that he likely won't get around to reading, and kitchen gadgets that we know he won't ever use, my dad has given each of his three children a Father's Day Gift Assignment: For us to each make him a CD of a variety of our favorite music, our favorite songs. We are not to select songs that we think he will like (like we've done in the past), we are only to put songs on the CD of music we truly love. He thinks it will be a way to get to know each of us better as well getting three new compilation CDs of good music. I'm looking forward to this assignment and really want to pick key songs that reflect the music that I truly love. I know that the music of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (my faves) will be represented and I'm guessing some Cold Play, Fleetwood Mac and who knows, maybe even Van Halen will make the cut. This will be fun, because, then, hey, I'll have my own compilation of Sarah's faves.

My dad always made great mixed tapes for long car rides to Kentucky when we were growing up. My favorite one that he played oh so many times is called "Foot's Favorites." I wish I could remember exactly what all was on it and I wish I had a copy of it right this very minute. There were some Rolling Stones tracks, there was a Canned Heat song, and there was that 60's song about "Little Red Riding Hood." For my 18th Birthday, my dad gave me a mixed tape that he made called "Bird's 18th Birthday Tape" (real original, that one). I wore that thing out listening to it and to this day every time I hear the song "Brown Sugar" on the radio, I automatically wait for Nanci Griffith's "Once in a Very Blue Moon" to come on next. I can't find my copy of "Bird's 18th" but from what I remember here's what it had:

Dancing on the Wall, version 1--Velvet Bombers (KY friends of my dad's)
Dancing on the Wall, version 2--VBs
Suspicious Minds--Elvis
White Rabbit--Jefferson Starship
My Home's Across the Blueridge Mountains--Ralph Stanley (?)
Something by Dave Bruebeck
Brown Sugar--Rolling Stones
Blue Moon-Nanci Griffith
Sylvie--Sweet Honey in the Rock
The Canadian Nathional Anthem performed by an orchestra (?)

Gosh I wish I could remember the rest, in the order they were played. I'll try to dig that up.

What 10 songs would be on a CD that represented the music that you love?

4 comments:

susannah said...

You just can't beat a Dad who makes mixed tapes. It would take some pondering to come up with the top 10. Have fun trying.

peb said...

Not to get all English major-y here, but isn't it a "mix tape"? I've never heard this phrase "mixed tape" before. Maybe it's a Southern thing and I just haven't noticed before.

I'm pretty sure if I gave my Dad a mix tape of my favorite songs for Father's Day, that would be his version of hell. Unless I had some Hank Williams Sr. or Johnny Cash on it which in all probability, I wouldn't.

Bird Spot said...

Well, I certainly don't e-nun-ci-ate the 'ed' when I use this phrase, so it comes out sounding the same. The way I've spelled it is how I've always operationalized this phrase. I did google it and it appears that your version shows up more. David also says it's "mixed." The word "mixtape" is apparently used too. I will stick with mixed tape.

Just curious--do you also say, "I'm having a party at my house on Sat. Come, and bring a cover dish."?

peb said...

No, I don't because I never have parties at my house.