The Humble Mix Tape

At school I was never good at sports; I was no street fighting man and defiantly not the pretty boy that all the girls swooned over. So I used my knowledge of music to impress others and win new friends. I began producing completion tapes that I would distribute to the key people at school, (the big kids) the main reason for this was that it prevented me from getting my head kicked in and gave me a certain amount of kudos as I had the tunes before anyone else.

Like many kids of my generation, I sat with my hand on the pause button waiting for that essential tune to come on. What you have to remember is, this is before the Superstar DJs, Mega Global Clubs, 24 hour music TV, digital radio, the urban music revolution, Billy jean, cool bars, CDs House music and internet music downloads so the radio show in question was on at about 2am on a Friday night and to begin with many of my school mates did not even know it was on.

Soon though, word spread about the radio show and I lost my edge. There was only one thing for it, I had to buy some tunes!

I sold tapes to finance my collection and soon word spread that I was the boy to see if you wanted the latest hot tunes. The only problem was I had to bunk of school to travel into London to buy my records.

The shop in question was Blue Bird Records on the Edgware Rd which was about an hour bus ride from my school.

I always think how funny the staff must have found it to see a small 12 year old boy waiting patiently to hear that one special track. (I was the brunt of many of their jokes and practical jokes).

The desire to produce better compilations (a mixed compilation) is what drove me to investing in a set of decks. I remember my first turntables, a pair of direct drive HMV decks (forget Technics 1200s back then if they existed they were out of everyone’s reach).

I have never lost the desire to produce the ultimate mix tape, the only problem is nowadays people's expectations and my personal drive means the humble mix tape has becomes a mammoth project.

I Hope you enjoy this selection of mixes, and please come back, as I will regularly update them.