Mixology: Chex Party Mix

Mixology is a recurring feature in which I take a look at one of the many mix tapes I made over the years. Some are better than others, but all of them are fun to revisit.

Chex Party Mix (12/87)


In December 1987, I was in my junior year of college at UNH, living off-campus for the first time with three roommates. I believe we were preparing for a big blowout party to mark the end of the semester and our monthlong holiday break (man, do I sure miss those). I had the bright idea to make a tape that would totally knock the socks off all the various partygoers.

However, listening to it now, I'm reminded that I was going through a definite mainstream music phase. This was certainly influenced by my roomies; we watched a lot of MTV and listened to a lot of top 40 music. I had to indulge my hard rock/metal tendencies on my Sony Walkman.

I actually took a lot of time crafting this tape to appeal to the disparate constituencies who would hear it: Jocks (my roomies were football players), girls, other people, me. Which explains the Billy Joel song, which I don't even remember liking. And the presence of Steve Winwood, Don Henley and The Firm. Yikes. I also included plenty of comedy throughout from folks like Eddie Murphy and Bob and Doug McKenzie, because who doesn't want to hear comedy on the stereo at a party?

I was using my crappy all-in-one stereo to make the tape, using the dual cassette deck to tape songs off other tapes. The sound quality isn't ideal, but it's okay. So cue the party...I pop in the tape and naturally expect everyone to stop what they're doing and listen to every little nuance. But that's not how parties work, at least not in 1987 in Apt. 9 of Nick's Bricks in Durham, NH. People get loud, people get drunk and people want music to dance to. After a while, I could see folks weren't really digging the tape, so I threw in something else. Probably Billy Joel's Greatest Hits. Hey, the party was fun.

Side A
Louie Louie - John Belushi
The Beerhunter - Bob & Doug McKenzie
It's Tricky - Run DMC
Shock the Monkey - Peter Gabriel
Watching the Detectives - Elvis Costello
Girlfriend is Better (live) - Talking Heads
Singers - Eddie Murphy
Under My Thumb - The Rolling Stones
The Boys of Summer - Don Henley
I Missed Again - Phil Collins

Side B
Welcome to Side 2 - Bob & Doug McKenzie
Doug's Mouth - Bob & Doug McKenzie
Where Have All the Good Times Gone? - Van Halen
Soul Man (live) - Blues Brothers
Big Man on Mulberry Street - Billy Joel
Once in a Lifetime (live) - Talking Heads
The World Where You Live - Crowded House
Ice Cream Man - Van Halen
Ice Cream Man - Eddie Murphy
Lil' Devil - The Cult
Split Decision - Steve Winwood
Radioactive - The Firm
Happy Trails - Van Halen




Huh?



Yeah: