We all remember (well those of us above a certain age) putting together a mixtape – choosing the exact collection of tracks, spending hours putting them in the best order, designing the perfect(ish) cover.
And now, the mixtape is back in a new epic visionary form. First out of the starting blocks is a Manchester mixtape EV001:Manchester from Sarah Lay & Dan Slee, promising to be the start of a new era of lovingly crafted compilations.
I’ve jumped on the bandwagon, and together with Jamie Summerfield, produced EV002:Summertime. Unfortunately I don’t have the technology (or lack of it) to produce an actual C90 and Mixtape for You didn’t want to work for Jamie, but here’s a link to the Spotify playlist (every track bar one).
And the cover:
And the tracklist (with comments from the compilers):
Side A compiled by Jamie Summerfield
- Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles
“This had to be on there, little darlings!” - Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
“No Summertime mixtape would be complete without some sun-drenched Beach Boys vibes. Cliches? Moi?” - At The River – Groove Armada
“You can smell the briny sea air, seaweed and candyfloss” - Saturday Sun – Nick Drake
“Best played on a sunny Saturday morning! Beautifully chilled out” - Pure Shores – All Saints
“Shimmering pop perfection from The Beach soundtrack” - Wake Up Boo! – The Boo Radleys
“The sap’s rising on this one – bring on the horns!” - Sorted For Es and Whizz – Pulp
“Ah, Mr Cocker. Glad you could make it. The soundtrack to that perfect summer festival” - Waterfall – Stone Roses
“There’s no song I’d rather hear on a balmy summer’s night. Crystalline and cool as hell” - Cherry Blossom Girl – Air
“Ethereal magic from Air – aural blossom floating on the breeze…” - Don’t Falter – Mint Royale
“Classic summer sunshine featuring the fragrant Lauren Laverne on vocals (Save6Music by the way)” - Girls and Boys – Blur
“Ah, the glorious summer of Britpop in 1995. This sums it up for me”
Side B compiled by Russell Tanner
- Seagulls – P J Harvey
“the pure sound of the seaside” - Let’s Go Surfing – The Drums
“and what do you do at the seaside except…go surfing of course!” - California Soul – Marlena Shaw
“an absolute summer classic…funky and laidback” - Feel The Sun – Tindersticks
“a wee bit depressing, but summer’s not just about fun!” - Asleep On A Sunbeam – Belle and Sebastian
“jingly jangly sunny loveliness, the chorus sums up the feeling of summer” - Summertime – Fun Boy Three
“Soooooo many versions of this song to choose from, but I’ve gone for the Fun Boy Three version because it reminds me of childhood summers and because they’re a fave of Sarah Lay!” - Honolulu Rock-a Roll-a – Kitty Daisy & Lewis
“a grass skirt and coconut bra of a song” - Long Hot Summer – The Style Council
“class” - Unforgettable Season – Cut Copy
“like the memory of a summer several years ago, when it was really hot every day and you swore you’d be best friends forever” - See Jungle! (Jungle Boy) – Bow Wow Wow
“a really fresh, optimistic sound – always reminds me of the famous dejuner sur l’herbe cover. And in tribute to Malcolm McLaren RIP” - At War With The Sun – The Big Pink
“sums up my struggle with sunburn over the years. Also, Dominoes was a bit rubbish and got overplayed, but there were some nice tracks like this on The Big Pink’s album – appeals to the JAMC fan in me” - Genius Of Love – Tom Tom Club
“big, smiley, infectious NYC summer song” - Let The Sunshine In (Reprise) – The Fifth Dimension
“rounding things off with some hippy love-in stuff (requires nude dancing and afro wigs)”
Next up is EV003: alt.87-92 from John Armstrong-Prior, which from a sneak peek at the artwork is going to be a real doozy.
You can find out more and keep up with the epic visionary mixtapes at http://epicmixtape.tumblr.com/