Mixed Doubles Tapes By Helen Bach

As any self respecting music lover knows the mixed tape is an amazing gift to receive as well as give. Its funny how many relationships began with a song or with ‘songs’..


This fine day I was on my way to work and hit the shuffle button to be awoken to the blaring horn of Harry Connick Jr. “I…. know you…….so well………”, amazing.

And so began my thoughts. Funny how intense the simple selection of songs can be. Awhile back I invested in a nifty iTouch and just recently loaded all my ‘mixed’ discs’ on to it. Yay hit shuffle and its memory lane.


The best thing about the mix is without the paper.. you have no idea whats up next. We can swing from Harry Connick to Modern English in one fell swoop. Remember searching out the lines of songs you thought pertained to you? What was it in that song that made its creator add it to YOUR tape?

I remember back making cassettes with an auxiliary microphone and making sure the room was quiet. I hated my dog, the doorbell and the phone the most. That would ruin the perfect transfer. Remember the hum of sound in the background? Awesomeness. As Iman mentioned in an earlier post times have changed … quality remains true now, and its just a click drag away from your own party play list.

But…lets get back to the mix.


I’m going to speak as a woman now…well I guess offer you insight on the workings of a music obsessed woman.

The right mix can change EVERYTHING.


Getting a mixed tape is almost as if youre going to uncover a treasure or open a mystery. Get a feel for things, your own ‘State of the Union’. Ive tried to reciprocate but I fail miserably at it. I’m too flighty.

Imagine if you will a play list that leads from Griffin House to the Tragically Hip…crazy


I love when i get them and they come with a disclaimer ‘this one doesn’t mean anything its just stuff Id thought you’d like’


From these magical discs Ive watched (or heard) love start and grow (Whisper to a Scream), and heard myself being protected (theme from Underdog anyone?) What I’m getting at here is that if cotton is the fabric of our lives, music can be the soundtrack to our love.


So today as I wanted to think up my new ‘playlist’ to dissect for you instead I smashed face first into my own history. You cant help but smile at times gone by. Hear how your lives have changed and grown. I wish I had the ability to pull together a mix of songs to detail how I feel with drums and guitars. Songs touch me, songs remind me but to pinpoint songs that absolutely rocket to the soul of the person you love is an art better than any.

So then.. I ask you how well do you know you’re ‘other’ or the girl or gent you’re ‘courting’? Can you settle in to itunes and genius your way to a decent recording or can you just sit in a chair and say……….that’s it! Putting together a medley of yourselves as a couple? Consider that your homework my friends.

For old times sake carefully compile a mixed tape for someone. The receiver will be thrilled, you as the giver will feel validated…….and years from now you’ll be able to pull over your car as it comes up in “shuffle” and exclaim:


“HOLY SMOKES I AM IN LOVE!! (cuz sometime ya forget) or ‘HOLY SMOKES THOSE WERE THE DAYS!”


either that or youll just throw the damn thing out the window……suppose it all depends on beat