fizzi~jayne's mix tape

Do you remember mixtapes?

Blank tape

This image brings back so many memories, my friends and I would make compilations on cassettes for each other all the time. I also remember recording the top 40 every Sunday and trying to pause when the DJ started talking. I think I might have some cassettes in the loft, nothing to play them on though! CDs overtook cassette tapes in popularity in the early 90s so I'm probably showing my age!

Anyway, I thought for my first blog post on my brand new website, I would share a bit more about myself and share the mixtape I put together for Issue 6 of the Procrastination Paper which you can also listen to on Spotify here.

What is the Procrastination Paper?

It's a colourful monthly mini mag by Zabby Allen which encourages you to put your phone down for a little while and Waste Some Time Offline. The paper aims to help you procrastinate in more productive and creative ways, it's full of articles, artwork, games and interactive sections to keep you entertained.

Every month the Procrastination Paper has a mixtape and I had the opportunity to put one together with the categories Zabby gave me.

Music is always playing whilst I work and I thought it would be fun to share the reasons behind the tracks I've chosen along with some that didn't make the final list.

My Playlist

Travel
Kelly Clarkson, Since U Been Gone
There were so many I could have chosen for this. I was thinking about the songs that are great for driving to on long journeys. I was looking at more rock anthems, from the likes of Queen and the Foo Fighters but as I scrolled through songs I came across this which I'd forgotten about and thought, yes!

Another song I could have gone for is Travellers Tune by Ocean Colour Scene just because of the title. When I think of my first girls' holiday I think of Macarena by Los Del Rio, it was played everywhere! I can probably still remember the dance routine 🙈

Dance Around
The Killers, Mr. Brightside
This always fills a dance floor and a favourite of mine.

Nostalgia
Bon Jovi, Livin' On A Prayer
I could not have a mixtape without a Bon Jovi track and this is a classic! There were so many I could have picked, I grew up with my Dad playing The Who, Rolling Stones, Bowie, Queen and Led Zepplin. I also remember listening to the Golden hour on Radio 1 and loving Motown.

I had to pick Bon Jovi though because it would have been wrong not to. I have seen them live soooo many times and when most of my friends were listening to Take That (back in the 90s) I found Bon Jovi and have been loyal to them ever since!

Chill out
Craig Armstrong, Romeo and Juliet: The Balcony Scene
I could have selected any of Craig Armstrong's music for this category but I chose the one we had played at our wedding whilst we signed the register. You might recognise Craig Armstrong's music as he composes a lot of for films and TV, this particular one is from Baz Luhrmann's version of Romeo and Juliet.

Sing Along
Taylor Swift, Shake it off
There was a risk that all my selections were going to be Rock and Britpop so I went full on pop with this one. It's such a catchy, uplifting tune and great to sing along to if you are having a bad day.

Happy
Pharrell Williams, Happy
You can't help but be, well, happy when this plays!

Motivational
Echobelly, Great Things
Back to the 90s for this one. With lines like "I want to do great things, I don't want to compromise" this was my anthem through my teen years and still is now when I need motivation.

Bonus Track
Bloc Party, Two More Years
This was difficult as it could have been anything! I opted for this song as it's not only a great track but it was a song that was played a lot on the radio when I met my hubby. Had this not been a song about a break up we would have had it as our first dance. Instead we had Snow Patrol, Chasing Cars, which was also a contender for this category, but I wanted a livelier track to end the mix tape on.

Rocking out
Foo Fighters, Run
This category wasn't in the paper however, like Bon Jovi, a playlist is not complete without a Foo Fighters track. This is another band I have seen live A LOT! Although my favourite Foo Fighters song is Best of You, I thought I'd pick a more recent one of theirs from 2017. When I saw them play this live last year it was AWESOME!

I would class myself as an indie/rock kinda gal but when I went through the CDs/ playlists I listen to, it turns out I have quite an eclectic taste ranging across different decades and genres. It was very hard to narrow it down, there were so many I could have picked. Music plays an important part in my life, it got me through teenage angst, break ups, it motivates and makes me happy. I love live music and I love to dance (I may not be any good but as Gloria Estefan once said, the Rhythm Is Gonna Get You!).

What would you have on your mixtape?

If you are interested in the Procrastination Paper you can subscribe or buy previous issues on the website here.