I really must stop doing this. I started this post back on 12th January, because I saw this article in the Telegraph - it’s the 25th anniversary of the first ‘Now That’s What I Call Music’ compilations.
It’s now old news, but I reckon it’s worth a post in any case, because I *loved* Now That’s What I Call Music cassettes when I was growing up. It also got me reminiscing…
When I was 9 or 10 I got a cassette player not dissimilar to this:
- Cassette Player
Image Credit Photophonic via Flickr
Mine was hot pink as I recall… Which obviously is very important when you’re 9 or 10.
I also remember that as the batteries used to run down (but before they were completely flat), the cassette player used to play the tapes slightly slower then usual. Which used to annoy me, because it meant my precious music sounded rubbish.
My Mum eventually got sick my constant pestering for new batteries and bought me an AC adapter.
I think she may have later regretted this, as when I had to make the batteries last I would ration my cassette playing, but once I got the AC adapter - it was on all the time.
The first cassette I bought was ‘Now That’s What I Call Music - Volume 8′. A tape which as far as I was concerned had it all - Notorious by Duran Duran; Word Up by Cameo; Showing Out by Mel & Kim, Higher Love by Steve Winwood, Walk this Way by Run DMC. Seriously brilliant.
I think I bought all of the Now That’s What I Call Music tapes up until volume 15 or 16. See, they were really good value - I think they used to cost around £6.99 or so from Woolworths (God I am so sad about Woolworths closing - end of an era huh?) AND they were double cassettes. An excellent investment of pocket money.
I would make up dance routines, sing-along. Spend hours fast-forwarding or rewinding to get to the songs I wanted to hear most.
Incidentally, I remember rewinding was faster than fast-forwarding; and so if I needed to fast-forward I would eject the cassette, turn it over and rewind it instead.
I would also record songs off of the radio. And spend hours and hours making mixtapes.
Now that’s what I call commitment!
Bah - for the kids of today it’s just all too easy. They can create playlists rather than mix tapes, they can skip to whichever track they want - no rewinding and fast fowarding for them.
I’ll leave you with a truly brilliant song by PM Dawn which I remember just loving, it gave me the title of this post and it seems kinda apt 
Oh, and for those interested in pop-tastic pop facts - here’s some I half-inched from Wikipedia
- It reached no. 3 in the UK and no. 1 in the US.
- The song takes samples from True by Spandau Ballet (and Tony Hadley appears in the video); and Paid in Full by Eric B and Rakim.
- The lyrics refer various other songs - “careless whisper from a careless man” refers to Careless Whisper by Wham; “a neutron dance for a neutron fan” refers to Neutron Dance by the Pointer Sisters; “Christina Applegate you gotta put me on” refers to Bonita Applebum by A Tribe Called Quest; and the opening verse is influenced by the Joni Mitchell’s The Boho Dance - the original “a camera pans the cocktail hour / behind a blind of potted palms” became “the camera pans the cocktail glass / behind a blind of plastic plants”
- It was covered by the Backstreet Boys.
Hit up the comments with your songs from way back when… guilty pleasures my loves…
on Jan 14th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
My first ‘Now’ album was Now 28 which i purchased on cassettes when i was 11 years old. I bought it because it was the only compilation album that had on it both a song by the prodigy and one by ace of base! They are both guilty pleasures of mine.
Heres a link to the Now 28 album:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thats-What-Call-Music-Vol-28/dp/B0000075H7
I didn’t buy many compilation albums when i was young but the ones i did were legendry (to me anyway). I also collected Texaco petrol station vouchers and got ‘Dance Massive’. Here’s another link:
http://www.discogs.com/release/725793
It had songs like What Is Love by Haddaway and Informer by Snow….. Awesome!!
The other quality album i bought was called ‘The best rap album in the world ever’. Which lived up to its name - I haven’t found a better rap album since! Another link:
http://cd.ciao.co.uk/Best_Rap_Album_In_The_World_ever_The_Various_Artists__5982300
this had songs like Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio, Rapper’s Delight by Sugarhill Gang…and of course not forgetting ‘Set Adrift On Memory Bliss ‘ by PM Dawn.
Does anyone remember the albums i bought? Did you buy the same ones? What are your thoughts on my album purchases!?
on Jan 14th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Great post, happy days
I had a red cassette player and a copy of ‘Smash Hits and Party 1988′. My parents only had a radio player in the car, so I used to bring the player with me into the car for the full lo-fi experience.
My Dad didn’t appreciate it too much when Roxette “Crash” came on.
Here’s a picture of what the car looked like, so you can live the moment: http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/psa/visa/images/visa05.jpg
on Jan 15th, 2009 at 9:20 am
@ Will
Firstly stop making me feel old with your youngness - 11 when Now 28 came out - meh!
Now 28’s a bit of a mixed bag eh? I loved Inside by Stiltskin; and Dream on Dreamer by the Brand New Heavies still sounds brilliant. There’s some proper nonsense on there though Meet the Flintstones by the B52’s? ‘Nuff said
Dance Massive looks pretty amazing actually - Rhythm is a Dancer; I Like to Move It; Ride On Time; Ebeneezer Goode (the Shamen making no attempt whatsoever to pretend that they’re song wasn’t about ecstasy - “E’s are good; E’s are good”) and of course Informer.
I’m also loving the best rap album in the world ever - kinda strange mish-mash on there huh? Truly brilliant White Lines, Karmacoma; but frankly slightly dodgy MC Hammer… I do have happy memories of Warren Gee’s Regulate; though I’m slightly embarassed to admit it.
I’m very glad you remember PM Dawn; had a listen to it last night - bopping around my flat.
on Jan 15th, 2009 at 9:31 am
@ Tom
Thanks for stopping by!
Smash Hits sets me off straight away. I loved that magazine so much. I’ve not been able to find a track listing for ‘88; but you can’t go wrong with a bit of Roxette.
Although I do think they lost their way somewhat. Do you remember the hilarious lyrics from ‘Joyride” - “and she’s telling all her secrets, in a wonderful balloon” - hmmm… worrying.
on Feb 4th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Hello,
Thank you! I would now go on this blog every day!
Thank you
Rufor
on Feb 5th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Hi Rufor,
Glad you enjoyed the post - I went to have a look at your blog, but unfortunately I only speak English (and don’t even manage to do that particularly well) - so I couldn’t contribute in any way…
Anyway - hope to see you back here again sometime