Mix tape memories: Rewind to the 80s! Three reader recollections
Lou Ottens, the inventor of the cassette tape, passed away earlier this month. Here, we give tribute to the man and his legacy – the mix tape…
‘It celebrates the sheer joy of female friendship’
THannah Verdier, 48, an editorial consultant, from London
he moment I put my ‘Dazey Age’ cassette in my trusty old tape deck, I’m transported back to the carefree Summer of 1990, driving my silver Mini, best friend Emma by my side.
Emma was my first nonschool friend and, while I spent hours revising for my A-levels, she was hanging around record shops, chatting to the coolest boys about music. She made me that precious tape – it was the ‘Madchester’ era, so she taught me about The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and The Charlatans.
That Summer, the label peeled off ‘Dazey Age’ and it got jammed in the car stereo. I didn’t care, because it became the soundtrack to turning 18. Even now, when I hear The Soup Dragons’ I’m Free, I get a feeling of excitement. Life was changing, my world was expanding, the possibilities were endless.
Emma was beautiful and hanging out with her gave me access to a whole new world, meeting boys, going to raves (completely sober, as I was the designated driver) and living every moment listening to the songs on those tapes. She transformed me from a nerdy small-town sixth-former to her cool wing-woman.
At the end of that Summer, when I left for university, I was a different person because of her and the times we had listening to that precious cassette. Emma took me out of my sensible zone, whether by wearing massive flares or venturing down dark lanes to find an illegal rave in the woods.
A mix tape is the best gift you can give and no boyfriend could make one anywhere near as special – or brilliant – as the one that celebrates the sheer joy of female friendship.
I see my 11-year-old daughter and her best friend bonding over raps on TikTok now and I’m excited to think of them having the kind of times Emma and I had – hopefully without the illegal parties!