a little help.

At the risk of sounding like I’m still obsessing over my pending high school reunion (I’m not. Really.), I’m asking Uncle Crappy readers for some help with my efforts to build a new and improved version of Turbo Pinto.

A little background: I almost completely rebelled against the whole idea of reunions when the 15-year rolled around five years ago. As a way of dealing with my angst, I made a mix tape featuring music that anyone who spent any time in my car (yes, a 1980 Ford Pinto with the highly ironic nickname of Turbo Pinto) would be very familiar with. It wasn’t necessarily an 80s mix — I didn’t really embrace the joyful badness of what the 80s had to offer musically until much later in life — but a mostly representative list off stuff that occupied my ears from 10th grade through graduation.

I don’t have the original song list handy, but I can say the original tape covered a lot of ground: Grateful Dead (only two songs, showing remarkable restraint by me, thankyouverymuch), Stones, U2, Bowie, Pretenders, Velvet Underground, Van Morrison, REM, Wall of Voodoo, Violent Femmes, Modern English, The Police, Talking Heads … you get the idea.

Turbo Pinto was originally done on cassettes. Technology? Pish. But with my well-documented switch to a computer that allows me to burn CDs, I’m envisioning Turbo Pinto 2.0 as a double CD set. And that gives me about an extra hour’s worth of music to play with.

I’ve always been pretty happy with the original — the slam-segue between “Texas Radio and the Big Beat” and “Ashes to Ashes” is definitely one example. But I’ve also thought there is a shortcoming on the tape, as far as the 60s R&B I loved so much goes. So I’m pretty sure that’s going to be addressed in the new version.

I’m equally sure that a few of the songs that just missed the cut for the original tape will make it this time around.

But from there, I’m looking for help. If you knew me in high school, you probably know what we were listening to as we sat in the drive-through of the White Castle at Kenny and Henderson. So what needs to be added to TP 2.0? Make some suggestions in the comments box, and do it quickly, for crying out loud — the reunion is just three weeks away, and these have to be ready to hand out by then.

And if you didn’t know me in high school, make some suggestions anyway. We’re looking at music recorded up until the summer of 1985. We’re not necessarily looking for stuff that was popular then — the list o’ bands above is a decent guide — but I’ll give any suggestions a look. And don’t worry about being off-base because you weren’t there in person — my dying brain cells don’t fire quite as regularly as they used to, and your suggestion may be the trigger for something I forgot from a long time ago.

If you received a copy of the original Turbo Pinto, you’re going to get a copy of TP 2.0 regardless — but send me your stuff anyway. And if you don’t have one of those rare, extremely collectable and highly valuable mixes, this is your chance to get in on the next generation: If I use your suggestion, you get a copy of the new one.

9 thoughts on “a little help.”

  1. JROLLING STONES, can never go wrong with any of that

    Additional U2, REM, Bowie

    Off the wall….Howard Jones, Split Enz, Tubes

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  2. Well, let’s see here – the early, mid-80’s seems so eclectic musically – life seemed pretty good – music was generally happy. Let’s go back to the first concert I attended – it was with you UC – George Thorogood and the Deleware Destroyers – so get one or two of his on there (Bad to the Bone, One Burbon, One Scotch and One Beer – or whatever the title is) – then I move on to a memory of going to a movie with you at the cheap movie theater (a block south of Henderson on High) and seeing the Talking Heads concert on film – where they added one piece of instrument per song – we thought that was sooooo coool! So get Sailsbury Hill and something from Stop Making Sense. I also can’t help but yell “Hunggeek” whenever I hear Won’t Get Fooled Again by The Who, and they say who, and you know. That dates back a bit more than Turbo Pinto 2 may like. Didn’t you and the Gamecock (I’m not making this up) have a hankering for the Boss? Don’t know why I think that – I live in Boss land you know (they also like Bon Jovi – something I can’t even try to explain). I also like the Genesis song used on Miami Vice – where the guy was drowned in the pool (Can’t you feel it, coming in the air tonight, oh Lord . . . Well I remember . . ) There were a bunch of one hit wonders back then – Come on Eileen. Mony Mony by Billy Idol (Sing Mony Mony, hey, hey what, get paid you smuck – those are the words, right?)

    So, Uncle, hopefully this caused a bit of electrical activity in the memory neurons of your brain.

    Can’t wait to see what you choose.

    Adios, and thanks for all the fish.

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  4. oh boy… pointy shoes bands: Loverboy, duran duran. it was the transition to music video time and so there were all those pretty boy bands who had been doing soloflex. walk like an egyptian. midnight movies – the who, the ramones was it?, bands on tour: simple minds, how can you forget buffett… journey and asia (“heat of the moment” anyone??). everything i know and love about the rolling stones i know from you from that epoch… oh and of course michael jackson who, like it or not, seemed to occupy the top of the album charts for something like 4.8 years at that time… i want my mtv heralding the New World. that born in the USA thing. oh man bryan adams and john cougar mellencamp and don henley and glen frey and the THOMPSON TWINS of course and the police (maybe kiesling needs a copy of this playlist too) Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Hall And Oates (!!!). Greg Kihn Band. Little Red Corvette and others by prince…

    etc etc. when i do this i am reminded that we didnt have computers and much on cable tv and the internet and all this other stuff, so we did spend a LOT Of time listening to music… how nice!

    my copy of turbo pinto was eaten by my cassette player. but i have taped it together after having to remove a bit of mangle, so my in cuts are rather dramatic…

    –roy

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  5. I have a suggestion for the cover art, anything having to do with White Castle. You could take pictures of the greasy little bastards, no, not the employees, the burgers. Onion chips, aqua rats, whatever. To be certain, the included items would have to have been available in the mid 80’s. No chicken rings, fish nibblers, or fried clams. Actually, I am not sure about the fried clams, but the other two are right out.

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  6. Abbie: If I had a picture of my old Pinto in the parking lot of the Kenny-Henderson White Castle, it would be a no-brainer. A year ago your brother bestowed upon me a Pinto emblem — stolen FROM MY CAR years ago — and there’s all kinds of possibilities there…

    Roy: It is a very different situation these days, but I have a respite: Two uninterrupted one-hour drives in my car every day. And that’s when the music is especially helpful.

    Everyone: I already noted my interest in the Peter Gabriel suggestion. There are a couple of other suitable choices in Roy’s list … more to come…

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  8. Couple of thoughts, Uncle —

    Boys of Summer, Henly??

    Live Faces, Stay w/ Me or Used to love her

    Something from More Songs about Building and food

    Allmans, you know the catalog better than me…

    Stones, Emotional Rescue, pick ’em, but most likely something from the B Side.

    The Who, Quadrephenia or Whos Next, pick ’em

    Hendrix, Angel or Manic depression

    Jerry and them, in honor of the Southern Gentleman, Brown Eyed Women. Or Althea. Or Dire Wolf for Kiesling. Just Google her, by the way. She’s in Chicago as of like 6 months back.

    Jim and them, in honor of the Southern Gentleman, Soft Parade

    Dylan, Blood on the Tracks, If you see her or pick ’em

    The Band, Stage Fright

    Robin Trower, Bridge of Sighs

    Layla, nuff said.

    Little Feat, Time Loves a Hero AND Willin’

    Zepplin, Hey Hey What Can I Do

    I can’t wait to see the song list this time around.

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  9. Crap. Leave it to Juan to fuck me up like this. OK. Re-assessing. Charting, planning, moving, burning. It’s gonna be good…

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