Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Becoming the starting point guard for the white* B team in eighth grade didn’t just happen for me. Like other great accomplishments, it took a lot of hard work, practice, and some extra motivation. My seventh grade motivation technique of watching MC
Hammer videos in the morning wasn’t cutting it anymore. I need some more immediate pumping up. So, I created what I called, Jeff’s Pump Up Tape. Jeff’s Pump Up Tape was a mix of upbeat and/or inspiring songs I compiled from tapes and the radio. I would put it in my off brand Walkman and listen to it on the bus on the way to places like North Scott and Northwest Junior Highs. The tape produced the desired effect, the adrenaline flowed. For a brief time my adrenal gland rivaled the output of my adolescent pituitary gland.
Here is a playlist from Jeff’s Pump Up Tape:
-M.C. Hammer, Rollin’ On
-Rocky Soundtrack, Eye of the Tiger
-Rocky Soundtrack, Burning Heart
- Footloose Soundtrack, Holding on For a Hero
-Celine Dion, Love Can Move Mountains
-Tom Cochrane, Life is a Highway
-Karate Kid Soundtrack, Moment of Truth
I never claimed it was good. I just said I made it. There were awkwardly long pauses between songs, snippets of the DJ cutting into the end of the song, and volume inconsistencies, staples of any good mix tape. I’m sure you can picture a thirteen year 
old Jeff bobbing his head to Celine Dion, preparing for the challenge ahead.
I’m facing a new challenge ahead with my adventure here and I think it’s time for a new Pump Up Tape. This would be volume three, as I made volume 2 in high school.
Here are my ideas so far:
-Ben Harper, The Fight Outta You
-Mumford and Sons, Roll Away Your Stone
-Raphael Saadiq, 100 Yard Dash
I need more.
Let me know your suggestions.
This time I will be making a playlist, and not a mixtape. Although, I do have a tape player in my car.
*Being on the white B team was not a segregative racial thing. There was a white team and a red team, the school colors. We were fully integrated.
Muse – Knights of Cydonia always pumps me up!
f***KING PERFECT – PINK
Actually, in all seriousness, Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is A Highway” is still a pretty good song for the next tape. You could have that be your retro track for it.
The Kinks – “Better Things”
Amy MacDonald – “Barrowland Ballroom”
Paper Tongues- “Trinity”
This guy sang w/ Jenn a few times w/ ZHOP stuff… I can’t get enough of it.
http://vimeo.com/10225340
Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull. As crazy as it sounds, this song has got me through every life transition.
Mighty Mighty Bosstones Impression
U2 Even Better than the Real Thing
Those are on mine.
I also have Firework (Katy Perry), Forget You (Cee Lo Green), Beautiful Day(U2), Steam (Peter Gabriel) Ray of Light (Madonna), and Bitch ( Meridith Brooks) . Hmmm, those might be chick songs
Ahhhh, the old mix tape – love it!
paper tongues ‘ride to california’ seems highly fitting to me. posted it on your wall last week some time.
“i’ve been defeated for sure but now i got a chance in the city better let me go..”
“it makes sense to go to california”
“I’ve got no money, so. if you were me you’d do the same thing you know?”
I spent way to much time last night trying to think about this. I came up with some good ones though. Some may be chick songs but you’ll hopefully get the message.
Raise your Glass – Pink YMCA – Village People
Bad to the Bone – George Thorogood Anything fast from GLEE
Put a ring on it – Beyonce
Believe – Cher
Hillybilly Bone – Blake Shelton(keep the Ozarks in your mind!)
Mean – Taylor Swift (I use this song with Morgan when kids are mean and she needs a reminder that she’s OK the way she is. Maybe some executive will be “mean” to you. Silly song with a great meaning.)
Love can move mountains? Really? I bet that got you pumped up… for love.
Can’t go wrong with Crazy Train
ALL ABOARRRRRRRRRRD! HA HA HA!
“Ghetto Musick” and “Hey Ya!” – Outkast
Judas Priest, “Breaking the Law” — old school
Exodux, “Deathamphetamine” — death metal
Korn, “Clown” — hardcore
Drwoning Pool, “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” — our generation
Killswitch Engage, “Holy Diver” –heavy metal
The Distance – Cake
Yeah Yeah Yeah Song – The Flaming Lips
E-Pro – Beck
Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
Search and Destroy – Iggy & the Stooges
Shut Up and Let Me Go – The Ting Tings
It’s a Disaster – OK Go
Going On – Gnarls Barkley
You’re the Voice – John Farnham
Kids – MGMT
Danger on the Track – Europe
Short Skirt/Long Jacket – Cake
Notice this list is surrounded by Cake. Just as life should be.
Elvis Presley – “If I Can Dream”
I remember sitting in the boys room and the boom box was on the top bunk. As we are jamming out to Q103 you would hop up and hit the red record button a second too late because it was a reach. Then as we start to jam we would forget to hit stop which would leave the Djs voice or some caller asking for another song on the end of the song.
I’m pretty sure the process of making the ‘pump up’ tape/playlist is almost better than actually listening to it.
The Offspring – Pretty Fly For A White Guy
Dropkick Murphy’s – I’m Shipping Up To Boston
Dr. Hook – “You Make My Pants Wanna Get Up And Dance”