Road Trip Mix Tapes

My family traveled so much when I was a kid. Usually down to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee around Easter time. My dad would always have a box of tapes for the road. Some were made especially for the trip, usually full of upbeat songs to keep him awake. Many were hits of the fifties, but he did go through a disco phase in the late seventies (who didn't?). Sometimes he would just listen to what was on the radio to get local traffic info.

There are certain songs that make me think "ROADTRIP!" Some even take me back to a specific place, or the even car we were in. There is a groove, or a drive, that a good roadtrip song must have. Something about it pushes you forward, it echoes the anticipation in your soul, and sometimes you forget how fast you're going.

This 1980 single from Christopher Cross reached #2 on the Billboard charts and I consider it the road song that all others aspire to be. This video was from SCTV and pokes fun at how Michael McDonald was all over the radio that year as a lead and background singer.



Some other classic examples that come to mind include "Get Back" by the Beatles, "Don't Bring Me Down" by ELO, and "Green Onions" by Booker T and the MG's.

I still like to make a special mix CD for vacations or special occasions. That way when I hear the song months later it triggers a memory of that time. This song by Jens Lekman of Sweden was on a mix CD that we listened to the day after our wedding. When my wife heard it months later she said, "This reminds me of when we got married." I laughed because the song is about a guy chopping his finger off while cutting avocados.



When I travelled down to Tennessee a few years back I had a car with a USB port in the radio so I put together an eight hour playlist on my thumb drive. Some were classics that took me back to previous trips, but many were new songs that had that feel. One that will always remind me of that trip is "Keep the Car Running" by Arcade Fire:



As summer comes, if you have the luxury of taking a vacation, put together a special roadtrip mix and create a soundtrack for your memories.